Football Luncheon Media Session Quotes

Head Coach Bob Stoops
Red River Week Press Conference

Opening Statement
“Recapping last week's TCU game. Compliments to TCU. They won a hard fought football game at their place. They made a few more plays than us, particularly down the stretch with the interception for the touchdown. That was really the difference in a tightly contested game the whole day. Each team had some big plays offensively. Both teams the defense played better in the second half. In the fourth quarter neither offense scores, but they made the big play down the stretch that changed the game and gave them the lead. We weren't able to capitalize on a couple of positive field positions. There late, one drive was stopped with the interception and the other stopped on fourth down. They mad eth key plays to win the football game.

“I didn't feel that we played very smart. Without taking credit away from them, there were some situations where we didn't play the way we are capable of mentally. With disciple or technique or in locating and recognizing their defense in some short yardage runs. Therefore we didn't give ourselves the best chance to succeed. Those are some things we will try and work on this week to get better.

“One positive again was Sterling Shepard. He had another sensational day. He was very competitive and made some huge plays.

“This week with Texas, we understand the rivalry and what a challenge it will be. We went down there a year ago and got beat by 16 points. We are still very aware of that. We think a lot of Charlie Strong and the way he coaches. I know he is going to continue to work that program and we will see a team that will be motivated and ready to play. They still have a lot of really good football players all over the field. You can see that they continue to play really well in a lot of areas. In particular, defensively they have been really strong. Most all the defensive categories they are near the top. With (QB Tyron) Swoopes, the more he plays the more comfortable he is going to be. They are a team that is capable and again they beat us just a year ago. We have a lot of work to do to improve this week and that is what we will concentrate on.

On the lack of consistency in the passing game against TCU:
“I thought that in the first half it was very positive and in the second half it wasn't. We weren't as consistent as we need to be. There are three reasons. At times we were getting pressured and we didn't protect as well as we have in other games. At times it was an errant throw and at times we were covered. It was a little bit of everyone.”

On not using more bootlegs to get Knight out of the pocket:
“They always have edge pressure. Everyone we play has time when they are bringing edge pressure. Being outside isn't going to work for you every time anyway. You are talking about a couple times a game that you might boot it. Obviously we didn't feel comfortable doing it. Trevor Knight made a lot plays outside the pocket. He scrambled around and made quite a few plays in particular in the first half.”

On correcting mistakes from TCU game:
“I believe that a lot of it is easily correctable in that it's just discipline and fundamentals. In the end, some of it is very fundamental in what we do. For some reason, even guys with a lot of experience didn't do it very well. We have to do a better job of coaching them and they have to do a better job of being mindful of what we are doing.”

On not converting short-yardage runs:
“On a couple of occasions we didn't identify properly on who we were going to. That just happens. That leaves a guy free and that's why we broke down.”

On passing so much in the third quarter:
“In hindsight that would have been a lot better. That's not how it went.”

On increasing Knight's passing percentage:
“The efficiency, with protection and route running and at times being more patient and at times being more accurate, it is all of that.”

On throwing deep in the first half:
“The way they play you in some cases, that is what needs to happen. They are going to get theirs in the way they are squeezing you, but you have to get your opportunities to hit them and fortunately we did.”

On defending the QB run game:
“They had a couple new runs that they hadn't shown before. We settled down and really played them ok. I don't feel like those were the difference in the game.”

On adjusting to new plays during the game:
“This is the way they are blocking it and this is the where we need to be. It is [tough to adjust when you haven't repped it during the week]. It is not that magical. Once you see it you see what needs to happen and you make your adjustment.”

On Texas having a mobile quarterback similar to TCU's:
“They are going to run some of the same plays. The quarterback zone or option. A lot of time they are not looking to pitch it, it is a quarterback run play. They can do all the things that we saw a week ago.”

On sometimes only rushing three defensive linemen vs. TCU:
“At times because of the quarterback draw you have to watch your position. There were other times we did chase him and he scrambled around and we missed him. We are always going to have some occasions where we have a three man rush. We are going to do that against everyone. We did that against (West Virginia QB) Clint Trickett, too.”

On dropping everyone into coverage on a play in second half:
“One guy didn't rush that was supposed to. He would have been unblocked and would have pressured the quarterback. Again, we didn't play very smart. He was going to be unblocked and he didn't go.”

On the play of the cornerbacks:
“They didn't have a very good game. That is the best way to say it. It doesn't matter why. They didn't have very good day.”

On Trevor Knight getting sacked in the Red Zone:
“They brought a corner blitz, and you can't take a sack. It is first down and you have to throw the ball away. Again, those are situations where the more he is in it, in time he will react better to it.”

On the problems getting plays in:
“Another way we didn't play as well as we had been in what our function of the game. We didn't communicate well with the sideline and the players on the field. It hasn't been an issue for four games, so let's do it like we did the other four games and be more efficient.”

On LB Dom Alexander:
“He has played really well. He had a good game again the other day. I thought a year ago as a true freshman, to play as he did throughout the year and from the first game, was pretty remarkable. Linebackers and safeties to me have the most to know and he couldn't have handled it any better.”

On being anxious about playing Alexander last year after Corey Nelson got hurt:
“You are anxious. You have a true freshman. But what can you do? You prepare them and practice them and get them in meetings and prepare them the best you can and then you go let them play. He handled it really well.”

On the play of the running backs:
“Alex Ross played well. He did ok. Samaje Perine did a good job again.”

On Sterling Shepard's long TD:
“We have run that before but maybe not with him. We try to move him around all the time.”

On throwing deep early:
“That was a result of what they were showing us. We felt that we had those opportunities and fortunately they worked.”

On Sterling Shepard getting so many targets:
“I think we do have to make sure that we are spreading it around more. I think that Durron Neal had another big game though. He had 70 yards and four or five catches and he made a big play down the sideline. Durron has been productive. The other guys have had their times. You can't deny the effect Sterling had had. That hasn't been a problem. We can still get more people involved, though.”

On Trevor Knight's leadership:
“He does everything you want in a leader. He is the first guy in workouts and the last guy to level. He is always upbeat and positive with everyone. To me the best leaders do it by example and no one works harder than he does. He has been very positive in that way.”

On the impact the trip to Haiti has had on Trevor Knight:
“You would have to ask him how much. He is a guy that, since he arrived here, has been more mature as an individual and as a person and how he handles himself than about anyone I have been around. He has incredible character.”

On the impact that trip has had on all the players:
“It is hard to say. I believe that it has impacted them in a positive way. Even though not all of them have gone, they have brought it back in the way they have shared their experience and the way they talk about it. That's why I said even after the game, the team chemistry and the attitude is as good as I have ever been around. That may have something to do with it and I'm sure other things have, as well.”

On how WR Michiah Quick has developed and if he is beginning to see him as an option:
“Yeah, Michiah continues to make improvements. It's one of those things, you want to see it more and more in practice and the consistency in practice and the more he does it he's a guy that we feel can make an impact in the way he plays.”

On QB Trevor Knight's maturity helping him deal with a rough performance:
“I'm sure it does. He understands in this position you're going to have ups and downs and he'll handle it the right way.”

On TCU's touchdown when there were three TCU receivers to two Oklahoma defensive backs and what is supposed to happen defensively on that play:
“Again, they went to the line and they tempoed us. There were four receivers, not three. We were late locating the fourth one which is an unusual formation. Therefore we didn't cover the one up the sideline. Still, we had a deep player. We should have come off and played the deepest one and he didn't do that and he saw it so it was just a poor decision.”

On his thoughts on the number of ranked teams losing on Saturday:
“I guess what it shows is just the overall parody in college football in all leagues. It's a challenge every week and if you're not at your best and don't play wisely, anyone can beat you. And that was the case with a lot of people.”

On Kentucky winning:
“Yeah, that's a positive.”

On if he watched the Kentucky game:
“I got to watch some of it – a little bit, not much.”

On if it was difficult for him to watch:
“Yeah, very much so. That's why I didn't want to watch much of it. I just peaked at the score every now and then.”

On what Texas is doing offensively with QB Tyrone Swoopes:
“He's a really big, athletic guy. They're running the football with him a little bit but still they've got their passing game and trying to get it out. He's doing a good job, I believe. They're just running their offense with him like they always have. But again, he has the element of the opportunity to run but they don't go overboard with it on how much he's running. And I'm sure like us, at times, you have to be careful about how much your quarterback is being hit – that's always an issue. But I think he's doing a really good job. You watch him and he's pretty efficient in what he's doing. He's still got a good run game with it and I'm sure they're trying to keep improving the passing game.”

On TCU's trick play on the kickoff return:
“Yeah, he just – I hadn't seen that before and obviously our players on the right side hadn't either. But I thought Quentin Hayes made an exceptional play to corral it the way he did on his own until help arrived, and actually forced a holding penalty. So we got away with it while they only had the ball at the 30. So Quentin made a huge play there. Yeah, I guess they just hid him out purple on purple and nobody noticed him there. It's something we'll pay closer attention to in the future.”

On not being able to plan for something like that:
“You can now.”

On if it helps to play a team like Texas after a loss:
“Well, I mean, yeah. Anybody ought to have your attention after a loss, right? And if it was Oklahoma State it would be different? Or if it was Tulsa or Baylor – whoever it is. It doesn't matter. Whoever you're playing after a loss has your attention I don't care who it is.”

On what he sees from DE Chuka Ndulue:
“He's a real mature guy, is really a big leader for us. I think what he's done, too, being the elder statesman of all those defensive lineman, he's become kind of like the uncle to them all and it's really neat because he's really a sharp young man, has worked hard, is positive in everything he does and that's rubbed off on that whole group and we've had some years in the past where maybe we've struggled a little bit in the overall attitude of that group but he's a big reason why it's become one of the strengths of our team.”

On Trevor Knight's leg cramps and if it affects his accuracy throwing the football:
“I'm sure it bothers you, definitely. He fought through it but it does affect you and it's something, in so many other games, he hasn't run it as much or scrambled as much so we haven't had that issue. Plus it was in the middle of the afternoon so the conditions were right for it. So that's something, too, that we've got to be more aware of on Thursday and Friday getting ready for it.”

On Blake Bell having the same issue last year at Notre Dame:
“Same scenario, too. Afternoon game; had a few big runs. And again, we've got to pay attention to it.”

On how you fix that problem:
“You can't do anything once you're in the moment. You can have better preparation Thursday and Friday but I know that Trevor (Knight) and our people pay attention to his diet and what he's eating and drinking but it may be a case that maybe – they can IV a guy on Thursday or Friday to give them a little bit extra fluids ahead of competition.”

On what he remembers about his first OU-Texas game he coached:
“I remember being up 17 to nothing and then ended up losing. So, again, just trying, frustrated, to get our guys to learn how to win and finish through a game. So, other than that, I don't know what else you're looking for.”

On what makes the OU-Texas game different:
“It's really not, for us. The stakes all increase when they put us in the – in the old Big 12 – they put us in the same division. Not only in the same conference, in the same division. So as opposed to being an out-of-conference game ahead of that, to me, that increased the stakes tenfold. And then for how many years, I don't know how many years that was. For one of us, for us – maybe seven times – one of us was going to represent the South in the Big 12 championship game, for I don't know how many years. That's how it was so, again, we had it – I think seven times – so you knew that was a big part of getting to that game. Now you're all in the same conference so it's a little bit different. I just look at it strategically on trying to win the conference. Outside of that, you pull the bus through the state fair and that's a little different than most cases. You get on the field and it's always loud because half the stadium is OU, half is Texas – so that's a little different. As far as playing, nothing is different for us. You get ready the same, you execute the same, and strategy-wise nothing changes. The atmosphere is just different.”

On if it will be strange not coaching against former Texas head coach Mack Brown:
“No, I don't see that being any different at all. It would be different if he and I were out there playing but that isn't happening and I've never looked at it across as an individual issue – it's not for me.”

On if there was still a good dose of reading the zone read against TCU:
“It's still in there at times. What you get a lot of is people make you hand it off so that's something at times if you feel the opportunity is there. You pull it every once in a while.”

On Bob's reaction to calling a QB draw with no timeouts and 64 yards to go in the fourth quarter:
“I thought it was a great call. In fact, I was all for it. Every other time in the day when we ran it, what did we get? Fifteen, 20 yards and a first down. We needed a first down; you're forgetting that part, too.”

On running that play with Trevor Knight cramping:
“Listen, he could have gotten 15 or 20 (yards) if we had executed it better. In the end, that play had been really good for us all day. Go back and watch all the other plays that we ran. That's the only one all day that it didn't go for a first down for 10 yards or more. So it seemed to me a pretty safe way to get 15 yards and the clock stops. You forget, too this isn't the NFL. The clock stops, that's a time out.

“We'd be snapping the ball by the time they move the chains. Just like we would if we threw it down the field, caught it in bounds. When they move the chains, we're at the line of scrimmage ready to snap it again. So that's different in college football. It's different than in the NFL. In the NFL, I would have never called it. It's different.”

On the clock running out after that play did not work:
“Again, yeah. In hindsight, yeah. But I liked the call.”

On how much time they will spend reviewing TCU before they look on to Texas:
“It's the same every Monday. So this didn't change.”

On what jumps out to him about Texas' defense:
“Good discipline. Really good players. You see really good, physical players on the other side of the ball and they play hard.”

On if that surprises him:
“That's how Charlie (Strong)'s defenses have always looked.”

On whom he had at the top of his coach's poll ballot:
“I don't ever reveal that. I did have Kentucky in there. Not at the top, of course.”

On if it was difficult to rank the teams this week with so many losses in the top eight:
“Yeah, it's different. Just trying to study who lost to who and who were they and this that and the other thing – how the game went. You do your best to get caught up on it.”

On if he thinks the playoff system will work out for OU if the team undefeated the rest of the way:
“I'm just worried about this week. Down the road is a long way off, for everybody. Obvious by the way things went for a lot of teams this weekend. You've got to get ready to play this week. I think it's obvious, and I said this earlier in my Big 12 call, through the years when there's only been two teams to qualify to get into the championship game, how many one-loss teams have won it? Quite a few. LSU won it with two losses. So I don't know why it's much different. This year there's four teams that will have a chance at it instead of two, so, we'll see.”

On if it is easier to get that message across to the players now that they know there are four teams in the playoffs:
“I'm sure they understand that but we're worried about Texas this week, period.”

On if they are wearing the gold-trimmed uniforms:
“I don't know. I don't really care.”

On wearing the throwbacks:
“I don't believe so, no.”

On how he felt the run game was:
“Inconsistent. Again, in the way we were processing things there we had more breakdowns just in the mental part of it than we had all year and that's the part that we feel we can be better at, regardless of – outside of TCU. And those are things that we've got to get corrected. So, inconsistent. And again, some because they defeated blocks and beat us. Some we had some decent plays, some we broke down mentally on what we're doing. So it can be better.”

On how you combat teams trying to replicate TCU's defensive schemes:
“It wasn't anything magical so give them credit – they played really well. Again, we see what they were doing; we see that quite often from a lot of different teams. They, again, do it better than a lot of teams.”

On TCU loading the box:
“Oh, yeah.”

On if he was surprised that his team didn't play well as they did the first four games:
“Yeah, I think the areas that I felt, mentally, in a lot of areas. I've said that earlier – we didn't play as well as we had in our first four games.”

On QB Trevor Knight passing the ball with five guys in the box:
“Yeah, and two other guys sitting there hanging within two yards, ready to come back to the box. And sometimes, again, when you saw five in the box it's probably third-and-ten. And if we would have run the draw you would have had a problem with that if he didn't get 15 yards like it did every other time.”

What happened when the offense called its last timeout:
“Yeah, on the last one, we didn't have enough guys on the line of scrimmage and it was second-and-three and I didn't want it to be second-and-eight. Again, mental, and it happened to be one of our better players. So, again, those are issues. We didn't play in a smart way.”

On the team making those sort of mental errors:
“We were ready to go. We didn't play well. No we weren't alert. When you don't play smart, you're not alert. You're not paying attention to the little details. That part of it was on us. And again, we played a team that made more plays than us.

“I said we didn't play very smart. We didn't play very smart is what I said. We had a lot of issues, mentally – that's what I said. You guys are saying 'why?' Not me.”

On if TCU is a Big 12 contender:
“Absolutely. They've got good players and Gary (Patterson) does a great job.”

On if he has any issue with the way the conference schedule is set up, playing two road games and then going to Dallas this weekend before a home game:
“It's not ideal but that's just what it is. That's just how it is.”

Big 12 Teleconference

On how to rebound from the TCU loss:
“We just have to get back to practice; make improvement. In a lot of ways, I didn't feel in some areas that we played very smart. We've got to be more disciplined in what we're doing.”

On playing the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl:
“It's a great environment to compete in. Playing in the Cotton Bowl with the state fair all around you, it's a great venue and a great environment to compete in.”

On getting his players' attention after a loss:
“I feel like we always do. Regardless of what happened a week ago we understand, playing Texas in a rivalry game like this, that we've got to be at our best. That's what we are constantly striving for.”

On if Trevor Knight's health changed the offensive play calling against TCU:
“No it didn't really change what we were doing in the running game. He still was able to handle what we were doing. We never want to be in the situation where we run him 25 times in a game. I don't feel we can, health wise, handle that. He had made some plays with his feet, but he managed the rest of it okay.”

On the relationship Trevor Knight has with Sterling Shepard:
“He's got a great working relationship with Sterling. Sterling's a great player. He's got great explosiveness, and a great competitiveness to go get the football. We have great trust in him.”

On what Sterling Shepard does well:
“He's explosive, and he's competitive. He's got great hands; he's a great route runner. I like his competitiveness more than anything. He's a great competitor in going after the ball, and blocking; in everything he does.”

On the difficulty of facing Texas' defense:
“They do a really good job. You can tell that they're physical; they play hard. Charlie and his staff have them playing with good discipline on defense. When I watch it there are a lot of good football players out there executing for them. They're doing a good job.”

On RB Samaje Perine having any added pressure in first Red River Showdown:
“I don't know that there needs to be. I think Samaje is a really balanced young man. I would imagine he will treat this game like he does another game. He's always ready to play; he always does a great job for us. I see him just being prepared for this game the same way.”

On Perine's contributions and running style:
“He's been a major spark for us. He's so powerful and physical with the way he runs. That probably overshadows the fact that he's got great vision and great feet to slide. The timing in the holes is really excellent for a young back.”

Quarterback Trevor Knight

On how he can improve his completion percentage:
“Focus on the little things. I've missed some things here and there that you just can't miss. That's just focusing on the little things on game day and being better on mechanics. It's just something I have to work on.”

On his running option in the zone read play:
“We are definitely reading it at times. I think I heard Coach Stoops say earlier that they're just giving us the give read. That defensive end is playing me pretty well so I'm handing the ball off. Our backs are doing a great job of sticking it up in there when we do hand it off. It is what the defense gives you, especially on a play like that. You base it off that defensive end and how he's playing it. Everybody's playing us and giving us the give read.”

On starting in the Red River Showdown for the first time:
“I think it's just like any other game in the fact that I'm going to have to prepare. It's going to be a hard fought game. Also, it's exciting for me. Watching that game growing up, it's a huge game. I'm looking forward to that opportunity.”

Offensive Lineman Daryl Williams

On how the line played against TCU:
“We could've played better obviously, but we're past TCU. We are trying to get ready for Texas.”

On what it means to play in the Red River Showdown:
“It means a lot. It, I think, is one of the best feelings to win the in the Cotton Bowl, but we treat (Texas) as a regular team. We have to stay focused this week.”

On what he learned from last year's Red River Rivalry loss:
“We just have to be more focused and take better care of the ball.”

On how the weekend affects the teams season:
“It's just college football. We still have a chance for the playoffs. It's just a matter of chance. We still have a chance to win the Big 12. We just have to stay focused on each game each week.”

Defensive End Chuka Ndulue

On the adjustments they made after the first two defensive possessions:
“We just saw some things that we hadn't seen on film. As the game went along we made our sideline adjustments and figured it out. After that we just played ball.”

On what it is like to come back to Texas to play in front of family and friends for the second week in a row:
“It's awesome. One of the reasons why most people come to Oklahoma is the OU-Texas game. My mom will be there; my sister, my dad, my best friend and a lot of my friends will be watching. It's just nice to go back home and make back-to-back trips to Texas. I personally enjoy that a lot.”

On if this game is personal:
“I wouldn't say that it is personal but it is a rivalry game. Rivalry games are always fun no matter what the stats say, no matter what the other guys have done. It really doesn't matter. It's not a home game, it's not an away game. You just go out there and play your rival and it's awesome.”

On what he remembers from his first OU-Texas game:
“It was unbelievable. I was like, 'I wish I could play now”. But I was being redshirted. Geneo (Grissom) and I just lit up and we were amazed. It was awesome just being out there and being so close to the game and watching how close the game was and how we won on a fumbled punt. It was just a great atmosphere.”

Cornerback Julian Wilson

On the start of OU/TCU game:
“I mean we really just got more dialed in. Mike got on us and we knew that it was going to be a game where we were going to have to cover and step up our game.”

On the struggle Wilson and Zach Sanchez came across:
“They are on scholarship too and they made plays we did not make. At the end of the day we play at OU and have the expectation to make those plays.

On being surprised by TCU:
“No. We knew they had a great receiver and that Trevone Boykin would get out of the pocket. Nothing from that game was new to us. Everything that they did, we practiced.”

On building upon the strong finish:=
“Winning the second half is big as well as winning first half. Really we just have to go out and get the ball rolling from the start and not put ourselves in a 14-0 hole.”

On Red River Shootout:
“It is a big time game and at OU and Texas everyone wants to know who is going to win. We still have a bad taste in our mouth from last year so we have to go out there and execute our game plan on Saturday.”

On first OU/Texas experience:
“I really did not know what I was getting myself into. Walking down that tunnel and seeing how the fans were split exactly down the middle and the trash talk that goes on throughout the game. The fans and driving through the fair is not something you can put into words.”