Jugs Machine an Example of Where Cowboys Are on Offense

It is one of those challenge moments when offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Kasey Dunn fires up the Jugs machine and the first day of spring the receivers and even the All-American running back passed the test.

STILLWATER -- It has long been a machine that was much more associated with baseball. How many of us have stood in front of the two rapidly spinning rubber tires with a bat in our hands trying to hit the curve ball or a fastball? The Jugs machine was a good hand when pitchers and coach's arms came up sore. It has also been used a lot in football to simulate everything from kickoffs and punts to passes thrown with Brandon Weeden velocity. It is a staple for Oklahoma State's new offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn in working with his wide receivers. 

James Washington caught as many or more passes off the Jugs as he did the arm of Mason Rudolph. Current Cowboys slot receiver Dillon Stoner has had blisters to show from his relationship with the Jugs machine. For Dunn it is a game or, to be more precise, it is a test. Receivers routinely start 20-yards back and steadily work their way closer as close as a few feet catching a "slow" machine gun repetition of footballs. 

The other day, the first day of spring practice the results were pretty good. You see Tylan Wallace in the video and a full run by running back Chuba Hubbard.

"It was clean. I was surprised by that," Dunn said of the exceptional performances on the Jugs machine for the first day.  "There have been a lot of guys getting in a lot of hours trying to catch Jugs and balls (tennis balls - another Dunn catching aid) on their own throughout winter conditioning and the winter program. The kids are working their tails off." 

That work and the performance on the first day of spring practice is why Dunn is beaming a smile, in a good mood, and feels really special about his advent of becoming the Cowboys offensive coordinator. 

"It's fun and it is easy. It is really is easy for us because we have a veteran group coming back," Dunn said. "There is great leadership and they are really kind of self-driven at this point. If I could step in to an opportunity to coordinate then this time would be it."

Now, Dunn with his nine previous seasons of experience at Oklahoma State is being a little too humble there. The feeling is that Dunn is more than ready to step into that role and his fellow coaches say he has already proven it the way offensive staff meeting have gone in planning the spring. 

"We're real close to that '17 team with those veteran guys and they run the ship on their own," added Dunn.

Fans will want to hear that they are more like and will finish more like that '11 team that Dunn came in on for his start at Oklahoma State. That just might be the finishing touch that Dunn will through the spring into the summer and right into fall camp. 

The catching performance on the Jugs machine is a good sign.