The beat writers had a chance to meet with Bob after practice today. Here's what he had to say: Smallwood cleared, targeting should have been called on Westbrook,
Bob on the effects of OU-TX on recruiting...
I don’t think it had any (effect) 16 years ago. I’ve been asked that for 16 or 17 years and I’ve never noticed it’s made a difference. It’s one game.
Bob told by reporter Switzer said it was a bigger deal when he coached...
I don’t know that. You can ask him. I’ve been through some eras now, 17 years, and it’s never been an issue. I haven’t noticed it.
Bob told Switzer believes rivalry games are not as big of a deal these days...
Yeah, that’s fair to say. All of football has changed. Playoffs, yeah, probably so. And back in those days that might have been the one game that was on (TV) that year, one of the two.
Now us going to Notre Dame for a couple of years was a rivalry. Us going to Tennessee, they striped the stadium for us this year. Other things have, not gotten in the way of it, but maybe lessened some of them.
Stoops on what has impressed him most about Cale making the move to wide receivers coach...
Why I’ve got faith in him wherever I put him is because he’s so diligent in how he works and how he teaches and how his players play. I just think in an overall development phase he would be good for our receivers and it would be great for his overall development in this offense. He’s smart, he’s a great communicator, he’s detailed and I felt it would be pretty seamless. Also I’ve got faith in (Jay Boulware) to go with the running backs and that’s been really smooth too.
Bob on if he feels making the move was rejuvenating for Cale...
I do. I just feel cale has a lot more potential and that’s why having this move helps create more for him.
Stoops on if having two receivers coaches have helped...
I guess. It’s just like it wasn’t good having two defensive back coaches. Everyone wants to say now it’s because they’re in the same room. You know what makes a difference? Experience. Whether it’s one coach or two coaches, the more the guy is playing, if he’s getting the detail – to me it doesn’t matter. If that’s better for them and I say yes, then it was better to have two DB coaches. It doesn’t matter.
Why does the NFL have two DB coaches. That’s all a bunch of talk.
Then why have two receivers coaches Bob?
Well that’s because that’s how coach Riley has been used to doing it and I was going to defer to what he wanted to do.
Stoops on if he'd heard back from Big 12 on targeting call, or non-call...
Yeah, they ruled it should have been targeting because it’s above the shoulder and it’s at the neck area. So…
Stoops on if he'd heard WVU's Karl Joseph was hurt and out for the rest of the season...
I did man, that’s a shame. I did hear that and I hate it. I’m saddened for him because he’s an excellent player. I found myself watching Saturday watching him a few times and just appreciating what a good player he is. Not just on the interception but over and over. He’s a really good player. I’m sorry for him and that will be a blow to them because he’s an excellent player.
Stoops when asked about report penalties are up across the board this year. Caused by points of emphasis?
I guess. Some of them are that way. But some, too, are just a lack of discipline on our part with hand placement and stuff like that.
Stoops on Shepard's mild manner off the field personality vs. his super competitive personality on the field...
I’ve seen a million guys through the years who are as polite as they can possible be and are absolute Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde guys. They are monsters on the field. They completely go into this controlled rage for four hours.
He’s one of them. He’s as competitive a person and player that I’ve been around.
Every play matters to him.
I’ve seen a good number of guys who are that way.
Someone said after the game that we only targeted him twice; that’s crazy. He’s the first option in a lot of cases. But if the ’backer’s underneath him and there’s a safety on top of him, we’ve gotta move on and go to the next guy, otherwise you’re gonna get sacked or have a poor play. He’s the first guy in a fair number of progressions for sure.
Stoops on if Shepard needs to get more catches...
He will. I said in front of the team in our team meeting going back over the game, ‘watch him play.’ That’s as good a game he’s played since he’s been here.
People say, ‘what do you mean?’ You should see his route running. There were times he was open and might’ve had a chance for it. Watch him compete and block for a lot of these plays he’s not getting the ball. He had a great game. But that’s something only we would see by appreciating the routes and where he was at and how hard he’s playing.
Stoops on Jordan Smallwood's progress..
He’s practicing. If he’s prepared to play or not, we’ll see. He’s released, so he’s been out there and practicing and doing things. How up to speed he is, we’ll see. Other guys have been doing well, but we want to try to get him back in there.
Stoops on whether he talked to Lampkin while he was going through his OU-UT admissions drama...
Not until he showed up.
Stoops asked if he came to OU not knowing if they had a scholarship for him...
Right. Yeah, we kept hearing that’s what he wanted to do. We just had to wait and see. Fortunately we had a space available. That’s how it went down.
Stoops on if it was one of strangest recruiting stories he's been a part of...
Not really. That’s happened before for whatever reason. It’s one of them, I guess. Yeah. I doesn’t rival Bakers’s — a guy who’s already been starting for six games.
Stoops on if Lampkin could be playing now if he had been here all summer...
He would’ve had a great chance to be playing, but there’s so much ground to be made up — physically, mentally, all of it. It takes time.
Stoops on speaking highly of Charlie Strong in past and if he can turn it around...
I’ve always respected and appreciated the way Charlie’s coached. I’ve been around he and other people that he was with as head coaches and I have nothing but respect for him. I’ve watched his teams through the years. Even as a defensive guy, I thought they were always really good and great scheme wise.
All us coaches, I think, pull for one another in some degree because we all go through the same things. I’ve got nothing but great respect for Charlie.
Stoops on if he's surprised people are calling for Strong's job...
All situations are different. Today’s world is different.
Bob on the effects of OU-TX on recruiting...
I don’t think it had any (effect) 16 years ago. I’ve been asked that for 16 or 17 years and I’ve never noticed it’s made a difference. It’s one game.
Bob told by reporter Switzer said it was a bigger deal when he coached...
I don’t know that. You can ask him. I’ve been through some eras now, 17 years, and it’s never been an issue. I haven’t noticed it.
Bob told Switzer believes rivalry games are not as big of a deal these days...
Yeah, that’s fair to say. All of football has changed. Playoffs, yeah, probably so. And back in those days that might have been the one game that was on (TV) that year, one of the two.
Now us going to Notre Dame for a couple of years was a rivalry. Us going to Tennessee, they striped the stadium for us this year. Other things have, not gotten in the way of it, but maybe lessened some of them.
Stoops on what has impressed him most about Cale making the move to wide receivers coach...
Why I’ve got faith in him wherever I put him is because he’s so diligent in how he works and how he teaches and how his players play. I just think in an overall development phase he would be good for our receivers and it would be great for his overall development in this offense. He’s smart, he’s a great communicator, he’s detailed and I felt it would be pretty seamless. Also I’ve got faith in (Jay Boulware) to go with the running backs and that’s been really smooth too.
Bob on if he feels making the move was rejuvenating for Cale...
I do. I just feel cale has a lot more potential and that’s why having this move helps create more for him.
Stoops on if having two receivers coaches have helped...
I guess. It’s just like it wasn’t good having two defensive back coaches. Everyone wants to say now it’s because they’re in the same room. You know what makes a difference? Experience. Whether it’s one coach or two coaches, the more the guy is playing, if he’s getting the detail – to me it doesn’t matter. If that’s better for them and I say yes, then it was better to have two DB coaches. It doesn’t matter.
Why does the NFL have two DB coaches. That’s all a bunch of talk.
Then why have two receivers coaches Bob?
Well that’s because that’s how coach Riley has been used to doing it and I was going to defer to what he wanted to do.
Stoops on if he'd heard back from Big 12 on targeting call, or non-call...
Yeah, they ruled it should have been targeting because it’s above the shoulder and it’s at the neck area. So…
Stoops on if he'd heard WVU's Karl Joseph was hurt and out for the rest of the season...
I did man, that’s a shame. I did hear that and I hate it. I’m saddened for him because he’s an excellent player. I found myself watching Saturday watching him a few times and just appreciating what a good player he is. Not just on the interception but over and over. He’s a really good player. I’m sorry for him and that will be a blow to them because he’s an excellent player.
Stoops when asked about report penalties are up across the board this year. Caused by points of emphasis?
I guess. Some of them are that way. But some, too, are just a lack of discipline on our part with hand placement and stuff like that.
Stoops on Shepard's mild manner off the field personality vs. his super competitive personality on the field...
I’ve seen a million guys through the years who are as polite as they can possible be and are absolute Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde guys. They are monsters on the field. They completely go into this controlled rage for four hours.
He’s one of them. He’s as competitive a person and player that I’ve been around.
Every play matters to him.
I’ve seen a good number of guys who are that way.
Someone said after the game that we only targeted him twice; that’s crazy. He’s the first option in a lot of cases. But if the ’backer’s underneath him and there’s a safety on top of him, we’ve gotta move on and go to the next guy, otherwise you’re gonna get sacked or have a poor play. He’s the first guy in a fair number of progressions for sure.
Stoops on if Shepard needs to get more catches...
He will. I said in front of the team in our team meeting going back over the game, ‘watch him play.’ That’s as good a game he’s played since he’s been here.
People say, ‘what do you mean?’ You should see his route running. There were times he was open and might’ve had a chance for it. Watch him compete and block for a lot of these plays he’s not getting the ball. He had a great game. But that’s something only we would see by appreciating the routes and where he was at and how hard he’s playing.
Stoops on Jordan Smallwood's progress..
He’s practicing. If he’s prepared to play or not, we’ll see. He’s released, so he’s been out there and practicing and doing things. How up to speed he is, we’ll see. Other guys have been doing well, but we want to try to get him back in there.
Stoops on whether he talked to Lampkin while he was going through his OU-UT admissions drama...
Not until he showed up.
Stoops asked if he came to OU not knowing if they had a scholarship for him...
Right. Yeah, we kept hearing that’s what he wanted to do. We just had to wait and see. Fortunately we had a space available. That’s how it went down.
Stoops on if it was one of strangest recruiting stories he's been a part of...
Not really. That’s happened before for whatever reason. It’s one of them, I guess. Yeah. I doesn’t rival Bakers’s — a guy who’s already been starting for six games.
Stoops on if Lampkin could be playing now if he had been here all summer...
He would’ve had a great chance to be playing, but there’s so much ground to be made up — physically, mentally, all of it. It takes time.
Stoops on speaking highly of Charlie Strong in past and if he can turn it around...
I’ve always respected and appreciated the way Charlie’s coached. I’ve been around he and other people that he was with as head coaches and I have nothing but respect for him. I’ve watched his teams through the years. Even as a defensive guy, I thought they were always really good and great scheme wise.
All us coaches, I think, pull for one another in some degree because we all go through the same things. I’ve got nothing but great respect for Charlie.
Stoops on if he's surprised people are calling for Strong's job...
All situations are different. Today’s world is different.
