Opening statement:
"Big game of course, just like last week was a big game, and just like the first week was a big game. You don't have big games unless you take care of games prior to big games. Fortunately, our team has been fairly consistent throughout the season with their play, with their attitude, and with our results, which leads into a big game. We got a big one this week against a very goodopponent t."
On first impression of QB Jarrett Stidham:
"I actually had a guy I had at Stephenville [High School], and he texted me when Stidham was a seventh or eighth grader, and he said this kid is really good. Then he came to our camp after his sophomore season, had never played quarterback before because he had been playing receiver, and he came and threw and we thought man, this guy is good – really good. So we offered him then. He's just got it. You don't have to have a coach's eye to see it. He's pretty outstanding. His physical talents aren't quite the separating points as much as his mental awareness and instinctive value that he brings."
On how his team is getting prepared for Oklahoma this week:
"I just think General Patton comes to mind, I don't know why, I guess because he was a pretty good general, and I would guess when he made his decisions to help us win battles and win wars and keep our troops protected that he might have looked at what happened 18 months earlier and what the outcome was. What we look at is what we've done prior to this. We've been in a bunch of big games since 2010, really, and we've done pretty well in our share of them. You kind of look at past failures and productions, and try to pull on the productions more than the other."
On how the team stands on injuries:
"On injuries, I think we're in good shape. [Andrew] Billings is actually better than we thought he would be after Thursday. [Byron] Bonds is banged up, I'm not sure if he'll be able to go. We've got [Devin] Chafin back, so I think everybody else is in good shape. We have a couple of guys that got dinged a little bit, but I think they're going to be fine. [Chance] Waz is in good shape, I think there's a chance he'll play this weekend."
On Ryan Reid and Terrell Burt making big plays and how he feels about that:
"From a professional standpoint, they're doing their job, which is to get on the field and get takeaways and stop the opponent. From a personal standpoint, it is gratifying to see somebody have chance to enjoy their job, so that's kind of that deal. They had their chance to help the team and they did. It's good stuff, it's good for them, and it's good for our team."
On assessing Shawn Oakman’s play so far:
"I assess his season as extremely productive and disruptive. He's a force, and when they're game planning, they're looking to gameplay against him. So I think he's been very good, just a tremendous leader in practice, in games, in the hotel, in the locker room – just been tremendous, and that can never be overlooked. What you see on Saturdays is a reflection of what goes on during the week, and his leadership values have not gone unnoticed to us as a staff and as a team, and his play on the field, as we get into this game and a few others, I think those factors will show out even more. There's some more left in the tank."
On having confidence in a freshman quarterback:
"We went in unscathed and remain unscathed [at Kansas State]. If you're looking for somebody that's fearful as a coach or as a team, you're not going to find in on University Parks Drive. That's not happening. We didn’t tee it off to get second, and we're not going to wait for the other team to make a mistake. We're going to set the tone, we're going to play hard, we're going to play fast, and we're going to play fearless. If they're on the field, that's how they're going to play, regardless of their age."
On the 2011 OU-Baylor game and how that was important for the program:
"It was gigantic, to answer your question. You're talking about a team that had not only dominated Baylor, but had certainly dominated the Big 12 for the previous decade, from 2000-2010. I mean, they were the standard at that time, so for us to be able to pull that off on that night, that was gigantic. It was the first time in the history of the University that had ever happened. I'm thinking of a way for it to be bigger, but that hasn't happened. Since that time, it's allowed us to equalize not only on the football field, but also on a national perception in the recruiting world, which is what it’s all about – recruiting world, then national perception."
On Baylor's national perception and how important this OU game is in that regard:
"It's always important. I mean, they were here last year and you could've asked me that question last year when we played Kansas State for the Big 12 title and were trying to get ourselves situated for the final four. So that was important, and we handled that fairly well. To us, it's all about staying within the lines and concentrating on playing 60 minutes. We can't get involved in what's happening out there, because then you lose your focus on what's important, which is being the best that we can be mentally and physically as a football team, a football player and as a football staff to give Baylor the best opportunity to win against a very good opponent this Saturday night."
On if Baylor is polarizing as he observes the national landscape:
"My landscape is … well, we're in it right here. It's about a 12- or 13-minute drive home and back here. That's my landscape. And the football players and our field. That's it."
On what it means to have ESPN’s College GameDay in Waco two years in a row:
"My perspective is … well, Ian [McCaw] or Judge [Ken] Starr could probably speak on it better, but just me looking at it is that it's awfully good for our football program, it's awfully good for our University and it's awfully good for Waco, Texas. So all of those are positives. They're going to get to come in here, they're going to get to see what kind of people we are, how great this University is, and how great Waco, Texas, is. So from that standpoint, on a national scene, it's a big, big deal. Now, we have to play football, and we have to win. That's the bottom line. But all that other stuff, there are some positives there."
On what he's seen from Oklahoma this year:
"They're good; they're always good. If they want to talk tradition, they can talk tradition about as well as anyone in the United States over a 50-year period. That's not going to change, and it hasn't changed. It's our job to change it. We have to make them uneasy, we have to do what we do and do it better than what they do. They have good people, they have good schemes, they have good coaches, and they have good tradition. But so do we. So what you have are two really good football teams playing each other."
On what he's seen from Oklahoma's offense this season:
"I'd say a combination [of run and pass]. They have two really good running backs. They're getting them on the field more together, and that's helping them in play action schemes. Of course Baker [Mayfield], he's a playmaker. He's had an impressive journey. They're playing extremely well on both sides of the ball. They really are over the last month – really the whole year."
On Shock Linwood’s consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and little national attention to his play:
"Oh, that's alright, it doesn't bother us. It might bother Shock a little bit, I don't know, but I doubt it. We know how productive and how essential he is to our football team. And, once again, as I was talking about Oakman as a leader, Shock is the same way. He comes to work every day giving his best. Very intelligent, great on the field; he's a great manager who helps our QB and our O-line with calls. He's an aggressive back - he's really good. Any time you can go 1,000 yards back-to-back seasons with at least five more games at minimum left – yeah, he's dynamic, he's good. He's good because he's a great runner and a great back."
On if Jarrett Stidham has a nickname from him yet and if his nickname game is stronger than ever:
"I wouldn't [say it is]. I really don’t have anything for Stidham yet, quite honestly. We'll see. Nicknames aren't given; they're earned. He's in the process. Hopefully he'll stay on the fast track."
On if Corey Coleman is in the same Heisman category as he saw with RG3 and Bryce Petty:
"I certainly hope so. We'd love for him to win it and have it once again go back to Baylor, Waco, and our football program. He's been mentioned in the conversation and I don't think that's going to diminish. He'll keep playing at a high level, being very productive, and we'll see where it ends up. But right now, he's a guy who certainly deserves that attention by the way he's played on the field."
On what Baker Mayfield brings to the game for OU:
"We talked about fearlessness and he's certainly got that. He's just a guy that plays with a lot of confidence. He's very accurate, can use his feet, tough kid, and a good football player. I respect his journey a bunch, from where he was three years ago, to where he is today."
On if he noticed any change in Stidham before and after the KSU game:
"Before the game he was very calm, very confident, so that made us feel really good. The way he was carrying himself, performing in pregame … and once the game started, he just let it fly and we felt really good about his production. After the game, I thought he was really humble, and I thought he accomplished what we and he felt like he would accomplish. And we'll just move from there to this week and go."
"Big game of course, just like last week was a big game, and just like the first week was a big game. You don't have big games unless you take care of games prior to big games. Fortunately, our team has been fairly consistent throughout the season with their play, with their attitude, and with our results, which leads into a big game. We got a big one this week against a very goodopponent t."
On first impression of QB Jarrett Stidham:
"I actually had a guy I had at Stephenville [High School], and he texted me when Stidham was a seventh or eighth grader, and he said this kid is really good. Then he came to our camp after his sophomore season, had never played quarterback before because he had been playing receiver, and he came and threw and we thought man, this guy is good – really good. So we offered him then. He's just got it. You don't have to have a coach's eye to see it. He's pretty outstanding. His physical talents aren't quite the separating points as much as his mental awareness and instinctive value that he brings."
On how his team is getting prepared for Oklahoma this week:
"I just think General Patton comes to mind, I don't know why, I guess because he was a pretty good general, and I would guess when he made his decisions to help us win battles and win wars and keep our troops protected that he might have looked at what happened 18 months earlier and what the outcome was. What we look at is what we've done prior to this. We've been in a bunch of big games since 2010, really, and we've done pretty well in our share of them. You kind of look at past failures and productions, and try to pull on the productions more than the other."
On how the team stands on injuries:
"On injuries, I think we're in good shape. [Andrew] Billings is actually better than we thought he would be after Thursday. [Byron] Bonds is banged up, I'm not sure if he'll be able to go. We've got [Devin] Chafin back, so I think everybody else is in good shape. We have a couple of guys that got dinged a little bit, but I think they're going to be fine. [Chance] Waz is in good shape, I think there's a chance he'll play this weekend."
On Ryan Reid and Terrell Burt making big plays and how he feels about that:
"From a professional standpoint, they're doing their job, which is to get on the field and get takeaways and stop the opponent. From a personal standpoint, it is gratifying to see somebody have chance to enjoy their job, so that's kind of that deal. They had their chance to help the team and they did. It's good stuff, it's good for them, and it's good for our team."
On assessing Shawn Oakman’s play so far:
"I assess his season as extremely productive and disruptive. He's a force, and when they're game planning, they're looking to gameplay against him. So I think he's been very good, just a tremendous leader in practice, in games, in the hotel, in the locker room – just been tremendous, and that can never be overlooked. What you see on Saturdays is a reflection of what goes on during the week, and his leadership values have not gone unnoticed to us as a staff and as a team, and his play on the field, as we get into this game and a few others, I think those factors will show out even more. There's some more left in the tank."
On having confidence in a freshman quarterback:
"We went in unscathed and remain unscathed [at Kansas State]. If you're looking for somebody that's fearful as a coach or as a team, you're not going to find in on University Parks Drive. That's not happening. We didn’t tee it off to get second, and we're not going to wait for the other team to make a mistake. We're going to set the tone, we're going to play hard, we're going to play fast, and we're going to play fearless. If they're on the field, that's how they're going to play, regardless of their age."
On the 2011 OU-Baylor game and how that was important for the program:
"It was gigantic, to answer your question. You're talking about a team that had not only dominated Baylor, but had certainly dominated the Big 12 for the previous decade, from 2000-2010. I mean, they were the standard at that time, so for us to be able to pull that off on that night, that was gigantic. It was the first time in the history of the University that had ever happened. I'm thinking of a way for it to be bigger, but that hasn't happened. Since that time, it's allowed us to equalize not only on the football field, but also on a national perception in the recruiting world, which is what it’s all about – recruiting world, then national perception."
On Baylor's national perception and how important this OU game is in that regard:
"It's always important. I mean, they were here last year and you could've asked me that question last year when we played Kansas State for the Big 12 title and were trying to get ourselves situated for the final four. So that was important, and we handled that fairly well. To us, it's all about staying within the lines and concentrating on playing 60 minutes. We can't get involved in what's happening out there, because then you lose your focus on what's important, which is being the best that we can be mentally and physically as a football team, a football player and as a football staff to give Baylor the best opportunity to win against a very good opponent this Saturday night."
On if Baylor is polarizing as he observes the national landscape:
"My landscape is … well, we're in it right here. It's about a 12- or 13-minute drive home and back here. That's my landscape. And the football players and our field. That's it."
On what it means to have ESPN’s College GameDay in Waco two years in a row:
"My perspective is … well, Ian [McCaw] or Judge [Ken] Starr could probably speak on it better, but just me looking at it is that it's awfully good for our football program, it's awfully good for our University and it's awfully good for Waco, Texas. So all of those are positives. They're going to get to come in here, they're going to get to see what kind of people we are, how great this University is, and how great Waco, Texas, is. So from that standpoint, on a national scene, it's a big, big deal. Now, we have to play football, and we have to win. That's the bottom line. But all that other stuff, there are some positives there."
On what he's seen from Oklahoma this year:
"They're good; they're always good. If they want to talk tradition, they can talk tradition about as well as anyone in the United States over a 50-year period. That's not going to change, and it hasn't changed. It's our job to change it. We have to make them uneasy, we have to do what we do and do it better than what they do. They have good people, they have good schemes, they have good coaches, and they have good tradition. But so do we. So what you have are two really good football teams playing each other."
On what he's seen from Oklahoma's offense this season:
"I'd say a combination [of run and pass]. They have two really good running backs. They're getting them on the field more together, and that's helping them in play action schemes. Of course Baker [Mayfield], he's a playmaker. He's had an impressive journey. They're playing extremely well on both sides of the ball. They really are over the last month – really the whole year."
On Shock Linwood’s consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and little national attention to his play:
"Oh, that's alright, it doesn't bother us. It might bother Shock a little bit, I don't know, but I doubt it. We know how productive and how essential he is to our football team. And, once again, as I was talking about Oakman as a leader, Shock is the same way. He comes to work every day giving his best. Very intelligent, great on the field; he's a great manager who helps our QB and our O-line with calls. He's an aggressive back - he's really good. Any time you can go 1,000 yards back-to-back seasons with at least five more games at minimum left – yeah, he's dynamic, he's good. He's good because he's a great runner and a great back."
On if Jarrett Stidham has a nickname from him yet and if his nickname game is stronger than ever:
"I wouldn't [say it is]. I really don’t have anything for Stidham yet, quite honestly. We'll see. Nicknames aren't given; they're earned. He's in the process. Hopefully he'll stay on the fast track."
On if Corey Coleman is in the same Heisman category as he saw with RG3 and Bryce Petty:
"I certainly hope so. We'd love for him to win it and have it once again go back to Baylor, Waco, and our football program. He's been mentioned in the conversation and I don't think that's going to diminish. He'll keep playing at a high level, being very productive, and we'll see where it ends up. But right now, he's a guy who certainly deserves that attention by the way he's played on the field."
On what Baker Mayfield brings to the game for OU:
"We talked about fearlessness and he's certainly got that. He's just a guy that plays with a lot of confidence. He's very accurate, can use his feet, tough kid, and a good football player. I respect his journey a bunch, from where he was three years ago, to where he is today."
On if he noticed any change in Stidham before and after the KSU game:
"Before the game he was very calm, very confident, so that made us feel really good. The way he was carrying himself, performing in pregame … and once the game started, he just let it fly and we felt really good about his production. After the game, I thought he was really humble, and I thought he accomplished what we and he felt like he would accomplish. And we'll just move from there to this week and go."
