Stoops on Notre Dame loss, injuries and saying "hello" in recent commercial
Published: 10/29/2012 5:19 PM
Last Modified: 10/29/2012 5:21 PM
A few takeaways from Monday’s news conference with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops
### Stoops started his press conference by complimenting Notre Dame for playing an excellent football game, making key plays at the end of the game, having only one penalty and no turnovers.
Then he said: “We were on the wrong side of some judgment calls that in a tight football game are part of the game.”
Stoops was barely into his opening comments when he mentioned a holding call that negated Blake Bell’s touchdown run before halftime.
Then he talked about the play that resulted in Manti Te’o’s interception.
OU trailed 20-13 when Jalen Saunders bobbled a pass while being blanketed by Notre Dame linebacker Dan Fox. The ball floated into the air and it was snagged by Te’o. The Oklahoma sideline instantly politicked for pass interference. The play was reviewed, but only to see if Te’o had intercepted the pass.
“You’re in a one-possession game late and whether it’s interference or not, it isn’t called. Whether it’s intercepted or not, they rule it was intercepted,” Stoops said. “It’s tight enough that if they rule
incomplete they probably would have stood with that judgment as well.”
“I’m not complaining at all,” Stoops said. “I’m just saying when you’re in a tight game those type decisions are tough to overcome.”
### The Oklahoma coach understands that his team needs help (i.e. two Kansas State losses and win out) if it wants to claim the Big 12 championship.
"Our job is to do what we can do. Work hard and be prepared, play as well as we can this week,” Stoops said. “I know it’s a cliché, but it’s the absolute truth when you’re the one that has to play, has to coach, has to win. The rest you don’t have anything to do with. You just do your job.”
### Stoops said Damien Williams has an ankle injury and won’t practice Monday or Tuesday. The coach is optimistic that Williams will work out on Wednesday.
If Williams is unavailable for Saturday’s game at Iowa State, expect to see more of Dominique Whaley. Whaley has disappeared from the lineup. He didn’t play against Kansas and Notre Dame and only has seven total carries over the past four games.
Stoops was asked about Whaley’s status and if last year’s injury is slowing him down.
“No, he’s fine. He’s been doing well,” Stoops said. “I think some of the reason we’ve gone more with Damien is the success he’s had. How well he’s played has been more the reason Damien has been on more.”
### Lane Johnson, like Williams, has an ankle injury. The offensive tackle won’t practice for two days and be re-evaluated on Wednesday.
### Jamarkus McFarland said Saturday’s loss stings, but won’t stick with them.
"It’s not easy taking a loss. That’s not what we like to do here and no one is okay with it. We’re not going to sit here and say 'It’s fine' and that everyone is okay with it,” the defensive lineman said. “It hits you hard in the soul, especially a game like that that’s big and its atmosphere and as loud as it was. But you have to be mature enough to not dwell on it.
“Coach (Stoops) is going to talk about it today and then we’re going to move forward. We’ve got another team we’ve got to prepare for. We can’t dwell on it; we’ve got the rest of the season to play.”
### Stoops was featured on an AT&T commercial over the weekend. It was taped between 11 p.m. - midnight on the Thursday night of the season’s second off week.
His one-line (um, one-word) in the 30-second spot is saying “hello” to a young man who’s football athleticism went viral. One problem: Everyone is convinced that it wasn’t Stoops’ voice in the commercial.
“I’m pretty convinced of it too,” Stoops said. “One of the players said that to me in the morning and I hadn’t seen it yet. I did see it and I said, ‘That doesn’t sound like me.’
“It’s fair to say I don’t have a very good voice.”
Written by
Eric Bailey
Sports Writer
