Practice Report: Rattay's Impact on Sanders and QB Room a Positive for Pokes
STILLWATER -- Back into the routine for the Cowboys. Tuesday's practice, the second with classes underway, is more the norm that will be the case the majority of the season. Meetings starting at two p.m., then on the field by 3:30 for the practice run thru, and right into stretch and the start of practice. It was also normal in that most Tuesday practices are in full pads. For the first time since practice started the Cowboys were in full football regalia.
After practice associate head coach and offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn talked about the Cowboys being in full pads for the first time this season.
"A little bit of normalcy," Dunn said. "For the perimeter guys, my guys (receivers) it doesn't change much. It doesn't change much for the quarterbacks. Everything happens inside the box and it gets a little more intense in there. The trenches, it changes in there and I can't wait to get back in there and see what this looks like on tape."
Spencer Sanders scrambles in a practice earlier this preseason.
Bruce Waterfield - Oklahoma State University Athletics
There is something comfortable about getting into a routine. Most football players and coaches crave a routine. Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders is no different. Sanders has looked sharp this fall camp and in practice and he should. Last season he had the brilliant start in the Oregon State win and played well during the season before the thumb injury derailed him. Sanders threw for 2,065-yards and 16 touchdowns, ran for 628-yards and two scores. Sanders threw 11 interceptions and fumbled seven times losing five of those.
When last year's quarterback coach and offensive coordinator Sean Gleason left for Rutgers, head coach Mike Gundy promoted Dunn to coordinator and hired Tim Rattay, who had been with Washington in the NFL. Rattay, a talented quarterback in college and in nine NFL seasons, was brought in to teach and develop. Rattay said he was looking to help Sanders see the field better, make better decisions, and overall become more comfortable.
Quarterbacks coach Tim Rattay coaching freshman Nolan McLean during fall camp.
Oklahoma State University Athletics
"I feel like it is pretty good," Sanders said about his relationship with Rattay. "I feel like we have a really close connection and he has taught me a lot of things."
Back in the spring, Rattay was able to prep both Sanders and incoming freshman Shane Illingworth, who was a mid-year enrollee at Oklahoma State, for the start of spring practice. Then after just three days of practice it was over. Spring break started but with the COVID-19 pandemic the quarterbacks, including Sanders, didn't return until early June.
Actually, Sanders was around earlier and was stopping in to throw with his targets, Tylan Wallace in Stillwater and Landon Wolf and Dillon Stoner in the Tulsa-area. The Zoom meetings through the spring and summer were beneficial, but now with close to a dozen practices in fall camp and the first two with school underway what does Gundy think now?
“It’s still really early, but I like Tim Rattay,” Gundy said of his new quarterback coach. “I like his approach, I like his style, he’s very low key, he’s a good teacher. He’s had tremendous success playing, coaching. Very mature; I think he’s a quarterback guy from the standpoint of he relates to the players. We’ll see as the season moves on.”
More importantly, how is Sanders doing? With all the returning offensive talent the Cowboys have, most close observers of Oklahoma State football feel the progress and development of Sanders as the operator of the offense on the field is the determining factor for the season.
“He’s doing good,” coach Gundy said of Sanders. “He’s a year older and a little stronger and making some plays and making the adjustments based on coach [Kasey] Dunn and what we’re doing on offense. He should continue to improve each day.”
"He's slowing the game down for me quite a bit," Sanders said of Rattay's influence. "He's getting me through my reads maybe a half a second faster than last year. The important thing is getting depth in the pocket to have time to throw the ball. I'd say he's showed me a lot, helped slow the game down for me. I love it and I just want to get better."
What may be more telling is the opinion of a, not so neutral, observer. Receivers are never neutral about their quarterback. They want him to be as good as possible making the opportunity for them to be as good as possible.
"I think he is more comfortable with reads and that comes with time and experience," said senior slot receiver Dillon Stoner. "I think Coach Rattay has done a great job with him and the other quarterbacks."
Stoner said he thought it would continue to show up all season. Stoner knows as does fellow slot receiver Landon Wolf and wide receiver Tylan Wallace; the entire offense and the Oklahoma State fan base knows that if Spencer Sanders plays consistently like he did in the Oregon State game or the Texas game then the Cowboys will win a lot of football games this fall. That could be least 10 or more because that is how many that are scheduled. More than 10 and then you know that Rattay, Sanders, Dunn, everybody involved, did a fantastic job.
