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 48, Louisiana Tech 16 Postgame Quotes
August 30, 2014 | Football
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops
Opening Statement
“It was a good win today. I am pleased with the overall effort of the team and how they played. I thought they really played well in particular in the first half. I was really pleased with the number one defense when they were all out there together. They were really strong against the run, pressured the quarterback and all of those kinds of things. Some of our reserves that played a lot, I'm glad they played a lot. They learned from the experience, they'll get better and they made a few mistakes and obviously need to play a little better in certain situations. Again, I'm glad they were out there learning from it. Offensively, same thing. First half. I thought we were really good. Overall, I thought we moved the football. We scored points, got a lot of yards, a lot of third and fourth down conversions. I was really proud of the running backs. All new guys, all took care of the football, ran hard and ran physical. They picked up a lot of tough yards and ran the football really well. I thought the passing game the first half was pretty good. The second half, I thought there was some parts of it that we definitely have to keep getting sharper, definitely have to be getting better at. We had too many drops. That has to get cleaned up as well. Overall, we were really good. I was really pleased kicking game-wise. Everything we did was really pretty solid. Give it up to Skip Holtz and Louisiana Tech's staff. They have a good group there that will keep getting better. They're early in their time there, so they have some time to get their things worked out. We realize we're going to have to keep stepping up after this. The competition is going to continue to get stronger. We have got to keep making some steps. It was still positive to be out there for the first time and play in a good way.”
On the versatility of his running backs
“They're all what I have been saying all along. They're all powerful, physical guys. They have speed too. I was really happy with what they did.”
On playing so many down linemen and different combinations of them means he has a lot of guys who could play there
“We just wanted to get a lot of guys in. In particular, our defensive line. They're starting to become really good players. We wanted to rotate guys, wanted to give them a lot of opportunities and prevent injuries also. A lot of them have shown us that they can play at a high level in practices and scrimmages and we wanted to get them into games. Even in that game, those guys have learned from a few mistakes but that's the only way to learn it. The coaches aren't there to help you out and you're all by yourself. I'm glad they were all in there getting experience.”
On losing Jordan Evans so early to ejection
“Yeah that was tough, but that's a tough part of the game.”
On if they need to be more mindful of the targeting rule
“Yeah. I'll have to see the replay. It was different. I'll talk with the league and our officials do a great job. I'll talk to Walt Anderson about it and get clarification and have it be a learning point for our players. Some are tough though. It's a bang-bang thing and it's sometimes how they happen.”
On if they had a backup quarterback
“Well, we did but here is how it was. Cody [Thomas], we feel will be back to 100 percent next week. We could have put him in there just to hand the ball off, but we didn't feel we needed to put him out there when we hadn't been doing it. Baker [Mayfield] isn't cleared. Not knowing the whole future with Baker, we didn't want to burn Justice's [Hansen] redshirt. We had guys ready. Blake was ready to go and Justice was ready to go if we had to. It's just kind of odd we had to finish it out that way. It's okay. It's one game.”
On Nila Kasitati's status
“Nila got aggravated. I didn't find out that he wasn't going to play, well, he could have played and he is going to be a lot better next week and for the year if we don't so we made that decision with our trainers on Thursday. We had to shuffle things. He is expected to be ready to go next week.”
On what he learned about his running backs
“They were assigned correctly, they were physical and they took care of the ball. Those are three big factors.”
On their versatility
“Yeah, they have really good hands. That's, for the most part, a requirement in our offense. Getting those guys out in space like that on the run and getting those blocks for them, they do a good job on those outside flares and screens. They have the hands and they are better running the ball than about anyone you can give it to.”
On the strong special teams play
“Hopefully, it will continue that way. We, for the most part, win with that. Michael Hunnicutt made all of his kicks, he's an excellent kicker. The other parts of it, our guys are playing well in their spots. I'm pleased with it. But, you know, it's just the beginning.”
On Blake Bell's performance
“It seemed to me like he played pretty well. It's hard to say for sure, but it looked to me like he did.”
On the secondary
“Like I said, the first group I was really pleased with. Then we started tinkering and trying to get more guys some experience. They're getting better and that's why we put them in there. They're trying to figure it out by getting experience.”
On Tyler Evans finally playing again
“Tyler got a game ball. I was excited for him to be back out there playing again after a long journey. He seemed like he played well. Another game ball we gave to Sterling [Shepard]. He passed his father, Derrick, for receiving yards. The running backs got some game balls, Zach Sanchez and some of the guys that got pressure on the quarterback.”
On the catch Sterling Shepard made that got reviewed and ruled an incompletion
“Sterling is fabulous. Believe me, he has had a great offseason and camp. I feel he has really set himself up to be great this year. He is an explosive player.”
On the catch downfield by Keith Ford
“Again, they have great hands. All of those guys. He gathered the ball, took care of it, took a big lick, but he can do that. He has a lot of power to him and can take hits too.”
On Sterling's touchdown celebration
“During the Sugar Bowl he did this, meaning Sooners. They took it as a throat slash. I told him, 'You have got to be lower, keep your arms open and do something different.' When I looked at it, I said be careful. I don't want an unnecessary 15-yard penalty. There's no need for it, so make it clear what you are doing.”
On if Trevor was more effective by trying to manage the game
“We were aware of it and how we were calling plays. We wanted to make sure that with whatever we were doing, he was getting it out quick and not taking any chances, definitely, so it may have affected him a little bit.”
On the first drive of the second half being his best of the game
“Yeah, and we were still playing our regular form then.”
On how Trevor played overall
“He played well. He made great decisions in all of the running game and the procedures. We didn't have any problems at the line of scrimmage and he was all about the throwing game.”
On how Caleb Gastelum played when he replaced Jordan Evans
“Caleb actually played really well. No surprise though. He has been around here a long time and helped us and went in there and played a really good game. He made some calls and looked, to me, like he was where he needed to be the whole time. He did a really good job.”
On if they need to make a statement with the Playoff Committee as opposed to winning being enough
“I'm not worried about it.”
On if he was worried Tyler Evans would be skiddish after coming back from two injuries
“No. I don't think he is worried about it. He played well. You can't play up there and think about anything else, but being powerful and running into somebody else.”
On the confidence his team has
“They're excited to play and sure, we had confidence, but it's just the beginning. We have a long way to go and need to keep improving.”
On his defense's ability to shut down Louisiana Tech's running game
“I felt really good about it. I thought we played the running game great.”
Oklahoma offensive coordinator Josh Heupel
On how he felt the younger players did tonight
“Our drives were good. Late in the third quarter we got on a bit of a role but I feel like all the young guys thought they managed the game. I think they did very well.”
On his running backs' ability to be multiple
“I think they played very well. They took care of the ball. They played physical football and were able to do what we asked of them.”
On what he thought of his tight ends
“I'd like to see them to be able to do a couple more things but I think they did a good job of running, playing physical, blocking. Just getting these guys more experience will help their play because I saw a lot of positive things tonight.”
On how he thought the offensive line performed
“We're fortunate that we have a lot of guys who've played a lot of football at multiple positions on the interior. I thought they did a great job tonight. We have to have all of our guys but we trust in those guys. Tonight I thought they all performed well and communicated well.”
On having three physical running backs
“It's great to see guys lower their pads and start to run through other linebackers. We have guys who have that potential to become complete backs. They run physical through the hole. They have the speed to get out in the open field and they're a big part of our offense.”
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops
Opening Statement
“When we came out, we came out really fast, did what we wanted to do, so that was a great start. In the first half, we controlled virtually every aspect of the game – long pass, pressure, position of the football. I think in the first half, they got one positive play. It was a good way to start. Got a little frustrated when the seconds came in; getting so much playing time. I wish we had done a little bit better, but I am glad we got to play so many players. We played a lot of first-time guys, and as much as they think they are prepared for this, it was good for them to see some snaps. So that part was good.”
On Jordan Evans dismissal from the game
“It is too bad about Jordan (Evans). He makes a good football play, but it is what it is. He was playing really fast and I like what he was doing until he got dismissed from the game. But I really feel good about our defense.”
On Caleb Gastelum stepping into Evans place
“Caleb has done a great job, and we're lucky to have him. He has really worked hard and is a much better player right now than he was anytime last year, that's for sure. It is good to have him; he is reliable. I thought he played well for a guy who was third string a couple weeks ago.”
On having many players interchanging in the front line
“It is good to play because it keeps people involved. It's the good thing about having a night like tonight because twos think they should be ones. Sometimes you need them to go out there and see how the ones do it and what they need to change. It is good to play a lot of players because I think it keeps them motivated and their interest levels high; it makes them be prepared. I am happy we had the chance to play so many guys.”
On the depth of the defensive line
“When you're two-deep and you're going into your third string, it is tough. But I don't know if anyone can go three-deep. We feel good with Caleb (Gastelum) as a backup right now; he did a great job. We will be two-deep again next week with the same guys because no one got hurt. We should be pretty fresh and ready to play the next game.”
On Geneo Grissom and Eric Striker
“Geneo played well and that's what this defense is about – edge, pressure and getting in – and Geneo and (Eric) Striker were pretty good.”
Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight
On the offense's performance against the Bulldogs
“I think it was good. I think that one of our big priorities is to start fast, and I think we did that. We went down the first drive and got a score there, and kept putting it on for the first couple of series there. I'm really, really proud of our guys up front, especially a guy like Tyler Evans who's been out for two years and then steps in there and picked up right where he left off. They were mashing up front from the beginning.
“I've been saying it all along: we've got three running back who can do some damage and those guys ended up getting in the end zone tonight, and that's just a testament to those guys working. And you saw how they worked together, how Alex and Keith kind of set the tone and Samaje [Perine] with his first college game—it showed how they've taken him under [their] wing. He played great tonight.”
On offensive lulls in the game
"Me, personally, I left a few things out on the field that I kind of want back. But that's where you've got to get better. That's where, watching the film tomorrow and then coming in on Monday and correcting things—that's how you get better. It was our first game in several months so there's bound to be stuff like that happen, but there were some easy ones out there that we missed that we've just got to correct and get better from.”
On the Sooners passing game
“I think, especially towards the beginning of the game, just taking what the defense was giving us, seeing it really well. Like I said before, there's a few—on the batted balls and just some decision-making stuff that we've got to correct to make it a lot better. But I think overall a pretty good job, especially just looking out there on the bubbles, hats off to our receivers on the outside blocking that up and getting extra yardage out there.”
On the difference between his mindset at the beginning of last season and this one
“Completely different. I had never been on a college football field before last year's first game and coming into this year I have some experience under my belt, kind of know what to expect. Just went out there and started playing. I felt like our offensive group had a great mindset going in. We knew we were playing for one another. We went out there on that first drive and it felt good to score.”
Oklahoma linebacker Caleb Gastelum
On being ready to enter a game
“It's something I've been mentally getting ready for. You never want to see a teammate come out like that, but that's why it's so important to be prepared.”
On the difference between his junior and senior seasons
“I think the system's really established to where I can really get in and study it. I feel like that hitting the books this summer is really something I was working on.”
On how Jordan Evans helped prepare him for playing time
“Jordan and I will talk about things throughout the week. What gap we have, or the pass coverage we have on a certain call, what checks need to be made and whatnot. We'll talk back and forth like that and that really helps us be prepared.”
Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard
On the offense overall
“There are definitely things we can clean up, but overall it's pretty solid. We didn't have a lot of penalties, and that's the main thing we look for in the first game. There's a lot of excitement, so guys tend to make stupid penalties. We didn't have many of those and not very many turnovers, so we came out with a plus.”
On punt returns
“That's what I wanted to do coming into the year. At first I was worried about some stuff, but all the jitters got out after the first one. I tried to let it rip after that.”
On passing his dad in receiving yards
“I had no idea at all. Coach Stoops announced it at the end of the game in the locker room, and I had no idea about it. It was great though.”
On passing to the running backs
“We saw that our running backs have hands, and that's great to have for a dual-threat running back like that. You can shoot them out on swing passes or bubbles. It just adds variety to the offense.”
Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips
On his first game back after surgery
“Yeah it was nice. It's been way too long. It was nice to go out there and play without any pain and just have fun.”
On the first-team defense
“We played well. We communicated well and we did everything we needed to do. We were pretty keyed in on our assignments.”
Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez
On his blocked field goal
“The blocked field goal, I found a crease there and fortunately I got my hand on it. [Eric] Striker made a play and returned it, and it created some momentum for us on offense.”
On the win
“It's good to get one under our belt. We try to come out with that mindset every week. We came out strong.”
Oklahoma running back Keith Ford
On the running back group
“We are all very talented and we all contribute. Me and Alex [Ross] had two touchdowns and Samaje [Perine] had one, so it just shows that we can work in a group and be talented.
Oklahoma running back Alex Ross
On the running back group
“We all have different skill sets, so we got our chance and optimized our opportunity.”
On passing to the running backs
“That's why you get recruited here is your hands. We've been working on that all offseason, working on our hands and getting better and better. It showed tonight.”
On finally getting reps
“It's been a long time coming, so I had to make the most of those 11 carries.”
Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine
On if he felt like he had something to prove in the game
“Kind of, but not really.”
On if anyone has helped mentor him throughout the summer
“Yeah the running back group is a great group of guys. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And Coach Gundy, he is a great coach. He just tells us that if we work hard, that we will see the field, and obviously we did that. I think it showed tonight. “
On if he expected to play as much as he did
“You know I really didn't know what to expect. Coach Gundy said I would see the field, but I just didn't know how much. And I knew I had to do what I do on special teams, just to keep myself going.”
On if he likes playing on special teams
“Oh yeah. On kickoff, I love having the adrenaline of having the first defensive play of the game or the half, or whatever it is.”
On if he realized he could be a power back at Oklahoma
“I think so. I think during the couple of scrimmages that we had that I was running really well. If you can run well against our defense, then you can run well against anybody. So I had that mentality going into the season, and I think it has carried over.”
Oklahoma linebacker Dominique Alexander
On the targeting call
“I think it was a bad call, but I mean Jordan (Evans) was just out there playing good, playing hard, playing fast just like he always does, so it's just something that happened. But it was a bad call to me.
On the defensive performance
“We were out there playing fast in the first group. We set the tempo at a very high level for Jordan (Evans). You know really, the whole first half we were playing really well and playing really fast. Then we started giving up stuff at the end, but as far as when we first came out, we set the tempo great and we played fast. I feel like we did a good job.”
On Jordan (Evan)'s performance
“He was doing good and playing fast like I said. If you're playing fast that means you know what you're doing. He was out there doing a great job.”
Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyler Evans
On how the line has improved since the last time he played
“It's very, very different. Now we're all big, like 330 across the line. Used to, we used to be like 290, 280, fast. Now we're just big guys mauling people, driving them off the ball. That's something I [had to get used to]. I love to run the ball, so this is like my style of offense now.”
On how it felt to be back on the field
“I feel like a really old guy out there. I could see the blitz before it was going to come. Body actually felt really, really good. The two years I took off, my upper body got so strong I didn't really need my legs. I was able to control guys with just my hands. I was able just to drive them off the ball.”
Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz
Opening Statement
“Well I give a lot of credit to Coach Stoops and Oklahoma for the game they played here tonight and for the program he has built. I told him beforehand that is really unusual to see someone in today's day be in the same place for 16 years, particularly at a place like Oklahoma where the expectations are so high. I think that is a real testament to him, his staff and the job that he has done here with this team. I think they have an excellent football team.
“I was really impressed with the crowd tonight. I was really impressed with the Oklahoma crowd. I have had the opportunity to play at a lot of places, but I was really impressed with the way they support this Oklahoma football team. They were positive. I thought they were a classy group. It was a treat for me to have the opportunity to play here. I was my first time.
“Looking at our football team I certainly wish we could have played better early in this football game. We had a quarterback making his first collegiate start and I thought it showed early. I thought he was a little bit nervous. That is very uncharacteristic of the way that he has played in camp. He missed some open receivers.
“We really struggled on the offensive and defensive lines in trying to stop the line of scrimmage. I thought that was obviously one of the huge differences in the game. We averaged about two yards per rush. I don't know what they averaged, but they probably averaged about five or six. I thought their offensive and defensive lines controlled the line of scrimmage. In the second half they started loading the box and bringing an extra guy into the box. We were able to put a couple drives together with the passing game.
“I was really proud of our team. I was proud of the way they competed. They competed all the way to the end. We knew this would be a tall order with so many new faces on our football team. I thought they competed all the way to the end. I am really proud of our team.
“We are evaluating the game in the way that we played and the things that we controlled. We had two kicks blocked. We had 10 men on the field for one of them, and we had a guy block down and go the wrong way on field goal block team. You have one assignment and it has never changed. Since football was started it has never changed. Things like that are the things that really bothered me. We have to get those fixed and we have to do a better job of coaching our players to get those little things done. That's what good football teams do. We are not there yet. We are a work in progress but I feel that we made some strides tonight. I said that we'd learn a lot about our football team and we would find out how they would compete and how they would respond under the lights and when they had adversity. For the most part I liked what I saw but there is definitely some things that we have to get cleaned up.”
On why they struggled in the first half
“Well, we are playing six guys who have never played in a college football game tonight, on offense. This isn't exactly the first game you would like them to walk into. You are kind of throwing them to the lions here at Norman. I thought in the first couple drives we had some guys open. We missed the stop route to Paul Turner over on our sideline for about a 20-yard gain that went incomplete. We missed another one that I thought was there. We were just off. When you can't run the ball and then you miss those throws on third down you are off the field. So we weren't out there very much. I think their defensive line is really talented. We have three new starters that are playing on the offensive line. Our center played his first college game. The guard played his first. The left tackle started his first college game. Two of those are sophomores. To play a team of Oklahoma's size and athleticism, plus what they do with their speed, it was a challenge. It did take a while for us to get our feet and get adjusted to the speed of the game, but I thought they did a better job as the game went on. Early, particularly in the first quarter, we really put our defense in a tough situation. They were having to play a lot of plays.”
On Oklahoma's running backs
“I was really impressed with their offensive line. I'm not taking anything away from their backs, I think they are very good, but I thought that offensive line was impressive. It is not like they were making people miss three yards deep in the backfield. They are big, physical, strong backs that get running north and south. That offensive line comes off the ball and it is hard for them not to make a hole. With the size they have at 340, 330, 330 and they way they come off the ball. I was really impressed with that offensive line. That is not to take anything away from their running backs. I think all three of those running backs getting into the end zone—a lot of the credit goes to that offensive line with the holes they opened and the way they pushed things around up front.”
On Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight
“I thought he played really well. He was poised and I thought he made some big time throws. There were a couple big fourth down throws. I thought he never really put the ball in danger. He threw that one interception at the end, but for the most part he did a really good job of protecting it. He threw a great fourth down ball on our sideline right there to the out. The defensive back was half a yard behind him and he puts it right where he has to. I thought he was very accurate and threw the ball very well. I was impressed. I was really impressed. Coach Stoops thinks this is one of his better football teams that he has had here. One of the coaches on our staff has played here a number of times and he said that this is the best Oklahoma football team he has seen.”
Louisiana Tech quarterback Cody Sokol
On his feelings about the game
"That was a good team. I think we did a lot of good things, but we have a lot of things that we need to improve on going into next week. I feel like that was a good game for us to play. Going against a good team like that, number four in the nation. You want to put together good things, good drives, and I think we handled it pretty well."
On his nerves before starting his first game
"It was my first game, but I don't think nerves were a big deal. I've been playing this game forever and I came from Iowa. So I've been in the big stadiums. I think it just took a while as an offense for us to get our feet underneath us."
On what OU did well against him
"They fly around the field. They've got good speed and they've got some big guys up front. They do a lot of great things schematically in their defense to kind of keep you off balance. All praise to them. They had a great game today, but I think we have a good season ahead of us."
On what he needs to work on the most
"The biggest thing is, I think, just coming out and putting that first drive together. That's important; getting it started early. That's going to be a big step for us."
On his success in the second half
"We kind of went back to what we practiced a lot, just our basic stuff. All credit to our linemen. They came out in the second half and did a great job. Also, the receivers were snagging it. I think as an offense we really established ourselves in the second half and had a little bit better drives."
Louisiana Tech defensive back Kentrell Brice
On his performance
"I felt like I did decent, but I can do better. I feel like as a defense we did well, but we can be better."
On his injuries
"I'm feeling fine. I just push through the pain and keep playing."
On facing a highly ranked opponent
"It was a great experience. It taught us where our defense is and what we need to work on."
Players Mentioned
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