2012 Spring Game Quotes

Head Coach Bob Stoops

On which players stood out:
"A little bit of everybody. There are 105 plays, which I was hoping to get about 100. You have 22 players of mine playing every snap, so it's kind of difficult to assess until you really go back and watch it. A lot of guys stood out and did well. Offensively, I thought of course Trey [Metoyer] showed what I have been talking about all spring with his abilities to make plays. I thought the offense did a great job, just overall of taking care of the football. It wasn't sloppy. We had two Big 12 crews officiating it and didn't have a lot of line-of-scrimmage penalties. So it was pretty clean for your spring game when there are so many guys playing. Some guys are not ready to play yet and played well overall."

On the improvement of the quarterbacks:
"I think [Blake Bell] has improved in a great way and I feel Drew [Allen] has improved in a great way. They both understand much clearer what we want them to do, what their reads are and where to go with the football quicker. Those kinds of things and throwing the ball well didn't surprise me. I have seen them continually improve."

On Trey Metoyer's performance:
"He just has got incredible hands and the ability to make plays. He has a knack for adjusting to the football; just all the things you saw today. He can run. He really relishes the moment. He is a competitor for a young guy. He is a player. He just has a natural feel for it, on spacing and how to make plays and get to the ball. All of those things."

On how Metoyer can improve for the fall:
"He just got here so he can get faster, stronger, build his body and get a little more physical. Then of course the discipline, route running and just getting on the same page as our other receivers and Landry [Jones]."

On the defense:
"Early on I didn't feel like they played the run like they should. But then we settled in and were a little more gap responsible. I thought for the most part they showed good discipline. The scramble play -- that happens once in a while to balls thrown over the opposite shoulder so the receiver can see it and the DB loses it. You don't want it to happen, but it is not like it was a clean play that got in back of them."

On Tony Jefferson's improvement over the spring:
"Tony is playing well. I think we have him in the deep position more now. He has really played well there. He is tackling well and responsibilities; he is doing all that stuff in a good way."

On the offensive line:
"I think the offensive line has made really significant improvement. I think it just comes with experience, maturity, time in the weight room and time on the field. They are playing together really well with just responsibilities of getting to people and getting on people they should. It is better."

Co-Offensive Coordinator Josh Heupel

On what he liked and didn't like:
"I liked the way we started, didn't like the middle portion of it where we had a hard time getting things going. The quarterbacks, the young guys, did some positive things sometimes -- made some plays, scrambled around. Drew [Allen] did some decisive things in the pocket. We just weren't consistent enough in handling the clock, the mechanics. There were some things, the detail things, that we need to get better at."

On Landry Jones playing just the first drive:
"The first drive took quite a bit of time off the clock so we went half of a quarter. The first drive ended in a positive way. I would've obviously liked to get 7 instead of 3. I felt like it was a positive first drive, took him out and gave those guys a bunch of work."

On if Trey Metoyer met his expectations:
"It's what you hoped he would do because he's practiced in that fashion for 14 days. He's continuing to get a better understanding of our offense routes, timing, adjustments that he has to make, mechanics of getting a signal and getting lined up and playing with speed at times. Is it something that was out of the ordinary for him today? No, it wasn't. Was it a nice step to see him do it in front of a lot of people and in a game situation? Yes, it was."

On what Metoyer can take from the game:
"I think it talks to his confidence and his potential as a player. He's strong, he's physical, he catches the football when it's thrown in his direction, I would say, almost every time. I can't remember having a competitive play that he didn't make this spring. Are there things that he can get a lot better at in fall camp? Absolutely. He's a guy that can be a big-time impact for us offensively. He can be a competitive one-on-one playmaker out on the outside."

Defensive Coordinator Mike Stoops

On running a basic defense and not showing a lot of plays:
"It's hard when you're in a competitive setting. You want to compete. We want to protect what we're doing as much as we can and being multiple in what we want to do but not showing everything today. Some things that we've worked on and what we're going to attempt to do in the fall come from some forms of what we did today but it was pretty generic today."

On what he took out of the game:
"I've been encouraged with our guys for all of camp. Some things happen that are contained, pass coverage is all 11 guys. It's not just the four guys or the five guys in the back; it's underneath, it's pressuring the quarterback. It all works together. When we're playing good we have to work together. We're not a team that can't be in the right place, understand your responsibility. We're not that type of team. When we play together we're really solid across the board. I think we're going to be a very complete defense. When we come back in August we'll have some guys that weren't with us today that we desperately need. Our pass rush needs to improve, but we'll need to continue keeping position on the football when it comes to deep balls."

On Trey Metoyer:
"Trey is a great player. He's got a chance to be as special as advertised. I just love the way the guy goes out and he just works every day. He's a very complete player for being so young. That's what's so encouraging about Trey; he has so many strong attributes about his game that you really admire for a young player. It's refreshing to see a guy come in and he's just kind of a no-nonsense guy that enjoys the game and you can tell he has a great passion for what he does. He's going to be very good at it. He's a guy that we really needed to come in and be a player for us and he certainly will be, that's for sure."

Junior QB Drew Allen

Opening statement:
"Overall, I thought we ran the ball really well. Offensively we showed a lot of really great strides. The new guys, obviously Trey Metoyer you all are gawking over him, have been doing that all spring. He is a great player and he was that way in high school. He just has that natural ability. As an offense, we came out fast and ran the ball well. Defensively, I thought we did really well. We just have been making strides throughout the entire spring and it all showed here today."

On freshman wide receiver Trey Metoyer:
"He is a pretty easy guy to trust just because when you have a receiver you can trust there are some key components that go along with that. You know he is going to run the right route. You know he is going to take the right steps and you know he has sure hands. So, that is everything that Trey has got."

On the competition between the quarterbacks:
"I have said this before and it is my mind set. I go out there to compete for the starting job. You never know what is going to happen. You never know when you need to be ready, but for me I need to be ready all the time. I go out there and try to be a starter.

On the relationship between the quarterbacks:
"We all live in the same neighborhood. We live a couple houses down from each other. We are all a tight-knit group. There is no animosity when we are off the field. But, when we are on the field I am going to bust my butt and compete."

Sophomore QB Blake Bell

On his performance:
"I thought I came out strong in the first drive when we came out. Jaz (Reynolds) made a big play. I threw it out there to the sideline and I just held on. I think we had a couple guys who got to rest so we handed it off and things like that. That is stuff we can work on here in the offseason. Hopefully Coach Heupel can watch film and see what we did wrong. But, for the most part I think I came out and showed everyone that I can throw and stuff like that."

On how it felt running the offense:
"It felt good just to get out there and be able to run it in instead of going out there in the Belldozer package. Just having the running backs out there and being able to read the defense and being able to swing it around a little bit."

On how he can improve:
"My job every day is to come out here and get better at what I can do and what I can throw. Coach Heupel does a great job working with me on all my mechanics. Also watching Landry (Jones) and picking up on stuff he is doing out there."

Senior DB Demontre Hurst

On his interception opportunity:
"It kind of caught be by surprise to see the ball coming at me that fast. I kind of got my hands on it. I really wanted that pick and think it could've sealed the game for us. That's just one thing that I have to work on. They gave me a hard time on the sideline already. They were telling me I could've closed out the game for us, but I'll be alright. It's just one thing I have to work on and make sure I'm able to make that play on the ball."

On impressions of Trey Metoyer's play:
"He's been solid all spring and he really came with it today. He's impressed the coaches and the defense a lot by going against him. He's getting better and was very impressive in his first game while still trying to get a feel of what the game will be like. He came out here and really performed for the fans. I think he did well and the offense seemed really impressed by him."

Junior DB Tony Jefferson

On the play of the secondary:
"We just gave up that one big play, but going into the game that was our main focus. So, it's kind of disappointing giving up a play like that. I feel like we bounced back and made some good plays. "

On Trey Metoyer's assets to the offense:
"He's a playmaker. We've seen it all spring and I knew he was going to come out here and perform. He's a great weapon for our receivers and I'm excited for what he's going to bring to our team."

On who impressed him at quarterback:
"I really like what Kendall (Thompson) was doing. He really came out and played today. What he does best is run. He scrambled a lot and he also threw pretty well. He caught my eye and he's always had the talent."

Senior QB Landry Jones

On how the backup QBs and offense worked today:
"I thought they did great. Even at the very end we had a nice little drive. Drew (Allen) and Blake (Bell) obviously did a great job leading the team into some good situations. So, all in all, it was a pretty positive experience."

On his limited playing time:
"I didn't know how much I would play coming in. I didn't know exactly what they were wanting to do today. After that first series I figured I wouldn't be going in too much today. Gabe Ikard is a good guy and he came up to me and said let's go over to the sideline and backup those guys out there."

On what he learned in with George Whitfield in California that may have helped him on the field:
"Yes, a couple of things. I found a spot where I could hold the ball a little bit higher was a really big thing for me."

On freshman tight end Taylor McNamara and what he could add to the offense:
"He is a good grab runner and strong to the catch. I like what he showed me today and he makes some good plays in the open field. I think he is going to be a good asset to our team."

On freshman receiver Trey Metoyer:
"He is a little different than some of the other guys that we have. He has a lot of physicality to him and he plays he plays really strong to the catch. When it is tight coverage you can kind of put it out there for him and he is going to go up and kind of make a jump ball out of it."

Freshman WR Trey Metoyer

On his progress this spring and comfortability in Saturday's game:
"It felt good. That was my main worry, I guess you could say, me coming up here and performing the way I was supposed to. But if you're a player then you're going to play so I just think of it like that when I might get worried."

On expectations for the fall:
"For me, honestly is to just get a ring. As a freshman it would be a good experience playing in the national championship. Also to just give it all I got for Coach Heupel and Coach Stoops to believe in me to give me the ball."

On if he enjoyed the real game-type setting:
"Yeah I really did. Back in (Hargrave Academy) Virginia we didn't really have a big crowd or anything like that so it felt good to be out here with a crowd today and to perform."

On his personal performance today:
"I was happy with the way things went. I don't ever settle for less so I always want to do better, but today, I did well. But I think I can always do better."

On the adjustment period for freshmen:
"I talked to my parents. My Dad and I stay in contact quite often and he tells me to go out there and to not play like a freshman. If I mess up as a freshman I don't use that as and excuse because I want to be just like everyone else. I just want to come here and perform, that is all I really want to do."

On his style of play and if there is any other WR that you try to emulate:
"Kenny (Stills) and Jaz (Reynolds). If I do something (wrong), Kenny will come up to me and say, 'I think we need to do this instead' or Jaz will come up and say the same thing. It's the small things that will get you open and I really didn't know them, but they are teaching me things and it makes it a whole lot easier."

On his overhead sideline grab:
"As they say, a good receiver will go get it no matter where it's at. I try to do that all the time. As a matter of fact I thought the ball was going to go over my head too for a minute but I just got up and got it I guess."

Junior FB Trey Millard

On getting more carries:
"I was real comfortable. We've been working on that this spring and the offensive line did a good job at creating some good running lanes."

On what he has worked on in spring practice:
"I think a lot of it is just patience and being comfortable back there and not trying to rush it. Sometimes last year when I got the ball, I was so hyped to be back there that I over rushed some of my steps. I've been working on just calming down, make my reads and just going from there."

Junior LB Corey Nelson

On noticeable changes with the addition of Mike Stoops to the coaching staff:
"There haven't been any changes at all. The intensity is still there. So far, we haven't skipped a beat. They came and knew exactly what type of attitude we needed to have and what the attitude of this Oklahoma football team was. There wasn't a change at all, to be honest with you. The transition was very smooth."

On improvements as a whole defensively:
"To be honest, just being able to stay on our man and being able to play man coverage. Being able to not get beat deep, allowing the secondary and the linebackers to become cohesive and help each other on certain routes. We also just worked on remaining physical. That's a key point we really focused on here in the spring."

On allowing Jaz Reynolds' touchdown:
"It may have just been a blown coverage. We haven't had the chance to dissect the play, but on Monday, we will. But it looked like a blown coverage or missed communication perhaps. But Jaz (Reynolds) did make a big catch. That's my boy, but that doesn't help."

Junior WR Jaz Reynolds

On getting back into action with his teammates:
"As far as today, it was kind of like a practice. I didn't really like the format with it being offense versus defense, but we got some good work in today."

On the outlook for this upcoming season:
"It sounds pretty cliché, but I'm very excited. The receiving corps, we're going to be serious, especially with how Trey (Metoyer) is playing and with young recruits coming in. We can only get better from here."

On the competitive nature of the receiving corps:
"It's very competitive and we work hard to get better during practice. It's good for the team too. Landry (Jones) has plenty of targets to go to when he's in trouble. He can throw to any one of us and he knows he can trust us."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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