Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State-Oklahoma Post-Game Quotes - Dec. 3, 2011
December 04, 2011 | Cowboy Football
Dec. 4, 2011
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Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy
On the BCS National Championship:
“I don't think that there's any question that Oklahoma State should play in the big game. People told me at the coffee shop that they were giving me a hard time about mentioning other school last week. I want to clarify myself that Oklahoma State hadn't earned the right to talk about a game past the conference championship game, because we hadn't won a conference championship. Our staff, including myself, talked to our football team every day about winning a conference championship. After what they accomplished tonight and the way they did it against the No. 10 team in the country, I don't think there's any question they deserve an opportunity to play for it all.”
On potentially facing LSU in the BCS Championship:
“We have tons of respect for LSU. I've watched them a play a few times. I have a lot of respect for Coach Miles and what they do. I think there comes a time that the people across the country, if they want to see and stir up some interest in what would be one heck of a football game, and an offense that's maybe different than what they've seen and a defense that's going to play better than what some people may think they would play across the country – this is our opportunity to find out if we can play them.”
On Alabama:
“They had their shot. Give us ours.”
On the OSU defense:
“I had mentioned to our defense that this was a time for them to shine and be on the big stage in the spotlight. They had taken some heat some throughout the year and if they wanted to prove to people that just half of what I said during the season was right, that they needed to do it tonight. I thought our defense was better than what people thought or what people said. They had been out there for a number of plays; we had forced turnovers, but there wasn't anything statistically to back it up. I mentioned to them that tonight was their night, and I don't think there's any question they showed up in a big way.”
On the game:
“I thought the game plan was excellent. The coaches wanted to attack. They wanted to blitz and blitz a lot and they players bought in. They played with great energy.”
“Everything worked in our favor. They turned it over five times; we turned it over one. We were really good with penalties. It's just a great win for our program. I'm very proud of our coaching staff. Things happen for a reason. After we had lost at Iowa State, our players just bought in. They went through a couple days where they were struggling. They were very resilient after a couple days. They continued to believe in themselves. They understood that, for whatever reason, it just wasn't their night, and they had another opportunity. They were on the biggest stage in the history of this school in the football program. They knew that had a chance to be outright conference champions for the first time ever and it was motivation enough. It says a lot about who they are and what they stand for. I'm just lucky enough to be the guy coaching them. I couldn't be more proud of a group of guys.”
On OSU's special teams:
“I thought we were really good in the kicking game. I thought Joe DeForest had a great plan. We wanted to attack in the kicking game. In fact, I thought we should have blocked a couple punts. We had to be close. I'm not so sure one time our guy wasn't by the punter. We wanted to block a couple punts. Obviously, we didn't get that done.”
On OSU's offense:
“Offensively, our staff felt like we had to be able to run the football. We had to be able to use some tight ends and some heavy sets at times and we had to be able to run the football to open everything else that we thought gave us the best chance to win. We didn't play as fast. We thought it would be best to use some of the clock to limit the number of plays that our defense was on the field.”
Oklahoma State booster T. Boone Pickens
On OSU winning a Big 12 championship:
“It was just a great deal for all of us. We've never been Big 12 champions before so what a thrill for me at 83-years old. It's a big deal. I didn't want them to not get there before I ran out of time.”
On Mike Gundy:
“Mike Gundy has done a great job for us, and the coaching staff, all of them, have just worked so hard. Our kids worked hard, and it's truly a great feeling for me. I think Mike Gundy should probably have a raise. I don't know how you feel about it.”
On the progam:
“I didn't say anything until 165 (million dollars). I made that gift, and I said I was tired of leaving the stadium with my head down. I got tired of looking at my shoes when I left. I said I want to be competitive. You're not going to win every game. You feel like you want to be competitive and have your head up, not down. A couple of years ago, Mike Gundy and I were talking and I said, 'Being competitive, I'm ready to put that aside, and let's start winning.' And he was winning, and I was complimenting him on his success and on what we expected in the future and all. That's exactly what happened. We've moved on, and we're on another level.”
Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden
“I took a second in my hotel room today before the game started. I was by myself, and I just went through the game and tried to play the game out in my mind. I pictured celebrating in the locker room. What I felt in the locker room wasn't what I was thinking of. We were a part of something special last year and me and (Justin) Blackmon sitting on the sidelines. That's why we came back, to compete for a championship and be able to celebrate with all my teammates, my best friends.”
On the running game:
“The guys up front, I may have been a little annoying with them, but all week I said, 'We're going to win this game because of you guys.' Those guys offensively won the game for us. I told them with about five minutes left and we were huddling, I said, 'So you guys won it for us. Now, finish it.' They were pretty excited, and I'm so happy for those guys.”
On national championship potential:
“We took care of what we needed to take care of. We had to worry about us and control what we could control. We're conference champs. I don't look into quotes, but I think coach Saben said you have got to win a conference championship to win it all. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. You've got to come out and play like we did tonight and make a statement. Like I said, that's all we can do. You've got to let the rest take care of itself.”
On the Bedlam win:
“Being from Oklahoma and being able to beat Oklahoma, that's something special. To be able to take thousands of pictures with that trophy and wear this hat and be a champion, that's what I came back for. I think (Justin) Blackmon will tell you the same thing. This senior class has been through its ups and downs. We won seven games our first year and to finish the way we did is super special.”
Oklahoma State defensive end Jamiee Blatnick
On playing for the national championship
“I think we deserve it. It was a convincing win over a great team. We're in the number one power rated conference, and we won it out right. We held (OU) to 10 points and beat them convincingly. I don't think anyone wants to see a rematch without any touchdowns.”
On the fumble recovery
“I just ran a straight line. I hurt my hip earlier, but there was no way I was sitting on the conference championship. I should have laid out, but (Joseph) Randle probably needed the rushing touchdown and I'm a team player.”
On the defensive criticism
“Look at the wins. That is that stat the counts. The way we run things around here, it's hard to have the best looking defense. Our offense is a quick-scoring offense, and we play twice as many plays as anyone in the country. We held OU to 10 points and basically not a touchdown until the end of the game.”
Oklahoma State linebacker Caleb Lavey
On making a statement
“We needed to prove our statement tonight and what better stage than the Big 12 championship. I feel like our defense really proved ourselves tonight.”
On belonging in the national championship game
“I feel like we made a case for ourselves, but it is not up to us. If you would have told us this at the beginning of the year, we would have been excited to take any BCS game. We're going to come ready to play at the bowl game we get.”
On creating turnovers
“The bye week really helped us, and we really got back on focusing on getting turnovers this week.”
Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bill Young
On believing you would win with Weeden not having a touchdown
“I didn't realize he didn't have a touchdown.”
On Oklahoma
“I thought they were a really good football team. I didn't think there was a weakness to this team. We knew we had to be a little lucky and get pressure on the quarterback.”
On winning the Big 12
“Winning the Big 12 championship is unbelievable. It's something that has never been done at this university, and it's really a neat deal.”
Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken
On the coaching
“The key to coaching is to eliminate the problems. We did a good job of coaching the kids hard this week.”
Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle
On if you expected to win like that
“This was one of my dreams. To blow them out is a dream.”
On making a statement
“I want to play in the big game, and I'm sure everyone else here in Stillwater thinks we should be there as well.”
On the defense
“I think they played a great game. Landry Jones is going to be in the NFL next year, and he didn't do much tonight.”
Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon
On the win
“It's the first Big 12 championship, and hopefully we can build on it from here.”
On why you should play for the national title
“We did what we could do tonight, and that's all we can do. It's up to the voters now.”
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops
Opening Statement:
“My congratulations and ours as a team to Oklahoma State: Big 12 Champions. They obviously don't need to be worrying about sharing the trophy with anybody. They played an excellent game and deserved and won a big game. Looking at us, I'm very disappointed in what we were able to do. The game, you look at it, it's 10-0, it's four or five minutes to go in the half, you've moved the ball, but every time we've approached the scoring zone offensively, we had a penalty bring it back, we had dropped passes on third down that stalls the drive and then we have two turnovers at the end of the half and early in the third quarter. You have two turnovers that give them - not give them but they earned - two touchdowns. So when the defense was hanging in there playing decent, the offense isn't, and then it all together in the second half, defensively, really poor with their ability to run the football. We were blocked, we were out of gaps, linebackers aren't in the right position. They took advantage of all that and won a game, obviously in a strong way for them. I'm sure they're going to have some great opportunities from here. I don't know what will happen, but I know I'll vote LSU No. 1 and Oklahoma State No. 2.”
On not winning the line of scrimmage:
“We didn't in any way. They blocked us, they protected. Running the football, if we were out of position at times, or at times they blocked us out of position, so either way, we just got beat up there.”
On not running more in the first half:
“Some of it with their pressures, we pitched the ball out on some of the bubble screens and things like that, maybe more than we would have liked, or they forced us to more than we want. I was displeased with that at halftime, and I brought that up. I said 'We ran the ball 10 times and we threw it 38 and that's why it happens to us.' Right at the end of the half is where it all broke down. It's not a very good job on our part as coaches.”
On the turnovers:
“It was 10-0, you're still hanging in there and we were moving the ball. Every time we got near the scoring zone, we'd get something. We had the holding, which pulls us back, we had the dropped pass over the middle - a couple of them - and it just ruins your drives. Then Landry (Jones), we get pressure, the running back busts the protection - he has the linebacker, he doesn't take him - so Landry, trying to make something happen, ends up fumbling the football - touchdown. The other one out of the halftime just came out of his hand, and there you have it. There's 14 points and all of a sudden, that 10-0 game is gone. Right there, those were major. Those are hard to overcome.”
Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones
On not meeting preseason expectations
“It was disappointing. I was disappointed to go out this way.”
On the offensive inconsistencies
“You can't put it on anyone but me tonight. I singlehandedly lost this game for us. That's just the way it is. I had the ball in my hands and coach put the ball in my hands to win the game, and I lost it for us.”
On missing key players due to injuries
“It happens. Young guys make mistakes, but old guys make mistakes. We're a team. We win as a team, and this is a team sport. I didn't play well enough to put our team in a good enough position to give us some opportunities.”
Oklahoma defensive end Frank Alexander
On preparing for the bowl game
“Just come in and work hard every day. Get the young guys to come in and work on this some more and work on that some more and just go from there.”
On where the game went wrong
“I don't even know. When we came out we were all fired up, but a couple bad plays happened and we lost our edge I guess.”
On playing hurt
“It was hard, but I had to do what I had to do to try to help my team win. I got nicked up early in the second quarter so it kind of changed with my shoulder being sore the rest of the game, but that's no excuse for losing.”
Oklahoma center Ben Habern
On how the season went according to expectations
“Obviously the season didn't go the way we planned. Our goals every season are to win a Big 12 championship and a national championship. For those goals not to be met, it's obviously frustrating. We have to take ownership of what happened.”
On the turning points in the game
“There's always little things you can point out after a loss. Obviously, the number one thing is turnovers. In our three losses, we had a total of 10 turnovers. We have to hold on to the ball better on the offensive side of the ball.”
Oklahoma fullback Trey Millard
On how the team played
“It was a bad game all around. We got beat everywhere. Special teams, offense and defense. We have to come out and play better than that.”
On shifting focus to the upcoming bowl game
“We got beat really bad. We've got a few days off to get over this one. I think we're going to come back and finish strong. We have enough character to do that.”
On the inability to run the ball
“We messed up in some of our communications, had some misreads, and things like that. We just got beat all around, all together.”
