clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

An Afternoon With the Very, Very Classy Bob Stoops

From yesterday's press conference with comments...

"Those people, I'm sure they're good play-callers after the fact; they can call plays when they get their team (Nope, no insecurity here)," Stoops told reporters after Monday's practice. "Our game plan was what it had been all along; I don't see where people get that. We went right down the field and scored on the first drive of the game. We were calling those same plays throughout the game. (Greg Davis is validated!)

"They don't look as good when they're defended as well or you get a holding call out on the perimeter (Note the comment about holding calls on the perimeter, i.e. not close to the play? That's not an excuse. He is not blaming the loss on an official stupid enough to call a penalty on something that had nothing to do with the play. Know how I know it's not an excuse? Because it's coming out of Bob Stoops' mouth. A lot of people don't know that No Excuses jeans tried to hire Bob as their spokesman in a proposed brand revival.). I don't see it that way. I thought we called the game the same really throughout." (That is so comforting to OU fans)

Stoops was asked why after a long punt return in the fourth quarter the Sooners ran on six straight running plays before throwing a short swing pass on third-and-long to DeMarco Murray on OU's final drive, which ended with a field goal instead of a much-needed touchdown.

"Towards the end, we had been running the ball well," Stoops said. "We do throw the bubble screen and end up slipping and losing 2 yards. But getting the ball to DeMarco on the perimeter, I don't call that conservative." (On 3rd and long, throwing a pass behind the line of scrimmage is aggressive? It has a 20% chance of getting a 1st down, but you're OK with that, because you stay in FG range the other 80%, and that's not conservative? By those standards, know what else isn't conservative? Ronald Reagan.)

For those who wanted more passing, Stoops brought up the second play of the second half, when a cornerback blitz forced Landry Jones to fumble, a turnover that one play later led to a Miami touchdown.

"The other night, you drop back to throw the ball. ... we don't pick up the blitz and the quarterback gets killed and they have the ball," Stoops said. "That's what passing the ball did for us on the (second) play of the second half." (Stoops to self - "Don't say it! Don't! Uuuh...3 things can ...uh...happen…Aaargh! Stifle! Stifle! Suppress yourself! Think about hand on flame! Hand on flame!")

Stoops also scoffed at the notion that Wilson's play-calling ended up costing OU the game.

Said Stoops: "That's ridiculous. I can't even believe that. A lot of people, that's their opinions. We have one of those jobs that everybody knows how to do. He's obviously been dealt a difficult hand with all that's happened (Note- Not an excuse!), and in the end, he's the same guy he was a year ago. (in this same stadium…)

"People want to look for excuses. ("But not me!") But in the end, (Miami) just out-executed us."

...sounding a little uptight.