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Oklahoma Sooners Head Coach Brent Venables Alabama Game Week Press Conference · Sooner or Later Sports

0:00
Speaker 1: All right, morning.
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Speaker 2: I hope everybody had a goodbye week and got rested
0:03
Speaker 2: up here for the fourth quarter of the season. Going
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Speaker 2: to be a fantastic matchup with two of the iconic
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Speaker 2: brands in college football history. I think Oklahoma and Alabama
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Speaker 2: ranked first and second since World War Two and total
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Speaker 2: wins and maybe are tied for the most eleven win
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Speaker 2: seasons in.
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Speaker 1: College football history.
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Speaker 2: So Alabama's got a fantastic football team. They're undefeated at home,
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Speaker 2: eight straight wins for them since an opening game loss
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Speaker 2: to Florida State, and I think they have the longest
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Speaker 2: home winning streak in the country at seventeen wins. They're
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Speaker 2: averaging win margin is forty to eleven, and their wins
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Speaker 2: at home, and they got a really good roster. They're
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Speaker 2: playing really well on both sides of the ball. Their
1:00
Speaker 2: defense leads to the sec and turnovers caused and turnover margin,
1:09
Speaker 2: and offensively, they've been just incredibly efficient. The quarterback's only
1:12
Speaker 2: thrown one interception this is his fourth year, really experienced,
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Speaker 2: incredibly savvy, very accurate, just under seventy percent completion percentage.
1:24
Speaker 2: He's got a ton of touchdown interception ratio. I think
1:30
Speaker 2: he's got something like seventeen touchdowns and just been really fantastic.
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Speaker 1: The skills as good as we'll see all year.
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Speaker 2: Got a really good offensive line, incredibly physical, and then
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Speaker 2: again defensively, they're really aggressive, super well coached.
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Speaker 1: In all three phases.
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Speaker 2: Going to be a great, great challenge, but something I
1:52
Speaker 2: know our guys are looking forward to.
1:57
Speaker 3: Yeah, right, in the ten days since the tennis game,
2:01
Speaker 3: you had to play the late interception where you really
2:04
Speaker 3: wanted to run the ball, have you done any self
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Speaker 3: scouting or protocol change or discussion about how you can
2:10
Speaker 3: avoid that kind of situation in the future.
2:13
Speaker 2: Yeah, we've got a small window to communicate. We've got
2:15
Speaker 2: to be very clear about what we want and making
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Speaker 2: good decisions that way from a communications standpoint. But yeah,
2:23
Speaker 2: we do a lot of self scouting. Certainly that situational football.
2:28
Speaker 2: We discussed it, you know, immediately and in some other
2:31
Speaker 2: scenarios there in the second half as well. Really from
2:36
Speaker 2: our season, we've had several games come down to the
2:39
Speaker 2: last drive or two of the game, so normal protocol
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Speaker 2: and during in season self scout, but something that like that,
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Speaker 2: we can't be on the wrong side of.
2:54
Speaker 4: Brent.
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Speaker 5: I know John's won a lot of big games before,
2:58
Speaker 5: but post hand surgery, winning at South Carolina and then
3:02
Speaker 5: winning at Tennessee. The way you guys were able to
3:04
Speaker 5: win that game. No sense that he lacks for confidence,
3:07
Speaker 5: but to get that win in Neland how influential do
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Speaker 5: you think that is for him or how important do you.
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Speaker 4: Think that was for him?
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Speaker 2: I think it's I think it's important for any player
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Speaker 2: for the team as you develop your identity and guys
3:23
Speaker 2: start to gain confidence as the season goes on, from
3:26
Speaker 2: improving and going through the challenges of game day and
3:29
Speaker 2: everything that that presents, you learn from all of it.
3:34
Speaker 2: I think John's got great self awareness. We've got a
3:36
Speaker 2: team that's got a lot of awareness and a team
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Speaker 2: John included that I want to be coached and willing
3:43
Speaker 2: to have truthful conversation so that you can improve and
3:45
Speaker 2: get better.
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Speaker 1: And that's the only.
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Speaker 2: Way you can do it is by going through it.
3:53
Speaker 1: Bren.
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Speaker 4: I think it was the drive right after the defensive
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Speaker 4: touchdown gets Tennessee.
3:57
Speaker 6: Daniel Quoye comes in, gets a sacked.
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Speaker 7: Just what's it been like watching him continue to develop
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Speaker 7: this season and.
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Speaker 1: Him being ready for that? Yeah, I'm really hungry.
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Speaker 2: He's got a ton of energy, loves to be coached,
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Speaker 2: shows up every day with just a willingness to go
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Speaker 2: to work. Obviously you saw a small snapshot. We see
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Speaker 2: him every day and a guy that has a chance
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Speaker 2: to have a great, great future. But he's really taken
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Speaker 2: another big step from a confidence and a consistency standpoint
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Speaker 2: at defensive end. Coach Chav has done a great job.
4:33
Speaker 2: Danny's done a great job of working and just improving,
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Speaker 2: you know, from his foundation where he started and playing
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Speaker 2: the level of football that he played to where he's
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Speaker 2: at now. It's just incredibly exciting. But he's a really disruptive,
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Speaker 2: explosive player.
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Speaker 6: It's sort of a programmed question for you.
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Speaker 8: Tomorrow they're gonna.
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Speaker 6: Approve the next phase of the West Side State I renovations,
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Speaker 6: and I just curious how involved you are in those discussions.
5:00
Speaker 6: It's just how important is that for for the investment
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Speaker 6: in the program.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not you know, some of the level of detail,
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Speaker 2: it's not I'm not included in those conversations, but it's
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Speaker 2: it's incredibly exciting. I think it shows a commitment, uh
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Speaker 2: to you know, our our fans, certainly our players, our program,
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Speaker 2: the things that it's going to potentially provide from a
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Speaker 2: game day experience. And just again it's one hundred years old,
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Speaker 2: the stadium is and uh so it's coming right at
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Speaker 2: the at the right time. And I know there's things
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Speaker 2: that have to take place tomorrow to ensure that, you know,
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Speaker 2: we can take the next step in that direction. But
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Speaker 2: I think everybody's going to be excited when all the
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Speaker 2: details and the renderings come out, you know, whenever that is.
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Speaker 1: But but it's.
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Speaker 2: Also a so of pride, you know, for our university community,
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Speaker 2: uh as well. And but looking forward to you know,
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Speaker 2: taking another big step that way. And again I think,
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Speaker 2: uh and I don't want to get into all those details.
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Speaker 2: It's not really my lane. But there's been incredible support,
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Speaker 2: you know, financially speaking to make it happen as well,
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Speaker 2: mh their office corners for me to success and sort
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Speaker 2: of his quarterbacks going back to Michael Finns a.
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Speaker 8: Couple of years ago, Washington Ty Simson this year.
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Speaker 1: What is it about his scheme and his system that
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Speaker 1: makes it so quarterback for guys.
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Speaker 2: It just knows how to create leverage in formation ing
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Speaker 2: and motions, understand defense very well. They do a lot
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Speaker 2: of things at the line, uh, to put them in
6:40
Speaker 2: an advantageous position. So they do a lot of you know,
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Speaker 2: if it's blitz, do this, if it's man, do this,
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Speaker 2: if it's you know, zone coverage, do that. And so
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Speaker 2: they do a good job of teaching the quarterback those things,
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Speaker 2: giving them a lot of autonomy at the line of
6:58
Speaker 2: scrimmage to stay away from the gative plays to help
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Speaker 2: them stay on schedule to be efficient. So does a
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Speaker 2: really good job, you know, So what does that look
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Speaker 2: like on game? They just the quarterback being an extension
7:12
Speaker 2: of the offensive staff and so well versed for the quarterback,
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Speaker 2: very efficient for the quarterback, understanding, you know, how to
7:21
Speaker 2: create access in the throwing game, and they do that.
7:26
Speaker 2: But again, lots of their play design.
7:33
Speaker 7: Frank kind of along those lines. You're talking about the
7:35
Speaker 7: tys of thing. He's a guy that's been there for
7:36
Speaker 7: a long time, but this is his first year as
7:38
Speaker 7: the starter. Just what has stood out about him and
7:40
Speaker 7: specifically the efficiency.
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Speaker 2: What has maybe allowed him to be So yeah, well
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Speaker 2: he's the coach's kid, and his dad's a college football coach,
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Speaker 2: and so he's been around the game and so he's
7:49
Speaker 2: got good instincts for it. Again, well versed in you
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Speaker 2: know what they're trying to do and then understand what
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Speaker 2: he's seeing. But he's got great maturity, really good decision making,
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Speaker 2: very decisive, he's got great arm talent, and again keeps
8:08
Speaker 2: them out of bad plays. You know, you go back
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Speaker 2: and again their turnover march and they you know, they
8:15
Speaker 2: lead the sec and turnover margin and that there's not
8:19
Speaker 2: a stat that's more important than that. And taking care
8:21
Speaker 2: of the football, making good decisions, not putting them in
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Speaker 2: harm's way is the job of the quarterback. And when
8:29
Speaker 2: you've got good players, you got good coaches, and you
8:31
Speaker 2: take care of the ball, you know, good things you
8:34
Speaker 2: know will happen. I think since twenty three, when we've
8:37
Speaker 2: taken care of we've won the turnover marchin I think
8:39
Speaker 2: we're sixteen or er. And so that's just, you know,
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Speaker 2: that's something that they've done at a really high level.
8:45
Speaker 2: I think a year ago, I don't know where exactly
8:48
Speaker 2: they ranked a year ago at this time, but it
8:50
Speaker 2: wasn't They're not in the same place from a you know,
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Speaker 2: taking care of a ball standpoint.
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Speaker 7: Don't necessarily mean anything Saturday, But you haven't been Tobama before.
9:02
Speaker 1: What do you remember about that.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, electric atmosphere, tremendous game day pageantry, a very prideful
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Speaker 2: fan base. There's a little more there's a few more
9:13
Speaker 2: people in the stadium now to be over one hundred
9:15
Speaker 2: thousand people. Uh, but just yeah, it's just electric, you know, great,
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Speaker 2: great game to experience.
9:26
Speaker 4: Yeah, bro, I want to ask about Grace and Hall.
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Speaker 6: What what stood out to you most about his development,
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Speaker 6: especially this year and the way that he's attacked that.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, just again full of energy, very passionate. He's developed
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Speaker 2: into a leader, so he's got a little more centralized
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Speaker 2: focus to him, where maybe in the past he's a
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Speaker 2: little bit messy. Uh, and he uh, he cares about
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Speaker 2: the program. He's heavily invested. He's was a tremendous athlete
9:58
Speaker 2: when he got here, played defensive end, was a tied
10:02
Speaker 2: end mainly in high school. And he's really worked hard
10:06
Speaker 2: to you know, to develop put on the size he
10:09
Speaker 2: needs to so that he can hold up at the
10:11
Speaker 2: point of attack. He's took a huge step a year ago.
10:15
Speaker 2: And his ability to both rush the passer in play
10:18
Speaker 2: against the run with his block wreck, his pad level,
10:22
Speaker 2: just his explosiveness again at the point of attack, and
10:25
Speaker 2: his ability to anchor. So those have taken big steps
10:29
Speaker 2: over the last twelve to sixteen months. But the most
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Speaker 2: notable change for him is just how he's really matured
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Speaker 2: into a fantastic, emotional, well versed leader. When he speaks
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Speaker 2: in front of the team, the guys listen, and so
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Speaker 2: they do that because of you know, the amount of time, effort,
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Speaker 2: and energy he's put in, you know, to his career.
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Speaker 2: And again he cares about the locker room and the team,
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Speaker 2: this team's opportunity. So couldn't be more proud of him
11:04
Speaker 2: and the way he's really just kind of grown up
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Speaker 2: here the last several years. And and then he's in
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Speaker 2: He's got a very unique skill set when it comes
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Speaker 2: to rushing the passer and getting off on the rock.
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Speaker 1: So he's having playing his.
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Speaker 2: Best football at the end of his career, which is
11:21
Speaker 2: right on time for most guys.
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Speaker 4: We have an offensive, super highly rated crushing sometimes that
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Speaker 4: can pop up in the red zone that Alabama top
11:31
Speaker 4: twenty in red zone offense. As you said, what makes
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Speaker 4: them so good at they able to get it done
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Speaker 4: in the red zone even if they're not a top
11:38
Speaker 4: five rushing at or something like that.
11:40
Speaker 2: Yeah, they just they're very efficient. They against out of
11:44
Speaker 2: the negative plays there. They've got a lot of excellent
11:46
Speaker 2: play design concepts when they get down into the red
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Speaker 2: zone and they understand defense and how defense works. That's
11:56
Speaker 2: when I watch him, That's what I see. And so
11:58
Speaker 2: they try to put you in conflict and attack your
12:02
Speaker 2: rules and things of that nature. So they're really smart
12:04
Speaker 2: that way, understanding what you do. They run the ball
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Speaker 2: in that area really well. They've got good players. But
12:16
Speaker 2: again at ninety two percent you know, conversion rate, that's
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Speaker 2: really really high and efficient. So I think they're they're
12:22
Speaker 2: comfortable in that space. It looks like they spend a
12:26
Speaker 2: lot of time there.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, Brent, So you got to be on the sideline
12:31
Speaker 4: a cleps and the seet Tyler Senior and I but
12:34
Speaker 4: close to it. I guess what was it like for
12:36
Speaker 4: you just to get to be on.
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Speaker 8: The sideline and watch your son And also how difficult
12:41
Speaker 8: is it to.
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Speaker 4: Turn off the coaching switch and just be a dad
12:44
Speaker 4: first Saturday like that?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, well I don't obviously, I don't get it very
12:48
Speaker 2: much of an opportunity to do that, if at all.
12:51
Speaker 2: So it's fun, you know, to be there, you know,
12:54
Speaker 2: for him and his his moment his journey being a
12:59
Speaker 2: co sometimes everything's about you in your career and the
13:03
Speaker 2: family kind of follows suit. So thankful that had the
13:08
Speaker 2: opportunity to do that. What's it like, I mean, it's
13:12
Speaker 2: a very relaxing place. It's when it comes to being
13:18
Speaker 2: able to just be dad and not make it about you.
13:22
Speaker 1: So it was good.
13:27
Speaker 6: Yeah, what I was gonna ask about that as well?
13:30
Speaker 6: What do you think of Davo's depression off.
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Speaker 1: I was told about it. I haven't heard it.
13:36
Speaker 2: He's got me down, He's got about everybody down when
13:39
Speaker 2: he's he's good at the impressions.
13:42
Speaker 1: But I don't think it was fourth down. It was
13:45
Speaker 1: a different situation. I think it was second extra long.
13:48
Speaker 1: But that's neither here nor there.
13:53
Speaker 6: You know, some of the Alebama players have already talked
13:56
Speaker 6: about kind of wanting to rectify what happened here last year.
13:59
Speaker 6: You know they're going to be talking about revenge and
14:01
Speaker 6: everything like that. How do you guard against that with
14:03
Speaker 6: your guys?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think that a year ago good or bad.
14:07
Speaker 2: I've never carried over wins and losses. You learn from
14:11
Speaker 2: all of it, but you know, I think it can
14:16
Speaker 2: paralyze you. You know, by holding on to something motivated. Yeah,
14:20
Speaker 2: but I think the motivation for everybody is because what
14:23
Speaker 2: the opportunity is sitting in front of us. You know,
14:25
Speaker 2: it's a top ten matchup, and there's a lot that's
14:30
Speaker 2: on the line. You know, the season for both of us,
14:35
Speaker 2: you know, is impacted by the result, you know, at
14:38
Speaker 2: the end of the night. So you know, they're different,
14:41
Speaker 2: we're different. Certainly it's at their place. But who wouldn't
14:45
Speaker 2: be excited to play Oklahoma Alabama? Gonna be on a
14:49
Speaker 2: huge stage again as I opened up two iconic programs
14:54
Speaker 2: to the winningness programs in college football history, certainly in
14:57
Speaker 2: the top two since World War Two, And I think
15:01
Speaker 2: that's in itself enough to get excited about.
15:08
Speaker 6: I've noticed David Stone runs out with the Oklahoma state
15:11
Speaker 6: flag before every game.
15:13
Speaker 7: What does that say about his commitment to the program,
15:16
Speaker 7: especially what happened.
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Speaker 2: David's got tremendous pride in being from this state, the
15:23
Speaker 2: past former players certainly at this program, and the other
15:26
Speaker 2: players that have been born and raised in this state,
15:29
Speaker 2: as well as mentored by several of them. But he's
15:35
Speaker 2: a very grounded young guy. Cares about people as much
15:38
Speaker 2: as any player I've ever been around. Cares about his opportunity,
15:42
Speaker 2: cares about his family. But he's a proud Oklahoma and
15:47
Speaker 2: I think it's something that's important to him that he represents,
15:50
Speaker 2: that gets an opportunity to represent that on game day.
15:53
Speaker 1: I think it's pretty cool.
15:57
Speaker 3: I think it's so cool that you got to that
15:59
Speaker 3: tam flat and being Julie un to go back. I
16:01
Speaker 3: think would be their ability to vertical pass the game.
16:06
Speaker 5: They have three great.
16:07
Speaker 1: Receivers in the stagers.
16:09
Speaker 6: I think the great games within the games is your matchup.
16:12
Speaker 2: And your secondary and your back seventh or how you
16:14
Speaker 2: know you're gonna say the whole defensive team against that
16:17
Speaker 2: passage attack.
16:18
Speaker 8: And talk about that matchup.
16:19
Speaker 1: Yeah.
16:20
Speaker 2: Just they've got explosive playmakers from one side of the
16:24
Speaker 2: field to the other. They do a great job to
16:26
Speaker 2: tight ends are included in that. They make a ton
16:29
Speaker 2: of plays as well, both in the underneath game and
16:33
Speaker 2: the vertical game. But they've got length and tremendous catch radius.
16:39
Speaker 2: I think that goes without saying. Their ability to catch
16:43
Speaker 2: it catch the runners underneath. There's what makes them, you know,
16:48
Speaker 2: really dangerous as well. The screen game. They've get them
16:51
Speaker 2: involved in the screen game. But they're hard to contain
16:55
Speaker 2: and you've got put body on body and play with
16:59
Speaker 2: the right kind of leverage. If you don't have the
17:01
Speaker 2: right kind of leverage based on where your help is,
17:03
Speaker 2: they they'll make you pay. The quarterback is, as I said,
17:06
Speaker 2: very accurate. But they know how to run routes. They
17:09
Speaker 2: they're very detailed and how they play the game.
17:16
Speaker 8: Coach, if there were one or two things that you
17:18
Speaker 8: would say about the offensive line in terms of run
17:20
Speaker 8: blocking the last three games that stand out to you,
17:25
Speaker 8: what would they be the average.
17:27
Speaker 2: Fan to understand what I think, Confident, physical at the
17:30
Speaker 2: point of attack, and still improving that way. They've gained
17:34
Speaker 2: confidence through a lot of hard work. I think being
17:37
Speaker 2: together as well having some success, you know, helps build
17:42
Speaker 2: a little bit of a rhythm and the confidence as well.
17:45
Speaker 2: They haven't been perfect and so but it's a group
17:49
Speaker 2: that has shown that they've learned from some of the
17:52
Speaker 2: issues that they've had and again, all their best days
17:57
Speaker 2: are still in front of them. So there's a lot
17:59
Speaker 2: of that goes into that offensive line success. You know,
18:03
Speaker 2: it's it's the back, it's the tight ends, the quarterback
18:07
Speaker 2: getting them in and out of you know, the right
18:09
Speaker 2: runs or protections, things of that nature. And but it's
18:14
Speaker 2: a group that's slowly coming along. And it's been a
18:19
Speaker 2: big deal of these last three games, having the opportunity
18:23
Speaker 2: to go in the fourth quarter, late in the game
18:25
Speaker 2: and have a chance to win because of the improvement
18:29
Speaker 2: and the success that that group, you know, has shown.
18:32
Speaker 1: And I think the last three games we're I think.
18:35
Speaker 2: In the top three in the SEC and in our
18:39
Speaker 2: efficiency at running the football. So I think that's just
18:43
Speaker 2: a you know, I think it's a reflection of just
18:48
Speaker 2: steady improvement.
18:50
Speaker 1: But still got a lot of work to do there too.
18:57
Speaker 3: Last year's it didn't have a good year, but Obama
19:00
Speaker 3: comes here right in the ear and you guys played great,
19:03
Speaker 3: shut them down. What did that do just beating them
19:05
Speaker 3: the way you did? What did that do for the
19:08
Speaker 3: direction of the program and salvaging that season and preparing
19:11
Speaker 3: for this year those kinds of things.
19:13
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I don't know a direction of the
19:15
Speaker 2: program or not. It was a great moment. I look
19:19
Speaker 2: at them all that way. They all matter. But you know,
19:23
Speaker 2: for our guys, when I think it was a sign
19:25
Speaker 2: when we get out of our own way, take care
19:27
Speaker 2: of the football, run it efficiently, create explosives in the
19:30
Speaker 2: run game, making good decisions offensively, complimenting each other on
19:36
Speaker 2: both sides of the ball, and the kicking game. You know,
19:39
Speaker 2: we're on the plus side of the margin. We scored
19:41
Speaker 2: on defense, created some short fields up for the offense,
19:45
Speaker 2: and just played really good, clean, complimentary, fundamentally sound physical football.
19:50
Speaker 2: And you know, so that was a byproduct of that.
19:56
Speaker 2: And you know, for us, you know, using that moment
19:58
Speaker 2: to teach our guys, look, just be better at the
20:02
Speaker 2: basics than the guy you're lining up against. And sometimes
20:05
Speaker 2: we can over complicate things. And but that's that's what
20:09
Speaker 2: it was. It was a it was a good moment
20:11
Speaker 2: and a teaching moment.
20:14
Speaker 4: Yeah.
20:15
Speaker 1: How are Mason and Kobe doing after the week? Yeah?
20:19
Speaker 2: Again, I haven't seen him uh on the field since
20:23
Speaker 2: last Thursday, So I'll see him here later on today.
20:30
Speaker 1: We'll see where they're at. MT. The emergence of Xavier
20:35
Speaker 1: Robinson tailback.
20:36
Speaker 3: I mean, he had his moments last year too, and
20:38
Speaker 3: he looks.
20:38
Speaker 8: Like he's being bigger and stronger right now.
20:41
Speaker 5: Talk about him and his development.
20:42
Speaker 2: Where do you think he's at as a running back? Yeah,
20:44
Speaker 2: I mean he's gaining confidence. You know, he was missed
20:48
Speaker 2: some time during fall camp early in the season, was
20:52
Speaker 2: banged up. And he's a very instinctual runner. Runs good
20:57
Speaker 2: and strong and tough behind his pads, got great feet,
21:00
Speaker 2: a good natural feel how to how to set up
21:03
Speaker 2: blockers and uh and again just a sophomore and so
21:09
Speaker 2: his best football still in front of him. He's become
21:12
Speaker 2: a becoming a complete back when it comes to you know,
21:16
Speaker 2: protection and understanding the entirety of the offense. Is a
21:20
Speaker 2: good weapon out in space. You know, he's a load
21:23
Speaker 2: to handle out in space. You know when he catches
21:25
Speaker 2: the ball and gets vertical as well, so he has
21:29
Speaker 2: great balance, hard to you know, knock off his feet
21:32
Speaker 2: and I got to take care of the ball.
21:34
Speaker 1: That's a big part.
21:35
Speaker 2: These guys are going to come hawking at the football,
21:38
Speaker 2: and uh he'll be the first one to you know,
21:42
Speaker 2: tell you that. He's got to continue to improve with
21:44
Speaker 2: you know, ball security. He's done a pretty good job.
21:47
Speaker 2: But again that was a huge one and we got
21:50
Speaker 2: first and ten you know, in a scoring position two
21:53
Speaker 2: weeks ago, and uh so, but you know, he's worked
21:58
Speaker 2: really hard, you know, for his opportunity.
21:59
Speaker 1: He stayed ready and shows when you do that. You know,
22:05
Speaker 1: he's made the most of his opportunity. Yeah, I just.
22:11
Speaker 6: Wanted to he went from you know, coaching Tyler.
22:15
Speaker 1: To now watching him from a bar.
22:18
Speaker 6: I can't remember if you talked about this in the past,
22:20
Speaker 6: but what was the kind of conversation with him where
22:23
Speaker 6: he wanted to stay at Clinton finish his career there
22:26
Speaker 6: now in his sixty year.
22:27
Speaker 1: Rather than maybe come here with you. Yeah, well, he
22:31
Speaker 1: was like, what what should I do? Dad? You know,
22:33
Speaker 1: I'm like, well, this is your decision.
22:34
Speaker 2: These are you know, this is what kind of going
22:37
Speaker 2: from boyhood to manhood's all about. I said, you got to,
22:41
Speaker 2: you know, follow your dreams. You know, this is this
22:45
Speaker 2: is mine And you know.
22:48
Speaker 1: He worked hard for his opportunity there.
22:50
Speaker 2: All of his best friends were there, he had established
22:52
Speaker 2: himself as a leader and player. There might have been
22:58
Speaker 2: a girl that kept him there too. I don't know,
23:01
Speaker 2: you have to ask him now. She's great, but a
23:06
Speaker 2: lot goes into that and what I have loved to
23:10
Speaker 2: see him every day selfishly speaking, absolutely, But I think
23:14
Speaker 2: as Julie and I look back at it, you know
23:17
Speaker 2: we've seen more growth and you know, maturity that's taking
23:22
Speaker 2: place in the several years that we've been here where
23:27
Speaker 2: things aren't as comfortable, you know, for him having mom
23:30
Speaker 2: and dad right there, and you just got to kind
23:32
Speaker 2: of figure out things and build your own opportunity in
23:36
Speaker 2: your own name, so to speak. It's been a lot
23:40
Speaker 2: of fun for us to watch that take place. And
23:44
Speaker 2: if I didn't trust the people there like I trust them,
23:47
Speaker 2: then maybe it was a different conversation. And that was
23:51
Speaker 2: you know, as I'm trying to help him navigate, I'm like, look,
23:54
Speaker 2: what do you think of your day to day environment,
23:56
Speaker 2: who you would be doing life with, who would mentor you,
23:58
Speaker 2: who would coach you? And if you don't feel great
24:02
Speaker 2: about it, you know, then then this is an easy decision.
24:06
Speaker 2: But if the people are fantastic, if the people are genuine,
24:11
Speaker 2: if the people are gonna, you know, care about you
24:13
Speaker 2: as a human being as much as a player. And
24:16
Speaker 2: I told Coach Sweeney, I've thanked him many times just
24:20
Speaker 2: for you know, investing. If anybody's had a child and
24:23
Speaker 2: it has had people that have been really good at
24:26
Speaker 2: investing in them, in their soul and in their manhood,
24:30
Speaker 2: in their impact and influence, then you would be the
24:34
Speaker 2: first one to admit you can't put a price on that.
24:37
Speaker 2: You can't put a price on it. And so we
24:40
Speaker 2: have a great piece Julie and I just about the
24:43
Speaker 2: environment that he's been in day to day and seen
24:46
Speaker 2: this exponential growth and maturity into just a just a
24:50
Speaker 2: really good young man that knows what he wants in
24:54
Speaker 2: life and knows how to lead and cares about people.
24:57
Speaker 2: He's got a tremendous work ethic and just a lot
25:02
Speaker 2: of really cool stuff that you want to see, you know,
25:05
Speaker 2: from you know, all your children.
25:07
Speaker 1: So it was really.
25:11
Speaker 2: His decision, but uh one that you know, we're encouraged
25:16
Speaker 2: him to, you know, Chase, you know your dream and
25:19
Speaker 2: what you want in life, and uh, you know, we'll
25:22
Speaker 2: we'll always have your back.
25:23
Speaker 1: And that's what face time's for. How does that make
25:28
Speaker 1: you feel now? It's I mean, I mean you're conflicted
25:33
Speaker 1: as a as a dad.
25:34
Speaker 2: I'm on this side of it, And there's the coaching
25:36
Speaker 2: profession is the the greatest profession on the planet in
25:40
Speaker 2: my opinion, and you've got to be willing to take
25:43
Speaker 2: the good with the bad and the bad with the good.
25:45
Speaker 2: There's nothing easy about it. And I've had this incredibly
25:48
Speaker 2: favored career and my message to you know, my kids
25:53
Speaker 2: is that this isn't the norm, you know what I've
25:56
Speaker 2: but I've been able to be around some amazing, uh successful,
26:01
Speaker 2: very very successful people, and so I've you know, I've
26:05
Speaker 2: not seen things like some other people maybe have.
26:07
Speaker 1: I've At the same time, i.
26:09
Speaker 2: Mean, I've worked hard for every opportunity I've been given
26:12
Speaker 2: and feel like that I've you know, you know, been
26:17
Speaker 2: fortunate to do so.
26:18
Speaker 6: So.
26:19
Speaker 2: But he's got great instincts for the game. He's always
26:22
Speaker 2: been a leaders He sees things from a different type
26:26
Speaker 2: of lens, so he's got a lot of amazing qualities
26:29
Speaker 2: in both leadership and his football. Natural instincts are are
26:35
Speaker 2: a little bit different.
26:36
Speaker 1: So proud that