Some good stuff tonight. Jay Boulware and Shane Beamer... but might take a while to get it all.
Jay Boulware
What stands out the most about OU-Texas?
“The whole week is phenomenal. It’s one of the top three rivalry games in the country. This game’s been played since 1900. The thing that always gets me, and still to this day is pulling into the State Fairgrounds. When you first get in there, half the people are cheering you on and the other half are displaying their affection other ways. It gives you chills. It really does. To see and feel that atmosphere. It’s a unique venue, it’s a unique platform. There’s nothing else like them. I’ve been all over the country, coached at a bunch of different places. Auburn-Alabama, Stanford-Cal _ just a number of different rivalry-type games, and this one, certainly, to me is just one of the best. It’s so unique, and just the pageantry behind it all. Stadium split right down the middle with crimson and orange. It’s just really special.”
T.J. Pledger?
“Smart. He’s mature. He’s kind of like Trey. Got a little bit of an old soul. The maturity level has helped him focus a little harder in meetings and help him understand the grind that it takes to be a college football player as a true freshman. And how important everything we’re teaching him and telling him to do - just being able to remember those things and go out there and put them on the football field is the reason why he’s playing.”
I asked about Trey Sermon adjusting to being a starter:
“No. That’s what they all want, right? Obviously, Trey being pushed in that situation is a blessing for him. He’s handled it really well. He’s always been a mature kid for us. You know, he started some games for us last year in the first six or so games before Rodney blossomed. So it’s not new for him. It’s something he’s already done and he’s done for this football team. We know what we’re getting from Trey Sermon each and every day he goes out there. We feel very comfortable with him out there.”
There'll be a lot more throughout the night. Boulware talked for nearly 15 minutes, so there's quite a bit to go through. And I'm saving Kennedy Brooks stuff for a story later this week, sorry.
***
CeeDee Lamb
OU-Texas memories from last year?
"Oh, the atmosphere is very much different, honestly. It’s crazy. My freshman year – the coaches emphasized it would be a different atmosphere. Me being a freshman, I didn’t know what to expect, so I’m gonna treat it like another game. Going in for pregame warmups, it was not. It was not just another game. Felt that the moment I stepped on the field. I’m pretty excited to be back out there."
Healthy this yr compared to shoulder injury last RRS?
"Yea, it was crazy. Me and the trainer were talking about it in practice today. Last year I couldn’t actually play up to my full potential because of the shoulder injury, just coming off of it the game after. Now I can go all-in 100 percent with no worries."
Expect this from Kyler?
"I knew he’d be good but not this good. The man is doing incredible, and I don’t think there’s any stopping him, honestly."
***
More from Boulware.
Jay Boulware (Part II)
Austin Seibert?
"He’s second in the country in touchbacks right now. He’s had 10 last week, which is ridiculous. And then obviously we missed a couple of field goals but his punting game was pretty good. He netted over 45 yards a punt last week. Obviously we had the big turnover to start the scoring for our offensively for the football team. He’s done a great job. He’s doing three jobs. For him to be able to do all three of those jobs for us at a high level … we said it before and we’ll say it again, it’s a tremendous weapon for our football team."
Bouncing back from Army kick?
"It was a technical aspect. He is 100 percent from that landmark, both the middle and the right hash. That’s always 100 percent marks since we started tracking this season, which we included fall camp. He missed the signal to go. I don’t really know what he was thinking in his head, it might have been are they going to call timeout or are they not. We started a little bit late and then he sped it up. That’s where that came from."
Sermon's blitz pick up on Lamb TD?
"That’s about as good as it could get. You guys saw it. He fit the guy up pretty good. That’s what I’m talking about. You do stuff like that, you got guys who can put the ball down the field like Kyler can and Baker could, obviously before him. Those are the things that we take pride in. We take a lot of pride in that, in understanding and be on the same page with our offense."
***
Shane Beamer
Ready for first OU-Texas?
"I am. I can't wait. I've watched it on TV for years and have always wanted to go. It's funny. I guess I was at Virginia Tech a few years ago and we had an off week the weekend of this game and I said to my wife, I've always wanted to go. Let's just go to Dallas for the weekend and be a part of it. And she I only want to go if your coaching in it. So I don't know if that was going to happen anytime soon, but funny how things work out so I'm excited to be a part of it."
Part of your job to monitor players' emotions this week?
"Yea, I mean I think as coaches you've got to do a great job, of one, during the week not letting guys get too amp'd up too soon. I mean I've been a part of games where you're so fired up and excited to play and you use all your energy and by Tuesday you're spent. So you've gotta do a good job of building up. And you know that it's going to be amp'd up and emotional on Saturday. And one, you've got to make sure you're disciplined in keeping your poise throughout all the emotion and being able to eliminate the distractions and all the clutter and just focus in on doing your job. So we certainly preach that. And then as coaches we've got to be cognizant of being smart during the week and not getting guys ready to play too soon if that makes sense."
Special teams could be difference in game like this?
"As a coach I know when there's two really good teams going at it, it's a thin line between winning and losing. And one or two plays on special teams - one play can can change the entire dynamic of the game. So one, I think it's you're going to have a lot of close games. Very rarely is this game a blowout and you're going to have a lot of close games and because of that there's a play in special teams somewhere that's going to figure in and be the difference in the game. And then I think when you have two really, really talented teams. I mean Texas has great players, we have great players, we use a lot of starters on special teams, they use a lot of starters on special teams and when you have that much talent on the field, there's going to be big plays in the kicking game one way or another typically. And I think you see that in any high level match up for sure versus two teams that are very evenly matched and very talented."
Jay Boulware
What stands out the most about OU-Texas?
“The whole week is phenomenal. It’s one of the top three rivalry games in the country. This game’s been played since 1900. The thing that always gets me, and still to this day is pulling into the State Fairgrounds. When you first get in there, half the people are cheering you on and the other half are displaying their affection other ways. It gives you chills. It really does. To see and feel that atmosphere. It’s a unique venue, it’s a unique platform. There’s nothing else like them. I’ve been all over the country, coached at a bunch of different places. Auburn-Alabama, Stanford-Cal _ just a number of different rivalry-type games, and this one, certainly, to me is just one of the best. It’s so unique, and just the pageantry behind it all. Stadium split right down the middle with crimson and orange. It’s just really special.”
T.J. Pledger?
“Smart. He’s mature. He’s kind of like Trey. Got a little bit of an old soul. The maturity level has helped him focus a little harder in meetings and help him understand the grind that it takes to be a college football player as a true freshman. And how important everything we’re teaching him and telling him to do - just being able to remember those things and go out there and put them on the football field is the reason why he’s playing.”
I asked about Trey Sermon adjusting to being a starter:
“No. That’s what they all want, right? Obviously, Trey being pushed in that situation is a blessing for him. He’s handled it really well. He’s always been a mature kid for us. You know, he started some games for us last year in the first six or so games before Rodney blossomed. So it’s not new for him. It’s something he’s already done and he’s done for this football team. We know what we’re getting from Trey Sermon each and every day he goes out there. We feel very comfortable with him out there.”
There'll be a lot more throughout the night. Boulware talked for nearly 15 minutes, so there's quite a bit to go through. And I'm saving Kennedy Brooks stuff for a story later this week, sorry.
***
CeeDee Lamb
OU-Texas memories from last year?
"Oh, the atmosphere is very much different, honestly. It’s crazy. My freshman year – the coaches emphasized it would be a different atmosphere. Me being a freshman, I didn’t know what to expect, so I’m gonna treat it like another game. Going in for pregame warmups, it was not. It was not just another game. Felt that the moment I stepped on the field. I’m pretty excited to be back out there."
Healthy this yr compared to shoulder injury last RRS?
"Yea, it was crazy. Me and the trainer were talking about it in practice today. Last year I couldn’t actually play up to my full potential because of the shoulder injury, just coming off of it the game after. Now I can go all-in 100 percent with no worries."
Expect this from Kyler?
"I knew he’d be good but not this good. The man is doing incredible, and I don’t think there’s any stopping him, honestly."
***
More from Boulware.
Jay Boulware (Part II)
Austin Seibert?
"He’s second in the country in touchbacks right now. He’s had 10 last week, which is ridiculous. And then obviously we missed a couple of field goals but his punting game was pretty good. He netted over 45 yards a punt last week. Obviously we had the big turnover to start the scoring for our offensively for the football team. He’s done a great job. He’s doing three jobs. For him to be able to do all three of those jobs for us at a high level … we said it before and we’ll say it again, it’s a tremendous weapon for our football team."
Bouncing back from Army kick?
"It was a technical aspect. He is 100 percent from that landmark, both the middle and the right hash. That’s always 100 percent marks since we started tracking this season, which we included fall camp. He missed the signal to go. I don’t really know what he was thinking in his head, it might have been are they going to call timeout or are they not. We started a little bit late and then he sped it up. That’s where that came from."
Sermon's blitz pick up on Lamb TD?
"That’s about as good as it could get. You guys saw it. He fit the guy up pretty good. That’s what I’m talking about. You do stuff like that, you got guys who can put the ball down the field like Kyler can and Baker could, obviously before him. Those are the things that we take pride in. We take a lot of pride in that, in understanding and be on the same page with our offense."
***
Shane Beamer
Ready for first OU-Texas?
"I am. I can't wait. I've watched it on TV for years and have always wanted to go. It's funny. I guess I was at Virginia Tech a few years ago and we had an off week the weekend of this game and I said to my wife, I've always wanted to go. Let's just go to Dallas for the weekend and be a part of it. And she I only want to go if your coaching in it. So I don't know if that was going to happen anytime soon, but funny how things work out so I'm excited to be a part of it."
Part of your job to monitor players' emotions this week?
"Yea, I mean I think as coaches you've got to do a great job, of one, during the week not letting guys get too amp'd up too soon. I mean I've been a part of games where you're so fired up and excited to play and you use all your energy and by Tuesday you're spent. So you've gotta do a good job of building up. And you know that it's going to be amp'd up and emotional on Saturday. And one, you've got to make sure you're disciplined in keeping your poise throughout all the emotion and being able to eliminate the distractions and all the clutter and just focus in on doing your job. So we certainly preach that. And then as coaches we've got to be cognizant of being smart during the week and not getting guys ready to play too soon if that makes sense."
Special teams could be difference in game like this?
"As a coach I know when there's two really good teams going at it, it's a thin line between winning and losing. And one or two plays on special teams - one play can can change the entire dynamic of the game. So one, I think it's you're going to have a lot of close games. Very rarely is this game a blowout and you're going to have a lot of close games and because of that there's a play in special teams somewhere that's going to figure in and be the difference in the game. And then I think when you have two really, really talented teams. I mean Texas has great players, we have great players, we use a lot of starters on special teams, they use a lot of starters on special teams and when you have that much talent on the field, there's going to be big plays in the kicking game one way or another typically. And I think you see that in any high level match up for sure versus two teams that are very evenly matched and very talented."
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