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339

Oklahoma State Open with 94-88 Victory

531

Cowboys vs. SC Upstate Preview

806

Cowboys Out Duel Knights – Move to Semis

662

Cowgirls Down Cardinal…On To Supers!

458

Cowgirls Take Down Cardinal…One Game Away From Supers

677

Pokes Win Game 3 and Series Against Arizona

510

Pokes Pound Cats in Game 2

481

Elementor #3198

662

OSU vs. Arizona Opponent Preview

541

Pokes Fight Back…AGAIN – Fly Past Eagles 12-7

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One part of the “growth” process that I am very excited to watch is whether OSU becomes more “physical” as a team. I don't think it's negative to take the stance that Tulsa was the more physical team, and that went a long way in them beating OSU on Saturday. And the response to that is all in how you choose to view it. Of course, the question is, how can you go the entire camp and not have the team prepared properly from the physical aspect of the game? That's 100% valid, and the players and coaches have to “eat” that one, IMO. But the silver lining, as Coach Morris mentioned, is that now that you've played another team, you know where you're at. And so, the statements are made, the plans are in place, and those who become more physical play. Those who want to get defensive and not embrace the constructive criticism won't grow and thus won't fit into the mindset moving forward. That's a big part of the takeaways from the failures of Game 1 and, if done properly, can be turned into a huge positive moving forward for those who embrace it. #GoPokes #OkState
OSU Has to Get More Physical — Coach Morris' Growth Mindset
The “growth” mindset is something we all knew would be part of trying to dig out of the hole we're in. As Scott McKinley pointed out on our last Roundup, Coach Morris didn't get us into this mess. He was the guy we hired to get us out of it. I understand that OSU fans saw regression rather than growth in Game 1, so I'm starting at that baseline. We all feel that. And then, as Coach Rainwater pointed out on our last “Makin' It Rain,” the “growth” mindset was geared toward becoming a national contender again — not simply getting to the level where we can beat Tulsa. That's where the anger and disappointment are rooted. But the silver lining is that the #2 team in the country is coming to town this weekend, giving OSU an opportunity for a complete, total, and entire reset on everything we're feeling right now. So I asked Coach Morris what we, as fans, should be looking for to see growth, because much of that process happens beyond the scoreboard. #GoPokes #OkState
Coach Morris on What “Growth” Should Look Like for OSU
Tate Romney definitely has everything in perspective, as you'd expect from someone in his position. He's married and has a kid, so he's dealing with an entirely different set of circumstances than most of his teammates. He's getting his first consistent playing time as a starter since his big 2023 season at ASU, and if his first game is any indication, he's on the right track. Like everything else, nothing is ever perfect. There are always things to clean up, especially from Week 1 to Week 2, but Tate played well in Tulsa on Saturday. He also said this team has to focus on positivity moving forward. Negative thinkers tend to dwell, and as Tate pointed out, when you do that, you let one loss beat you twice. That's an elite takeaway from him. Having said that, this has nothing to do with Tate or his comments. It's more of an overall statement on where OSU football is right now. Positivity and showing support are not the same thing as cheerleading. Sometimes things/results aren't okay, and trying to spin them like they are isn't being positive. It's enabling. Everyone has their own philosophy, but to me, being positive means doing, saying, or thinking in a way that best leads to a positive result. For some, that might mean pissing someone off to the point where they want to prove you wrong. For others, it's being calm and analytical. For some, it's the "Hard Rock" effect — getting in someone's face, getting loud and raising their energy level. Everyone is different, so being positive looks different for every personality. Tate strikes me as someone who, in the adjustment moments, gets the iPad out, talks in a normal conversational voice, analyzes the performance, and comes to a conclusion. Then, once that process plays out, he doesn't use any more bandwidth dwelling on it. He seems to use all of his bandwidth on what's ahead of him, and none on what's behind him. Absolutely awesome mentality. It can be frustrating for fans who are feeling Fire and Brimstone after losses, and who want to see that same emotion from the players and coaches. But they deal in a world of solutions, so they have to find the best way to move forward, and this is a great mentality to be able to do that. #GoPokes #OkState
Tate Romney’s Elite Mindset: “One Loss Can Beat You Twice”
There are always a lot of issues to clean up from Game 1 to Game 2. I asked Coach Morris about the short-yardage running game, the need for the RBs to bounce when the edge is set, the tight ends in the passing game and how all of that piles on itself when the QB isn't part of the running game. Coach Morris, as he always does, took a question that would make many coaches defensive and absolutely owned it, IMO. Lots of respect for his transparency and willingness to “dig in” rather than deflect. That is the definition of a growth mindset. And whether we like the timeframe that suggests or not, that growth mindset is why he's been successful at literally everything he's set his mind to do. There is zero reason to think OSU will be the first — despite the fact that his first game was, TBH, an unmitigated disaster. #GoPokes #OkState
Coach Morris OWNED the Game 1 Disaster 👀 #GoPokes
Christian Bodnar...LFG! 🟧 “We have to have competitive stamina for a full game.” 🟧 “We showed we're not as good as people said we were.” 🟧 “You have to take the positives out of certain things.” 🟧 “We dominated on 3rd down, so we should be able to dominate on 1st and 2nd down too.” 🟧 “We lost that 1st game, and that wasn't supposed to happen, and it's easy to go down that hole of losing, but we're a team of workers, and we're not gonna take the easy way out.” 🟧 “Even after a loss, we have to realize that we still have 11 opportunities ahead, potentially more, and it would be crazy to write us off. 🟧We have to show that we are connected for 4 quarters.” 🟧You have to be bought in from the second you get here Great stuff here from Christian Bodnar, and tremendous perspective. When things go sideways, you start monitoring mannerisms and tone, and mindset. This team appears to have that part of the equation solved. Negative thinkers typically aren't productive when the fan starts blowing, and Bodnar is anything but that. His tone and his line of thinking speak to the type of culture that Coach Morris is building. We just need to let him/them breathe a little bit and do what he's ALWAYS done! And that's win... And win with an exciting brand of football. You can believe that is still going to happen, and refuse to stop being extremely pissed and totally unimpressed about the Tulsa game all at the same time. In fact, as fans, we have to! Would love for you to check out the full interview! https://youtu.be/dE2XTv9BcCw #GoPokes #OkState
Christian Bodnar: “We’re Not Gonna Take The Easy Way Out”
Tulsa put out a blueprint for how to defend OSU: play two-deep safeties to keep the middle of the field in front of you, play man coverage on the outside, then blitz underneath to put pressure on a QB who is still learning how to process all of those things to an extent. While OSU did get a LOT of first downs and moved the ball fairly well, that defensive structure limited the explosive plays. And for this offense to get up to full throttle, it needs those explosive plays. So, I asked Coach how you attack that moving forward if — and when — we see that defensive structure again. #GoPokes #OkState
Tulsa Layed the Blueprint...Can OSU Adjust?
There was a lot to like about the way the defense played on Saturday, especially in the organizational aspect of things and the way they diagnosed. The next step is to play more aggressively, get more TFLs, get a sack or two, and be more physical at the point of contact. Tate Romney handles this interview — and the questions thrown at him — like the pro that he is. Super mature. Super smart. Great perspective. That allows him to understand the “growth” process and explain it in a way that makes you believe him. Looking forward to watching this team get better week by week! #GoPokes #OkState
Tate Romney Media Availability
Christian is a super talented safety who is just getting started with his career at OSU, and he has a really exciting future ahead of him. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, but every time you hear these guys talk, you come away very impressed. I say that because this was one of my questions: It’s SUPER important that these guys stay locked in. Many of them don’t have ties to OSU, so the temptation can be to clock in and clock out. We’ve seen that before. But Coach Morris isn’t going to allow that. And, as you hear from the players, it’s not hard to be convinced that they’re bought in right now — and that piece of the equation will remain a non-negotiable for them. Then, when you ask them a question that could be somewhat uncomfortable, they dominate it. That’s a really big sign of confidence and character to me. Now, all of that has to show up on the field. LFG!
Christian Bodnar Media Availability
While Saturday wasn't ideal, Caleb Hawkins still put together a strong performance with 79 yards on 18 carries (4.4 YPC). He also added 6 catches for 29 yards, proving once again that he's a focal point of the offense. Coach noted it's an open competition for RB2, meaning Caleb is primed to handle a heavy workload—a role he completely embraces. As a true sophomore, his ability to break tackles and get downhill is elite, and there's still so much room for him to grow. Exciting future ahead, and I'm ready to see what he can do against Oregon this Saturday. #GoPokes #OkState
Caleb Hawkins Wasn't Perfect, But He Was DURNED Good!
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