Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
Final
Football
35
vs Illinois State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Game Quotes
October 04, 2008 | Football
Return to Recap
Opening Statement...
"The guys were really solid, really focused and they played really well. We played well in all parts of the game. I loved the way that we started off; I think it was a break that we won the toss and differed just because of the wind conditions. We played such great defense to start with that it gave our offense great field position to start with."
On Sam Bradford...
"Sam (Bradford) was exceptional throwing the ball. He was very accurate. Our receivers (Manuel Johnson) and Juaquin (Iglesias) had a big day. Our running backs were solid; 200 yards on the ground between the three of them was exceptional. Defensively, I thought our coverage was outstanding."
On the Baylor offense...
"They worked us some. I think Robert Griffin is an excellent athlete. He made some nice plays, and he is going to do that against everybody. They are doing a good job. I thought Coach Briles and his staff was well prepared for the game. We needed to make sure that we were really on our game so that we could be as good as we know we can be."
On the Oklahoma offense...
"Sam (Bradford) put (the passes) on the mark today. We always talk about making the play when (the ball) comes to us.... we are just trying to get better every weekend."
On the Baylor Defense...
"They were playing kind of a soft (coverage) so we had a lot of opportunities to get misdirection and get underneath on routes. We just played well and we were just clicking today."
On the importance of coming into the game prepared...
"It was a big emphasis this week to come into this game focused because this is our first Big 12 road game. Our first road game in the Big 12 last season was against Colorado, and coach Stoops made it a big emphasis that we needed to come in here ready to play."
On Robert Griffin...
"That guy is fast. He escaped me a couple of times. He had a couple of big runs, but I thought we did a good job overall of just containing him."
Opening Statement...
"I really don't think we are that far apart than what we showed on the field today. I don't want to sound naive or unrealistic but I just think we are a better football team then what ended up being on the scoreboard today. And that to me is a little bit discouraging. We have to do a good job as coaches to make sure our guys perform at the level they are capable of performing. I am not sure we did that on ever single snap today. And in a game like this every single snap is the ball game."
On the way the game started...
"You can go back to four plays in the first quarter that might have had a chance to determine the outcome of the game. We got to make those four plays...We needed a spark. We weren't doing anything really offensively. Sometimes you need a little spark to give your team a little life and momentum.
On where the team goes from here...
"We got to regroup and get ready for a good Iowa State team. That's what we have to do and that's what we will do. And our guys will be very determined and very focused."
On Oklahoma...
"They are good at what they do. You could sense that last week when they made a good TCU team look pretty normal...We knew OU was a good football team coming in."
On possibility of Baylor being nervous...
"I would like to think not...This is our league, the Big 12 South. If we start getting wide-eyed over people in the Big 12 South, we are going to have a hard time blinking because they are going to be wide a bunch. We got to go out and play them and represent. We got to be good at what we do."
On Baylor's execution...
"We just did not do a good job of executing. I think that is basically what it came down to. We had a couple of oppurtunities early -- first drive, then the second drive -- and we just kind of stalled out as we did later in the game, too. Against a team like that when you have oppurtunities to make plays, you got to make them."
On the mental mistakes of the defense..
"We definitely made a lot of mental mistakes. We gave up that first interception and a couple other plays. We had some missed gaps and missed assignments, which gave them at least 21 or 28 points. Hats off to them because they beat us, but at the same time, we didn't help ourselves."
On the defense's approach after being down by 28..
"We go out there and try to fight hard and give everything we've got on every play. That's the motto of our defense. That's how we want to be known. I think we went out there and regardless of the score, we play hard."
On being down early...
"It was very challenging. They jumped out on us pretty well, but we just had to fight and try to get back in it."
On being surprised that they were down that fast...
"We were surprised. We feel that we are good and we just try to prove that to anyone that we play. So we were very surprised that they jumped out on us like that."
On how much of a momentum change Pawelek's interception would have been...
"This game is a game of inches. Then, they get the ball and basically walk into the endzone. You talk about an emotional letdown and that was a big shift in the momentum right there."
On putting this game behind you...
"After the game, we have to forget about it. It's over. You can't go back in time and play the game again. You might as well forget about it, fix the mistakes and move on."
 |
Head Coach Bob Stoops |
Opening Statement...
"The guys were really solid, really focused and they played really well. We played well in all parts of the game. I loved the way that we started off; I think it was a break that we won the toss and differed just because of the wind conditions. We played such great defense to start with that it gave our offense great field position to start with."
On Sam Bradford...
"Sam (Bradford) was exceptional throwing the ball. He was very accurate. Our receivers (Manuel Johnson) and Juaquin (Iglesias) had a big day. Our running backs were solid; 200 yards on the ground between the three of them was exceptional. Defensively, I thought our coverage was outstanding."
On the Baylor offense...
"They worked us some. I think Robert Griffin is an excellent athlete. He made some nice plays, and he is going to do that against everybody. They are doing a good job. I thought Coach Briles and his staff was well prepared for the game. We needed to make sure that we were really on our game so that we could be as good as we know we can be."
|
WR Juaquin Iglesias |
On the Oklahoma offense...
"Sam (Bradford) put (the passes) on the mark today. We always talk about making the play when (the ball) comes to us.... we are just trying to get better every weekend."
On the Baylor Defense...
"They were playing kind of a soft (coverage) so we had a lot of opportunities to get misdirection and get underneath on routes. We just played well and we were just clicking today."
|
DE Jeremy Beal |
On the importance of coming into the game prepared...
"It was a big emphasis this week to come into this game focused because this is our first Big 12 road game. Our first road game in the Big 12 last season was against Colorado, and coach Stoops made it a big emphasis that we needed to come in here ready to play."
On Robert Griffin...
"That guy is fast. He escaped me a couple of times. He had a couple of big runs, but I thought we did a good job overall of just containing him."
 |
Head Coach Art Briles |
Opening Statement...
"I really don't think we are that far apart than what we showed on the field today. I don't want to sound naive or unrealistic but I just think we are a better football team then what ended up being on the scoreboard today. And that to me is a little bit discouraging. We have to do a good job as coaches to make sure our guys perform at the level they are capable of performing. I am not sure we did that on ever single snap today. And in a game like this every single snap is the ball game."
On the way the game started...
"You can go back to four plays in the first quarter that might have had a chance to determine the outcome of the game. We got to make those four plays...We needed a spark. We weren't doing anything really offensively. Sometimes you need a little spark to give your team a little life and momentum.
On where the team goes from here...
"We got to regroup and get ready for a good Iowa State team. That's what we have to do and that's what we will do. And our guys will be very determined and very focused."
On Oklahoma...
"They are good at what they do. You could sense that last week when they made a good TCU team look pretty normal...We knew OU was a good football team coming in."
On possibility of Baylor being nervous...
"I would like to think not...This is our league, the Big 12 South. If we start getting wide-eyed over people in the Big 12 South, we are going to have a hard time blinking because they are going to be wide a bunch. We got to go out and play them and represent. We got to be good at what we do."
On Baylor's execution...
"We just did not do a good job of executing. I think that is basically what it came down to. We had a couple of oppurtunities early -- first drive, then the second drive -- and we just kind of stalled out as we did later in the game, too. Against a team like that when you have oppurtunities to make plays, you got to make them."
|
DB Jordan Lake |
On the mental mistakes of the defense..
"We definitely made a lot of mental mistakes. We gave up that first interception and a couple other plays. We had some missed gaps and missed assignments, which gave them at least 21 or 28 points. Hats off to them because they beat us, but at the same time, we didn't help ourselves."
On the defense's approach after being down by 28..
"We go out there and try to fight hard and give everything we've got on every play. That's the motto of our defense. That's how we want to be known. I think we went out there and regardless of the score, we play hard."
|
RB Jay Finley |
On being down early...
"It was very challenging. They jumped out on us pretty well, but we just had to fight and try to get back in it."
On being surprised that they were down that fast...
"We were surprised. We feel that we are good and we just try to prove that to anyone that we play. So we were very surprised that they jumped out on us like that."
|
QB Robert Griffin |
On how much of a momentum change Pawelek's interception would have been...
"This game is a game of inches. Then, they get the ball and basically walk into the endzone. You talk about an emotional letdown and that was a big shift in the momentum right there."
On putting this game behind you...
"After the game, we have to forget about it. It's over. You can't go back in time and play the game again. You might as well forget about it, fix the mistakes and move on."
FB Highlights: OU 24, Michigan 13
Saturday, September 06
Brent Venables Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
Ben Arbuckle Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
In the Booth: OU vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
