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
Sooners Face Tough Test at Texas A&M
November 02, 2010 | Football
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View video from the press conference by clicking the links to the right. Quotes are available below.
The Sooners (7-1, 3-1) and Aggies (5-3, 2-2) collide at Kyle Field in College Station Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT). Fox Sports Net has the telecast.
For complete coverage throughout the week, details on attending the game and broadcast options for following the Sooners from around the world, visit Sooner Gameday Central.
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Head Coach Bob Stoops |
Opening comments:
"Going back through last week's Colorado game, I was overall pleased with the overall team effort in every phase of the game. I thought Colorado came in with, again I've said it, a couple of tight losses and beating Georgia and, to me, a physical team. I really appreciate the way they play on defense, offense, how they run the ball. Their defense, I've thought, is always physical.
"I was pleased for us to match up well and play physical also and execute like we did. We had two penalties on the whole day, probably an all-time low for our program. We took care of the football in a very responsible way.
"Landry Jones was just sensational. He was 14-15 yards from breaking Sam Bradford's record for passing yards in a game and he didn't even play the entire fourth quarter. Four touchdowns and no interceptions, you can't really ask for more. Ryan Broyles was just off the charts with special, big plays and consistency, route running and catching the ball, getting deep and getting behind people. He had a career day also, setting the record for most yards in a game. I was also pleased with our running game. DeMarco Murray, Roy Finch, the two of them. DeMarco had over 100 all-purpose yards with the number of catches he had. I thought we had good balance. The guys up front, Ben Habern and Gabe Ikard, really had good games. Our tight ends, James Hanna and Trent Ratterree, had really good games.
"Defensively, very consistent. I thought we only had the one bad play the whole day, the rest of it we played great run defense. I thought our coverage was really outstanding. I thought the corners had a bunch of deflections. Jamell Fleming and Travis Lewis were kind of our players of the game. Jamell had a bunch of deflections. It was really solid game along with the other guys. We had better pressure up front and with some blitzes. Our kicking game was really good. I thought Jimmy (Stevens) hitting all of his kicks was big and all of our coverage was very solid also.
"That leads us into the A&M game with us going down to play Texas A&M. Now all of the south division games come and this is the first step and a big challenge going down there to play, like it always is. As I said on Monday, it's an exciting challenge. You're in a good league and you're going to go on the road every year somewhere. Our players are going to be focused on having a great week of practice when we go down there and will hopefully be on top of our game and be as prepared as we can be."
On playing three of the final four regular season games on the road:
"I don't know how that worked out or how that happened, but in the end that's just how it is so we might as well embrace it and go get them. But in the end, I truly don't see the big deal in it because no matter what every year is different. You're going to play some on the road and some at home. Why is this year any different than others? That's how it is."
On playing at night on the road:
"For us, we get a little extra walk through, a little extra preparation. We've been doing this for a long time and we're fairly used to playing at night. It's ok with us."
On why Mossis Madu didn't have any carries against Colorado:
"Well obviously the past couple of game he's fumbled the football and these other guys we feel have been more responsible with it coming on and deserved the opportunity as well."
On becoming more consistent:
"I think overall our consistency is improving. In fact if you look at just Big 12 statistics and how we're playing, we're really playing pretty well and are at the top of the league for most of those categories. If you just compare those games, we have been making some strides, more consistent. Hopefully that will continue. It needs to."
On the chemistry between Ryan Broyles and Landry Jones:
"It's probably fair to say that Ryan can have good chemistry with anyone that can throw the ball. He just has a way of beating them; he's just so quick, fast, such a good route runner, he has all of it. And then he has the hands to go with it and the body control to go after the ball. He's an obvious attraction for Landry."
On why he blitzed more against Colorado:
"It was a little bit the way they were playing. Everybody's a little bit different in how they're protecting or how quick or where they go with the football. Sometimes everyone thinks to just blitz every down and then you make yourself susceptible to different plays in different ways. That's the cat-and-mouse game you're always playing. The other night, the times we did blitz, they were more effective."
On comparing Texas A&M quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Jerrod Johnson:
"They're both big guys. They both throw the football well. They both have the ability to scramble around and run. In some ways they're pretty similar in how they play, body structure and the offense they run with them. In that regard, they're pretty similar in how they play."
On the keys to winning in College Station:
"You have to play well. You have to take care of the ball and you have to execute offensively and defensively. When you do that, you have a chance to win."
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Senior DB Jonathan Nelson |
On the secondary's play against Colorado:
"Thankfully against Colorado we were able to get our hands on some balls. We just had good technique, the DBs were staying behind the wide receivers and our corners played lights out."
On playing well in the fourth quarter on the road:
"We've brought that to attention that we need to play better in the second half and specifically the fourth quarter. Hopefully we do that the next three away games. In Cincinnati we didn't play well in the fourth quarter and Missouri it was the same. So hopefully with these next few away games and for all of the games to come, we play well in the fourth quarter."
On Texas A&M's offense:
"They have really good wide receivers. (Jeff) Fuller and (Uzoma) Nwachukwu are really good wide receivers. They have a good quarterback and a really good offense, it will be a big challenge for us."
On the team's mentality when playing on the road:
"We just have to realize that all fields are 120 yards. A field is a field and we shouldn't have to worry about a crowd or the other team. There's going to be ups and downs, there's going to be adversity and we're going to have a bad play against A&M. Hopefully we will have more good than bad, but their crowd is going to be crazy, we've experienced that at Missouri and hopefully we can better ourselves at A&M."
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Junior LS James Winchester |
On making the play after snapping the ball:
"You just get down there as quick as possible and get on top of the guy. Just play football and go hard, it's that simple. I'm just trying to do my job to the best of my ability. Just getting down there, I've been fortunate being in the right place at the right time."
On the challenge of playing at Texas A&M:
"I was there my freshman year, it's always loud. It's always a tough place to play. That place is always pretty crazy, but you just have to stay focused and not let the crowd affect us and just get our jobs done."
On OU's punt coverage unit:
"Last year, I think we finished first or second in the nation among punt coverage teams. We were really excited about that. This year, we let a few slip away from us. The Cincinnati game kind of hurt us; we had some returns on us. That kind of gave us motivation to get back into it, but special teams are a big deal here; we take pride in it. We're just looking to continue that throughout the season."
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Freshman FB Trey Millard |
On OU playing four quarters:
"We're definitely trying to be a four-quarter team and work through that challenge and finish our games stronger."
On his physical play in college vs. high school:
"It's a lot different than running back because you're getting a lot more carries per game; it kind of wears on your body. I was always a lot faster than people in high school than I am here. Here, I don't have that speed advantage as much, so it definitely comes down to being more physical."
On going on the road to Texas A&M:
"I heard the atmosphere down there is crazy and intense, but that's what we live to play in and we're just going to go down there and try to get a win.
"It's never really been that difficult for me to block out the crowd. You just have to focus on what you're doing, focus on your plays and focus on the other team and what they're doing and what your responsibility is."
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