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Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach Cale Gundy hasn’t called plays since some practices while he was at UAB in the late 1990s.
“I did a little bit with some practice stuff a long time ago when I was at UAB in Birmingham with Watson Brown but have not since. Very excited about the opportunity and having a chance to do this,” Gundy said.
The longtime Oklahoma assistant coach gets his first official crack at it when the Sooners battle Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday night.
Gundy has been around plenty of explosive offenses over his 23-year tenure as one of the assistant coaches at Oklahoma, and he’s leaning on those experiences versus the Ducks.
“Well, you learn a lot, and, obviously, I’ve been here, I’ve been around several offensive coordinators and coaches who have called games,” Gundy said.
Gundy has picked up pieces from all of those offensive minds, but this is at long last his chance to put his unique imprint as an offensive play-caller on a game for the Sooners.
“There’s a lot of preparing, and everything from the script, things can be different, maybe some things that I thought that maybe is going to help me better on the 29th to call plays is things that I’ve done for myself and may not be the way that they were done in the past, but I’ve got to do what’s best for me and what’s going to be best for our offense,” Gundy said.
Ultimately, Gundy wants to put his players in the best position to be successful.
“We’ve got to do what’s best and the strength of our football team, and that’s what we’re going to do. I’d love to be able to elaborate on that to you, but I just can’t do that. You’ll have to wait and see in a couple nights. But we’re going to play to our strengths and whatever is best for our football team, that’s a decision that myself and the other offensive coaches that came together have really helped me in this situation.
“Our coaches, all of us have done a tremendous job putting this game plan together. We just want to allow our guys to play fast and play very, very physical. That’s what we want to do. We’re going to put them in the best position to be successful,” Gundy said.
Oregon will be without its All-American edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and a bevy of other defensive starters. Gundy said Oklahoma can’t focus on who Oregon is missing.
“You know, we just kind of worry about ourselves. Again, I’m more concerned about our offense and how our players play. Again, what can we do the best. I just can’t really be too concerned about and speculate what’s going to be out there Wednesday night. If we execute and do the things that we’re supposed to do, everything will work out fine. I believe that 100%.
“They’re going to have 11 guys out there, and that’s all we’re worried about. We can’t spend a lot of time because you can go back and watch film and try to speculate who you think may be out there, and if there’s not a lot of film like certain guys playing corner or linebacker or defensive line, then you really don’t know. Again, it comes down to us. Their players are at the University of Oregon because they’re good football players. They would not be there if they were not good football players, whether they’re a freshman scholarship or sophomore or junior or senior or whether they’re a walk on,” Gundy said.
True freshman quarterback Caleb Williams will make his seventh career start for Oklahoma. As a former starting quarterback for OU, Gundy knows better than just about anybody what types of challenges Williams has faced throughout 2021.
He’s been impressed by his signal-caller, too.
“Just to see how Caleb has continued to get better through this year, I mean, it’s really — the better days — he’s still got so much room to grow as a football player and as a person. He’s so very, very talented, but there’s still so much to learn being out there as a young guy that every day that goes by and the more reps and the more practices you get, you’re going to get better. He’s heading in that direction,” Gundy said.
Gundy has been up in the press box for Oklahoma the past couple seasons. That won’t change against Oregon, but the gravity of his role for the Sooners against the Ducks will.
Along with Bob Stoops’ return as Oklahoma’s interim head coach, Gundy finally serving as the Sooners’ offensive play-caller is right toward the top of the list for reasons this OU bowl game is captivating.
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