MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (November 20, 2018) – West Virginia University associate head coach/defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, offensive coordinator Jake Spavital and select members of the West Virginia University football team met with the media on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) Jake Spavital
On if he calls different plays when matched up against good offensive teams
You try to at times, but there are also times where you try to slow it down if you can get control of the game. I thought we did well in the first half (vs. Oklahoma State). We got 31 points. Where we struggled the most was that third quarter. The third quarter is where we sputtered, and at that point, you start searching. You start calling plays based off what is going to work, what you believe is going to work or what direction is going to work. We had a couple three-and-outs in that third quarter where you come back to the sidelines and say, ‘Okay, let’s scrap that set. Let’s move on to the next thing.’ It’s about what’s going to be efficient to get the ball out in space or something that can get the run game popping more efficiently. I thought Oklahoma State did a really good job of matching us up. Their (defensive backs) were very talented. We knew there was going to be a challenge ahead with that, and I thought they did a really good job of defending us.
On why the offense has struggled to score in the third quarter in some games this season
I bet you there are a lot of things if you look at it and study it that you could pin it to. That’s something we have to do better at is starting fast when we come out at the half, because typically, that first drive or those first few drives of that third quarter is going to set the tone of what the game is going to be like moving forward. When we struggle in the third quarter, we are typically in a dog fight. That’s something we’ve all addressed. We all know that. You’re getting down to the last game of the season right now, where it’s more about you have to get ready to play. We need to make sure we’re having a great week of preparation and making sure we’re getting ready to play Oklahoma.
On how to remedy the offense’s third quarter struggles
We’ve tried all that stuff. I know Coach (Dana) Holgorsen is big on that, too. Even when we’re playing teams where you have a huge halftime lead, Coach Holgorsen is big on putting that first unit out there to start the third quarter to get them in the rhythm of coming in at halftime, having that break, coming out and starting fast. That’s something that I think all coaches across the country are searching for. I wish I had a solid answer for you, but you address it with the kids and you put an emphasis as much as you can on it. You go from there.
On how Oklahoma’s defense has changed under defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill
I think they’re playing extremely hard for him. I do. I think they play complimentary football with their offense. It’s a bend-but-don’t-break defense, because they’re offense is pretty explosive. The thing that I am seeing with them right now is they’re playing a ton of different bodies. I don’t know if Dana (Holgorsen) went into during his part. They’re playing different (defensive backs). Their linebackers are playing (defensive) ends. They’re moving them all around right now. They sat a lot of people out during the Kansas game. So, we’re expecting them to be full force when they come in here.
On Oklahoma’s three-deep coverages on defense
I still think they’re playing with some things. They came out against Kansas State and TCU, and they’re playing quarters. They come out against Oklahoma State with quarters, and they ended up playing the majority of that game in cover three. They come out against Kansas and played man the majority of the time. I think they’re finding a balance of what’s working for them and getting these kids in the right position. There’s certain guys that they’re comfortable with. I just think they’re moving a lot of bodies around, and we’re preparing for all of it. We have to be ready to execute. After the Oklahoma State game, I wouldn’t be afraid to man us up either. We’ll go from there.
On why opposing defenses are having their defensive backs be more physical with WVU’s wide receivers
I think that’s the M.O. anywhere when you want to have a solid defense. You have to be aggressive. You have to be disruptive in their route running. When you can get the timing off, when you can get those receivers a little bit rattled where they’re shortening routes, there’s an internal clock when a guy gets up in your face, and he’s battling you. You have to get to a certain point at a certain time. For a lot of those kids, it’s human nature. They’re going to naturally cut that off. They’ll be shorter with their route concepts, and that causes timing to be off. That’s what you see a lot in the NFL. You’re going to see those guys to be as disruptive as possible within those five yards, because in the NFL, that’s as much as you can touch them, or the (defensive backs) can touch the receivers. So, you have to be disruptive at that point. Then, you just have to match them from there.
On establishing the running game against Oklahoma
I think it’s the most important thing we have. I think we are better as an offense when we establish the run game. I think (junior running back) Kennedy (McKoy), when you look at that first drive versus Oklahoma State, he’s hitting a 14-yard gain, then a 20-yard gain and that’s when you saw the offense most effective. When we aren’t at our best offensively is when the run game doesn’t pop like we want to, and we only get the 1- or 2-yard gains. You force it again, and you only get 1- or 2-yard gains. Then, you get into a long third down. So, we put the emphasis on making sure that we can establish a run game, because overall, that’s going to help us and keep us on the field longer, and that’s going to make us more effective in the long run.
On what Oklahoma football means to him, being a native of Tulsa
It’s hard from my standpoint, because I was a coach’s kid. I didn’t have an allegiance to any of the Oklahoma schools. My whole family went to Oklahoma State. My brother coached at Oklahoma. You don’t have an NFL team either. You’re more a fan of the game. Friday night lights in Oklahoma is a pretty special deal. That’s what I grew up doing. My dad’s a high school coach. That’s something that has always been dear to my life is the Friday night lights of Oklahoma, but when it comes to college football, there’s never been an allegiance for me. A lot of my teammates in high school would turn down division I-A or division II scholarships to go walk on at Oklahoma or Oklahoma State. My parents told me, ‘You better take the I-A scholarship right now, or you’re not going to come back to the house.’ That’s just how that state is. It’s a very prideful state, just like West Virginia. Those local kids love to play for their state teams.
On recruiting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray at Texas A&M and his talent as a player
I think Kyler is playing exactly how we thought he would play. It was an interesting time. He was the guy who I put all my eggs in one basket on. If I didn’t sign Kyler Murray at Texas A&M, I probably wasn’t going to take a quarterback that year. He’s a special player. He was 43-0 as a high school starter in the state of Texas, which he’s the only guy to ever do that. It’s very rare, but he’s very dynamic kid, obviously. The thing that made him special is his ability to make plays, extend them with his feet. He’s probably one of the fastest guys on the field. I always enjoyed watching him play in high school. During our time at A&M, we put him in a situation where he was young, and we threw him right into the fire. We packaged him up, and I thought he did a good job. But after our time at A&M, we all needed a fresh start, and I went to Cal, he went to Oklahoma. It’s a similar story to what (redshirt senior quarterback) Will (Grier) went through. Both of these kids who are going to play Friday, it’s a testament of overcoming adversity and staying out of the limelight when they’re used to it all through high school and at the beginning of their college careers. Then, you take that two-year lull where you have to stay away from the limelight. Now, they’re out there doing what they’ve always done. It’s pretty impressive to watch those kids play at a high level.
Associate Head Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Tony Gibson
On stopping Oklahoma’s offense
You don’t. They’re good, obviously. We all know, because we all watch them. Everybody’s said, ‘Kansas played them pretty tough.’ They had 10 possessions against Kansas, 11 if you count their victory formation. Kansas had two turnovers and gave up eight touchdowns on 10 possessions. Iowa State got two turnovers, they kicked three field goals and scored three touchdowns. Then, they got into victory formation. They don’t have a lot of possessions, but they’re lethal when they have the ball. They run time off the clock, and they score points. They’re efficient.
On what Army did to keep their game with Oklahoma so close
Army’s offense took off 12 minutes in the second quarter. Oklahoma didn’t have the ball. Then, Army got a turnover and goal-line stand. That was two of their possessions.
On how Army limited Oklahoma from creating explosive plays on offense
They still gave up some big ones, but they did a pretty good job with it. They were playing a lot of cover two and some quarter stuff with some guys deep.
On the health of the defense
It’s not good. It’s the same stuff. Five of our top six linebackers are out. It’s the same thing it was last week.
On the matchup with Oklahoma and quarterback Kyler Murray
It’s going to be a great challenge. By no means am I sitting here saying it’s undoable. What we have to do is we have to limit big plays, number one. We have to create some turnovers. We all know. It’s just like Dana (Holgorsen) said to you guys, the staff and the players. We have to score points. You get in these kinds of games, and it is what it is. You throw all the stats out, and you have to be able to play well and try to get a couple turnovers. You have to try and hold them down.
On if Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray runs more when he scrambles or when there is a quarterback-designed, run play called
There’s a lot of quarterback-designed runs. You have counters, some quarterback power, quarterback draws are big, and he just creates. He’s so good on the run. When he gets out of the pocket, he can throw it on the run either way. I guess that’s the baseball part of him. That’s why he can do that, but he’s different. In the pocket, he’s not very tall, so at times he struggles. The biggest test for us is we’re going to have to try and keep him in the pocket.
On if opposing teams are trying to pressure Oklahoma’s offense
Yeah, they do. If you do it, then they have (Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee) Lamb and (Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise) Brown on the outside that can hurt you. They have big-play potential everywhere.
On who is currently in the linebacker rotation
The same guys we have been playing the last few weeks. We have (redshirt junior) Shea (Campbell), (junior) Jovanni (Stewart). We have (redshirt junior) David (Long Jr.). We have (redshirt sophomore) Zach Sandwisch, we have (redshirt freshman) Exree Loe. Then, we have (freshman Josh) Chandler.
On the positives and negatives of using a spy to defend Kyler Murray
The bad part is you lose a guy in coverage, number one, or you lose a guy in your pass rush. The good part comes if you have somebody that can catch him. You don’t waste a guy when you put someone down to spy him, and they can do it. Some teams have tried that.
On Oklahoma’s running back corps
They’re battling injury, too, at running back. (Oklahoma running back Trey) Sermon played two snaps against Kansas. He had an ankle. He’s had an ankle for the last two weeks. He went out after the second play. They’ve had a bunch of guys beat up. So, they’re not as deep as they’ve been. In my mind, I would think they’re going to run (Oklahoma quarterback Kyler) Murray a little more because of that.
On why the defense plays better at home
I think the first things is looking at who we’ve played at home and look who we’ve played on the road. I don’t know if we’ve played anybody with a winning record at home. On the road, we’ve played Texas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and all those teams are at the top of our league. Not to take away anything from our guys either, they play as good as they can play at times. We get worn out. We played 54 snaps in the second half the other day. We defended 17 possessions. When that happens, you’re going to get worn down, and if you don’t have depth, then good luck and hold on.
On if emotions factor into the defenses success at home
Yeah, I think it has to do a lot with our crowd. You get a little bit of momentum, and the crowd gets into it. I think our kids feed off that, just like the other teams we play on the road. They feed off their crowd.
On redshirt sophomore linebacker Brendan Ferns and senior linebacker Quondarius Qualls
Ferns is more game-ready than what Qualls is, but it’s not fair to that kid to throw him in there. Now, we may have too. He’s dressed, ready to go and getting reps. If I had to say, he’s probably 85 percent game ready. His knee is 100 percent cleared, but there’s still a mental makeup to that, and there’s six months of doing nothing with football with that as well.
On if the defense has to play with a short-term memory against Oklahoma
Oh yeah, you can’t let a big play linger. The stat guy, Jed (Drenning), filled me in on this last week. I think we’re one of two teams in the country that hasn’t given up a play over 50 yards. If we can do that and come out of this game without that, then we’ll be in pretty good shape.
On which stat of Oklahoma’s is the most impressive
They’ve only punted 27 times all year. That’s the one where you say, ‘Whoa.’ Also, they’re averaging 50 points a game. The list goes on and on, but what I like about it is it’s at home on a Friday night. Our kids will be juiced up. We’re not going to back down. Don’t take that out of anything that I’m saying. They’re good, but we have good players, too. I think our kids are going to come and fight, and it’s going to be a great challenge. Dana (Holgorsen) said it best to the staff of Sunday. You have to beat OU at some point to win the Big 12. We have a chance, and it’s at home. So, we’ll be ready to go.
Redshirt Senior Quarterback Will Grier
On his first chance to play Oklahoma
It’s something that I haven’t thought a ton about, and I haven’t been asked too much about it. I was very much a part of the team last year and part of the game plan trying to encourage everybody. So, I felt really involved last year even though I didn’t get to play. I’m excited. This is obviously a really good program, a good opponent. That’s all you can ask for. It’s going to be fun.
On talking to teammates about importance of this game
I hope I don’t. I think everybody understands how important every game is. This game is really important partly because it’s the next one, and our goal is to be 1-0 every week. Like I said, this is a great opponent. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. It’s our seniors’ last go around, and our team’s last go around on Mountaineer Field. So, it’s going to be, like I said, a really fun game and an opportunity to go play a good opponent. Hopefully, we’ll represent Mountaineer Nation the best we can and go out with a win.
On emotions surrounding his last game at Mountaineer Field
Absolutely. I’m not a hugely emotional guy, but definitely. This place is home, and I’ve given my life to this place and tried to represent the state and the program as best I can. I’m happy they gave me an opportunity. When I say ‘they’ I mean the state, the school. I graduated from here, my daughter was born here. There are a lot of things that mean a lot to me about this place. I wish it wasn’t my last one, but it is, and you have to move on. Like I said, I hope I go out on top, and represent everything the best I can. But this is a life thing, I think that’s part of being a Mountaineer. I will represent this place for the rest of my life, try to be a good role model in the community and really represent what it means to be a Mountaineer.
On what he sees from Oklahoma’s defensive film
They’re talented, they have a lot of good players. I think that they went through a change halfway through the year. They changed some things up. I think that they’re a really good team and a good program. They have good players, they have depth. They fly around, they make plays. I think, partly because their offense is so fast, their defense is out there a lot. There are a lot of snaps in every game. So, I think some of the yards and stats may be a little skewed in that aspect. This is a good team, a good opponent. We have to come prepared to play our best. They do some good things. They mix some stuff up. They’re not as exotic as some teams that we’ve played, like Oklahoma State was. They’re a little bit more basic, they do a lot of different things like every defense does. They mix in and out of stuff. They play quarters, they play (cover) three, they play some man on third down. We’re ready. We’ll continue to prepare and go out there and try to execute. We have to be 1-0 this week.
Junior Running Back Kennedy McKoy
On establishing the run against Oklahoma
I think it’s going to be in the game plan a lot this week – sticking with the run game. We’ve had some good things going in the past couple weeks with it. So, I think we’re going to stay with it.
On the differences in the run game between the first and second half against Oklahoma State
I think it was execution. They did a good job of scheming us up and making some changes at the half. I guess they just executed it better than we did.
On Oklahoma’s defense and their struggles with stopping opposing teams from running the ball
That’s definitely been a focus point. We’ve watched film on them over the past two days. We’ve seen some things that we can exploit. We’re just going to line up and take advantage of what they give us, whether that’s running the ball or throwing it.
On if the running game is getting better as the regular season comes to a close
I believe so. I think it had the potential to be there the whole season, but we’re being more consistent with it. We’re executing it better. Those guys up front have been playing hard all season. It’s going to finally get some pop in the run game.
Redshirt Senior Safety Toyous Avery Jr.
On being able to predict Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray’s plays
That’s all in the game plan. We just have to execute the game plan, because once you get past the line of scrimmage, you have to really rally to the ball to get him down. It’s all good. I’m not saying it’s not going to be hard, but it’ll be a little bit of a tough task.
On what makes Oklahoma’s offense so challenging
I’ll say the consistency. They barely get into third-down situations. That’s what we need to get the win – third and long situations. We’ll try to mix up stuff and try to make them not be in the same areas of the field and when you’re lining up, just try to confuse them and mix and match everything. Really, that’s all we need to do is just get them in a bad situation.
On the key to preventing big plays
Just do your job. With this type of game, just do your job and lay it all out and try to make them play. I feel like that will work.
On the team putting last Saturday behind them
That’s a football thing, who cares about the last game. We have to play another game in a couple days. We don’t have time to be worried about the game. We just play, win or lose.
Redshirt Junior Cornerback Keith Washington Jr.
On what makes Oklahoma’s offense so dangerous
That’s probably the best quarterback we’ve faced all year, best receiving corps. It’s pretty much the best offense we’ve faced all year, but I feel like our defense is ready for the challenge.
On what the defense can do better this week against Oklahoma
Just the basics of football – tackle better, cover better, get to the quarterback. Just things that any defense needs to do to be successful.
On importance of turnovers this week
That’s always huge. That’s been a goal of ours since the beginning of the year. Coach Gibby (associate head coach – defensive coordinator/linebackers Tony Gibson) says, ‘Try to force turnovers on defense and get the ball back to (redshirt senior quarterback) Will Grier and our offense.’ We can let those guys do what they do best.
On ability to limit big plays from the other team
Like I said earlier, we just all focus on doing our job. Once you do your job as an individual, then it all comes together for the whole defense. That’s the way that we’re able to be successful.
Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) Jake Spavital
On if he calls different plays when matched up against good offensive teams
You try to at times, but there are also times where you try to slow it down if you can get control of the game. I thought we did well in the first half (vs. Oklahoma State). We got 31 points. Where we struggled the most was that third quarter. The third quarter is where we sputtered, and at that point, you start searching. You start calling plays based off what is going to work, what you believe is going to work or what direction is going to work. We had a couple three-and-outs in that third quarter where you come back to the sidelines and say, ‘Okay, let’s scrap that set. Let’s move on to the next thing.’ It’s about what’s going to be efficient to get the ball out in space or something that can get the run game popping more efficiently. I thought Oklahoma State did a really good job of matching us up. Their (defensive backs) were very talented. We knew there was going to be a challenge ahead with that, and I thought they did a really good job of defending us.
On why the offense has struggled to score in the third quarter in some games this season
I bet you there are a lot of things if you look at it and study it that you could pin it to. That’s something we have to do better at is starting fast when we come out at the half, because typically, that first drive or those first few drives of that third quarter is going to set the tone of what the game is going to be like moving forward. When we struggle in the third quarter, we are typically in a dog fight. That’s something we’ve all addressed. We all know that. You’re getting down to the last game of the season right now, where it’s more about you have to get ready to play. We need to make sure we’re having a great week of preparation and making sure we’re getting ready to play Oklahoma.
On how to remedy the offense’s third quarter struggles
We’ve tried all that stuff. I know Coach (Dana) Holgorsen is big on that, too. Even when we’re playing teams where you have a huge halftime lead, Coach Holgorsen is big on putting that first unit out there to start the third quarter to get them in the rhythm of coming in at halftime, having that break, coming out and starting fast. That’s something that I think all coaches across the country are searching for. I wish I had a solid answer for you, but you address it with the kids and you put an emphasis as much as you can on it. You go from there.
On how Oklahoma’s defense has changed under defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill
I think they’re playing extremely hard for him. I do. I think they play complimentary football with their offense. It’s a bend-but-don’t-break defense, because they’re offense is pretty explosive. The thing that I am seeing with them right now is they’re playing a ton of different bodies. I don’t know if Dana (Holgorsen) went into during his part. They’re playing different (defensive backs). Their linebackers are playing (defensive) ends. They’re moving them all around right now. They sat a lot of people out during the Kansas game. So, we’re expecting them to be full force when they come in here.
On Oklahoma’s three-deep coverages on defense
I still think they’re playing with some things. They came out against Kansas State and TCU, and they’re playing quarters. They come out against Oklahoma State with quarters, and they ended up playing the majority of that game in cover three. They come out against Kansas and played man the majority of the time. I think they’re finding a balance of what’s working for them and getting these kids in the right position. There’s certain guys that they’re comfortable with. I just think they’re moving a lot of bodies around, and we’re preparing for all of it. We have to be ready to execute. After the Oklahoma State game, I wouldn’t be afraid to man us up either. We’ll go from there.
On why opposing defenses are having their defensive backs be more physical with WVU’s wide receivers
I think that’s the M.O. anywhere when you want to have a solid defense. You have to be aggressive. You have to be disruptive in their route running. When you can get the timing off, when you can get those receivers a little bit rattled where they’re shortening routes, there’s an internal clock when a guy gets up in your face, and he’s battling you. You have to get to a certain point at a certain time. For a lot of those kids, it’s human nature. They’re going to naturally cut that off. They’ll be shorter with their route concepts, and that causes timing to be off. That’s what you see a lot in the NFL. You’re going to see those guys to be as disruptive as possible within those five yards, because in the NFL, that’s as much as you can touch them, or the (defensive backs) can touch the receivers. So, you have to be disruptive at that point. Then, you just have to match them from there.
On establishing the running game against Oklahoma
I think it’s the most important thing we have. I think we are better as an offense when we establish the run game. I think (junior running back) Kennedy (McKoy), when you look at that first drive versus Oklahoma State, he’s hitting a 14-yard gain, then a 20-yard gain and that’s when you saw the offense most effective. When we aren’t at our best offensively is when the run game doesn’t pop like we want to, and we only get the 1- or 2-yard gains. You force it again, and you only get 1- or 2-yard gains. Then, you get into a long third down. So, we put the emphasis on making sure that we can establish a run game, because overall, that’s going to help us and keep us on the field longer, and that’s going to make us more effective in the long run.
On what Oklahoma football means to him, being a native of Tulsa
It’s hard from my standpoint, because I was a coach’s kid. I didn’t have an allegiance to any of the Oklahoma schools. My whole family went to Oklahoma State. My brother coached at Oklahoma. You don’t have an NFL team either. You’re more a fan of the game. Friday night lights in Oklahoma is a pretty special deal. That’s what I grew up doing. My dad’s a high school coach. That’s something that has always been dear to my life is the Friday night lights of Oklahoma, but when it comes to college football, there’s never been an allegiance for me. A lot of my teammates in high school would turn down division I-A or division II scholarships to go walk on at Oklahoma or Oklahoma State. My parents told me, ‘You better take the I-A scholarship right now, or you’re not going to come back to the house.’ That’s just how that state is. It’s a very prideful state, just like West Virginia. Those local kids love to play for their state teams.
On recruiting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray at Texas A&M and his talent as a player
I think Kyler is playing exactly how we thought he would play. It was an interesting time. He was the guy who I put all my eggs in one basket on. If I didn’t sign Kyler Murray at Texas A&M, I probably wasn’t going to take a quarterback that year. He’s a special player. He was 43-0 as a high school starter in the state of Texas, which he’s the only guy to ever do that. It’s very rare, but he’s very dynamic kid, obviously. The thing that made him special is his ability to make plays, extend them with his feet. He’s probably one of the fastest guys on the field. I always enjoyed watching him play in high school. During our time at A&M, we put him in a situation where he was young, and we threw him right into the fire. We packaged him up, and I thought he did a good job. But after our time at A&M, we all needed a fresh start, and I went to Cal, he went to Oklahoma. It’s a similar story to what (redshirt senior quarterback) Will (Grier) went through. Both of these kids who are going to play Friday, it’s a testament of overcoming adversity and staying out of the limelight when they’re used to it all through high school and at the beginning of their college careers. Then, you take that two-year lull where you have to stay away from the limelight. Now, they’re out there doing what they’ve always done. It’s pretty impressive to watch those kids play at a high level.
Associate Head Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Tony Gibson
On stopping Oklahoma’s offense
You don’t. They’re good, obviously. We all know, because we all watch them. Everybody’s said, ‘Kansas played them pretty tough.’ They had 10 possessions against Kansas, 11 if you count their victory formation. Kansas had two turnovers and gave up eight touchdowns on 10 possessions. Iowa State got two turnovers, they kicked three field goals and scored three touchdowns. Then, they got into victory formation. They don’t have a lot of possessions, but they’re lethal when they have the ball. They run time off the clock, and they score points. They’re efficient.
On what Army did to keep their game with Oklahoma so close
Army’s offense took off 12 minutes in the second quarter. Oklahoma didn’t have the ball. Then, Army got a turnover and goal-line stand. That was two of their possessions.
On how Army limited Oklahoma from creating explosive plays on offense
They still gave up some big ones, but they did a pretty good job with it. They were playing a lot of cover two and some quarter stuff with some guys deep.
On the health of the defense
It’s not good. It’s the same stuff. Five of our top six linebackers are out. It’s the same thing it was last week.
On the matchup with Oklahoma and quarterback Kyler Murray
It’s going to be a great challenge. By no means am I sitting here saying it’s undoable. What we have to do is we have to limit big plays, number one. We have to create some turnovers. We all know. It’s just like Dana (Holgorsen) said to you guys, the staff and the players. We have to score points. You get in these kinds of games, and it is what it is. You throw all the stats out, and you have to be able to play well and try to get a couple turnovers. You have to try and hold them down.
On if Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray runs more when he scrambles or when there is a quarterback-designed, run play called
There’s a lot of quarterback-designed runs. You have counters, some quarterback power, quarterback draws are big, and he just creates. He’s so good on the run. When he gets out of the pocket, he can throw it on the run either way. I guess that’s the baseball part of him. That’s why he can do that, but he’s different. In the pocket, he’s not very tall, so at times he struggles. The biggest test for us is we’re going to have to try and keep him in the pocket.
On if opposing teams are trying to pressure Oklahoma’s offense
Yeah, they do. If you do it, then they have (Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee) Lamb and (Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise) Brown on the outside that can hurt you. They have big-play potential everywhere.
On who is currently in the linebacker rotation
The same guys we have been playing the last few weeks. We have (redshirt junior) Shea (Campbell), (junior) Jovanni (Stewart). We have (redshirt junior) David (Long Jr.). We have (redshirt sophomore) Zach Sandwisch, we have (redshirt freshman) Exree Loe. Then, we have (freshman Josh) Chandler.
On the positives and negatives of using a spy to defend Kyler Murray
The bad part is you lose a guy in coverage, number one, or you lose a guy in your pass rush. The good part comes if you have somebody that can catch him. You don’t waste a guy when you put someone down to spy him, and they can do it. Some teams have tried that.
On Oklahoma’s running back corps
They’re battling injury, too, at running back. (Oklahoma running back Trey) Sermon played two snaps against Kansas. He had an ankle. He’s had an ankle for the last two weeks. He went out after the second play. They’ve had a bunch of guys beat up. So, they’re not as deep as they’ve been. In my mind, I would think they’re going to run (Oklahoma quarterback Kyler) Murray a little more because of that.
On why the defense plays better at home
I think the first things is looking at who we’ve played at home and look who we’ve played on the road. I don’t know if we’ve played anybody with a winning record at home. On the road, we’ve played Texas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and all those teams are at the top of our league. Not to take away anything from our guys either, they play as good as they can play at times. We get worn out. We played 54 snaps in the second half the other day. We defended 17 possessions. When that happens, you’re going to get worn down, and if you don’t have depth, then good luck and hold on.
On if emotions factor into the defenses success at home
Yeah, I think it has to do a lot with our crowd. You get a little bit of momentum, and the crowd gets into it. I think our kids feed off that, just like the other teams we play on the road. They feed off their crowd.
On redshirt sophomore linebacker Brendan Ferns and senior linebacker Quondarius Qualls
Ferns is more game-ready than what Qualls is, but it’s not fair to that kid to throw him in there. Now, we may have too. He’s dressed, ready to go and getting reps. If I had to say, he’s probably 85 percent game ready. His knee is 100 percent cleared, but there’s still a mental makeup to that, and there’s six months of doing nothing with football with that as well.
On if the defense has to play with a short-term memory against Oklahoma
Oh yeah, you can’t let a big play linger. The stat guy, Jed (Drenning), filled me in on this last week. I think we’re one of two teams in the country that hasn’t given up a play over 50 yards. If we can do that and come out of this game without that, then we’ll be in pretty good shape.
On which stat of Oklahoma’s is the most impressive
They’ve only punted 27 times all year. That’s the one where you say, ‘Whoa.’ Also, they’re averaging 50 points a game. The list goes on and on, but what I like about it is it’s at home on a Friday night. Our kids will be juiced up. We’re not going to back down. Don’t take that out of anything that I’m saying. They’re good, but we have good players, too. I think our kids are going to come and fight, and it’s going to be a great challenge. Dana (Holgorsen) said it best to the staff of Sunday. You have to beat OU at some point to win the Big 12. We have a chance, and it’s at home. So, we’ll be ready to go.
Redshirt Senior Quarterback Will Grier
On his first chance to play Oklahoma
It’s something that I haven’t thought a ton about, and I haven’t been asked too much about it. I was very much a part of the team last year and part of the game plan trying to encourage everybody. So, I felt really involved last year even though I didn’t get to play. I’m excited. This is obviously a really good program, a good opponent. That’s all you can ask for. It’s going to be fun.
On talking to teammates about importance of this game
I hope I don’t. I think everybody understands how important every game is. This game is really important partly because it’s the next one, and our goal is to be 1-0 every week. Like I said, this is a great opponent. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. It’s our seniors’ last go around, and our team’s last go around on Mountaineer Field. So, it’s going to be, like I said, a really fun game and an opportunity to go play a good opponent. Hopefully, we’ll represent Mountaineer Nation the best we can and go out with a win.
On emotions surrounding his last game at Mountaineer Field
Absolutely. I’m not a hugely emotional guy, but definitely. This place is home, and I’ve given my life to this place and tried to represent the state and the program as best I can. I’m happy they gave me an opportunity. When I say ‘they’ I mean the state, the school. I graduated from here, my daughter was born here. There are a lot of things that mean a lot to me about this place. I wish it wasn’t my last one, but it is, and you have to move on. Like I said, I hope I go out on top, and represent everything the best I can. But this is a life thing, I think that’s part of being a Mountaineer. I will represent this place for the rest of my life, try to be a good role model in the community and really represent what it means to be a Mountaineer.
On what he sees from Oklahoma’s defensive film
They’re talented, they have a lot of good players. I think that they went through a change halfway through the year. They changed some things up. I think that they’re a really good team and a good program. They have good players, they have depth. They fly around, they make plays. I think, partly because their offense is so fast, their defense is out there a lot. There are a lot of snaps in every game. So, I think some of the yards and stats may be a little skewed in that aspect. This is a good team, a good opponent. We have to come prepared to play our best. They do some good things. They mix some stuff up. They’re not as exotic as some teams that we’ve played, like Oklahoma State was. They’re a little bit more basic, they do a lot of different things like every defense does. They mix in and out of stuff. They play quarters, they play (cover) three, they play some man on third down. We’re ready. We’ll continue to prepare and go out there and try to execute. We have to be 1-0 this week.
Junior Running Back Kennedy McKoy
On establishing the run against Oklahoma
I think it’s going to be in the game plan a lot this week – sticking with the run game. We’ve had some good things going in the past couple weeks with it. So, I think we’re going to stay with it.
On the differences in the run game between the first and second half against Oklahoma State
I think it was execution. They did a good job of scheming us up and making some changes at the half. I guess they just executed it better than we did.
On Oklahoma’s defense and their struggles with stopping opposing teams from running the ball
That’s definitely been a focus point. We’ve watched film on them over the past two days. We’ve seen some things that we can exploit. We’re just going to line up and take advantage of what they give us, whether that’s running the ball or throwing it.
On if the running game is getting better as the regular season comes to a close
I believe so. I think it had the potential to be there the whole season, but we’re being more consistent with it. We’re executing it better. Those guys up front have been playing hard all season. It’s going to finally get some pop in the run game.
Redshirt Senior Safety Toyous Avery Jr.
On being able to predict Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray’s plays
That’s all in the game plan. We just have to execute the game plan, because once you get past the line of scrimmage, you have to really rally to the ball to get him down. It’s all good. I’m not saying it’s not going to be hard, but it’ll be a little bit of a tough task.
On what makes Oklahoma’s offense so challenging
I’ll say the consistency. They barely get into third-down situations. That’s what we need to get the win – third and long situations. We’ll try to mix up stuff and try to make them not be in the same areas of the field and when you’re lining up, just try to confuse them and mix and match everything. Really, that’s all we need to do is just get them in a bad situation.
On the key to preventing big plays
Just do your job. With this type of game, just do your job and lay it all out and try to make them play. I feel like that will work.
On the team putting last Saturday behind them
That’s a football thing, who cares about the last game. We have to play another game in a couple days. We don’t have time to be worried about the game. We just play, win or lose.
Redshirt Junior Cornerback Keith Washington Jr.
On what makes Oklahoma’s offense so dangerous
That’s probably the best quarterback we’ve faced all year, best receiving corps. It’s pretty much the best offense we’ve faced all year, but I feel like our defense is ready for the challenge.
On what the defense can do better this week against Oklahoma
Just the basics of football – tackle better, cover better, get to the quarterback. Just things that any defense needs to do to be successful.
On importance of turnovers this week
That’s always huge. That’s been a goal of ours since the beginning of the year. Coach Gibby (associate head coach – defensive coordinator/linebackers Tony Gibson) says, ‘Try to force turnovers on defense and get the ball back to (redshirt senior quarterback) Will Grier and our offense.’ We can let those guys do what they do best.
On ability to limit big plays from the other team
Like I said earlier, we just all focus on doing our job. Once you do your job as an individual, then it all comes together for the whole defense. That’s the way that we’re able to be successful.
