The Oklahoma State football team is working toward a more normal routine and that was evident Saturday in the annual spring game.

Coach Mike Gundy was pleased at his team’s progress and the movement back to normal following a year of dealing with the Chinese coronavirus, including the cancelation of spring practice in 2020.

“Today was a great finish in what has been the best spring since I’ve been the head coach here. I’m excited for this team,” said Gundy.

That’s quite a statement for a coach who has been through as many spring practices as Gundy has as a player, assistant coach and head coach at OSU.

The Cowboys played two 20-minute halves, highlighted by the play of backup quarterback Shane Illingworth, who threw two touchdown passes to wide receiver Jaden Bray.

“He’s going out there and he’s running great routes,” Illingworth said of Bray. “I think routes first and foremost for a quarterback is crucial. You’ve got to get your steps correctly on where you’ve got to be on time and he’s done that…He’s been great. His body position, just going up and getting balls. He’s had a great spring, a phenomenal spring.”

OSU played five quarterbacks Saturday, including freshman Gunnar Gundy, son of the head coach. He is wearing No. 12, his father’s former number.

Starting quarterback Spencer Sanders hit 22 of 30 pass attempts for 149 yards and one touchdown. John Paul Richardson, a true freshman, caught seven passes for 47 yards.

“Those guys have more reps this spring than most starters have over the last 15 years,” Gundy said of the young receivers. “Because we had a few veteran receivers that missed some spring ball with a little injury here and little injury there.

“And those young guys have the same amount of reps of what a varsity player would have for us in the past so you could see the results today. They could feel their way around the game a little bit and it wasn’t so new to them.”

With a load of talent at the offensive skill positions, improving the Oklahoma State offensive line is a concern during the offseason this year.

“We’ll be considerably better than we have been,” Gundy said. “We have a center (Danny Godlevske) who transferred in from Miami of Ohio, and we really like him. Sills is in shape now. Jake Springfield played last year as a freshman but didn’t know what he was doing. He’s getting stronger and has experience. (Taylor) Miterko played as a redshirt freshman last year. (Because of injuries) those guys got valuable reps during a very uncomfortable time for us.

“Because of (injuries) in the first game, our ability to perform on the offensive line was about a 3 (on a 1-10 scale). We had a bunch of guys who had never played before. It had nothing to do with talent or coaching. It was inexperience. Not good.

“I’ll be shocked if we’re not at about a 7 for the first game this year. Most of the 10-win teams we’ve had, the offensive line (rating) would have been an 8. When we won the Big 12 (in 2011), that group was at a 9.”

Who made the most progress in spring practice?

“Tay Martin is in shape now. He had never been in shape here until now. We got him during COVID, when really nobody was in shape,” Gundy said. “(Defensive end) Tyler Lacy and (wide receiver) Braydon Johnson are on the brink, hopefully. LD Brown should be a force. Jaylen Warren transferred in. (Running backs) Dominic Richardson and Dez Jackson — they’ve made big plays for us. (Offensive lineman) Josh Sills is in shape now. When he came in from West Virginia last year, he was not in shape. He can make a jump this year. (Defensive tackle) Collin Clay. (Cornerback) Korie Black. (Cornerback) Christian Holmes is a veteran guy and another guy who really wasn’t in shape when he got here last year.”

OSU has a new athletic director, Chad Weiberg, who replaced Mike Holder, who retired.

“I’m sure (Weiberg) will have his flavor on how he wants things to work,” Gundy said “He’s a very strong proponent of football. I’m excited about moving forward with (new OSU President Kayse Shrum and Weiberg). This is a little bit of a new era for us athletically. The president obviously is very influential on athletics, and when you change athletic directors, you’ve got a new person in charge of everything.”

Gundy revealed Saturday that he had the coronavirus just before the Cowboys played Miami in the Cheez-It Bowl. Gundy quarantined at his house for 10 days. He indicated he had a mild case of the virus and “never actually got sick” even though he had a positive test.   Doctors cleared him to travel to Orlando for the bowl game, which OSU won 37-34.

  OSU was able to weather the pandemic better than most college teams.

“We couldn’t have done it without the Oklahoma State medicine people,” Gundy said. “Everything we needed, they were able to provide, and at a time when our (medical personnel) were working 16 hours a day. Without (the assistance of OSU Center for Health Sciences doctors and nurses), we would have been in trouble. You could argue that we (managed) COVID as well as any team in the country. That was a big lift for us.”