Oklahoma State tempo still quick with Wes Lunt at QB

One of the critical elements of Oklahoma State’s no-huddle spread offense is a fast tempo. It keeps the defense off-balance. It helps prove which team is in better physical shape in the second half. It keeps the offensive players in a flow.

And the quarterback is the one who dictates how quickly everything moves in between snaps.

Naturally, there was going to be a drop off with the transition from veteran Brandon Weeden to true freshman Wes Lunt. But coach Mike Gundy is still happy with the tempo during practice.

“It’s been about two seconds off,” Gundy said. “On a 40-second clock, we want to (snap the ball) around 23 or 24, and he’s been getting it off around 19 or 20ish, right in there, in practice. It usually goes faster in a game, unless they’re changing a play.

“It’s been really close, and as he learns to get everybody lined up like he’s supposed to, it should get faster. One thing that’s helped is having veteran running backs. One thing that’s worked against him is having freshman receivers out there.”