Stoops, Sooners Focus on Cyclones

October 16th Press Conference
   Coach Stoops Weekly Press Conference
   Senior Safety D.J. Wolfe on Playing on the Road
   DT DeMarcus Granger on Playing in Front of LB Curtis Lofton
   Senior Jacob Gutierrez Breaks Down the Special Teams

Sooner Gameday Central: Oklahoma at Iowa State
Access everything you need to know surrounding Saturday's game at Iowa State.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Head Coach Bob Stoops discussed Oklahoma's performance against Missouri and previewed this weekend's game at Iowa State during his weekly press conference Tuesday. The Sooners meet the Cyclones at 11:30 a.m. (CT) Saturday in Ames. The game will be televised by FSN.

View Coach Stoops' press conference as well as interviews with seniors D.J. Wolfe and Jacob Gutierrez and sophomore DeMarcus Granger by clicking on the links above. Complete transcriptions from all of today's interviews are available below, courtesy of OU Athletics Media Relations.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OKLAHOMA HEAD COACH BOB STOOPS
Opening Comments:
"Last week against Missouri I felt very positive about our performance in the second half, in particular our strong play in the fourth quarter against a very good Missouri football team. I felt positive about how Sam (Bradford) threw the ball and was one of our players of the game, along with Chris Brown who did a great job in the second half of running the football. He really got hot in the fourth quarter when we needed him to."

"I would have liked to see us run the ball a little better earlier, but the running game did open up some of the passing game in the first half. In the second half the run game came on a little stronger, Chris Brown had just an outstanding game. Brandon Walker up front and Brody Eldridge both had really nice games, along with Jermaine Gresham who had two touchdown catches and played well offensively."

"Defensively, I felt we played a really good game. Against a team who has been as productive as they (Missouri) have been, to force them to four turnovers, one for a touchdown and two that set up touchdowns in the red-zone is awfully positive. You are going to give up some yards to them and they are going to make some plays because they are an excellent offensive football team the way they move the ball. We felt we contained them, and I thought our tackling after the catch was outstanding."

"We gave up a drive at the end of the game when we were up three possessions. The only enemy you have in that situation is the clock. You have the keep them in front of you and tackle them. There was 12 seconds left in the game and we were up three possessions. Coach (Brent) Venables wanted to be more aggressive but I kept telling him the clock is what mattered. You see fluky things when you try to get over-aggressive and you give them something quick, and then they get an onside kick. We have been through enough in the past couple of years to know that anything can happen. Playing smart is what always really matters."

"Curtis Lofton was sensational with 18 tackles. He was physical, he tackled well and he covered well and had the touchdown. Auston English was equally impressive. He had an incredible night with his pressure with one and a half sacks in the fourth quarter and tipped ball in the fourth quarter that went right to Nic Harris for an interception. He had two or three tackles for loss. He played a great, great game."

"Punting, I thought Mike Cohen did an outstanding job averaging right at 45 yards and zero return yards. I felt that was big when they were trying to change the field position."

On the match-up against Iowa State:
"Going to Iowa State, Gene Chizik does an outstanding job. He has a long track record of success. Watching Iowa State, they play hard and are very sound in all of their schemes. You would expect that with Gene and his background. They are very fundamentally sound in how they move the football. Their quarterback, Bret Meyer, is an excellent player. Their big receiver, Todd Blythe is an excellent go-to-guy. They have good quality players, and Gene and his staff are doing an excellent job."

On why Curtis Lofton is having so much success:
"I think it is just his overall raw ability. He is very powerful in the way he hits and moves. He is also very athletic in the way he can change directions and cover. As a middle linebacker, he may be one of the best we have had athletically when you look at his strength, size and quickness. He is a very bright guy and is really fun to coach. I know Coach Venables loves him because of his attention and the way he gets things, he just understands it."

On improvements this team needs to make:
"I feel overall that we need to make strides in some areas more than we have. I feel we should still be able to run the football better than we have. I feel in our blocking we are letting some guys roll off of us or cross our faces once we have them in position, things like that. I still see on one or two occasions defensively where we are in position and don't make the proper read or cover a certain route like we are supposed to. Still we are having problems dropping the football after we possess it. We are still fielding a punt when we shouldn't. We are setting ourselves up in some positions that I don't feel are hard to overcome. To me, if we are really playing on top of our game, we can do those things. We have made some progress in some areas on penalty issues and our fourth quarter plays and making plays when we need to. There are a lot of positives, but I feel there are some simple fundamentals where we can be sharper. If those areas can become shaper then we will be a better team."

Going on the road to Iowa State:
"We have been on the road several games this year. It is always a challenge. In the Colorado game we played half of the game pretty well and didn't play well when we had to. We'll see if we can't put together four quarters this week."

On the play of Auston English:
"By evidence in what he has done, he probably been more productive than anybody we have had if you look at his performance in tackling and sacks. He is really just an excellent athlete and a very tenacious player. He definitely has a chance to be one of those special guys. Already this year he has been more productive than anybody we have had in the past couple of years."

On if the run-game and offensive line needs to improve:
"I think maybe they (offensive line) were given too much credit. They can be better than they have been and I think on some occasions that is definitely the case. With the way some teams are defending us we should be able to be more productive running the football. Hopefully we will follow some of that up and they can be more physical and execute and finish the blocks a little better."

On the Sooners ranking fifth in the first BCS ranking:
"There is nothing to talk about. It doesn't mean anything right now."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SENIOR STRONG SAFETY D.J. WOLFE
On college football overall improving with throwing the ball:
"We've been going against some great quarterbacks the last few weeks. I guess quarterbacks are just evolving with great passes . They're doing pretty good out there. I know personally we work on it a lot with Sam (Bradford) and things of that nature, but I think as a defense when you go against someone like Sam week in and week out you can only get better. Going against our own offense has helped us tremendously."

On going on the road to Iowa State:
"Anytime you go on the road it's a tough environment, but it's something where we put a little extra focus into the preparation coming into. We look to have a different outcome than last time. "Anybody can beat anybody on any given week. Coach Stoops preaches to us and he gave us a sheet of the upsets so far this year. We have to go into it with the mentality that we can't be beaten and we're going to play our game."

On Iowa State's offense:
"They have a great receiver and a great quarterback. Blythe (Iowa State wide receiver) has been there for years and is a great route runner. It's going to be tough to contain him and hold him down, but hopefully we can."

On the importance of having a good tackling team:
"In regards of giving up big plays and giving up a lot of yards, as a secondary guy you have to be a great tackler. That's what you look for in a safety or a corner. You have to be able to cover but if someone gets in the open field you have to bring them down as well."

On the defense scoring off of turnovers:
"There's always an emphasis anytime we get our hands on the ball, whether it be a tip or interception, we want to score. That helps our offense with field position and our team overall. So that's something you always want to do as a defense.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE TACKLE DEMARCUS GRANGER
On Iowa State:
"They are a great team. They have skilled players and a great quarterback."

On playing with Curtis Lofton behind him:
"It is great to have him. He tells us if we play good, then he plays good. But it all carries together. He always tells the D-line that it was a good game. He's like our running back. "

On being surprised by Lofton's performance thus far:
"It's all in the program. You get what you put into it. Curtis put a lot of extra work in during the summer. He worked out two times a day a lot just because he wanted to. He has put a lot in, so he is getting a lot out."

On the numerous upsets and the focus that brings the team:
"It's football and it can happen. Especially this year, but in football in general it can happen any time and anywhere. You can't come in thinking it is just a routine thing or everyone is going to do what they always do. If you lose your focus you can get bet any place, any time."

On his performance thus far this season:
"I am doing pretty good. My coaches and I sat my bar in our meeting room and it can always be better. Tommie (Harris) left the bar pretty high. So our bar is set high and we are never satisfied."

On the defensive line:
"The mentality of the defensive line is to create havoc. If it's third and 12 we look at each other and say `let's race to the quarterback, whoever gets there first wins.' We are out there having fun together, we are focused but we are having fun. We are together on the field and off the field, so I think that makes a big difference, because we know each other all around."

On what the last road game (Colorado) taught them:
"You can never sit there and lose focus, even if you don't mean too. It can happen without you realizing it. Last time the offense put up a lot of points and we just lose focus thinking that is always going to happen. It is like a little crack in the window and they find it. One person looses focus, then another, then another and before you know it they are kicking a field goal to win the game. "

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SENIOR RUNNING BACK JACOB GUTIERREZ
On the kicking coverage:
"It's been disappointing to say the least. Watching filming we realize we have just been undisciplined. It's not a lack of effort or anything like that, it just a lack of discipline and we are trying to correct that. Getting more reps at practice, knowing where our fits are, being more disciplined and getting where we need to be. It is definitely something that we need to correct and adjust to continue to win games. When you let them get past the 50 on the return, you put the defense in the position to defend a short field so it is definitely something we need to adjust and correct."

On kicking from the 30:
"I don't think that people really realize that, this is all a game of field position. To move it back five yards and give them an opportunity to bring it out and start on a shorter field than usual. It's our job to make it an advantage for us and to make it a longer field for them and move them back inside the 20, and we haven't done that. That is something we need to work on and be more disciplined."

On Stoops list of upsets:
"It was eye-opening. You look at all those teams that were ranked that got beat by unranked teams, including ourselves, it is definitely eye-opening. It is a great lesson to learn, to know going into a game that it is not a ranked team but the way things are going and the way football is these days you can lose to anyone. It is definitely a wakeup call. We have to stay on top of our game and prepare the same way every game, week in and week out."

On mindset going into Iowa State:
"This is college football, the athletes at Iowa State are just as good as anywhere else. If they have a good game and we don't then anything can happen. We respect their team and we know they are going to play hard no matter what their record is."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors