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
OU Ready to Hit the Road for Cincinnati
September 21, 2010 | Football
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View video of Coach Stoops, senior DB Quinton Carter and freshman WR Kenny Stills by clicking the links to the right. Quotes are available below.
The No. 8 Sooners square off with the Bearcats at 5 p.m. (CT) Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium, home of the NFL's Bengals. Fans can watch the game nationally on ESPN2.
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 statement:
"I would just like to thank Allstate, Mr. Larry Dumas and all for recognizing Quinton (Carter). He is definitely a very special young man and is very active on campus as well and different campus activities. We're proud and appreciate you recognizing him for this award and hopefully we'll have many more with some other guys. Quinton is such a great example in the classroom as well, along with community service.
"Going back through and reviewing last week's Air Force game, as I said, I thought after the game and said it to the team again on Monday, I think the real positive is a good team win. I thought both offense and defense complemented each other in each half. In the first half, the defense played a little bit better than the offense but we go in with the 10-3 lead. Then in the second half, the offense picks it up while the defense got worked a little bit, wasn't quite as sharp. We're still able to finish the game with the offense running the clock out in the last three and a half minutes when (Air Force) has three timeouts as well. So very physical running the ball and finishing the game that way.
"I thought the special teams complemented both offense and defense with field position. We had some big kickoff returns. Our coverage was outstanding, punt and kickoff. Jimmy Stevens kicked the ball really well. Tress Way averaged 50 yards a punt and kicked off really well. To put that together with the rest of it, it was a positive win. No turnovers, very few penalties. When you play in a clean way that way it really helps you in those style of games.
"Some guys that played well: Stacy McGee, Daniel Noble, Travis Lewis, Jonathan Nelson and Corey Nelson when he was in there. Offensively, again, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles. Ryan, again, for a third straight game (this season) had over 100 yards receiving. DeMarco had about 190 all-purpose yards. Landry (Jones) played well. When you look at his statistics with four clear drops, he has a nice day. A couple of throws at the end that he'd like to have back there in the fourth quarter, but other than that he had pretty good day. I talked about Jimmy Stevens. It's positive for him to hit the ball so well. Tress Way, all those guys, really solid.
"Now we're back, at least defensively, to a more conventional offense and working our techniques and schemes that we've worked on throughout the year. Hopefully we can come into this game, mix our coverages, mix our blitzes, play some good technique. I thought just one technique area we weren't as strong in last week was just tackling. I've seen us tackling well in other games and I believe we will. It's something we'll work on hard this week.
"First road game, going to Cincinnati and a team that was picked to win the Big East Conference, undefeated in the regular season a year ago. A team that had 18 straight regular season wins coming into the year. A team that's really built a strong tradition in the past several years and is used to winning. Going to their place will be a challenge but we're going to be on the road as we go through the season so it'll be a huge test just to start the year, to handle the crowd, to have the maturity and discipline to go on the road and play a good solid game."
On the progress of OU's defense:
"Well some parts have been really good and other parts haven't, I think that's obvious to everybody. I think it's still a work in progress and I think it will benefit us to work more traditional coverages and defenses that we work through the year as opposed to some we had to employ because of the option styles that we've seen."
On Cincinnati's offense:
"They run it, but they're a spread attack. They'll give you three and four wide receivers, one-back sets, motion back into two-back sets, a lot of what you see from a spread team. Zone, zone read, some of that, some quarterback run game. Zach Collaros, their quarterback, is a pretty good runner. They try and get him the ball some that way. He's also good throwing the football."
On the team meeting his expectations:
"We've been solid in some areas and we've been a little inconsistent but what's been positive is you've seen positives in a lot of areas and through three games. We're working on some of the inconsistencies, there are some parts where we didn't play quite as well as we thought we could've. Part of that is being early in the year and having to iron some things out. I thought, for instance, the discipline we played with last week with the few penalties, the execution at the end of the game, particularly with our offense. I think it's fair to say a year ago we wouldn't have done that. I think it was obvious that we did it in a very solid way the other day and that's a positive."
On if you can learn more about a team when they're on the road:
"Sure, to a degree you do. It just depends on what kind of character, toughness and attitude you have. It makes a difference."
On Quinton Carter:
"Quinton Carter has been a great player for us. He's been very consistent. He's a very smart player in understanding concepts and the defenses and the different complexities we give him. He recognizes offensive schemes and then he has good ball skills and is a very physical tackler. He's been a very solid safety for us."
On Landry Jones' development:
"He's working on it. He's only played three games here so far and he was thrown into the fire last year, not expecting to be. I thought he handled that situation a year ago as well as anyone could have and grew with it through the year. I think players around him kind of grew a little bit as they went through the year. I believe this year he'll continue to make improvement and I believe he'll be supported better, just with the guys around him playing at a higher, more consistent level."
On the offensive line:
"They've done a good job, but I think it will get better as they keep moving through the year. They've been pretty good really."
On Jimmy Stevens:
"Just really proud of Jimmy (Stevens) to hang in there. He really hit the ball solid so hopefully that boosts him. He's had a good week of practice. I'm excited to see him hopefully continue to improve and be a solid guy for us."
On playing in an NFL stadium:
"I'm a big stadium guy. I love to see different one, new ones, be in them. I'm sure the players feel that way. It's kind of their venue to go have it and compete a little bit. I'm sure going in there will be exciting for them."
On his favorite stadium:
"The Coliseum in Rome, that was really cool to see. Really, you think about that tradition. I couldn't wait to go to it. Once, my wife and I were able to go a few years ago with some friends and as soon as I got there I couldn't get there fast enough. That was cool."
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Senior DB Quinton Carter |
On going on the road for the first time this season:
"You really have to go in with a dominant mentality and a killer mentality to establish itself on the run. I'm kind of excited to finally get a road experience under our belt because we know that's really what makes great teams; going on the road and performing well."
On the defensive rankings:
"There have been teams around here that have had great defenses and have finished in the same situation as the same we are in. So were just looking to chop wood each week and become better every week."
On how to prepare the young guys for the road:
"Same way we do for a home game. Just prepare hard during the week, and when you get there stay calm and play the way you know how to play."
On Cincinnati QB Zach Collaros:
"Just watching on tape, the offense revolves around him, and he's a very athletic guy and knows how to make plays."
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Freshman WR Kenny Stills |
On converting on third down in OU's final drive vs. Air Force:
"I was pretty excited on that third down, to hear the play call coming my way. I just went out there and saw the defense kind of spread apart, saw an open zone and I made a catch and got up field. I made the smart play by getting down. I got the first down and didn't want any chance to mess it up."
On what he has learned the first three games about playing Division I football:
"There's a lot to learn. From the beginning, just the speed of the game is something I've had to pick up on. The defense is a lot faster and there's a guy always there touching you or grabbing you or trying to put his hands on you. That's a lot different from high school, where you're running wide open and making those easy catches for touchdowns. I have to just improve on getting experience out there and everyday at practice and at each game just continuing to help."
On playing on the road for the first time:
"It's really exciting. I feel like a lot of the freshmen are excited to see our first away test and see how it's going to be playing against a crowd that doesn't like you and is going to boo you. We're all excited for that."
On what the offense has learned about themselves:
"I think it's been good for us. We've learned we can get through those struggles and continue to put points on the board. That's the best part about offense. It's not like we came out and have been blowing people out consistently. We've had these struggles and that has helped us."
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