OU Defense Takes its Turn with Sugar Bowl Media

NEW ORLEANS – One day after the Oklahoma offense met with the media, the OU defense got its turn in front of the cameras Saturday morning at the Sugar Bowl to preview Monday's matchup with Auburn. Below are some of the highlights from the defense's session with the media.

Defensive Coordinator Mike Stoops

On facing Auburn's offense:
“I think for a team like this, [Kamryn] Pettway is obviously a big part of what they do. But their quarterback, finding balance for any team that runs the ball that effectively, their ability to throw the ball, play action passes, those types of things will be critical and not giving up chunk yards. So I think the quarterback play is really important to try to keep balance with their offense and keep you off guard so you can't just load up and try to stop the run, because they have very skilled receivers and can get the ball deep. So you just have to try to manage it with the way we like to play and not overcommit to the run. We have to be able to play physical at the line of scrimmage. We have to be able to get off blocks. We have to be able to leverage the football. They like to get the ball to the perimeter more than any other team we have seen. So there's a lot there.”

On which game film to watch now that Auburn is fully healthy:
“Obviously, you look at the past couple years, whether it was Kentucky from last year, whether it's Georgia, you look and see what the similarities are our front is a little different than other fronts. So schematically how they want to block an odd front opposed to an even front, you have to look at all of those things and dissect the last two or three years. So you have to go back and really look at it. That's what kind of gets hard. Even though you have that much time, you start looking at everything. If you start looking at every formation over the last couple of years, it's just so much there. But our principles have to stay in place within our system and play within our system. So we have a pretty good idea how they're going to attempt to attack you, but they have always come up with new wrinkles. That's just part of being in a game and being able to adjust to whatever new wrinkles they put in.”

On if Kansas State is the most similar Big 12 team and how QB Kyler Murray is running the scout team:
“Kyler [Murray] has done a great job for us. We probably have the best scout team quarterbacks offer the last three years in anybody in the history of college football. So Kyler has done a great job. Kansas State, a little bit, not a lot. Their zone schemes are similar to everybody we see, their power, their gap schemes. Everyone has zone schemes, gap schemes, fly schemes. So they're very balanced in how they want to attack you. What's different about them, like I said earlier, they get the ball to the perimeter probably as good as anybody and let their skill guys run the ball, too. So as much as they run it downhill at you, they're going to get the ball at the perimeter as well with their skill guys.”

On how Auburn differs from the teams OU faces in the Big 12:
“Again, we know what we go up against week in and week out. Nobody goes up against those types of offense. So we understand it. It's just the style. There's a little bit of a style clash here, but we faced that playing Alabama three years ago. You play a team from the Southeastern Conference; you're going to get a physical football team and a talented football team. I think our players understand that, respect that, and know that we are going to have to play great technique at the line of scrimmage. We are going to have to get off blocks, and that's football. And hopefully they're looking forward to that challenge because it's going to come.”

Jordan Evans

On the defense ending the season with its best performance:
“Oh, most definitely. We want to go out there and be able to shut down their run, and whenever they do pass, shut that down, as well. If we have a great defensive game and hold them to low numbers, hopefully our offense can do their job and we can come out with a win.”

On how much this game means for next year's defense:
“It's big, but I feel like the spring will be bigger because a lot of those guys who will play next year won't touch the field Monday. But you have guys like Steven [Parker] and Obo [Ogbonnia Okoronkwo] who are going to step up. And then there are some young guys that I believe will step up and make an impact, whether it's on special teams or just on the defensive side. We just have to wait until the spring for that.”

On matching Auburn's physicality:
“Oh, it's very important. They have every right to believe that [Auburn has the advantage] because they do it on a weekly basis. But for us it's our job to go match it because I feel like the game will be won in the front seven. Whichever front seven comes out to play and does the best, that's who is going to come out with the win.”

Ahmad Thomas

On how far the OU secondary has come this season:
"We've come a long way. We took a lot of pride in getting better as a secondary. We get on each other when we don't do things right, because when you don't do things right in practice you don't do them right in games. We have to tackle well. In this game, our corners and safeties are going to have to tackle more than we've had to all season."

On Auburn's offensive backfield:
"They've got a lot of big backs and they can run the ball. I watch film on them a lot and we've just got to get ready to tackle. Everybody has to get ready to tackle, because they've got a 240-pound back and he can run."

On the OU defense potentially redeeming itself with a good performance Monday:
"It would be real big. Our defense has been up and down this year, and our offense had to really save us in a couple games. So we've just got to go out there and make a statement that our defense is not a joke. After Texas Tech, people thought we were a joke. We just had to dwell on that for a little bit and let people know that we weren't going to play like that."

Steven Parker

On Auburn's offense:
"They're fast. You definitely have to have good eyes throughout their offense. They're a running team and definitely want to establish the run. We're going to have to stop that. Passing game -- it's going to be a lot of play-action pass, so we have to be on our toes and making sure we're stopping them."

On if it will be strange playing a run-oriented team after facing so many passing teams in the Big 12:
"It will be a little different, but at the same time we're kind of used to that. We still have to stop the run game in the Big 12 just like we do the passing game. If we can basically stop them from establishing the run and make them pass the ball, make them get out of their element, I feel like that's going to be a plus for us."

On how he's grown as a leader throughout the course of the season:
"Talking more to the younger guys, being more of a vocal leader this whole year. Although I'm not a captain I basically consider myself like one. Just trying to take control of the team just like Bake (Baker Mayfield), Samaje (Perine), Ahmad (Thomas) and Jordan (Evans); just trying to help them out any way that I can."

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

On the matchup against Auburn's offense:
"I'm so excited. This is like a real bang-bang game. This is like a linebacker's game. It's just who can be more physical at the point of attack."

On how much easier his life is now after maturing the last couple of years:
"It's a lot easier. Nobody's really on your back all the time. You just get to relax. You can really find what you're good at, you don't have to worry about messing up. I feel like I'm the same guy. I've grown up. I was 18 and I'm 21 now. Time got me."

On Auburn's offensive players not speaking glowingly about OU's defense:
"We feel challenged, for sure. We try to rise up to every challenge that we get. We're not offended by them not talking spectacularly about our defense. We know who we are, we know our identity. We're going to come out and play."

Jordan Wade

On Auburn's running backs:
“Their run game is very big with two great running backs. The big guy, Kamryn Pettway, is a really powerful guy who runs downhill and we know we can't let him keep going. He's a big guy who runs like our Samaje Perine. He's a hard runner who comes downhill and just runs people over. And they have Kerryon Johnson who is pretty fast also. We just know we have to play the run up front and be strong to stop these really good running backs.”

On Ogbonnia Okoronkwo:
“Obo is going to be a great player next year. I know he'll be a leader for them after all the experience he's had this year.”

On being a leader for the underclassmen:
“I knew I had to be a leader for them. Defensive end Austin Roberts and I had to step up big time and help those guys. We had the experience in the games, so we had to lead. I have to lead by example and help all of them out. I have to keep them comfortable so they don't freak out.”