Bob Stoops Talks TCU Win & Previews Texas At Weekly Press Conference

Bob Stoops was in good spirits at his weekly news conference on Monday following the Sooners' big road win over TCU. Stoops talked about the win, and also previewed this week's rivalry matchup with Texas. 

Related: Austin Seibert Named Big 12 Special Teams Player Of The Week

Here are a few highlights from what he had to say: 

Win over TCU…

“Proud of my players and coaches to have the resilience to go on the road, start off the game really in a tough way with a strip sack, really gives them great field position, they score the next play, charge up the crowd and we respond a little bit but end up down 21-7 in the first quarter and the guys just kept fighting, kept battling, kept the faith in what we were doing and we go on a whatever 35 or so run in the second and third quarter. Probably in that stretch of time as good as we’ve played together jointly as a team with kicking game, offense, defense all of it together.”

Texas matchup…

“Tough game always, going down to the Cotton Bowl here with our rival Texas, no doubt about it. They’re a good football team, lost a couple of tight games here this year, but they’ve also won some really good ones. You can tell they continue to play really physical football in the way they run the ball with Foreman and Warren and Swoopes as well. All of them, excellent job throwing it down field. Buechele’s done a great job as a young guy in there for them. Very tough offense to deal with, they’ve put up a lot of yards and points. Defensively still a lot of good, physical guys back from a year ago that really play well. Big, talented guys, play really well and aggressive style of defense. It’s always exciting, always a challenge.”

Tay Evans football career over…

“Sadly to say, Tay Evans is going to be disqualified from playing anymore, next year, from here on out. Just has had some head concussions and doctors just feel it’s in his best interest moving forward not to, so he’s disappointed, we’re disappointed for him for sure. It hurts us, a guy who’d been starting and really had an incredible future, but we want the best for him moving forward in his life first and foremost.”

On his players coming out flat in last year’s Red River Rivalry game…

“I’m not out there playing, so players got to decide how important it is to them and I’m not saying it wasn’t important to them last year, bottom line: we weren’t good enough or tough enough. So we’ll see if we can be this year.”

On Michiah Quick….

“I still believe there’s more there. I saw him plays I know he can make, so overall I feel he’s progressing well, but it needs to keep happening.”

On Dede Westbrook’s solid performance against TCU…

“It maybe hasn’t been known, but Dede is finally at full speed. He’s been nursing a pull, and the first few weeks missed a few practice, rested, last week may have been the first week he was able to go the whole time and full speed and it showed up, and I hope it’ll continue to. He’s a guy that really can be a big play guys when he’s full speed.”

On Texas quarterback Shane Buechele…

“He’s an excellent quarterback, excellent athlete. I know we recruited him initially and then once Austin Kendall became our guy, you don’t generally get two quarterbacks in a recruiting class so that’s just kind of how it fell and worked out, but he’s an excellent athlete, throwing the ball great, perfect for what they’re doing.”

On Charles Walker…

“Charles is a really good player. I thought had one of his better games. He’s an active guy, he’s very talented, got a lot of size, quickness to him. It was good to see him get that big reach up there and knock a few balls down. It’s important, we should be doing that with a lot of those short throws.”