Mike Gundy on Zane Flores: Freshman QB Ready for First Career Start at Oregon

Zane Flores, a redshirt freshman, spent his first two years in Stillwater rehabbing an injury and waiting behind veteran quarterbacks. He entered fall camp in a battle with TCU transfer Hauss Hejny, who was named the starter for the opener against UT-Martin. But after Hejny broke his foot in the first quarter, Flores stepped in and completed 13-of-20 passes for 136 yards.

That cameo earned him the call for Saturday.

“He needs a good practice this week, and our coaches need to put him in a good position,” head coach Mike Gundy said. “He needs to go play and be aggressive, not look over his shoulder. He needs to do what he’s done all his life—play quarterback. Go out, play hard, have fun and compete. We’ll do our best to put him in the right spot.”

Gundy On The Challenge Ahead

Making a first career start on the road against a top-10 opponent is far from easy, but Gundy downplayed the nerves.

“He doesn’t get riled up too much, doesn’t get too high or too low,” Gundy said. “He’s been with us a long time, and even though the system is somewhat new to him, I would expect him to function just fine. I really would.”

Asked about preparing Flores for Autzen’s atmosphere, Gundy said experience traveling has helped.

“Zane traveled with us in conference games, even down to Texas,” Gundy said. “He hasn’t been the guy out there playing, but he’s been in it. I don’t think the stadium will affect him much. The maturity of getting experience on the field will be more of a factor.”

Gundy also pointed to encouraging signs from Flores’ debut against UT-Martin:

“That scramble on third down was a competitive play, and he made a good throw on the sideline in a crucial spot,” Gundy said. “He did some good things check-wise for a first-time player. He’s got a long way to go, but those were positives.”

Coach’s Corner: Mike Gundy On Zane Flores

What’s most important for Zane heading into his first start?

“He needs a good practice this week, and our coaches need to put him in a good position. He needs to go play and be aggressive, not look over his shoulder. He needs to do what he’s done all his life — play quarterback. Go out, play hard, have fun and compete.”

Can Flores handle the pressure of starting on the road at Oregon?

“He doesn’t get riled up too much, doesn’t get too high or too low. He’s been with us a long time. The system’s somewhat new to him, not 100 percent, but I would expect him to function just fine. I really would.”

Has he been prepared for an environment like Autzen Stadium?

“Zane traveled with us to conference games, even down to Texas. He hasn’t been the guy out there playing, but he’s been in it. I don’t think the stadium will affect him much. The maturity of getting experience on the field will be more of a factor.”

What positives stood out in his first college action?

“That scramble on third down was a competitive play, and he made a good throw on the sideline in a crucial spot. He did some good things check-wise for a first-time player. He’s got a long way to go, but those were positives.”

Will the staff adjust the game plan to protect him?

“We try to protect quarterbacks every play, but we can’t play scared. Injuries happen in this game, sometimes in ways you don’t even see. We’ve just got to go play football.”

Depth Concerns At Quarterback

Flores’ emergence comes at a time when OSU’s quarterback room is thin. Transfers Garret Rangel and Maealiuaki Smith left in the offseason, leaving true freshmen Banks Bowen and Mason Schubert behind Flores.

Bowen, the son of OSU assistant Clint Bowen, will work as the No. 2 quarterback this week. The 6-foot-3 Kansas product originally signed with Tulsa and even went through spring practice before transferring to Stillwater this summer.

While that lack of experience is a concern, Gundy said the Cowboys can’t afford to play cautiously.

What’s Next

Oklahoma State (1-0) will kick off against Oregon (1-0) at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Eugene.

“I’m comfortable with him,” Gundy said. “It’s a tough opponent, but I think Zane will be fine.”