Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Bob Stoops

Opening Statement:
“Just reflecting on the win I am proud of the effort of the players and that they worked through the week. They really came out and played an excellent football game. Texas A&M came in here leading the league in total offense, or first or second in scoring offense, and really being highly productive. With all the success Jerrod Johnson's had through the year. We aren't talking leading after three, four or five games. We are towards the tail end of the season and after nine game they have really been productive. To play as well as we did was pleasing. To play the run, to pressure the quarterback like we did was pretty special.

“Offensively, we started off a little slow but then got things going. I like the fact that there were no fumbles outside of that early tip ball. Landry (Jones) took care of the football, that is a big factor. We had good balance. We're able to run the ball effectively and throw it. Some guys came up with some big plays and we haven't had a ton of those, the big strikes. We had some of those and that was positive. The kicking game was pretty solid too.”

On DeMarco Murray:
“DeMarco (Murray) is a really special talent in that he is not just a running back. I have said it a lot, he would be a great corner. He's just a guy that is really athletic. He catches the ball well, runs pretty good routes, is good out of the backfield and also is a strong, powerful runner. He had another big night and it is good to see him get out and make some big plays.”

On the week leading into the game:
“We had a good week of practice and came out and executed well. We didn't do anything different in practice. We didn't have a different week. We did everything the same we have done for 11 years here.”

On Landry Jones' poise:
“You have to be sure of yourself. I think the more he played, the more comfortable he got and he started making the throws we know he can make.”

On Adron Tennell's performance:
“Adron (Tennell) is a senior with only one other game left here. The one touchdown catch was a nice play to fight for the ball with a guy all over him and to pull it in was a great play.”

On the defense:
“They are really playing well. Just tackling well, pressuring quarterbacks and playing the run game well. What has been fun is they really have practiced well. They really are kind of clued into and get excited about the preparation and the thought process of it, and where we need to be and the discipline of it. You see them and they are really a smart group. To be where they need to be all the time and not bust something and give up something easy.”

On Patrick O'Hara:
“(Patrick) Patty (O'Hara) did a nice job. We'll see. He probably has the biggest leg of all of them but we have to keep consistency.”

On the Wildcat offense:
“Just trying to find different ways to get seams and get the ball in DeMarco's hands more and Chris (Brown) and Ryan (Broyles). Those are three guys you can play hide-and-seek with on who has the ball and hopefully be productive as we go forward.”

On Jermie Calhoun:
“He looked tough and physical. It was very positive and I was very excited with how he played in the fourth quarter. He took care of the ball, ran strong and ran well.”

Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson

On offense against Texas A&M:
"We had way too many first half penalties which are still a concern but in general we didn't shoot ourself in the foot. We haven't shown that we can play with some composure."
On offense playing on the road next week:
"Until we can show that we can play with some composure and play smarter it will still be a test. It will be a test to show if we have matured through the year or are we the same cast of characters. So it will be a big challenge and an opportunity to see where we are at as a team next week against Texas Tech."

On the play of Landry Jones:
"He did well and is very capable. I didn't sense that he was antsy last week against Nebraska. I think that he got fortunate and made a great play on a hot route with DeMarco (Murray) on that touchdown. It was a heck of a play by Landry (Jones) to see it and throw the ball."

Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables

On the defense against Texas A&M:
"As a team tonight we really played well and helped each other at the right time. We didn't give up the big plays and for the most part kept the quarterback from running outside the pocket. We had a lot of pressures coming at him and that kept him off balance. Collectively we have a very solid performance tonight."

On the Texas A&M offense:
"We have great respect for Texas A&M and their skill as a football team. There ability to move the ball, there coaches put together a lot of difficult schemes to prepare for. They are very good team and a difficult offense to prepare for. They keep you on your toes and they have great skill overall as a football team."

Sophomore WR Ryan Broyles

On Landry Jones' first quarter start:
"That's football. There's ups and downs no matter what position you play so I know you guys point out things like that with the quarterback, but we're just out there playing to better ourselves each quarter, each play. He definitely knows he doesn't have to carry the whole offense. So we have guys that can make plays and that definitely gives him confidence."

On rebounding from the Nebraska loss:
"We had a little different approach this week. We had a lot more reverses like you saw. It makes the game a little more fun on offense, so just looking forward to what we have next week."

Senior DB Brian Jackson

On the fumble recovery:
"It was good. It was kind of exciting when I picked it up because all I saw was grass. I saw the same thing at Texas but (Colt) McCoy came out of nowhere. I guess Johnson didn't have as good of an angle as McCoy did."

On the team's overall performance:
"It's a huge momentum boost, especially for the offense to get things rolling. I'm glad I could get things done to help the team out. That is No. 1 on the list."

R-Freshman QB Landry Jones

On his overall performance:
"We kind of got things going. Obviously our defense just played great and kept us in the game and put us in good situations, so I really have to hand it to those guys. I think we played a lot smarter tonight. Especially down in the red zone area. We didn't have as many penalties so we were able to punch some scores in tonight."

On the offensive playmakers:
"Yeah it's nice to see when you throw a two-yard pass and they take it for 80. That's pretty nice for those guys to do that. They played great. All those guys did."

On Brian Jackson's touchdown:
"When a defense scores for you, that's just another bonus. It just takes a little bit of pressure off of us. Brian made a great play right there. I was really proud of him."

On the defense:
"I have to give it up for our defense. This team came in leading the Big 12 in offense. So they did a really good job against them."

Sophomore LB Travis Lewis

On the performance of the defense:
"When you can hold an offense like that, who is No. 1 in every statistical category in the Big 12, to 230 yards that is huge. We've been pretty consistent all season, that is what I'm most pleased about. We took a tough loss against Nebraska last week but we came and we still prepared the same. The result was what we wanted this time."

On the performance of the offense:
"It was good to see those guys gaining confidence, going into next year and going into the bowl game. Just start rolling. It's good to see those guys making plays."

Junior RB DeMarco Murray

On the performance of the offense:
"It was good play calling by Coach (Kevin) Wilson. He told me he needed to get the ball in my hands a little bit more than we have been doing. It was a great game that he called and the offensive line did a great job blocking. We had a lot of stuff going on, but I thought we handled it pretty well and executed pretty well."

On the 67-yard touchdown:
"Coach Wilson made a great call, he saw the blitz coming. I just caught the ball and cut across the field. I saw (Ryan) Broyles make a good block, as well as Adron Tennell and Dejuan Miller. I know I have speed. I trust my speed more than anything, so I knew if he was behind me he would stay behind me."

Sophomore K Patrick O'Hara

On his nerves:
"A little bit [nervous] at first, but it wasn't too bad. I kind of fell in and just felt right in place."

On preparing for the game:
"Coach [Stoops] told me prior to the game to stay ready, he may need me, so I was ready. I knew I'd get a time to shine sooner or later. Just got to hang in there and get it and make a field goal."

Junior DT Adrian Taylor

On the defense's consistency this season:
"It's just attributed to our preparation every week. We come out and don't take anything for granted. We prepare heavy, heavy, heavy. We know what's coming before it comes. It's just our coaches getting us ready every week and showing up on the field."

On the performance of the defense:
"I think they are No. 1 in every statistical category in the Big 12 and in the country, I think they are top-five. We just go out and there and play hard, read our keys and make sure we do our jobs so we can help our teammates out. It makes the game a lot easier when you can depend on the guy next to you and not worry about them making a mistake or missing an assignment. You can always trust them and it makes a difference in the defense you have."

Head Coach Mike Sherman

Overall observation of tonight's game versus Oklahoma:
"We weren't very good today. We shot ourselves in the foot numerous times. When it was 14-10 and we had the ball at about the 50 and then we just ran out and subsequently just had the 'muff' going on after that and things just kind of spiraled on us and we just never ever recovered. We have to give Oklahoma their credit. They took total advantage of the opportunities that we gave them and then the opportunities that they created themselves."

On the trouble handing kicks:
"I wish I knew why that was today. Last week, Cyrus Gray returned a touchdown and we're all excited about that and this week he has a tough time hanging on to the football. We fumbled one that we also recovered too, so it wasn't a good day from that standpoint."

On his opinion of the muffed punt that OU recovered:
"I don't think he touched the ball but I don't think that was the ruling on the field. Kenny Brown thought he had to go after that ball. I mean, it looks like it was too close to call from his standpoint, so I don't fault Kenny for going after the ball. I don't think he touched it, but after the final review, obviously they didn't have anything conclusive enough to turn it over. I thought that certainly was a big call in the football game."

On this last week's effort in practice:
"We had a great Wednesday practice. I thought Tuesday was a little slow to get going but I thought we had a great Wednesday. We had a great preparation today and getting ready on Friday. Probably could have been better. I think there were some repercussions from the game (loss to Colorado)."

On whether or not there was anything from practice this past week that got carried over to the game:
"Tonight was about the Oklahoma Sooners. There's enough of a challenge there to begin with and we just didn't do things very well. I thought we came out moving the football and obviously we fumbled the football real early giving them an easy opportunity. When the game got out of reach and I knew it was a passing game totally, that protection was going to be an issue blocking their guys. They have a heck of a defense in front and a great defense as well. Then that's when the game started to spiral. We couldn't get anything going. I don't think we converted a third down in the second quarter, couldn't stay on the field. I don't think we've had that many three-and-outs all year long in one football game."

On if Jerrod Johnson had a tough evening because of the Sooners defense:
"Well I think it's tough when protection is in question and it was certainly in question tonight. Trying to set your feet and make decisions, and sometimes even when the protection might be somewhat okay, you're just never totally trusting of it. I can't fault him for that because it was very erratic."

Junior QB Jerrod Johnson

On the score being 14-10:
"I was pretty confident in what we can do as an offense and when the game was pretty close, we felt we could move the ball fairly well if we just didn't turn the ball over. We had a lot of confidence in everything we did but tonight it didn't work out too well for us."

On how tough it was when OU stopped the run:
"It was tough. When you play a pressure defense like Oklahoma, you can't run the ball and they are going to start pinning jerseys back and try to throw the ball and everything has to be balanced for this offense to work. We try to make it as balanced as possible but it's just one of those things where you have to figure out what you did wrong for next week. "

On how tough the challenge of bouncing back is:
"One thing about this team is we handle adversity well, so I think we will handle this situation well. We don't really have a choice or any other way to handle it. Just get back, keep your head strong and stay together. You don't want to start pointing fingers at this point and we want to stay together as a group and become closer as a team and try to get to work and get better."

On the team continuing to battle:
"We have a lot of tough guys on this team and at the end, it did get kind of out of hand but I don't think anyone on our team quit. I have a lot of confidence in our guys and it's one of those things you know, today wasn't our day and we just have to go back a regroup."

Senior DB Jordan Pugh

On Landry Jones' success:
"He played well. It was him and his team and you have to give Oklahoma credit. They just played better than we did. We couldn't make stops at certain times and couldn't stop their pass and couldn't stop their run. You have to give all the credit to them."

On how much Oklahoma threw the ball:
"We expected them to throw. If you were to compare this year to last year, yes, but coming in we knew they were going to throw the ball. We knew that they were going to use their backs. As far as surprising us, it didn't surprise us."

On A&M's ability to bounce back:
"We have no choice but to bounce back. We have been in this situation before and all you can do is move forward now and press on to the future. You can't worry about the past because it's over now and you can't do anything to change it. You have to fix things and move on."

On the team continuing to battle:
"We fought. You know we fight until the end and it just didn't go our way. It was just one of those nights but we continue to fight and that's what I love about this team."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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