The Oklahoma State Cowboys are preparing to take on Iowa State on Saturday looking to bounce back from consecutive losses to Kansas State and Kansas.

Select players met with members of the media following practice to discuss how the Cowboys are preparing for the Cyclones and getting back on track on both sides of the ball. Here is some of what they had to say:

Wide Receiver Langston Anderson 
On making his first catches on the season: 
"It's a blessing, first of all. It was just good being out there. Things didn't go the way we wanted them to, but it was good being part of the team and getting back out there and doing things like that." 
 
On working with Garret Rangel: 
"It goes back to this summer, doing fall camp and spring ball. We've been doing this for a minute, so it's second nature. The only difference is that it was in a game." 
 
On the team sticking with him through injuries: 
"It means a lot. The coaches had a lot of new freshmen coming in and being play makers, and they still believe in me. It's a blessing to have their support. My teammates, too. They push me to not give up." 
 
Offensive Lineman Preston Wilson 
On improving the run game: 
"It is what it is. We come out here and we grind. I do think that we did get a little bit better last week at running some of our zones, whether it shows on the stat sheet or not. All I know is we did get better. We improved as a unit and we're going to continue to improve. It's the little things. We've dealt through adversity; we fought through adversity and we're going to continue to fight through adversity. At the end of the day, we'll just keep taking out coaching tips. Our coaches put in a lot of hours, and we love to hear what they have to say. We're going to get it done. We'll continue to move the ball and I'm looking forward to the improvements we're going to make in the run game coming up these next few weeks." 
 
On what he told Garret Rangel before the Kansas game: 
"We had a talk before the game. I told him 'I played a lot of games. I know you're a new guy, you're a true freshman. If you need anything, just let me know.' I wanted him to know, I'm going to protect you; I'm going to keep you safe. You don't have to worry about that. I'm going to give it my all to keep you safe. Whatever I have to do. If you have questions, or things aren't feeling right, or the snaps aren't the way you want them, I'll adjust for you. I'll take you under my wing to do what I need to do for you. We got that established from the beginning and all went well between us." 
 
On Garret Rangel: 
"He cares about his teammates. He's not just a football player, and he's not just 'oh yeah that's my quarterback.' He's a friend. That's what makes things a little different. He's a great guy and fun person to talk to and he's genuinely a person you want to be friends with." 
 

Cornerback Cam Smith 
On getting extended playing time this season: 
"Back home my parents talked about just waiting your turn, being patient, coming in learning the defense and just waiting your turn, really. That's something my parents harped on about my whole life so getting up here, it wasn't nothing too hard to me." 

On if he has had to learn on the fly this season: 
"Yes. The practice reps are different from the game. In the game it moves a lot faster so I am just kind of learning on the fly." 

On how he handles making mistakes:
"Not to get too high on the highs and too low on the lows, keep that neutral, competitive edge. Sometimes the receiver is going to make a good play, sometimes I'm going to make a good play. Of course, we got to have that swagger, but don't let it bleed over to the next play. When you make a mistake, don't let it bleed over to the next play."  

Defensive End Collin Oliver 
On the frustration of not getting to the quarterback:
"Stats matter, but to our defense they don't matter as much. Obviously, people are going to see that you're not getting the sacks you want to. It just it what it is at this point but it's a long season."

On stopping the run 
"It all starts with stopping the run. You can't stop the run, you don't earn the right to rush the passer. Once these guys get running on you, they can run the whole game. It just starts with stopping the run. That's the base of why we can't get to the quarterback." 

On if the last couple games were humbling: 
"I feel like this whole season has been. To me personally, the people we have in the locker room, we're way better than that. All the stuff that's been going on this whole year, we know that we aren't playing to our standard. I think this week is going to be huge in terms of bouncing back. It's been kind of strange in a way, but I know we are just one click away from being the best defense in the country. It's just little stuff."