Another MIKE thread . . .

[PLaw]

in the words of his players as reported in the DOK.

Tom Wort:

“Everyone was locked in. The attitude was there. Everyone played their role and did their job. It showed that you don't have to be Superman out there. You just have to do your job and work as an 11-man unit and you're gonna do good. I'm really proud of the guys.”


Aaron Colvin:

“We're comfortable with Mike Stoops and we're putting our trust in him,” he said. “Sometimes last year, some stuff was hard for us and I didn't feel like guys were really as comfortable out there as we should've been. I feel like guys are very comfortable out there this year and that's why we're making plays.”


“I think coach Mike Stoops did a great job of getting pressure on (Texas QB David Ash) and making him feel uncomfortable back there. That made our job a little easier. It allowed us to guard their receivers better.”


Tony Jefferson

“It goes back to what happened last year,” free safety Tony Jefferson said. “Our confidence is up now. Our mentality is much stronger. We don't want to be a laughingstock or give up all those points or yards like last year, we we're making a statement this year.”

David King

“He stays on edge,” defensive lineman David King said of Stoops. “He'll get in your face if you mess up. He's not afraid of doing it. All you can do is respect a guy like that. He's going to tell you what you're doing wrong as opposed to always loving you up when you do things right. That's the kind of (coach) he is.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++

Bottom line, the players are gaining confidence in the coaching staff and the house of cards we saw late last season is turning into a new SOONER dynasty one brick at a time.

BOOMER

[BoulderSooner79]

This all sounds like the natural process people go through as they accept change. Change is difficult and many of these players were recruited by BV or coached by him either directly (position) or indirectly. I'm very pleased the transition seems to be happening as quickly as it has. I thought we wouldn't really notice a big difference until the last few games of the season. I wouldn't be shocked if we see a down game for the D mixed in there, but I'm confident we're on the right track.

[StoopTroup]

This all sounds like the natural process people go through as they accept change. Change is difficult and many of these players were recruited by BV or coached by him either directly (position) or indirectly. I'm very pleased the transition seems to be happening as quickly as it has. I thought we wouldn't really notice a big difference until the last few games of the season. I wouldn't be shocked if we see a down game for the D mixed in there, but I'm confident we're on the right track.

I agree but I am hoping the down game was KSU. It's good to hear the guys saying what I was hoping would happen. Again....like the players, I see no reason to bag on Brent. I think staying positive and working hard is the way to go, especially when the guy that replaces your old Coach is the Brother of the Head Coach who was at OU the last time OU won the MNC. I know a lot of folks/fans feel like Mike is "THE ANSWER" but many of these kids were pretty young when OU won the MNC against FSU.

It's awesome to hear all that from the players. I hope Mike is very happy back here in Norman. I really liked it when he was here before. One thing I notice too. I have an OU Construction Helmet that is signed by both Bob and Mike. I got it signed on a trip to Texas Tech when we won in 2001. It's a really nice piece signed in silver Sharpie with Bob on one side and Mike on the other. Bob was walking up the ramp from the field with Carol and I asked him if he would sign it. He was really happy after that win and gladly signed it. Mike was on the bus eating KFC with the guys and one of the Coaches told me to just go on the Bus and ask him to sign it like his Brother did. He was really cool to me. He wiped the chicken off his fingers and signed the helmet. I still have it to this very day.

I do not own any OU Memorabilia with Brent's Autograph that I know of. Mike has always been my Favorite of the two. I'm really glad he's back despite my statements that I liked Brent too. I wish Brent all the best but Mike just seems to really complete our Coaching Staff and seems like a very natural part of OU. Bob's Dream Team was great but seeing it dismantled Coach by Coach the last 11-12 years has really sucked. I miss Spurrier Jr., Leach, Mangino and Brent. 1999 and 2000 was just Good Times especially after what had happened after Coach Gibbs was replaced. I liked Gibbs but he wasn't Barry Switzer. It's pretty hard following an act like that. Obviously many folks who make up OU's Monster feel the same way about Brent but I think he did a great job following Mike. I hope Mike is able to meet the Monsters expectations. My expectations are that at 1.5 Million....we should be on our way to having another Crystal Ball in the Switzer Center in the next couple of years with him back at OU. Is that fair to lay that on him? Probably not....but I am doing it. I am now a part of the Monster I guess. :D

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Well, even if I don't get to see another NC in person, it was great to be there when we won one of our 7, so far. '85 season at the OB in Miami in Jan '86, beating the fighting Jerry Sandusky's of Wearepennstate.Those PSUers were some tacky, arrogant bastages who thought they had it in the bag.

[StoopTroup]

Thinking about 2000 just really hits me as my Daughter was two when we drove to Miami to watch The Sooners whip Bobby Bowden and FSU. We again were up against a Heisman Trophy Winner that stole the Trophy from Josh. We were given no chance of winning and had a bunch of players Bob and Mike didn't recruit along with a bunch of JUCO players they did bring to OU. We had an attitude. FSU had won it all the year before. FSU treated the game like a Home Game just like what happen to us in Louisiana against LSU in 2004 and Florida in 2008. Seeing Bob hold that Crystal Ball in his hand and hear all of us Oklahoma Fans doing the Tomahawk Chop and chanting OAK LA HOMA....OAK LA HOMA!!!....I'll never forget it.

My Daughter is 14 now. Time has flown by. Lots of Football and lots of games. It would be awesome to see us find a way back to the MNC Game and bring another one of those Crystal balls back to Norman. Is this the year? We will see. The next two weeks and how our Team reacts to this huge win against Texas is really important. The ND Game kind of reminds me of when we had Nebraska coming to Norman with a Heisman Trophy QB (Eric Crouch) and we upset them and then tore our goal posts down. Whipping ND will make many an old OU Fan very happy and for me....It will be a really nice win that will take that sting out of the 34-30 loss to ND Bob had in 1999 as a first year Head Coach of OU, playing a Road Game, in South Bend Indiana. We will put a scare in them on the 27th? I hope we can take the "We are Back!" feeling ND Fans are riding high on right now and step all over it with our cleats and set it on fire...watch it burn and then watch it blow away like dust....

[FirstandGoal]

My God.

Now I'm starting to wonder how many more titles we may have had if Mike had never left for Arizona.

[goingoneight]

Mike was here in 2001-2003. There's a great chance that we could have had another MNC. However, we were pretty good in 2001-2003. That's kind of a crapshoot. I'm just glad to see that this experiment appears to be working so far.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

Mike Stoops coaching the defense again and Blake Bell full-time on offense screams of BCS title in either 2013 or 2014. Assuming he can pass efficiently enough and there is no reason to believe that he can't, since he passed Drew Allen, who I doubt sucks in his own right along with how well the Sooners have fared with Sooner QBs over the seasons, I think he is going to be a game changer in terms of allowing Oklahoma to finally complete their mission of winning it all again.

[ObiKaTony]

I'm glad it's working out as well, but I am not surprised in the least. This was not an experiment; an experiment is something that hasn't been done before. Under Mike in the 2000's our defense SHUT PEOPLE DOWN. They hit, made plays, and got turnovers. Today, we are seeing why many of us were clamoring for Venebles to get the heck out of here. If you have the talent, the coaches need to develop that talent which Venebles wasn't capable of doing (see Mack Brown and his coaching staff) There is a new feeling surrounding OU football, and we are going to compete for national titles on BOTH sides of the ball which is flat our scary for our opponents. The BOOMER is back in sooner folks, God bless Mike Stoops and Bob for getting rid of Venebles...

[Curly Bill]

Maybe with the way the whorn defense played Saturday Mack will go out and hire BV? We'd be a lock to never lose to them again as long as those two were there together! :)

[goingoneight]

I'm glad it's working out as well, but I am not surprised in the least. This was not an experiment; an experiment is something that hasn't been done before. Under Mike in the 2000's our defense SHUT PEOPLE DOWN. They hit, made plays, and got turnovers. Today, we are seeing why many of us were clamoring for Venebles to get the heck out of here. If you have the talent, the coaches need to develop that talent which Venebles wasn't capable of doing (see Mack Brown and his coaching staff) There is a new feeling surrounding OU football, and we are going to compete for national titles on BOTH sides of the ball which is flat our scary for our opponents. The BOOMER is back in sooner folks, God bless Mike Stoops and Bob for getting rid of Venebles...

One little thing to note: Bob didn't get rid of Venables. BV left. He was more than welcomed by the administration to stay. He was plenty effective with Mike before. I hope the guys stay the course and continue to improve, though. Still lots of trap games against video game offenses left to play.

[ObiKaTony]

One little thing to note: Bob didn't get rid of Venables. BV left. He was more than welcomed by the administration to stay. He was plenty effective with Mike before. I hope the guys stay the course and continue to improve, though. Still lots of trap games against video game offenses left to play.


I agree with the last part, but if you think Venebles wasn't asked to leave, you are drinking the Kool-aide. Bob is a good person/friend to Brent, and of course he isn't going to fire him outright in public. He handled like he should, w/ class...

[PLaw]

I agree with the last part, but if you think Venebles wasn't asked to leave, you are drinking the Kool-aide. Bob is a good person/friend to Brent, and of course he isn't going to fire him outright in public. He handled like he should, w/ class...

At the end of the day, it was time for BV to make his mark out from under the Stoops' umbrella. He has been with Bob or Mike since his playing days in Manhatten.

I have no ill will or bad feelings for BV. That said, the trajectory of the defense had not been good and it was time for changes.

BOOMER

[OUmillenium]

Well said, PLaw

[goingoneight]

I agree with the last part, but if you think Venebles wasn't asked to leave, you are drinking the Kool-aide. Bob is a good person/friend to Brent, and of course he isn't going to fire him outright in public. He handled like he should, w/ class...
Former and current OU players say and have told me otherwise. Martinez left the program to free up a spot on staff for Mike. We can agree to disagree here; but one of us is going on blind faith and what we want to hear. The other one of us right.
I'll key you in on what I've been told. Quote--
"Coach Martinez was kind of an outsider. We had no doubt he'd leave after what happened against Tech. Just wasn't a good fit with those guys (Brent, BJW and Bob)."

Nobody was shocked to see Brent leave. But they didn't want him to from everything I've heard and been told.

[soonergirlNeugene]

Pay the man whatever it takes to keep him here

[VA Sooner]

Glad to hear that from the players as well... they've developed a comfort level and are really communicating coverage and blitzes well out there.

Keep it up, Boys.