Derek Mason introduced a brand new strategy to the Oklahoma State protection when he arrived in Stillwater, and it had nothing to do with the defensive scheme.
The longtime soccer coach discovered a approach to enhance the psychological facet of soccer, particularly on the faculty stage with over 100 lively gamers on the roster.
Instead of the age-old quantity system given to depth chart, Mason made a easy – however impactful change.
“For us, we talked about it: it’s goons, goblins and gremlins,” Mason stated previous to the season. “That’s what we talk about ourselves. Nobody really cares who is the first guy. Everybody wants to be a guy. So, with that, everybody is expected to play their role.”
And that new strategy was put into motion proper when he arrived on campus.
During the spring, there was no conventional tiered groups for the protection. The returning or anticipated starters had been taking part in alongside the normal “second” and “third” string gamers when scrimmaging the offense.
Cowboy coach Mike Gundy stated it was partly to offer Mason a chance to totally assess his gamers – because the first-year defensive coordinator preached within the spring that he didn’t wish to carry any preconceived beliefs about particular person gamers.
For the gamers, it was greater than that, although.
It was the primary glimpse of preaching goons, goblins and gremlins.
And it served as a chance to all the gamers on protection – regardless in the event that they had been a four-year starter or a redshirt freshman – to start out bonding past the numbered tier they’d been related to.
“It helps a lot because different people get out there with different people – I’m not always out there with Jason (Taylor II), or (Mason) Cobb isn’t always out there with Xavier Benson,” cornerback Jabbar Muhammad stated. “So it kind of just makes you gain camaraderie as a group.”
That facet has proved pivotal for the Pokes.
In current weeks, there have been numerous accidents throughout video games – and some within the days main as much as video games – and these goblins and gremlins that labored alongside the beginning goons again in March and April, have been compelled to play important minutes within the warmth of Big 12 Conference play.
“We got to play a lot of guys. Part of the reason we have to play so many guys is because the Big 12 looks the way it does,” Mason stated.
Mason isn’t exaggerating when he’s speaking concerning the Big 12 offenses, both.
Heading into this weekend’s video games, eight of the league’s groups rank – together with the offense the Cowboy protection practices in opposition to each day – within the high 36 within the nation in terms of scoring offense.
And Oklahoma State has confronted half of these different six top-tier offenses thus far (No. 3 TCU, No. 18 Baylor, No. 25 Texas and No. 26 Texas Tech), with No. 20 Kansas, No. 32 West Virginia and No. 36 Oklahoma nonetheless remaining on the schedule – with all seven of these offenses averaging a minimum of 34 factors per sport this season.
First-year beginning linebacker Mason Cobb gave credit score to the time spent within the spring for serving to constructing the chemistry to have the ability to deal with the current rotations. Cobb stated he hung out working with the threes within the spring – one thing the protection has by no means completed earlier than in his time on campus – which helped him when a few of these gamers began getting extra time on the sector.
“Malcolm (Rodriguez) and Devin (Harper) never went with the threes. It was a little confusing, but now I see why we did it,” Cobb stated.
Cobb additionally believes Mason giving names to the defensive groups, as an alternative of assigning descending numbers, went a great distance with getting ready the Pokes for this tough stretch of accidents.
While the chemistry was already being created again within the spring, the psychological sport for teenage athletes who had been so used to taking part in with the No. 1 unit in highschool could be tough when immediately they’re thought of additional down the rung.
“When you hear ones, twos and threes, guys are getting discouraged,” Cobb stated. “… So now, no matter who you are, you might get in the game, and you got to make the best of your opportunity.”
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