How does Derek Mason view Oklahoma State football's Week 1 defense? 'They can play better'

STILLWATER — Following his first game as the Oklahoma State defensive coordinator, which the Cowboys won 58-44 over Central Michigan, Derek Mason stood in a corner of the team room in the west end zone of Boone Pickens Stadium.

Surrounded by reporters, Mason answered questions graciously and thoughtfully, never giving off any sign that he was in a hurry to shut down the interview.

Yet even as the clock ticked toward 11 p.m. on Thursday, Mason also never gave off any sign that his work day was over.

He never specifically said so, but he left the impression that when he finished chatting with the media, he was heading back to his office to further digest what he had just seen from his players.

Mason knew he had nine days until his defense would be back on the field in next Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. game against Arizona State at Boone Pickens Stadium, and he wasn’t going to let a minute go to waste.

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“To me, just looking at the time that we have, and what we’re able to pull from this ballgame, it’s only gonna make us better,” Mason said. “It gives us time to really dissect it. On a normal game week, you really gotta flush it and move on. Now, what we get a chance to do is really pull it apart, put it back together, and get back together on Sunday to talk about Arizona State.”

The situation was ideal from a coaching perspective. Lots of good to praise, but plenty of mistakes to correct as well.

OSU allowed three touchdowns over Central Michigan’s first 12 possessions, ending three of those possessions with a safety, a turnover on downs and an interception. Yet the Chippewas scored touchdowns on three consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, making the game close enough that the Cowboys had to defend an onside kick in the final minutes.

“There’s a lot of improvement from game one to game two, so let’s take it,” Mason said. “I feel like, hey man, great win. Am I disappointed in me? Yeah, I wanted to see us play better. But we got the win, there’s a lot to be learned in this win. And now, what we gotta do is move it forward.

“I tell these guys, don’t worry about making mistakes. Football is an imperfect game played by imperfect people chasing perfection.”

Mason was particularly pleased with his defensive line, as expected. It’s the group with the most experience and proven talent. He saw them moving blockers back at the line of scrimmage, which helped the Cowboys make 13 tackles for loss.

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The back seven of the defense raised more questions, but that group is facing a serious experience void. Only one player in the group — redshirt senior safety Jason Taylor II — had made more than one start at OSU before Thursday.

One of the key areas Mason will examine closely is the play of his starting linebackers, Mason Cobb and Xavier Benson. The duo combined for 19 tackles but video review certainly revealed plenty to work on as well. But together, they seem to check a lot of the necessary boxes for a pair of linebackers, combining strength, speed and tackling ability.

“We click a lot,” Cobb said of his relationship with Benson. “We kinda move at the same pace. I’m excited that he’s here. We’ve been clicking since the day he got here, so I’m excited to keep playing with him.”

Mason, being a defensive back at heart, will have plenty of teaching moments with his secondary after allowing 424 passing yards and four touchdowns.

But in his postgame locker room interactions with his players, Mason was encouraged.

“Real hungry, not satisfied, and they know they can play better,” he said. “So let’s do that.”

More:Oklahoma State football 'can go a lot faster' on offense. Spencer Sanders can't wait.

OSU vs. Arizona State

KICKOFF: 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater (ESPN2)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football: Derek Mason's defense 'hungry, not satisfied'