Oklahoma State Cowboys College Football Pregame Quote, 12/28/2021

Hey, Malcolm, Coach [Mike] Gundy yesterday said it surprised him where some of the assistant coaches were at in terms of their level of being able to coach this defense after Coach [Jim] Knowles left. What stood out to you about these position coaches and maybe even especially Coach [Koy] McFarland with the linebackers?

Like you said, we’ve been together for a long time, so it’s just one of those things. Knowles put a system in, and we just all bought into it. So it’s just kind of like second nature to these guys now. And we are all still doing good out there, cohesiveness and all of that. So we’re still kicking along.

Malcolm, your cowboy hat there, is that something you brought from Stillwater, or is that an Arizona purchase?

No, no, that’s something I brought from Stillwater. So I had to bring it to Arizona and see what it was like down here in the cowboy way, showing some GoPokes down here.

I know Coach [Mike] Gundy had joked that his friends had said that you could call the defensive plays in the bowl game if you had to, but what is it like for you? What kind of mentality are you taking going into this bowl game stepping up as a super senior without Coach [Jim] Knowles?

I’m just doing my job. At the end of the day, that’s all you got to do is just do your job, just being a leader out there. Keeping the energy high out there is always a big plus for us, because we feed off the energy. So understanding we have a lot of leaders that have lots of energy. So I think we’re going to be just fine.

You’re one the six seniors would took the COVID year of extra eligibility, and you made the most out of it, leading the team in tackles and helping the Cowboys get a top ten ranking in the country. What does this OSU program mean to you? And how rewarding has it been to help propel the program back into the top tier of college football?

It’s been awesome. I’ve been thankful and blessed to be here for all of my five years. And I’m just glad OSU took a shot on a small-town kid like me. So it’s something I’ll always come back to in Stillwater and come visit. Like I said, it’s a great program. I’m glad we were able to kind of be in the top ten at the end of the season, and hopefully we get this W on Saturday.

I was interested, as you’re scouting Notre Dame’s offense, if you see their shift and how they approach how they play from sort of mid-October on; a more quick game second half of the season, could protect better, where they struggled with that at the beginning of the year. I was just interested in how you see Notre Dame’s offense changed as you watch them during the season.

Yeah, they got a lot of explosive guys. Obviously, their back declared for the draft, so he won’t be there. But they still have pretty good backs. And so we’ve just been preparing and, obviously, the tight end, the most targeted on the team. So it’s just one of those things where you have to know where he’s at. So they’re very well-rounded team, and they work as a unit. So I can’t wait to play them.

I have two questions for you. Have you thought this is it for you, this is the last game?

Yes, I have. Can’t get no more COVID years. So this is my last game. I’m excited; but, at the same time, I’ll probably be sad after the game. So it will be a heck of emotions after that.

And second question. I think you tweeted how important Koy McFarland was to you. Talk about that and kind of the impact he’s had as a coach for you.

Yeah, I mean, he’s awesome to be around. He brings the energy every day. There’s no down days for him. He’s always hyped, and he’s always running out there at practice. He’s always the first one. He’s always trying to beat the guys to the next station or something like that. He just brings that energy..

He’s so smart. He’s been around the system and the coaches and all that. And, his dad was a coach. So it’s natural for him, and it’s like second nature. So he’s just a good coach, and I hope best for him.

I know you’ve spoken about your relationship with Devin [Harper] and, this year, you got to kind of maybe take it to another level on the field. With him sticking around and finally getting the opportunity he has and making the most of it this year, what’s it been like to get to do that next to him and see him have the success he has?

It’s awesome to see a brother and my buddy next to me just make plays out there. I’d be out there on the sideline. I’d see him just go make an unbelievable play and it’s like, man, he’s worked for this. He’s earned it, and it’s showing. So it’s just one of those things where you get what you put in, and he’s put everything in this, and so it’s paying off.