Gundy Talks Facing Texas, Mason Rudolph, Going Shirtless For Homecoming Crowd

The Cowboys are coming off a school-record 747 total yards in a beatdown of Baylor and Texas is in emotional and physical recovery after a tough loss in the Red River Showdown.

Does that mean Oklahoma State has an advantage in Saturday’s matchup against the Longhorns?

“Don’t know anymore how it affects anybody,” said Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy. “The only thing we can go on is our experience. If they focus well and prepare, well we’ll have a chance. If you don’t, you probably won’t play well.”

The Cowboys have won four straight in Austin, averaging 35 points per game, and this weekend, they’ll bring the top-ranked offense in college football with them.

“I think our players enjoy this game,” said Gundy. “Most of them know the guys on the other team from high school.”

Gundy says from what he’s seen so far, Texas is the most athletic team top to bottom in this league. And for the Cowboys, it’s the start of a tough three-game stretch on the schedule.

At the controls of the top-ranked offense is Mason Rudolph and against Texas, he’ll face a tough test: a fast, physical defense.

"He’s been a perfectionist," said Gundy. 

Gundy says he and Rudolph have grown pretty close over the last couple of years, and the head coach took it to another level last Friday during OSU’s Homecoming and Hoops when Gundy told Rudolph if the quarterback took his shirt off, he would follow suit.

“You miss high school pep rallies,” said Gundy. “We have the largest homecoming in the country. We had a high school assistant coach who would do crazy things and we loved it, so I didn’t plan on any of it. Thought about it about a month ago. When I got there and introduced them, they all go crazy over Mason, so I said, ‘You ought to take your shirt off for them.” Not his nature… he gave me that look. ‘What’s the big deal? You’re going to the pros anyway. I’ll take my shirt off if you take yours off.’ I gotta do it now. When I got home, Kristen said she threw up in her mouth a little bit.”

Certain celebrations have a time and place, and it’s safe to say if the Cowboys find success again in Austin this weekend, the shirts will come off but only in the locker room.