Oklahoma Coaches & Players on Kansas

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma coaches and players met with the media on Tuesday at the weekly football press conference at the Kerr-McGee Stadium Club inside Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.

The Sooners travel to Kansas City this weekend to battle the Kansas Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Saturday will mark the 99th game between the long-time conference foes.

The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be televised by TBS. Please consult Sooner Gameday Central for complete broadcast information.

OU HEAD COACH BOB STOOPS
On Oklahoma's performance against Texas:
“Texas is always a very good football team. As far as big plays go, I think our inability to execute in some areas really hurt us. I thought we made some critical errors that helped contribute to some of their big plays. All we can do is watch the film, do our best to learn from it, correct our mistakes and try to execute better.”

Oct. 11 Photo Gallery | Sooner Gameday Central | Game Notes

On what the team needs to improve on against Kansas:
“With Kansas, we need to execute better. Going up to Arrowhead Stadium to play KU, we need to do our best to be as sharp as we can. That's the frustrating part for us.

"It's one thing to give up plays and get beat when you're in position or when you execute properly. But it's another when you put yourself out of position and allow someone to convert on you and make a big play. That's what we're doing our best to correct. We need to do that this week, just to play smarter in some areas.

"I still think we can play more physically, and we can be more disciplined in what we're asking players to do.”

On whether he anticipated the struggles that the team is facing:
“I don't think that way, which you guys know. And I don't sit here and blow smoke either. I feel that we're better than where we're at right now or should have been by now. I didn't anticipate all that's happened and who we've missed. Again, I'm not making excuses, but I'm saying that I didn't anticipate all of that. But you play the hands you're dealt.

"I felt like overall, coming into the year that we would've been stronger and better than we have been. You can name a bunch of reasons we haven't been. You can blame it on me. That's fine. But I'm not going to sit here and act like coming into the year, I didn't feel we'd be better than this. I did. But all we can do is try to improve from here.”

On what it will take for the team to play harder:
“I think success and being sure of yourself and what you're doing contribute to that. I think we can. And that's what we're pushing for. But again, it goes with playing a little bit smarter and more physically. If guys are unsure of themselves, it's hard. But we've got to really be able to find that.”

On running back Adrian Peterson's status:
“He's better than he was a week ago. He didn't practice yesterday. It will probably be a day-to-day thing this week on how much he gets and how much he practices. But he is further along than he was going into the game last week, so that's encouraging. All of the X-rays and MRI's have all ruled out anything major. All that our doctors can decipher from it is a mild high ankle sprain.”

On whether losing so many players from the 2003 class has hurt the team:
“There's no question. I would say even further than that. It's any time players don't pan out, or they're not as productive as you hoped they would be or they don't work with the program. Some of those guys, with their production and what they've done, I'm sure it does hurt to a certain degree.

"Other times, it's hard to argue with the guy. We had a couple of guys who were wonderful young men in great academic standing, but Adrian got to play, and they wanted to go somewhere where they could get on the field. It's hard to argue with that.

"In the end, some are hurting us more than others. But it's not just the 2003 class. There's probably a certain number of guys from each class that adds up.”

On quarterback Rhett Bomar's performance against Texas:
“He needs to improve. He definitely took a step backward in our last game with Texas. I think it was pretty obvious compared to how he played in the UCLA game and the K-State game. But we are still encouraged that he is very capable. For whatever reason, he wasn't as productive or consistent and didn't play like he's capable of in that game.”

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SOPHOMORE PUNTER CODY FREEBY
On the team's confidence:
"You just go out there and play like you know how to play. If we do that, we can go into Arrowhead and do well against Kansas. They are a well-coached football team, but so are we. We have a great coaching staff and people who can help us win so I think we should be able to go in there and do what we need to do."

On the game against Texas:
"We are a really close team. Even though the scoreboard didn't resemble it, the guys put a bunch of heart into the game. They just outplayed us mentally. Physically it was a close game, but mentally they just didn't make any mistakes during that game."

On importance of long punts:
"I know it is a big deal because we have been going three and out quite a bit and field position is very critical especially when you are playing teams like Texas. If you give them 50 yards to go and score a touchdown it isn't going to be too hard for them. I really want to stick them back there so they have a chance of going three and out as well."

On the goals for the rest of the season:
"We are just going to have to go one week at a time and focus on the team we have to play that certain week. If we do that, we should be able to go out and not lose anymore. We have to get prepared each week and play fundamental football."

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SOPHOMORE TIGHT END JOE JON FINLEY
On the team's condition:
"We are a little more seasoned now and we are getting more experienced. Adrian (Peterson) and Travis (Wilson) are a little banged up but we're just trying to get the experience this year."

On the rest of the season:
"We still feel like we are a very talented team. We have a lot of young players, but right now we still have a chance of having a great year. We just have to take it game by game and keep working as hard as possible trying to improve."

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FRESHMAN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN J.D. QUINN
On trying to gain back momentum established against K-State:
"We are going to have to have another good week at practice and go out there and play a lot harder than we did against Texas, a lot more error-free ball. We had a lot of momentum against K State, we just didn't execute against Texas as well as we needed to.

"We had a good practice yesterday and we are going to come out today, tomorrow and Thursday and work hard, try to get our game plan together and execute a lot better than we did last week."

On the Texas game:
"I wouldn't view the Texas game as a complete step back. There were still a lot of areas people did well in. In all honesty, execution was very poor on the offensive side of the ball and we didn't move the football the way we needed to. That put us in a situation to not win the game and I think we worked hard yesterday and are going to work hard today to put us in a better situation."

On what is left to play for:
"No matter what your record is, you don't want it to be any worse than what it is. We have seven or eight guaranteed games left. It's Big 12 play with Texas A&M and Oklahoma State coming up here to play and you don't want to lose on your home field at all. Being from Texas, I don't want to lose to any team in Texas, especially Texas, but that's in the past. There is always room to improve, no matter what you've done.

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