Getting the Criddell story prepped took me away from the usual quoteboard. Here ya go. Only going two quotes per player (for most) since there were sooooo many players.
Dillon Gabriel
Fix it?
A lot of it is mental. Just me being better and focusing more time in the film room on situations. At the end of the day, it’s executing. Shoot, if you’re not executing on first and second down, it’s the same as third down. It feels worse on third down because you’re off the field. But have to execute, point blank.
Get Farooq on fire again?
People have bad games or bad plays. Everyone on this team is human. Shoot, I’ve had my mistakes. Everyone has. It’s next play mentality. But most importantly, it’s next opportunity. Not letting the last opportunity affect the next one. He’s very clear about that.
Brayden Willis
Pride in filling the role you've had?
“It's not the year that I foresaw for us. None of us thought… we expected much much greater for ourselves. But I will have pride and I do have pride knowing that I am the kind of start, the jump-started of the Coach Venables era. And I haven't been able to kind of reap the fruits of my labor right now. But I know in the future, when they go and they win the title and the natty, I’ll know I had a hand in that and that I was8 kind of the start of that era. So, I take tremendous pride in finishing it the right way. To finish the season off and propel them into the next era.”
I ask about having the big picture perspective?
“That's just an attribute that I have. I just think I always am able to see you know foresee stuff. Like I said, it's a tough year. It's been a tough year, as far as wins or losses are concerned. But there's some really good teaching moments from this year. Like I said, to the guys, I think last week, we've been through a lot of different situations this year. We've lost in a couple of different ways. We've had blowout losses. We've had close losses. We've had game losing field goals, and we've won in a variety of different ways. And what that does is teach the young guys how to not lose. So when they’re in these situations next year and the following years to come, they’ll know how to get themselves out of that and respond a little bit better. So, it's teaching moments on all of it and that's kind of what gave me the foresight to be able to know that when they're doing great things, I'll be like, yeah, that was a little bit of my leadership.”
Kobie McKinzie
Playing in Lubbock?
It’s going to be fun. There will be a lot of friends and family there who I haven’t seen in a few months. They haven’t got to see me play. It’s going to be a lot of excitement. I know a lot of guys on that roster. We’re a tight-knit group. It’s going to be fun to see them.
Getting some playing time?
It’s been really fun. I didn’t expect it but I kind of did. Us redshirt guys, you get four games to play. I didn’t get any PT time early on. I knew some way, somehow, they would find some way to roll me in there. It’s been a lot of fun.
Growth?
How much have your grown: Extremely, without a doubt in my mind. I’ve matured a lot in ways that I didn’t think I could and that’s been good for me. Playing defense as a young guy in college, it’s a different ball game. A lot of the guys in that box are very mature and older. When you come in younger at a university like this and playing the guys that you play, you grow up really fast.
C.J. Coldon
I ask what OU experience has meant?
“(Having) patience learning a new system. People in the league get traded overnight sometimes. Just having to be in city (after) city. Just learning a new system, new terminology, defenses, the way coaches operate, having new teammates. Just adjustments all the way around. Strength coaches, new facilities, the way around a new city. Just things like that.”
Recruitment to OU?
“They were just super authentic. They mean well. They’re hard-nosed coaches. They mean what they say. The program is in great hands. They’re some great coaches, great staff and I can’t wait to see what they do moving forward.”
Jalil Farooq
Bowl eligible?
Just being consistent, us being able to get that win, coming off a loss, definitely a statement game for us. Looking forward to finishing strong as a team. We stuck together through losses, gained more stronger bonds and just continue to strive for greatness. That’s what we’re doing.
Bedlam drops?
Just focused on getting past it. Responding to this game coming. Just getting extra work in, just getting on the jugs (machine). Just not allowing it to get in my head and continue to make mistakes like that. I felt like the first drop, I was in my head a lot. I feel like I gave up a touchdown. So I was just in my head. Just gotta get better. Learn and let go. Continue to get back on the jugs.
Robert Congel
This season?
It's been challenging, but it's been good to play other positions. It's always good to add value to yourself through that. This team is so close, though. I don't have to be starting to enjoy the ride with my brothers.
Bedlam snaps all over the place?
That's on me. I've got to get those snaps back there a little bit quicker. We worked on it today, and I feel pretty good about it. Every center snaps it differently. I knuckleball it and Raym just grabs it like he's throwing a football. He sends it back there. Mine, they're kinda lofted back there. It's just something I've gotta work on. I've gotta throw a fastball. It wasn't getting there quick enough.
Billy Bowman
Moments it's all clicking?
Like we did in the first quarter and the defense during the whole game. Once those things start clicking and we all start playing together, we all keep our head high when things aren't going our way, it's like that.
Bedlam INT?
I was just doing my job. We had a corner blitz on. I had to go over the top and play that half of the field. I just came over, the quarterback let go of it. He saw the pressure and I did my job.
Justin Broiles
Think your career was over at WVU?
I did. I definitely jumped off the deep end a little bit just because you see so many knee injuries and things of that nature. I just knew I couldn't even move it at that point in time. As I was trying to stay poised, my mind wanted to keep racing off the deep end. The more I thought about it I was like, 'Dang.' But it's all good because it's all God, so I'm back out there and I'm playing.
Teammates rallied around you at WVU?
To me, I really didn't try to think of it like that. Like, 'Man, that meant a lot.' I was really trying to keep guys away from me. Like, 'You've got a game to go win.' Even though we didn't win it. To me, I'm like, 'Block me out the picture. Next man up.' That's what we do. Everybody stay focused on the mission. It meant a lot. I was like, 'Damn they really care for me.' But in the moment, they were like, 'Hey man, what's happening? Are you good?' And I was like, 'Don't worry about me. Focus.' Because if you're focused on me you're not focused on your job. That was just kinda my whole approach to it, just keeping everybody focused.
Sideline mentality at WVU?
Once I got up and I said everything was good, ain't nothing I could do about it now. I done been here before. I took myself back to my fibula injury. When I was a young cat, I had a bruise heel. All the injuries that I had and things of that nature, all the hardships, I done overcame it before. I'm gonna overcome this. That's just how I got myself out of that space. I gave myself like two minutes to cry and then I heard 'Punt team up.' I said, 'We gotta stop. Alright cool, let me out this tent. I'm good. Like, I don't care no more. Like, I'm good. We can worry about this later.' Doctors were mad at me and things of that nature. But I'm like, 'Y'all be mad at me later. We got a game to go win. I can't help being in here.'
Defense heading on right track?
You just walk in here you just see .. one thing about V, he's a big visuals guy. Everybody can look at that formula for excellence like prepare, you can look at that and you read it. You may not consciously read it like all in, if I can look at it I can read all in subconsciously. And that's the type of little stuff, that's the stuff that when you're trying to build something special you've got to plant those seeds around. To me, if this was like a garden like that's the watering. When you walk through the garden downtown, they've got the sprinklers going. That's the sprinklers to us. If you walk in here you can't not see best as a standard. Even when you think you're on a day or you're off and you look over there, it is what it is. Whether you say it or not, you still regurgitate it to yourself like best is a standard. And that's how you lay that foundation and you change the mindsets and you change the attitudes of this program. To me, it's nothing scheming. It's the underlying stuff. It's the underlying stuff that's not only going to make great football players but make great men, great husbands, great business owners. Whatever football has after, like that's the stuff that's going to carry over in life. Just like y'alls profession.
Dillon Gabriel
Fix it?
A lot of it is mental. Just me being better and focusing more time in the film room on situations. At the end of the day, it’s executing. Shoot, if you’re not executing on first and second down, it’s the same as third down. It feels worse on third down because you’re off the field. But have to execute, point blank.
Get Farooq on fire again?
People have bad games or bad plays. Everyone on this team is human. Shoot, I’ve had my mistakes. Everyone has. It’s next play mentality. But most importantly, it’s next opportunity. Not letting the last opportunity affect the next one. He’s very clear about that.
Brayden Willis
Pride in filling the role you've had?
“It's not the year that I foresaw for us. None of us thought… we expected much much greater for ourselves. But I will have pride and I do have pride knowing that I am the kind of start, the jump-started of the Coach Venables era. And I haven't been able to kind of reap the fruits of my labor right now. But I know in the future, when they go and they win the title and the natty, I’ll know I had a hand in that and that I was8 kind of the start of that era. So, I take tremendous pride in finishing it the right way. To finish the season off and propel them into the next era.”
I ask about having the big picture perspective?
“That's just an attribute that I have. I just think I always am able to see you know foresee stuff. Like I said, it's a tough year. It's been a tough year, as far as wins or losses are concerned. But there's some really good teaching moments from this year. Like I said, to the guys, I think last week, we've been through a lot of different situations this year. We've lost in a couple of different ways. We've had blowout losses. We've had close losses. We've had game losing field goals, and we've won in a variety of different ways. And what that does is teach the young guys how to not lose. So when they’re in these situations next year and the following years to come, they’ll know how to get themselves out of that and respond a little bit better. So, it's teaching moments on all of it and that's kind of what gave me the foresight to be able to know that when they're doing great things, I'll be like, yeah, that was a little bit of my leadership.”
Kobie McKinzie
Playing in Lubbock?
It’s going to be fun. There will be a lot of friends and family there who I haven’t seen in a few months. They haven’t got to see me play. It’s going to be a lot of excitement. I know a lot of guys on that roster. We’re a tight-knit group. It’s going to be fun to see them.
Getting some playing time?
It’s been really fun. I didn’t expect it but I kind of did. Us redshirt guys, you get four games to play. I didn’t get any PT time early on. I knew some way, somehow, they would find some way to roll me in there. It’s been a lot of fun.
Growth?
How much have your grown: Extremely, without a doubt in my mind. I’ve matured a lot in ways that I didn’t think I could and that’s been good for me. Playing defense as a young guy in college, it’s a different ball game. A lot of the guys in that box are very mature and older. When you come in younger at a university like this and playing the guys that you play, you grow up really fast.
C.J. Coldon
I ask what OU experience has meant?
“(Having) patience learning a new system. People in the league get traded overnight sometimes. Just having to be in city (after) city. Just learning a new system, new terminology, defenses, the way coaches operate, having new teammates. Just adjustments all the way around. Strength coaches, new facilities, the way around a new city. Just things like that.”
Recruitment to OU?
“They were just super authentic. They mean well. They’re hard-nosed coaches. They mean what they say. The program is in great hands. They’re some great coaches, great staff and I can’t wait to see what they do moving forward.”
Jalil Farooq
Bowl eligible?
Just being consistent, us being able to get that win, coming off a loss, definitely a statement game for us. Looking forward to finishing strong as a team. We stuck together through losses, gained more stronger bonds and just continue to strive for greatness. That’s what we’re doing.
Bedlam drops?
Just focused on getting past it. Responding to this game coming. Just getting extra work in, just getting on the jugs (machine). Just not allowing it to get in my head and continue to make mistakes like that. I felt like the first drop, I was in my head a lot. I feel like I gave up a touchdown. So I was just in my head. Just gotta get better. Learn and let go. Continue to get back on the jugs.
Robert Congel
This season?
It's been challenging, but it's been good to play other positions. It's always good to add value to yourself through that. This team is so close, though. I don't have to be starting to enjoy the ride with my brothers.
Bedlam snaps all over the place?
That's on me. I've got to get those snaps back there a little bit quicker. We worked on it today, and I feel pretty good about it. Every center snaps it differently. I knuckleball it and Raym just grabs it like he's throwing a football. He sends it back there. Mine, they're kinda lofted back there. It's just something I've gotta work on. I've gotta throw a fastball. It wasn't getting there quick enough.
Billy Bowman
Moments it's all clicking?
Like we did in the first quarter and the defense during the whole game. Once those things start clicking and we all start playing together, we all keep our head high when things aren't going our way, it's like that.
Bedlam INT?
I was just doing my job. We had a corner blitz on. I had to go over the top and play that half of the field. I just came over, the quarterback let go of it. He saw the pressure and I did my job.
Justin Broiles
Think your career was over at WVU?
I did. I definitely jumped off the deep end a little bit just because you see so many knee injuries and things of that nature. I just knew I couldn't even move it at that point in time. As I was trying to stay poised, my mind wanted to keep racing off the deep end. The more I thought about it I was like, 'Dang.' But it's all good because it's all God, so I'm back out there and I'm playing.
Teammates rallied around you at WVU?
To me, I really didn't try to think of it like that. Like, 'Man, that meant a lot.' I was really trying to keep guys away from me. Like, 'You've got a game to go win.' Even though we didn't win it. To me, I'm like, 'Block me out the picture. Next man up.' That's what we do. Everybody stay focused on the mission. It meant a lot. I was like, 'Damn they really care for me.' But in the moment, they were like, 'Hey man, what's happening? Are you good?' And I was like, 'Don't worry about me. Focus.' Because if you're focused on me you're not focused on your job. That was just kinda my whole approach to it, just keeping everybody focused.
Sideline mentality at WVU?
Once I got up and I said everything was good, ain't nothing I could do about it now. I done been here before. I took myself back to my fibula injury. When I was a young cat, I had a bruise heel. All the injuries that I had and things of that nature, all the hardships, I done overcame it before. I'm gonna overcome this. That's just how I got myself out of that space. I gave myself like two minutes to cry and then I heard 'Punt team up.' I said, 'We gotta stop. Alright cool, let me out this tent. I'm good. Like, I don't care no more. Like, I'm good. We can worry about this later.' Doctors were mad at me and things of that nature. But I'm like, 'Y'all be mad at me later. We got a game to go win. I can't help being in here.'
Defense heading on right track?
You just walk in here you just see .. one thing about V, he's a big visuals guy. Everybody can look at that formula for excellence like prepare, you can look at that and you read it. You may not consciously read it like all in, if I can look at it I can read all in subconsciously. And that's the type of little stuff, that's the stuff that when you're trying to build something special you've got to plant those seeds around. To me, if this was like a garden like that's the watering. When you walk through the garden downtown, they've got the sprinklers going. That's the sprinklers to us. If you walk in here you can't not see best as a standard. Even when you think you're on a day or you're off and you look over there, it is what it is. Whether you say it or not, you still regurgitate it to yourself like best is a standard. And that's how you lay that foundation and you change the mindsets and you change the attitudes of this program. To me, it's nothing scheming. It's the underlying stuff. It's the underlying stuff that's not only going to make great football players but make great men, great husbands, great business owners. Whatever football has after, like that's the stuff that's going to carry over in life. Just like y'alls profession.
