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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Offensive Media Session Quotes
August 18, 2014 | Football
Head Coach Bob Stoops
On the scrimmages:
“Really pleased in that that we've been relatively healthy. We've had a few guys miss a few days here and there. You just hold your breath, well in both scrimmages, one was almost 100 plays and the other was 85. Every time you snap it you're just cringing, but it was great. I felt like we had some good live work and physical work without beating ourselves up. Some good things are shaping up like Julian (Wilson) at corner. I think it's really good. All the young safeties have made really good improvement. Steven Parker, Ahmad Thomas and Hatari Byrd, all those guys are going to play in different roles and different times, so that's been good. A young receiver, Jordan Smallwood, is making plays. Durron Neal continues to improve. KJ Young is making some nice plays and Michiah Quick. Some guys are the pieces we've been looking for and are coming together.”
On whether he's made a decision on the backup to QB Trevor Knight:
“Yeah in all likelihood it will be Cody Thomas, and of course with the Baker Mayfield situation, we'll enter into that whenever that decision is made.”
On whether practice reps are being allocated based on the depth chart yet:
“We don't go into depth chart reps just yet. A period of our days we'll spend on the guys we're going to play getting extra work, but there's a lot of work where we're getting everyone ready to play.”
On if they have named captains:
“Not yet. We'll do that here in the next couple days. We generally try to do that closer to game week.”
On the safeties:
“I just went through all those guys and said they're doing great. Steven Parker, Ahmad Thomas and Hatari Byrd along with Q (Quentin) Hayes, they are doing really well. It's coming together.”
On the backup quarterbacks:
“Really good. They've been solid. They're picking up their assignments and running well, so it's been positive.”
On who the starting running back will be:
“I'll let Coach Heupel answer that. They're all getting snaps now, and we'll see how they do early. A lot will be determined in what they do in their initial opportunities.”
On what the guys can learn from the Joe Mixon case:
“That's not something I'm going to delve into right now because it leads to further questions in that regard, and I want to talk about the guys who are eligible to play right now.”
On Jordan Evans:
“He lost just a little bit of weight but it's something he ought to be able to gain back in about five days. He's bright and made some really nice plays today. Like I said, he's a big guy out there. He's the biggest one we have. We expect him to continue to improve and come back from this illness.”
On the progress of Jordan Phillips:
“We haven't had any setbacks. He got maybe three series in different ways in the scrimmage and we pulled him out. I think Coach (Jerry) Montgomery has managed him well and the number of snaps he's getting, but he looks ready to play and he looks strong and powerful and he's getting his form back. You can tell he's getting his feel back.”
On Trevor Knight's command of the offense compared to this time a year ago:
“It's much improved of course with all the snaps and the opportunity to grow through last year and the winter, spring and summer. He's quite a ways further along than he was a year ago.”
On if Frank Shannon is taking first-team practice reps:
“He didn't today.”
On whether Trevor Knight has shown better touch on deep balls compared to last year:
“Definitely. He's got a much better feel this year of getting those guys a chance with balls, and we've been more successful and in a better position the whole camp really.”
Offensive Coordinator Josh Heupel
On if he is happy with the offense and where it is:
“I don't know if you're ever happy, but there are a lot of things we have to clean up before game day. Our kids need to have a sense of urgency for the rest of this week and obviously next week when we start preparing for Louisiana Tech. So we have a lot of work to do.”
On how tight the battle is to be the No. 2 quarterback:
“All of the guys have competed and worked hard, Cody (Thomas) has done some positive things and I like where he is headed.”
On how much Cody Thomas has progressed:
“Quarterbacks grow in every way imaginable. Physically he has changed his body, mentally he understands the defense and offensively what we are doing in a much greater way than when he first stepped on campus. Mentally he's better and more sound which is making him more consistent. All those quarterbacks grow through a great growth pattern their freshman year. He has got more athleticism that most people give him credit for. None of those guys do we want to beat up in the running game but at times we need those guys to extend and make plays, which may be with their feet.”
On having a veteran offensive line:
“They're mature, they're strong, they're physical and they play well, cohesively as a unit communicating; even with the interchangeable parts, especially in the inside. We need to ride those guys and they need to take us to where we want to go.”
On how good Michiah Quick has been since spring training:
“Explosive when he has the ball. He's made some freshman mistakes at times because the game is faster, the plays are more competitive; he is learning to play in that atmosphere.”
On if he considers versatility as a core principle of this offense:
“It has been the past two, three years. In 2011 we played a lot of tight ends, multiple sets. In 2012, we don't have a tight end on campus because of some injuries; guys getting medical redshirts or deciding they don't want to play football. So we went to playing in four-wide sets and playing with Trey Millard as a tailback, H-back type guy. Last year we went back off-set a little bit more. At the end of the day we need to play with the guys who can go out. That is what fall camp is all about. Our versatility helps our tempo package immensely, which makes us a little different.”
Offensive Coordinator Jay Norvell
On Derrick Woods:
"He is such a lunch-pail kid. He's on every special teams. Halfway through practice, it's like someone poured a bucket of water on him he's just ringing wet. He's such a hard worker. We could play with Derrick Woods as a starter. There's no question and feel confident doing that. He's been in the fire. He made a huge play in the Sugar Bowl and the one thing about that kid, you get him in a competitive situation, he really responds. I think as a staff we feel really confident with him and I know his teammates do as well."
On the receiving corps:
"I think we have some real stability with (Sterling) Shepard and Durron Neal on the perimeter, and then we've got some young guys, you know, K.J. Young and (Michiah) Quick, that are kind of coming on in the slot. (Jordan) Smallwood's done an excellent job so far, so we've got five or six guys that are stable. Dorial (Green-Beckahm) has learned a lot since he's been here, and made a lot of plays and is feeling more conformable every day so we'll just continue to push him and getting him prepared. But no, it's starting to solidify and the cream's starting to rise to the top. About this time at camp it usually does at most positions.”
On K.J. Young:
“K.J.'s just playing a lot faster. He really has an understanding of what we want him to do inside. He's playing really fast, roaring off the football. That's a big thing here at Oklahoma. We really stress coming off the ball and playing with speed, and when you watch guys like Kenny Stills and Jalen Saunders, when those guys played they roared off the football, and K.J.'s starting to get that."
Quarterback Trevor Knight
On how camp is going:
“I think we improved from the first scrimmage, continue to put little pieces of the puzzle together, and that's what we want to do. We want to go out there and play cleaner than the first time, you know, obviously it being later in camp. And I think we did that. We ran around real well and made some plays.”
On his second year as a starter:
“It's a little bit different, not knowing what to expect last year. It's like the young guy in high school, you don't know what to expect on the varsity level. Now coming into the second season, you know what to expect and you play with a little bit of easy."
On Sterling Shepard:
“It is a different position, but he's still going to use what he's good at and that's his speed. You know he's going to be able to run past people, and he's one of the few guys that's capable of playing on the inside and the outside.”
Offensive Guard Nila Kasitati
On the depth at offensive line:
“First, I'm really happy with the depth we have. We have a good rotation going on in practice. We're getting a lot of people in and getting a breather here and there. It's not only deep but everybody is also keeping up with what we have and what we're doing with our schemes and stuff.”
On who the starters will be:
“Right now we're just keeping our heads down and doing all that we can and bringing all the energy to keep working. Coach knows best to put the best people in the front.”
On stepping up to be a leader on the line:
“Yeah. Not just me and Ty (Darlington) but also Darryl (Williams) and Tyrus (Thompson) and some of the other seniors as well. Everybody is stepping up and being great leaders and examples for the younger guys.”
On the competition at offensive line:
“The competition keeps us running and making each and every one of us compete for the spot and want to be the starter. Whatever coach goes with for game day, that's what it's going to be.”
Offensive Tackle Daryl Williams
On if this is the deepest offensive line he has seen:
“Definitely. We are stacked everywhere having (Dionte) Savage, Adam (Shead) back. Nila (Kasitati) and Tony (Feo) at the guard position. Tackles like Josiah (St. John) and Tyrus (Thompson). People like Derek (Farniok) with game experience, which helps a lot. I would say we're 10 or 11, maybe even 12 deep. We're two-deep in every position.”
On if it is still hard to determine who will be in the starting lineup:
“I see it like that. I really don't know, coming next week what Coach Bedenbaugh is going to do. It'll be a surprise for me too.”
On what it means to Adams Shead and Tyler Evans come back from their injuries:
“It's amazing. Having Tyler back, going hard and his leadership and experience has been great. Having Adam back and even Tyrus (Thompson) has been great for us.”
On if it is good to have Tyler Evans back:
“Yeah, he's so experienced we call him Grandpa Evans.”
On his relationship with Tyler Evans:
“I think it was just playing next to each other. It's a great feeling playing to be playing side-by-side again in every type of block. I was the only guy that has gotten to play with him since he been here, so that must be what he talking about.”
On how Evans' second injury affected him:
“It was definitely tough on him and I think he had feelings of giving up but we motivated him whenever we saw him; working out with us. He definitely motivated us though, working through those injuries and being here two extra years.”
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