2013 Spring Game Quotes

April 13, 2013

Head Coach Bob Stoops

Opening comment:
"It was good. I think there are some positives that you can take away for the younger players, the experience of playing in some live situations in front of a bigger crowd and trying to get the mechanics of what we are trying to do in and out of the huddle. I thought there were some good things that were there from a defensive perspective but we have a ways to go to be where we want to be, come August. I thought I saw that as the scrimmage went on, (we developed) some more consistency in what we are doing. Still need to continue to develop playmakers on the front, but I thought they got better again as the game went on. We have a ways to go but I think, overall, we are not a real deep team trying to develop some depth. Some quality depth will be key for us as we move into the fall and how much we lean on some of these younger players, I think, are going to have to come in and help us at some positions. But it was good, nothing great."

On the opportunities at defensive back:
"I would say there are three to four spots that we feel comfortable at. Obviously Aaron (Colvin), Gabe (Lynn) and Julian (Wilson) are three proven players that have proven to be able to compete at a very high level. Ahmad (Thomas) and Quentin (Hayes) have really fit in nicely at the safety position. Cortez (Johnson) has showed signs that he can be a quality player in this league. Consistency will be a big factor for that. Kass Everett has had a nice spring. Trey (Franks) is a guy that is learning and, whether he is going to take the next step, we will see if he can be a guy that can be counted on. He did some good things this spring but needs to improve his consistency and be a guy that we can trust down in and down out and that is really what it becomes in the secondary. You have got to understand your assignments. Safety has been a little bit hard but he has done a nice job trying to fit in and play. He has become a better tackler. Just the nuance of playing the safety position is just more difficult. And then obviously the depth at corners is just something we do not have right now. That is something we need to develop in this program and I think we have recruited guys that can be guys that can be relied upon. Now, that is putting a lot on a couple of young freshman corners, but they say they want the challenge so they are going to get it. So, hopefully, they are going to rise to the occasion and I think we have recruited the right guys and they have the right guys to look at. So whether they can move in front some of the guys here, we'll see. But there will be plenty of opportunities for the young corners that come in this program.

On Jordan Phillips:
"Well he has to be a player for us. Chuka Ndulue as well. I really like the way Chuka fights and plays hard. The size will be, whether he can hold 280 pounds, will be critical for him and getting Jordan to whether he can play 50 snaps a game is going to be a necessity for us to be successful and play effectively for 50 snaps. And that is where he has to have to have a great summer, with conditioning, for us to be able to rely on him for 50 snaps."

Co-Offensive Coordinator Josh Heupel

On the quarterback run game:
"You saw a lot of it today on pass plays. As they are going through the progression, they don't see something open. Those guys did a good job at times today stepping up in the pocket and getting out of it and making a play. I didn't think we were very good with our ball security when we were moving around, but those are things that those young guys will have to learn to handle."

On QBs choosing to run or stay in the pocket:
"We'll look at it. Some of that might have been what the defense was doing as far as covering receivers that are third and fourth in the progression. Maybe Blake (Bell) did a good job of working through it. We'll find out as we work through the tape. Through the spring those guys have been fairly consistent and equal as far as pulling it when it was the right opportunity."

On Trey Metoyer improving over the season and this spring:
"I said this a year ago; if he is going to read the headlines and see what the people are saying right now he won't be prepared when the fall comes. Ultimately you have to prepare and work every day to give yourself an opportunity. You have to compete every single day in the meeting room and on the practice field. If he does that in June and July when no coaches are around and through August camp then he'll have a chance to play at a championship level for us.

"I think for him to continue to mature as a football player and to help this team in a way that he is capable of -- that is a big growth pattern for him in June and July. I'm not saying he didn't do that a year ago; a year ago he was a true freshman. There is a lot of football you have to learn."

On the quarterbacks performing in front of a crowd:
"I think it's a great opportunity to go out in front of a live audience. They know it is an important game. It's a game day feel for them. It's like kicking off the first week of the season. Being able to put together a mock game plan and go over it, to have to prepare and go to sleep on it, have a walk through and then go play; you give them the tips and reminders right before the practice, but it's a different day for them. You saw them handle a lot of things in a positive way. You saw them not manage the game in a way you needed a guy to in order for us to win, but that's why you have a spring game and that's why you practice. That's why June and July will be extremely important for these guys."

On the offense's overall performance:
"It was positive. I thought we did some good things in the run game, both the A group and the B group. We moved the ball efficiently at times. I didn't think we were very good in third down and long situations. Protection and distributing the ball and getting open in man coverage where you've got to win ultimately. A year ago, I think we were first in the Big 12 in conference play on third downs. For us to be efficient next year, that will be important."

On quarterback mobility affecting the look of the offense:
"It will be different. You saw that today because our guys will take off a little more than Landry (Jones) probably did, during the course of the game or season."

On if each quarterback had a different game plan:
"Not today. They were all under the same type of game plan. You see them out there and subtly they are different, but for the most part you would group them as the same type of quarterback."

On having three mobile quarterbacks:
"It helps for the continuity of the offense. I was here when Jason White was the quarterback. After his knee surgeries he didn't have a ton of mobility. Paul Thompson was the backup and we were able to work both types of systems without it being a major overhaul for our guys. I think it does help that all three are somewhat similar, but it doesn't kill you if they are not."

On Roy Finch:
"Roy is more reliable because of what he has been able to do on a consistent basis in January and February during the offseason. He's doing what we ask him to do in the meeting room, on the practice field, in the weight room and in the classroom. He's maturing as a person. For you to play at a high level you have to be mature as an individual. He's doing a lot of things in a right way that give you hope that he'll be able to give you more than he did a year ago.

RS-Junior QB Blake Bell

On having an open playbook:
"It's fun. Main thing for me in the spring was I was all-around runner so I just wanted to show that I can sling it around a little bit, too. Like you said, it's good knowing that you have different options."

On being in his position has helped him grow:
"I'd just say most of that is just learning from a guy like Landry (Jones). That's one thing he did, he kept the ball all the time and threw it and stuff like that. Big games too, like the Notre Dame game. Just different games, seeing it and getting out there. I wasn't running the offense or anything , but just being out there. That fourth-and-two against Notre Dame, you remember things like that."

On how he thought he did passing:
"I thought I did ok. For me, I missed a couple of throws and some were on me, some were on the receivers and that's just something we'll correct as a team. We'll go in and watch film, figure out what we did wrong and take that into the summer. I think that'll help with that skill and stuff like that. Overall I thought I made some good plays and was pretty accurate with the ball. I had some throw-a -ways but like I said I can always get better in a lot of areas."

On not making mistakes:
"Yeah, as a quarterback you want to do that. You just limit your turnovers and bad plays, you're giving yourself a chance to win. I think all three quarterbacks just make that an emphasis. Just not turning the ball over. We would rather get it to the other guys instead of us taking it."

On the balance of passing and running:
"There is, and there are times that you have to go down field and take a shot; and there's times where you come down and check down. At the same time once you start thinking like that, you start wanting to push and that's when you start making the most mistakes. You just have to take it one day at a time. We have to get in the film room, see what you're seeing and correct the mistakes and get better each day."

On the offense is where it needs to be:
"No, not yet. We have a lot of guys hurt in spring. Like I said as we go through the summer and we get timing and just rounds and stuff and get all the guys and just keep working. I think we're going to get there but that's not bad, we just have to keep making strides."

On how the quarterback battle's been for him:
"It's been fun. All three of us are around each other for, it seems like, 24 hours a day. But we have fun with it. We know we're competing but you're going to be competing at any school in the country. We have three good guys just competing and having fun with it and we're all just going to work hard each and every day and that's all we can do.

RS-Freshman QB Trevor Knight

On the quarterback competition:
"I went out here today and it was my first meaningful snaps in front of fans, which is a dream come true. I made a lot of mistakes and I made a few plays. The good thing is we don't play next week, we don't have a game, so we have the whole summer. As for the competition we're working hard every single day and like Coach Heupel's been saying the guy that makes the least mistakes is the guy who's going to lead the team. All three of us are going to push forward, we have fun together, and we're friends but like they said before it's a competition. I'm going to work my hardest in the summer and into fall camp and see where we end up."

On how hard it is to just let the game come to him:
"Getting into a new offense, obviously you're going to deal with nerves. I think I've made strides throughout the spring and I'm getting more comfortable with the guys and more comfortable with the offense. It's starting to be second nature, as long as I just keep studying my playbook and getting reps with those guys I think it will come.

On wanting to take the blue jersey off:
"You take the blue jersey off, you might have the chance to make a play, like Kendal said you might get dinged up. But if you take the blue jersey off you might make that big play, but like Blake said, we want to get it in our playmakers hands. We do have the ability to run, which we haven't had here in the past but we want to get the ball in our playmakers hands because they'll make the plays for us."

On making no mistakes:
"I feel like it's that simple. If you make no mistakes and put the ball in your playmakers hands, you have a really good chance of winning. I want the ball in one of my wide receivers hands, Jalen Saunders, Damien William, those types of guys. They're more explosive than I am. So yeah, we want to make few mistakes, fewest turnovers so you're most likely to win the ball game."

On if he feels his improvements are yet to come:
"I hope to improve, we all do. Every day you go out there and try and get better and better. We'll just see who the guy is come fall camp.

On the drive with Trey Metoyer made him more comfortable:
"Absolutely and that's just guys making plays for you. I needed that drive obviously for confidence and everything. I felt more comfortable throughout the day and that's obvious. The more reps, the more comfortable you feel."

On making big throws to Trey Metoyer:
"Those guys outside are going to make big plays for you. They're all making plays for us, they're doing a good job."

RS-Sophomore QB Kendall Thompson

On today's performance:
"You always see things that through the game you can improve on. In the quarterback room, we were just treating this like another practice, but you get to go out there and compete against the defense. So we are working hard to improve as a group and move forward from today into two-a-days in the summer."

On his individual performance:
"I'll have to watch the tape. You're never satisfied as a ball player. There are some things I have to improve on and we'll just keep fixing that and move forward."

On moving around in the passing game:
"When I move, it's just when the protection breaks down. For the most part, the line did a great job. When I feel like I need to get out, Coach Heupel always says don't hesitate to move when you need to. I feel like I threw the ball well when I did. Us (the quarterbacks) and the receivers need to get some more continuity in the summer and that will continue to get better.

On his greatest strength and areas to work on:
"I'd say my greatest strength is my mental aspect of the game. I really like to pick things apart and see things in that nature. Things I need to work on are the command of everything overall, my reads -- just the stuff that Coach Heupel always gets on us for -- things I need to get better at."

On figuring out when to scramble and when to stay in the pocket:
"I prefer to stay in the pocket, as do most quarterbacks. When I'm out there, you don't have time to think about it. It's a split second decision. If I have to pull it down, I pull it down and then just play ball from there."

On the ongoing quarterback battle continuing through August:
"Most definitely. Coach Heupel reiterates that every day. We are competing against each other but at the same time we have to support each other and that will help all three of us as a group."

On looking forward to playing in front of fans:
"You're looking forward to it. As a competitor, it's fun to go out there and compete against the defense. At the same time, we treat it as another practice and go out there and execute."

On the offense's execution:
"It was OK, but as an offense we have to strive to move forward and get better. I think our expectations our high and we can continue to get better."

Senior OL Austin Woods

On finishing spring ball:
"We'll finish up spring ball Tuesday and from there we'll hit the summer hard and make some more strides in the weight room and conditioning and be ready to go in August for two-a-days."

On how he's feeling:
"I feel great. It feels really good to be back to 100 percent. I haven't felt that good in a long time, being sick and going through chemo. It feels really good to be back and feel normal again. I didn't feel that fatigue level like I used too and I was really able to make some strides this off season."

On the offensive line:
"I think we looked really good. We've been working hard all offseason and all through spring. It was good to go out there and simulate a real game and get the flow of the game."

On the quarterback performances:
"I think they all three looked really good. They all led us on some really good drives and they all looked good."

On the younger guys on the offensive line:
"You have Ty [Darlington], J.P. [Hughes], Kyle [Marrs] and everyone's just working really hard this spring. We've all gotten a bunch of reps in this spring. It's just going out there and getting the experiences. Spring is really good for everyone."

Senior LB Corey Nelson

On the linebacker play:
"The linebackers looked pretty good out there. We led the defense, and we were very vocal. I feel like Frank (Shannon) and I established that very well and so did Aaron (Franklin) and Erik Striker. They established it as well. It was a big pivotal point and we came through with it."

On the defense as a whole:
"As a whole I feel like we did well. As far as the B group they did well, too. There were a couple of plays out there they kind of slipped up on, but overall I thought the defense did very well. They were very physical; in getting downhill, in getting lined up right and getting the calls. Everything was pretty good overall."

On if he thinks the linebackers looked good:
"The linebacking corps...we looked fantastic today. There were a lot of good things out there. Coach Kish agreed, and he said that there were a lot of good things that the linebackers did. We just executed. That's what we went out there and did - we executed well. We had no mental errors, no bad mishaps."

On being reliable:
"This whole spring has just been focused on the linebackers and honing in on how we can just lead the defense and just better ourselves and establish ourselves within the defense. We want the coaches to know that, `Hey, you can trust us. You can lean on us, because we are going to get the job done defensively.'"

RS-Junior DE Geneo Grissom

On how the unit has progressed:
"I feel like we've gotten a lot better but we still have a long way to go before we're where we need to be. We have guys in this group that want to win and that's what it takes, so I feel like we're going to get there but we're not quite there yet."

On Jordan Phillips:
"He got himself a sack and made a couple of plays. We're a unit so if one guy makes a play then we're all going to jump on his back. I feel like he did pretty good, obviously he was out there at the same time so I couldn't really see what he was doing. But if they're not rushing on us then everyone is doing their job."

On if it's hard chasing Kendal Thompson:
"Kendal is so quick and elusive, you think you got him and the next thing you know he's 10 yards down the field and you're chasing him. We have a lot of guys who can do it, we have Roy (Finch) and Trevor (Knight) and Blake (Bell). Blake Is big and strong but he's pretty shifty, too."

On the mobility of the quarterback position:
"Those guys all have some pretty good speed, and they all have moves. They're all different types of quarterbacks but they're all mobile quarterbacks."

On what he's learned about his game this spring:
"My pass rushing. That's one thing we struggled with year and I want to make sure that when we step on the field all the offensive line are scared. I want our line to evoke fear in other offensive lines. All of us are trying to work on our pass rush and our get offs.

Sophomore WR Durron Neal

On Kendal Thompson making throws down field:
"Oh yeah, that's what Kendal does. That's what all our quarterbacks do, Kendal is a little more shifty but overall, all the quarterbacks do a great job. The offense did good, but there are some places where we can improve in, too.

On Trey Franks:
"Trey is just trying to show the coaches his transformation from offense to defense. He did really good today, he had some good hits and a couple of break ups. That's just him being the good athlete that he is and just using his feet.'

On the weight he's put on:
"I put on seven or eight more good pounds. I kept my speed and I'm getting a lot stronger. I know on the outside they're blocking on the perimeter and still being physical. I'm striving myself to become a good blocker and playmaker for the team.

On the emphasis of blocking:
"We have this thing called hustle blocking and coach keeps track every day in practice and he just tells us that the lane is never going to be open. We always have to be in a place where you can make a play, whether it's a big play or a small play.

On finding holes:
"I feel like it's making us go the full play. Now with running quarterbacks we have the chance to keep the play alive and make big yardage to get closer to score."

Sophomore WR Sterling Shepard

On his reverse pass:
"The reverse pass kind of took me back to high school playing quarterback. They threw it in and I saw the corner blitz, so I knew I had to get rid of it. It wasn't too good of a ball."

On depth at the wide receiver position:
"You have guys that can take your position in a heartbeat. You saw it today. Duron (Neal) was making plays, Derrick Woods made a diving catch. Trey Metoyer is a top-of-the-line guy too, and Lacoltan Bester. We have a lot of guys."

On playing in front of a crowd:
"The season is a little bit away, so it was definitely great to get out in front of the fans and get to let someone else watch you other than the coaches. We just tried to have fun with it."

On which quarterbacks stood out:
"They all did great to me. You can see all of them can run. I think everyone knew that already, but they can also throw, too. A lot of them completed balls today and all three looked good to me."

Players Mentioned

Blake Bell

Lacoltan Bester

Kass Everett

Roy Finch

Trey Franks

Geneo Grissom

Trevor Knight

Chuka Ndulue

Durron Neal

Corey Nelson

Jordan Phillips

Jalen Saunders

Sterling Shepard

Austin Woods

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