Interview: Head Coach Bob Stoops

MEDIA: Can you give us your thoughts on your team captains that were named today, and the fact that three underclassmen were named captains?

BS: “Yeah, Sam (Bradford), Brody (Eldridge) and Gerald (McCoy) were named, and all three of them are respected guys on our team. They work as hard as anybody that we have ever had here. It just tells you a lot about them and that is something that some people may not know. Remember, the kids vote and that is what they think of those guys. They are our leaders, and I agree with them. I guess they are third-year sophomores, but that is still a big compliment to them.”

MEDIA: You normally have seniors, don’t you?

BS: “No, we have who the players vote for, and we have had some juniors. Maybe we haven’t had that many juniors, but the players vote on it and I don’t pay any attention to what class they are in. We don’t vote on just seniors, but on who we feel are the leaders on the team.”

JH: Is it just offensive guys voting for offensive guys or does the whole team just pick the top four or five guys?

BS: “Yeah, the offensive guys vote for two and one defensive guy, and the defensive guys vote for two on defense and one offensive guy. That way you get a little bit of a blend, because you know who is in your huddle the most will get the stronger vote. But the other guys who are in the locker room with him and play against him all training camp know who the leaders on the other side of the ball are too.”

MEDIA: What is your overall big picture on your recovering corp at OU?

BS: “I really like them. We have guys like Wick (Juaquin Iglesias) and Manny (Manuel Johnson), who have great experience and who have made a ton of plays for us throughout the years. Quentin Chaney came on in the bowl game and made some nice plays, and that has continued in camp. Then some of these other guys have stepped up and are improving, like Brandon Caleb and Ryan Broyles, who I think has a chance to make an impact through the year. Then the young guys are doing well. They will be a good group.”

MEDIA: Can Broyles play both inside in the slot and outside?

BS: “Yeah, but he doesn’t need to do both. He can play either inside or outside, but he will primarily play inside for us.”

MEDIA: How are your two freshmen playing this year?

BS: “They are doing well. DeJuan Miller and Jameel Owens are really strong-handed guys who have really shown up in some scrimmages. They have really shown that they can make plays.”

MEDIA: Is there a chance that you will play them this year?

BS: “We are going to play them.”

MEDIA: How has DeMarco Murray progressed during the camp?

BS: “He has done well. He was out there and looked good today. We have had to manage with him through two-a-days and so many practices how much he been out there. You don’t want to over-do it just to get him tired. He has no trouble with it, except for the occasional fatigue just because of the number of snaps. He had three days off and he said he felt great today, and he looked good.”

MEDIA: Did you see his typical explosion and quickness in that last scrimmage you had?

BS: “Yeah, but he always has that. That guy can make some things happen, that is for sure. I also think what will complement him is Chris (Brown). Chris is an exceptional back who is to often overlooked, but never by us. That guy has been as consistent and good as we have had, but he just doesn’t have the flashiness or the size of an Adrian (Peterson) or a DeMarco with some of the moves. However, down-in and down-out, he is right there as good as they are.”

MEDIA: Can you give us an early Tennessee-Chattanooga scouting report?

BS: “Defensively, they have switched to a 4-3 defense that is pretty standard that you see from a lot of people. They run your standard zone coverages with some zone blitzes. Offensively, they have traditionally been in two-backs or two-tight ends and one back, so they have a lot of conventional formations. They run powers and they like to run the ball in play-action boot, which is what they have done mostly in the passing game. They are solid in their schemes and what they do.”