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CALIFORNIA
HISTORICAL RADIO SOCIETY
IS PLEASED TO HONOR
EDWARD
A. SHARPE
WITH THE
CHARLES D. 'DOC' HERROLD
AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN
THE PRESERVATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF
EARLY RADIO.
BY
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 1992:
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Chick
this for a huge photo then do a 'right click and save
as' to save on YOUR computer. |
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Location
Glendale, AZ.
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Band
History
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The
Mountain Ridge High School
"Pride of the West"
marching band is located in
Glendale, Arizona, a west
suburb of Phoenix. This
marks the second appearance of
the band at the Fiesta Bowl
National Band Championship and
third appearance at the Fort
McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade.
The Mountain Ridge Band has
amassed an enviable list of
accomplishments in marching
and concert activities.
The "Pride of the
West" has been a
consistent recipient of
Superior and Superior with
Distinction honors at state
marching and concert
festivals. The Mountain
Ridge Band was a 2007 Pasadena
Tournament of Roses
participant.
This
year, the Mountain Ridge High
School Marching Band will be
performing American Faces,
which includes "Fanfare
for the Common Man" by
Aaron Copland; "American
Faces" by David Holsinger;
"Adagio for Strings"
by Samuel Barber; "Happy
Ending" by Aaron Copland.
Their parade selection is
"Glorious Victory"
by W.M. Kendall.
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Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Arizona
Fiesta Bowl National Band
Championship
University of Phoenix
Stadium Glendale, Arizona Friday, December 28, 2007
Preliminaries were at 1:00 PM and the Finals started at 6:00 PM
2007-2008 Participating Bands

Champlin Park HS, Champlin, Minnesota
Chino HS, Chino, California
Crestwood HS, Mantua, Ohio
Fairfield HS, Fairfield, California
Gadsden City HS, Gadsden, Alabama
Hoover HS, Hoover, Alabama
Jackson HS, Massillon, Ohio
King HS, Riverside, California
Lincoln Southeast HS, Lincoln, Nebraska
Los Osos HS, Rancho Cucumonga, California
Marshalltown HS, Marshalltown, Iowa
Mountain Ridge HS, Glendale, Arizona
Photo: courtesy Fiesta Bowl.
Normal West HS, Normal, Illinois
Park Vista HS, Lake Worth, Florida
Pickerington North HS, Pickerington, Ohio
Trabuco Hills HS, Mission Viejo, California
Vestavia Hills HS, Vestavia Hills, Alabama
Entering its 30th year, the Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Arizona Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship is one of the
longest running events of the Fiesta Bowl Festival. The event has
earned a reputation as one of the most prestigious high school
marching band competitions in the nation. Eight bands advance from the
preliminaries to the evening finals where bands compete for the Grand
Master's Trophy.
The field championship is held in conjunction with the Fort McDowell
Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, the only
major bowl parade where bands are judged. Held in downtown Phoenix,
the 2007 parade will feature bands from across the nation as they
represent their hometowns and states.
Throughout its history of excellence, the Fiesta Bowl has hosted
marching bands from 36 different states. Adjudicators for the parade
and field events are highly-rated high school directors who have built
quality music programs in their own communities.
The field show is held in the University of Phoenix Stadium, a
state-of-the-art facility located in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium is
home to the Arizona Cardinals and features both a retractable playing
field and retractable roof.
Chino High School, from Chino,
Los Osos, of Rancho Cucamonga
Trabuco Hills High, of Mission Viejo
Mountain Ridge High School, from Glendale, won an audience appeal
award.
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TOSTITOS FIESTA
BOWL MEDIA DAY DECEMBER
31



City Manager Ed Beasley with Julie Frisoni
and Jerry McCoy Marketing and Communications.
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TOSTITOS
FIESTA BOWL INTERVIEW WITH BOB STOOPS OF THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS

WATCH
MOVIE of Ed Beasley Glendale City Manager welcoming Bob Stoop
and the Sooners press conference and a few added goodies
like the Sooners that are from Arizona!
Below you will find
some nice stills and also the printed transcription of the
interview.
December 31, 2007
Bob Stoops
GLENDALE, ARIZONA
Q. Just a question about the spread offense. You see it so
much in college football and the variations of that. How much do
you think that has created the parity in the game today?
COACH STOOPS: How it has created what?
Q. Some of the parity you see in the games today and some of
the upsets.
COACH STOOPS: I don't know that it is because of the spread
offense. I think it is more because of the skill of the players.
I think there is parity regardless of what offense people are
running, so I don't -- at least I don't look at it that way,
that the spread offense has anything to do with it as much as
quality players that are around the league.
Q. Does that offense make it easier for smaller schools to
improve because they don't have the size? Isn't speed more
important? Is it easier to recruit more of it?
COACH STOOPS: I don't know. I think there are more players
overall to go around anymore. I kind of equate it to maybe the
20 scholarships we want to give this year, you know, and maybe
six, seven, eight years ago there might have been a pool of 50
that we felt there were the ones we wanted. And now there is a
pool of 80. I think there are more guys that go around to
everybody.
Q.
Talk about your seniors, what this class has met, what they have
accomplished at Oklahoma.
COACH STOOPS: Well, it has been a great group. This group of
seniors has been a good number of -- they have won championships
for us and a good number of Bowl games. It is a great group.
They are a strong-character group of kids, our seniors and
really a special group.
I think they have done an outstanding job leading this year and
a very unselfish group of players that have really been a great
example for our young guys to watch.
Q. Coach, good memories or bad memories coming in here today?
COACH STOOPS: It is exciting. I'm not much -- doesn't bother me
walking in here again. We played a heck of a game last year, and
we're excited to be back here again with another opportunity. So
we look forward to the challenge and coming in here is exciting.
Q. When you look at the matchups of this game, what jumps out
at you?
COACH STOOPS: Always, I guess -- what always jumps out at me is
defense. I think they've played really good defense through the
season. We have, as well. And I think we have been in these Bowl
games, able to run great defenses is a major factor in these
games.
Q. What is the DeMarcus Granger status?
COACH STOOPS: He was sent home yesterday. He will not play. And
we'll deal with his situation when we get back. If there is
anything further, we'll see.
Q. Disciplinary?
COACH STOOPS: Yeah.
Q. How does that impact you? Talk about the run defense.
COACH STOOPS: We go with the other guys, Gerald McCoy, Cory
Bennett, all those guys have been solid. Adrian Taylor will get
more snaps. All those guys have played through the season for
us, so it doesn't change anything we're doing.
Q. You have three starters out of the game.
COACH STOOPS: Darien Williams is a starter. He started the whole
season last year. Really, it is kind of like we're without two.
But DeMarcus Granger, those guys play as many snaps as he does,
as well. So maybe count him as a half. We're down
one-and-a-half, I'll give you.
Q. Players have said you keep reminding them of the three
straight BCS losses. Is that a motivating factor?
COACH STOOPS: That's because the T.V. keeps reminding me of it,
so ...
We've won our share of games, too. In the end, I don't think --
I don't think one year relates to the other. I don't see it.
We're always a different team, different players, you know,
different team we're playing against. The circumstances are
always different. You win each one on its own.
Q. Coach, speaking of relating, can you relate to West
Virginia's team, what they might be going through without a
coach?
COACH STOOPS: I can't relate to that. I don't know how to -- you
know, what to tell you there. I'm sure it's different. They
would have to talk to you about that. I'm not experienced in
that.
Q. Can you talk about how there is a bigger pool of players
now, some more players?
COACH STOOPS: I think there is more and more players that
develop at the high school level. The high school coaches do a
great job. I think there is more and more attention to
developing players physically at a younger age in high schools.
They're just training, I think, so much better, whether it is
developing speed and strength and size. So I just think maybe
the overall level of the way the players are being developed at
a younger age is giving us a bigger pool of players to work
with.
Q. Talk about West Virginia, the challenges there, and what
you're most concerned about going into this game.
COACH STOOPS: They're just offensively great-skilled players,
really, defensively, as well. You see the guys, you know, just
the skill, the speed, their execution. They just do an excellent
job executing and making people miss them and creating big plays
offensively.
And then defensively, very disciplined in how they play, they
have been very sound in how they play. Just structurally a very
good football team.
Q. You have been here for a week. You hear the same questions
over and over again from us guys. Just want to get the kick-off
right now? Do you just want to kick the game off because you
answer the same questions over and over?
COACH STOOPS: It's okay. That's part of it. You're always
anxious to play. We're getting there. We will have another good
day of practice here today and we will be ready to play.
Q. Bob, if the signing day were pushed back to, say, March,
do you think that would push back the job change much and
coaches would coach through the Bowl games?
COACH STOOPS: You think it might help that way. I don't know. It
seems to me when people want to make a change, they do it rather
quickly and that starts everything rolling.
You know, once somebody lets go of a coach, you know, it is a
race to get -- to hire their coach. I don't know. I don't know
if it would change anything even if you moved recruiting back.
Q. Does it bother you the way things -- the Bowl games seem
to be somewhat cheapened by that?
COACH STOOPS: It does change things. Does it bother me? I don't
know that it matters, if it bothers me or not.
In the end, I don't know if you can put timetables on what --
trying to do with their lives, what people are trying to hire
people. It is just difficult. I don't know what the answer would
be to change that. You know, the Bowls do -- there are quite a
few changes, though, that affect teams in Bowl games.
I don't know if there is a right answer. I don't know that it's
ever -- when you're changing jobs, I don't know if there's --
timing is ever very good for it.
Q. Bob, do you have any players on your team from Arizona?
COACH STOOPS: Matt Clapp and Mike Knall.
Q. What number?
COACH STOOPS: Matt Clapp -- Mike Knall is 13. Matt Clapp I want
to say is 34. I don't see him playing a lot this year because he
is being red-shirted.
Q. What are some of the things you are most concerned about?
COACH STOOPS: We've got to play great run defense. They run the
footballs effectively and as well as anybody we've played. Got
to tackle well, tackle well in space, be disciplined in how we
adjust and align ourselves and read their schemes.
And offensively, being able to, you know -- to be balanced, to
be effective running and throwing, take care of the football and
protect the quarterback. And then hopefully special teams
creates some field position.
Q. Being from Youngstown, did you have any connection with
West Virginia?
COACH STOOPS: No, I really never did. Being so close to West
Virginia, there in Youngstown, I never did have any association
at all with them.
Q. Bob, I realize that you say that one year is not like any
other. But at the same time, your kids seem to have this craw in
their throat about what happened here last year and seem
determined to do something about that. Is that a good thing,
that they're remembering that from that aspect?
COACH STOOPS: Sure. You always want to improve on what you've
done and those memories do sour you to a certain degree and you
want to change them.
Q. Do you have any of that?
COACH STOOPS: To some degree, but, again, to me it is a whole
new situation and opportunity because, again, different teams.
Q. How concerned are you, Bob, about them throwing the
change-ups with the coaching change and might try to work in a
few more wrinkles? Sometimes it happen in Bowl games, but is it
a bigger concern with Rodriguez leaving and Bill Stewart taking
over?
COACH STOOPS: To some degree. The fundamental parts of their
offense won't change. Obviously, the play call being a little
different may choose some other ways to go.
But you've got to be able to adapt to that. Everybody in Bowl
games, obviously looking at last year's game have different
wrinkles, as do we.
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34
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Matt Clapp
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FULL/BACK
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6-2
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237
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Jr.
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Phoenix, Arizona
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13
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Mike Knall
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P
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5-9
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192
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Jr.
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Scottsdale, Arizona
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13 |
Mike Knall |
P |
5-9 |
192 |
Jr. |
Scottsdale, Arizona |

40
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Curtis Lofton
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LB
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6-0
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238
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Jr.
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Kingfisher,
Oklahoma
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47
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Trent Ratterree
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TE
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6-3
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220
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Fr.
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Weatherford,
Oklahoma
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West Virginia

Click on this picture or text to see a
HUGE image of this group photo of the WV team.
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West Virginia Head
Coach Bill Stewart's Interview including the informal Interview By #
40!

We Present both the formal
interview and the informal one administered by player #40. You
will find two separate text sections, however, the video has
both parts front to back. Enjoy!
CLICK
HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW IN MOVIE FORM!
Formal Interview
Bill Stewart
GLENDALE, ARIZONA
COACH STEWART: Thanks. Hi, everybody. Good
morning. Great to be in the Valley of the Sun.
Q. Can you just talk about what a crazy couple of weeks it has been
with Rich leaving and you kind of taking over, little bit of a
whirlwind here?
COACH STEWART: It has been a great, blessed two weeks. We've had
tremendous intensity and preparation by our football players, first
and foremost.
I can only congratulate these players on how they have conducted
themselves, first of all, as a team and football family and a group of
brothers. I can say that with every ounce of fiber in my body. We have
had -- is tonight New Year's Eve? I believe it is, isn't it?
(Laughter).
We have had absolutely the best trip. We have been treated by the
Frito-Lay Tostitos people beyond any imagination. And our players have
taken that as maybe a challenge to be on their good behavior. They
have just been remarkable. I couldn't have -- there couldn't be a
better Cub Scout, Boy Scout group in the country right now, these
Mountaineers. They have done a really nice job. I am very pleased
about that.
More importantly, I am pleased with our staff. Our football staff. We
won four championships in five years and you first of all have to do
that with players, as we just talked about, the players and how they
have done.
Our staff has represented the Mountain State of West Virginia with
more professionalism than even imaginable. This group of men and their
brides that allow them to be coaches have jumped front and center.
They deserve all the credit. I've stayed away in the background and
done all the talking because these guys are the heart and soul of this
football program and they have done a great job, keeping our young
guys motivated, keeping our young guys' intensity up and making sure
the practices have gone very, very smoothly.
We have been blessed with a professional staff. We in the Mountain
State of West Virginia have been blessed with a professional staff and
a tremendous group of young men that I am so very proud of getting
ready for this football game.
Q. Coach, you mentioned the Boy Scouts and how that's gone.
Oklahoma had DeMarcus Granger they had to send home yesterday. They
are missing several quality defensive players. Can you talk about how
you approach that going into this game?
COACH STEWART: With our players?
Q. Just how you feel about the matchup now that Oklahoma is missing
a few of its players.
COACH STEWART: I would like for about ten more to go home and half
their coaches, and I would feel real good. I didn't even know that and
I thank you very much.
But I can tell you this: Bob Stoops and Kevin Wilson, whom I've worked
with, I think a lot of people know that and Brett Venables and their
staff, they have done a tremendous job. They've won 11 games seven of
the last nine years. They have played for and won national
championships. We're just very gracious and very humble to be able to
play these guys in such a nice game.
We think back home that they're the number one team in the nation. Now
maybe the sports writers and folks like you all out there don't agree
with that. I think they have been ranked third. We think they are the
first-ranked team in the country. And Bobby deserves everybody good
that comes to him. At the Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast,
they were the sweetest gentlemen and they are a good group of kids.
Whether there is a distraction here or there, they will be in their
crimson and white. We will be in our blue and gold, and we will have
at it in a good, old-fashioned football game.
Q. All the, experts are picking Oklahoma. Does that help you guys?
Is that a motivating factor?
COACH STEWART: In the locker room, I hope it will motivate them. I
don't know. We never look at that. I don't know what a spreadsheet is.
I have never done that in my life. I don't know a whole lot about
them.
Some say we are the underdogs. I am not that naive. I am a country
boy, but I am not that naive. I understand we don't know what it is
and really don't care. And I don't think our players care because our
players, the only thing we are worried about is what we're going to
do.
We have a tremendous opponent in the University of Oklahoma. The
Sooner tradition is what it is. We are glad to compete against these
guys. All your players and coaches worry about, do we block, tackle,
run the ball? Do we attack our assignments with every fiber in our
body? Do we play and lay it on the line like we're capable of playing?
We will make adjustments no matter who the opponent is.
Our guys, I think -- not I think; I know. Our guys are thrilled to be
out here representing the Big East. I guarantee if you tell them we
are playing the Cardinals, they maybe get more excited. Please don't
take offense to that, any Oklahoma fans. Our guys just want to play.
We left the last game of the season with not a very good taste in our
mouth. I don't think we coached very well; Bill Stewart right at the
top of the list. I don't think we played our best game.
I know our fans hung in there with us to the end. We did not leave
with a good taste in our mouth, and we don't want to end the 2007
season like that, maybe start off in 2008 we will finish the great
year we've had, the tremendously great year and finish on a high note.
Q. Why do you think the spread offense and the variations of it
have become the rage in college football? Has that contributed to some
of the parity you see in some of the upsets?
COACH STEWART: I believe the question was asked what do I think about
the spread offense and about the parity and the spread offense.
I think the spread offense is like anything we've had in years past.
The split T and the single wing and the wishbone and the wing T, this
was a big one. When I was out here with Coach Marmie in 1988 and 1999,
this is a big
wing T of high school football. I'm not sure what it is now because I
don't recruit out here that much.
I think in our spread -- I know in our spread, I'm sure others I have
seen on film -- we are a variation of the single wing. And old-time
coaches like that -- the wing T, all in a gun. That's all we are. It
has been very useful for us.
You do get to spread the field. We will get in two tightend set. We
will get in a fullback set. We have a repertoire like most people for
those other formations.
But the spread has been very good to us at West Virginia University
and I'm sure Oklahoma has their spread. Just two years ago, we went
out -- had a great visit with Bob Stoops, Kevin Wilson, the offensive
coordinator, my dear, dear friend, we had about a three-, four-day
stay out there and had a great time. It was fantastic.
The spread is everywhere. Our defense, I think, is what people are
missing. I like that, that I am an offensive coach with the spread. My
background is defense. I think our defense is has been missing in the
limelight. I don't know why that is. But on the West Virginia side,
they talk about our spread, this, that, and that's great. But our 3-3
staff and what our players have done, our stats aren't too bad. Our
stats are very -- I'm so impressed and I love our defensive scheme. I
love our -- and I love the way our young men attack on defense.
On the other side, the flip coin of that, Bobby Stoops has a
reputation for being a defensive coach. Look what his offense has
done. It is truly remarkable what these guys are scoring and the
balance that Kevin Wilson, the balance they have is absolutely
tremendous.
So you get credit sometimes for spread, but it is a total team. Our
defense is what's carried us a long way this year and special teams a
little bit when we had to have them.
Q. Does the spread not give other schools a chance to compete with
the traditional powers because you don't have to get the blue chip or
the 285-pound guys?
COACH STEWART: Yes, they do.
Q. Can you talk about what Pat White's leadership has meant to the
team?
COACH STEWART: Patrick White is a fine, fine, fine, fantastic football
player. Everyone that watches the game knows that. But Patrick White
is even a better person than he is player.
Our senior class are tremendous leaders. That's why West Virginia and
this Mountaineer football team have done well. We love Pat White's
leadership. He will take the bull by the horns, and if things aren't
going well, he will say something. But he is just one of many that
happens with.
Eain Smith will step up to the plate. Our defensive guys we, got
defensive backs back there that think they can -- they can bronco
ride. They can jump out of planes. These guys aren't afraid of
anything.
So we have tremendous leaders on this football team to go along with
Pat White, but Pat White is that kind of leader. Patrick White, he is
an even better person than a football player and he is one fine
football player.
Speaking of our leadership, we have a group on our team called the
Apostles. They are elected by their peers. It is a group of seniors,
juniors, sophomores and freshmen. Their class represents them. They
are our role models and our leaders and they help me with the coaches
for decisions throughout the season. They are our leadership.
So leadership is a big thing, mainstay, at West Virginia University.
We expect everyone to be a leader. If we have a group of freshmen --
that might be in a study hall, in a class, in a biology lab, we expect
that freshman, whomever, to step up to the plate and take the bat off
his shoulder and say, let's do what's right, let's do what the
University wants us to do.
It may sound corny to some and folksy to some, if our guys at West
Virginia University continue to be the kind of character of men that
they are. These guys are going for great things. They are going to be
great husbands. They will be great daddies. They will be great society
contributors. They will be good people in life. That's why West
Virginia University wins. That's exactly why we win.
Q. Who are the Apostles?
COACH STEWART: I got so many, I couldn't tell you. Most of our
offense, defense and special teams guys that have been elected by
their peers. It is a special group that meet. They're real good guys.
Q. Who is Jesus?
COACH STEWART: That guy (pointing up). He is our master coach, that's
who he is.
Q. Coach, what has impressed you so far? What has been your
highlight instead of practicing here in Phoenix, maybe off the field?
COACH STEWART: Off the field? The number one thing that has impressed
us here is the hospitality by the Fiesta Bowl Frito-Lay people. I
mean, we have been so well-received. These yellow coats walking around
here, they give us the time and attention. It is absolutely
outstanding. The Valley of the Sun is everything it cracked up to be.
I know; I lived here two years. And it has been absolutely nothing
short of outstanding.
It has been tremendous, the reception by the people. This has been 33
years of my life coaching and I have never been with a group that has
ever been treated in any Bowl like this. That's not to slight other
Bowls. We've had fun in other Bowls. We've had success in other Bowls.
I'm saying -- please use the whole quote: This Bowl has gone over
backwards to make us feel good, feel at home and feel like we are a
family.
When you make a Mountaineer feel like he is family, then you have a
friend for life.
Q. If there has been an event that stood out above the rest?
COACH STEWART: The guys told me last night they had a heck of a steak
fry. That was pretty special. The actual hospitality from the Fiesta
Bowl people, the Scottsdale Community College, I would like to take
that facility back home. I don't know if we will have room, we will
have to knock some hills down. That Scottsdale Community practice
facility has been outstanding.
With that, thank you very much.
In Sistersville, they had a dunk machine and I got dunked a lot.
Q. How many times did you get dunked in Sistersville?
COACH STEWART: A bunch that night. They got me pretty good.
Q. A long way from there to the Fiesta Bowl, isn't it?
COACH STEWART: It has been a great trip, a great trip. I've had my
bride most everywhere. She probably thought she married Jim Bridge
when she locked onto me. All I ever told her, are you ready to go, and
she says two words to me: Let's go.
So I am very blessed. I tell our young coaches all the time, if you
are going to get in this business, get in it because you can't live
without it. Don't do it because you can't love it, because love
sometimes strays. If you can't live without it, then you get in
football. And then you make sure you have a good gal to root with you,
because it is a long road.
Q. She understands?
COACH STEWART: Oh, yeah.
Q. Every move she didn't want to make?
COACH STEWART: She didn't want to leave Arizona; I can tell you that.
Have you lost your mind? I said, no. I hated it, but I was very
blessed to be here with Coach Larry Marmie who I think is one of the
finest Christians in football. Those that followed Arizona State,
those that followed the Cardinals, and those with the Seahawks, Larry
Marmie was a real inspiration to me not only as a football coach but
as a man, Larry Marmie did things right. Larry Marmie did things the
way you would want your son to be coached. Larry Marmie is an Ohio
Valley boy. We have some Ohio Valley boys on this football team, and
old Larry Marmie is out of Barnesville, Ohio. He had a heck of a run
here.
I know this: He sure had him one heck of a staff. You have guys like
Lovie Smith on your staff and Mike Marks, Frank Falks and Tommy
Friedman, I can go on and on and on. All these guys are successful,
and it's because a lot -- so much of Larry Marmie rubbed off on to us.
I know there was a great deal that rubbed off on me.
And in coaching, I have used many of the things that he did here. Mike
Ackerly is now with the Tennessee Titans. Mike was on the staff. We
had a tremendous staff. Denny Brown came out from West Virginia. We
had a tremendous staff here. It was really good.
I learned a lot from those men. I knew this: I sure learned a lot more
from them than I gave to them and it was good for me to be around
them.
That's the only move that Karen was mad at me.
Q. Where did you go, from Arizona to where?
COACH STEWART: Air Force, yep.
Q. Colorado Springs is very pretty, as well?
COACH STEWART: It is very pretty. Mike Karen is here from Mitchell
High School?
Q. Was Hatfield the coach?
COACH STEWART: No, Coach DeBerry hired me. And my best buddy was Jimmy
Grove, head coach of Wake Forest. I will forever be grateful. Good
guys.
How about those guys, that Wake Forest bunch? 20 wins in two years? If
that guy is not the coach of the year again, I don't know what is.
Q. How is it to walk around now with police protection?
COACH STEWART: I tell you what, people think Randy Shambaun (ph) and
Glen Dora (ph) are protecting me. They don't know when I get back, I
go right into incarceration. Those guys just aren't leaving my side,
because they said way back in my childhood, when is all this limelight
coming? They said that's the kid right there, the mountains of West
Virginia, he stole turnips out of his neighbors' gardens, and I did.
He threw snowballs at cars, and I did. He threw apples at
tractor-trailer trucks. I never hit the cab, but I hit the boxcars. We
jumped trains. I went to the high school and many a day walked up to
the principal and walked out the back door and went fishing. That's
all Cub and Boy Scout honor, I did that. These guys are taking me back
to pay for that.
Q. Can you talk about this whole connection you have with the
Stoops family and the staff?
COACH STEWART: Yes, I can. Very proud. Kevin Wilson, the offensive
coordinator, who should be the head coach football coach somewhere in
this country, I don't understand that, but there is athlete directors
out there that needs to hire Kevin Wilson. That's first and foremost.
Bobby Stoops will get mad at me for saying that. Kevin Wilson -- I
don't like the word "my," but he was assigned to me at North
Carolina in '85 and '86. He was my grad assistant. I went home about
once or twice or week and prayed that Coach Crum wouldn't see how much
sharper Kevin was than me and run me off. That's how fond I was of
him.
Bobby Stoops, when I was at William and Mary, I recruited --
Youngstown, Ohio. I grew up down in the Ohio Valley on the West
Virginia side of the river.
Bobby Stoops' dad, Ron Stoops, God bless him, and his Uncle Bob were
high school coaches. I was recruiting the other Stoops boys, Michael.
Anyhow, so I got to know Ron Stoops, Bobby's dad, really well.
Q. How old was Bob at that time?
COACH STEWART: Bob was just in college. He went to college in '79, I
believe. So '81 I was up there recruiting the family, the school. My
bosses, Dick Crum, later told me about Youngstown. I said, I will go
up there. Went to William and Mary and recruited.
And then I left went back to North Carolina full-time like in '85,
'86, '87, still recruited and followed Bob's career.
When Coach Crum left North Carolina, he asked to go to Kent State. I
didn't do that. I came out here. Bobby Stoops was on Coach Crum's
staff at Kent. Knowing his dad, his Uncle Bob, it just has been a
tie-in.
Q. How ironic is that? How much do you think about it that it has
come full circle?
COACH STEWART: I think that's God's will and it is the path you have
been given. That's been stamped before time. It is an honor.
When I say it's an honor and privilege, I mean that very much. We are
coaching against not only great people and great staff and a great
group of players, we're coaching against great friends. These guys are
my buddies.
Kevin, I was trying to hug him when he got named Houston coach. He
about popped my head off. These guys are younger than me and -- I
worked out with Brett Venables. I was just spotting Brett Venables. We
had that spread offense clinic. I went out there and I went, oh, my,
he is a handsome guy. He is a big old guy. So I was working out with
him.
I was just about 100 pounds less. Whatever he did, I said, take those
two 45s off.
I know these guys really well. They have a great staff. They are good
people.
Q. Your relationship with a game like this, is that tough?
COACH STEWART: I will tell you what's tough: I hope Kevin Wilson
doesn't remember -- we talked earlier in the season about Tulsa. I
hope he doesn't remember some of the things I told him about how to go
against Tulsa. It may come back to get me. May come back to haunt us.
We just share a lot. We talk about once or twice a week. We haven't
talked much this week. No, just give each other -- my bride got to
meet his bride. We had a great time. I think today is Monday. We're
all backwards here.
Saturday night we had a nice dinner reception. It was fun to be with
them, fun to be out with them and the wives. It was really great. Had
a good time. It was a good time.
Q. You did talk to him, though, before -- talked to all your boys
when you knew the matchup happened, right?
COACH STEWART: I will tell you a story about that matchup. I was at
work, and we were -- I thought we were going to be on the East Coast.
I'm glad -- any time you get a chance to go to the Bowl is great. I'm
glad we got to come here.
And old Wils texted me, and he said that word on the street is we will
hook up. I don't text very well. I thought, I'm not calling him.
So I let it go. Now, we are going to slit wrists. This will not leave
this arena, is it? It is not going to leave this arena, right? Thank
you.
So anyhow, he texts back, haven't heard from him in ten minutes, and
he said, are you scared? Hit me back. I couldn't hit him back very
well.
So I picked my son up and we were going to his basketball game. I
said, text this old rascal back. I said that's your buddy Kevin
Wilson. He texted back, and it was really cute. My son and Kevin are
texting and word came out --
Q. How old is your son?
COACH STEWART: 13. He is texting back and all that. That was good.
Finally, we talked and he was grading his film from the last game. He
said, I am grading the film. He took my call. I said, we're going to
have a great time and we talked about that. How ironic that two
friends get to go head-to-head? It was really good.
He says, I am grading this here kids, I have ten pluses and two
minuses. I'm telling you I can't get my computer -- what do you think
that is? I said that's about 84%. He said, really? I said, it is about
84% and I said if you check, it may be 83-something.
Well, we get off the phone, I'm going back home, I see this beep,
beep, beep. 83.333. Now Kevin thinks I am really smart. I just graded
Sammy the week before 10 out of 12 and I knew it was
83-point-something. I didn't tell him that. I said, that's the same
score I had. That's some fun we had. Great to go against these guys.
You look at some of these guys, I look at this. These guys scoring
43.8 in a game, scoring defense, 18.2. Total offense, 450. Total
defense, 325. You are talking about second in the country, third in
the country, ninth in the country and all this stuff, rushing
touchdowns, passing yards, kick-off returns number four in the
country. They have 16 fumbles, lost 11. Wow!
This is like a who's-who, you know? It really is. It is just
impressive. How about this, Bob Hartzell, this is like when you
played. 111 plays of 20 yards or longer. 40-plus plays, they had 35, a
school record. I have not told my guys that. You know why? They don't
need to know. All our guys need to know is what do we do?
I tell you what, there are some guns in our boys, also. And our guys
know that. That's what is so much fun. Patrick McAfee, would you like
to take the podium for me?
Is that allowable?
There are so many great stats, just throw them out. Let them play.
Watch the game and enjoy. I mean, really, really enjoy. That's what's
it is all about. Let the guys read it because it is all about the
young men in the arena. It is about these guys, not about Bill
Stewart, Bob Stoops or the spread. It is about these guys here, all
these guys.
Thank you.
Q.
Have you ever had a bad job?
COACH STEWART: A bad job? No, I have had some better. This is the best
job I have ever had. I'm home. These are great young men. I'm just the
lucky one to get to sit up here and act like a puppet. The guys in the
arena, they're the guys. They get all the credit.
The Informal Interview By # 40!

COACH STEWART: We have an roving reporter here in the studio.
PAT McAFEE: Are you nervous?
COACH STEWART: I am not nervous.
PAT McAFEE: You should be.
COACH STEWART: I should be? I have a roving reporter in the studio.
Patrick McAfee, come on down.
Now, listen, is this on -- Boy Scout honor.
PAT McAFEE: That's all I wanted to do. That's fine. We're done. That's
all I wanted you to do.
COACH STEWART: Can we slit wrists? Ask me some questions, Coach?
PAT McAFEE: I got to do an intro real quick. Welcome back to the Pat
McAfee Show broadcasting from the University of Phoenix Stadium. We
are now accompanied by the man of the hour, the Tower of Power, too
sweet to be sour, Coach Bill Stewart. Coach, how are you today?
COACH STEWART: I'm very well. I hope you are doing also good.
PAT McAFEE: I'm splendid. I really am. Thanks for asking. I feel
better if I am standing.
COACH STEWART: Speak in here.
PAT McAFEE: This is for the Pat McAfee show. These people aren't
paying. (Laughter) These people are paying me here.
I'm splendid. I want to know, how do you really feel now that you got
the reigns of the horse like so right now? How do you feel? How are
you going to respond whenever all these critics are knocking us down?
We know you are the man. How are you going to feel game night when
everybody is questioning? How are you going to feel and how are you
going to respond?
COACH STEWART: I am going to be very, very loose because I am blessed
to be leading the best dog-gone team. Cub and Boy Scout honor.
PAT McAFEE: I'm happy. I'm happy you are feeling that way because we
feel the same way behind you. You are the better man for the job, the
job in the game.
COACH STEWART: Thank you, sir.
PAT McAFEE: Next year though, too. Coach, how has the desert treated
you so far? There is a song "I've been through the desert on a
horse with no name." How do you feel to be "out of the
rain"?
COACH STEWART: I feel really good. We are in the Valley of the Sun. We
are having a great time. The rolling hills, I miss.
The seasonal winds and blowing, I miss the sleet a little bit, but I
do like the Valley of the Sun. It has been a great change of pace.
They have been so hospitable to us. We have had fun. You guys have
been nothing but absolute angels. You have been in bed every night for
curfew. You guys have practiced hard. I'm so very pleased. We have
been controlled. We've been in check. We've been loyal to one another.
We've called home and talk to our mothers and dear friends every
night.
And we put people back in the Mountain State to ease that we're coming
out here and we will let the old gold and blue get out there on that
field and show them what the Mountain State is all about. What do you
think about that?
PAT McAFEE: I am down with that. And hospitable. Hospitable?
COACH STEWART: Hospitable?
PAT McAFEE: Good word, I like it. Good word-drop there. I think the
Mountain State is proud of us. I think they're proud of what we're
doing. What do you think they should be most proud about in this
season?
COACH STEWART: I think about the way that our football team has hung
together and stayed the course and represented them as tremendous
student athletes. That's what I believe in my heart.
PAT McAFEE: Student first, right?
COACH STEWART: Student first, always, student Christian athlete.
PAT McAFEE: That's why my number is 40, 4-0.
COACH STEWART: I love that.
PAT McAFEE: Maybe one day I will get that. I will see you guys later.
Pat McAfee Show broadcasting live with your head coach, Bill Stewart.
COACH STEWART: Thank you, Patrick. Have a great game.
Thank you all. God bless. Come cheer on the Mountaineers.









West Virginia Sgt. R.M. Shambach and Sgt. G.P. Doyle
|
|
THE MEDIA!












|
Media Day Lunch
Provided By The City Of Glendale

It was a Wonderful
Lunch!
|
|
There were other
folks that helped out for Media Day!
|

Jennifer Schuck and Linda Christensen from
ASAP Sports Their motto is : "When all is said, we're
done" Indeed they were and they were
taking down the transcription of all of the interviews here at
media day. We have them to thank for the nice text files.
The
machine you see pictured, above left, is the same as court
reporters use. The old version of court reporter's machine used to
print a tape but the new ones generate test directly that can be read
by the computer and printed out. You can see one of the old
units in the office automation display at COURYHOUSE.
Glendale Police Department
Provided Security
Officers Brian Johnson and Jay
O'Neill of the Glendale Police Department provided security. |
NEWS

GLENDALE
GETS READY TO WELCOME THE SOONERS AND THE MOUNTAINEERS TO THE
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL


From
the clocks in the visitor center being turned to reflect time in
Norman
,
OK
and
Morgantown
,
WV
, to banners around the stadium, the city will once again be dressed
to welcome college football fans to
Glendale
.

Gift
Baskets!

Jennifer Stein City of
Glendale Marketing Dept. displays Glendale Candy and
Lorraine Pino, Glendale Tourism
Manager shows one of the many gift
baskets that are being assembled for shipment to the
University of Oklahoma and West Virginia University.


Lorraine Pino,
Glendale Tourism Manager displaying a 'Sooner Cap'

Celebrating
its second year in
Glendale
, the Fiesta Bowl is a college tradition like no other and the city
is excited to welcome the Sooners and the Mountaineers to
Glendale
for the big game!
We all showed up
to see the goodies...


Media 'work it' to get shots of
the gift baskets and Terry Williams from the Visitor
Center displays the hat!


GLENDALE
VISITORS CAN
NOW RIDE IN STYLE!

Left
to right Steve Matern, Jerri
Gilmore and Latasha Colley
GLENDALE
,
Ariz.
– The
shopping, dining, and leisure experience in
Glendale
will come full circle next Monday when the city debuts the Glendale
Express, a free shuttle service between two of the state’s
hottest shopping and entertainment venues.
Glendale
Express
will transport residents and visitors between Historic Downtown
Glendale and the city’s sports and entertainment district, which
include
Westgate
City
Center
, Cabela’s and the Zanjero District, hotels and stores.
To
kick off the inaugural trip, the first 200 riders on Monday will
receive a sweet treat, compliments of Cerreta Candy Company.
The
Glendale
Express will run Monday through Saturday from 10am-6pm and
the 45-minute loop, sixteen passenger shuttle will make nine loops
throughout the day. It is also
ADA
accessible for those travelers who need a little extra help.
Extended
hours for Glendale
Express from January 26th through February 2nd are
10am-10pm. There will
be no service on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day or February 3rd.
Stops
for the Glendale
Express include Glendale City Hall, Murphy Park, the
Palmaire Parking Structure, Glendale Avenue/Public Safety Complex,
Cerreta Candy Company, Glendale Civic Center/Bead Museum, Cabela’s,
Zanjero District and Westgate City Center.
For
more information, visit www.visitglendale.com

Glendale Express
goes well with game activities!
|
|
January 1, 2008
GLENDALE, ARIZONA
COACH STEWART: Thank you, Shawn. It is great to see my good friend Bobby
Stoops and had some nice photos with Bob. Bob is a veteran at that, but I
am just learning. It is good to be up here with Bobby Stoops, all you good
people. I see the West Virginia media. It is a joy to be out here with you
all representing the great Mountain State.
It has been a fun time in the Valley of the Sun. Your hospitality has been
absolutely outstanding. Our players, our staff, our entire travel party,
our families, most importantly our brides and children have had a
wonderful time out here in the Phoenix metropolitan area. It is kind of a
homecoming for me, having been here before, on the staff at Arizona State
and it is great to be back.
We have had some pretty good practices, and I believe at this time we are
ready to play a football game. We will let it go at that. Questions,
please?
Q. I'm from Oklahoma. I want to qualify that because I don't want to
upset you in any way. Do you feel like -- you go out and have a great game
and beat Oklahoma, do you feel you should be considered the next permanent
coach for West Virginia?
COACH STEWART: I think that will be handled in a great manner. My
superiors, I'm very confident with the administration will pick the finest
football candidate they can for the program at West Virginia University,
no matter the outcome of this game, good, bad, indifferent for us. At this
point on, I would just like to discuss the football game, but I do thank
you for your question. Thank you, sir.
Q. Coach, has there been any particular challenges for you in your
situation you just got thrust upon you? And you can talk about the
challenges you've had and what you have enjoyed about the new position so
far?
COACH STEWART: It wasn't thrust upon me, but I have enjoyed very much
working in this role, but what coach wouldn't embellish that opportunity?
We have a tremendous staff. I said it for about two-and-a-half weeks, we
have the greatest group of professional men working at the state flagship
university in West Virginia right now that could possibly be there.
These guys -- I'm just one of the gang. These guys have done a tremendous
job. We've all taken on a role that we're preparing our football team for
a very formidable opponent in the University of Oklahoma.
It has been nothing out of the ordinary. I have had a few more speaking
engagements. I've gotten to meet a lot of nice people. I am the same guy
that will ride in a taxicab. I don't need a limo; I am not going to change
a bit. I am just a ball coach out here with a group of ball coaches with a
tremendous football team that have been on a mission and we have a
mind-set, and that's all we have been thinking about.
It has truly not been any stress, distractions, what have you. It has
truly not been that way. We keep hearing that from others that maybe want
it to be that way. Our stress and attention has been on those great
athletes at Oklahoma and that fine coaching staff under Bobby Stoops. So
that's as honest as I can be. That's Cub and Boy Scout honor. That's as
honest as I can be.
Q. Yeah, Bill, Oklahoma this year and in the past historically has been
very good against the run, little susceptible against the pass. You guys
like to run. How will that play into your strategy or what you guys like
to do?
COACH STEWART: That has been very much talked about by our staff and our
players. We are going to do -- when you play a team like Oklahoma, who has
won 11 games out of the seven of the last nine years, this is a great
opportunity for us. Our biggest concern truly is how the Mountaineers take
care of themselves. If we turn the ball over like we did six times in one
of our losses this year, then we can't beat anybody. We really can't. That
opponent has something to do with those turnovers. They knocked the ball
loose.
If we don't block and tackle and run our basic offense, that's what we
have -- we are who we are, and that's what we are going to try to do.
Now, that being said, if someone loads a box on us, we may have to throw a
wrinkle back at them. But we're going to do what we do, and that's run the
football, play sound defense, be as solid as we can, especially in teams.
From that moment on, just try to take care of our business.
If we get any opponent -- certainly an opponent like Oklahoma -- when you
get faced with something that -- because Tennessee is our -- very big in
football. People do what usually in crunch time they do best, what they
have done the most of, yet there is a wrinkle they can throw at you.
We will stick to our base plan. We will add here to what we do. If we come
up with something we think we can exploit, we will try it. If not, we will
keep doing what we do and that's move the ball around a little bit. If
running game is what does it, then that's what we will stick with.
Q. Bill, everybody talks about your offense and how good it is. But if
you talk to the Oklahoma coaches, they have talked up your defense and
talked about how aggressive it is and how well you get to the quarterback.
Can you talk about your defense a little bit and your philosophy of
putting pressure on the quarterback?
COACH STEWART: Yes, I can. Thank you for putting that up. You have been
talking to Kevin Wilson. I trained him well, didn't I? (Laughter.)
There is a mystique at West Virginia that we are an offensive juggernaut.
That's very nice. That's very complimentary because we have done some
very, very good things offensively. Heck, I think we have had a tremendous
year in our special teams, particularly from about game 4 on. We're pretty
special in that. But our main -- what I really think what has held this
football team together this year, without a doubt, unquestionably without
a doubt, has been our defense.
Our defense does not get enough credit because those lads are pretty good
over there. We have tremendous defensive coaches. Maybe you haven't heard
of them, but back home from where I'm from, they are pretty well thought
of. These guys do a tremendous job. Our players rally around them. We do
attack the ball. We don't set and catch. We will pitch forward, come
downhill and attack.
And we're multiple. It is a great scheme, and our coaching staff just did
a tremendous job. And our defense has not gotten nearly enough credit, and
that's just -- how we get labeled like that, I don't know. It has been a
total team effort.
Thank you, sir, for bringing that up for our defense. They have carried
us. They have carried us in many, many games this year and have been a big
reason why offensively we can do the things we do.
You call a game plan -- I know you all know this. I'm not preaching to the
choir. You call an offense based upon what your defense can do. Now, some
guys -- not many of those guys hang around long, these razzle-dazzle and
whatever innovative guys that wing it. There's some in all phases of the
game.
You better call the game plan offensively in accordance with how good your
defense is. If your defense can hold people, stop people, create multiple
problems for the opponent's offense, you can be a little more
free-wheeling.
If your defense is young, maybe they struggle against the pass a little
bit or the run, then you have to call the plan where you control the
clock, you don't take as many chances. We have been able, at West Virginia
University, to take some chances to live on the edge a little bit
offensively because of our outstanding defense.
Thank you, sir. I hope our defensive kids get to hear that.
Q. Coach, again from Oklahoma media, thank you for your open issues,
being so candid and treating us so well at practice. We appreciate that.
COACH STEWART: Thank you.
Q. Can I get your comment on the challenge but also the opportunity of
playing a team with a national reputation of seven national championships
like Oklahoma?
COACH STEWART: It is a great opportunity. I'm glad we're here. Our players
are glad they're here. And this staff at West Virginia is looking for an
opportunity to play such a mighty football powerhouse as Oklahoma.
As I indicated earlier, when you win -- I mean, Bobby Stoops and his
staff, gee whiz, Kevin Wilson and all the guys, these guys have done a
tremendous job with a great traditional football power. But to have won 11
games in seven of the last nine years against that competition that y'all
play, that is outstanding. That is really a wonderful opportunity for our
team to then see how we stack up. We have done some pretty good things
football-wise at West Virginia. We have a tremendous legacy and a
tremendous history, as well.
It should match up to be a great game. It really should. I hope it is. I
hope it goes right to the wire and I hope everyone is sitting on the edge
of their seat and let the best team win at the end. I hope. I hope it is a
tremendous game, because we sure want it to be. We want to get out there
and show America that we're not a bad football team, either, but we know
what we're up against. We know who we're playing and we have -- they have
our respect and utmost admiration.
Q. Talk about the challenges of moving your team past, one, the loss at
the end of year that kept you from playing the national championship
possibly and then losing Rich Rodriguez. What did you do and has it worked
to move past that?
COACH STEWART: The first question, boy, that was a tough loss. You have to
give credit to the men in the arena. The University of Pittsburgh got
after us pretty good. They had a tremendous game plan. We just didn't
finish. We couldn't finish drives. Why didn't we? Because those guys there
in that other helmet and jersey were doing a pretty good job. I give the
University of Pittsburgh all the credit in the world. That was a bad taste
in our mouth. We don't think we played our best.
Again, they had a tremendous game plan. So we set out to prove -- maybe
we're a little bit better than how we showed in the last game because we
never ever want to knock our big rival. University of Pittsburgh outplayed
us, outcoached us. I am right at the top of the list. They did a great
job. So we learn. Hopefully, we learn.
The second part of your question is one that -- we don't -- we didn't
dwell much on anything. We lost -- haven't lost. We're a phone call away,
day's drive away from a good friend who did a tremendous job for our state
university.
The players, we had 20 minutes after the announcement that Coach told the
team and the staff, and I stepped up to the podium and said, men, we need
to get to work. Let's go to practice. Many of the reporters were there
that day. We had a fine practice.
Young people are resilient. I have said this over and over. Young people
are very resilient. Maybe it is a faster generation, whatever. We didn't
have time to sulk, and they wouldn't sulk. They wished Coach Rodriguez
happiness. They shook his hand, many, when he went out the door. We had
two or three practices, he came back, cleaning out his office. I told some
of the lads, Coach is up there, why don't you go up and shake his hand and
walk out after practice?
That's it. It has not been the loss of life. It has not been a tragic
situation. It has been life-altering for some. You can grow from this or
not grow.
I am very proud of the way our young men have grown from it. They respect
him. They wish him the best. I wish him the best. We wish him the best.
And then we had to go on about our business, so they've practiced very
hard.
I am usually pretty good at seeing through things, have a good feel, good
pulse. Been doing this a long time. And I've seen genuine hard effort,
straining, enthusiasm in practice. Basically, we owe it again to the
staff, my guys I have been with the last seven years, some of the best
friends I have ever had, have stepped up, jawed their jaws, bowed their
back, this staff has led them, these people have followed. The young men
have followed.
And then I give credit to the Apostles. We have an elite group of seniors,
juniors, sophomores and freshmen. They are called the Apostles, and they
are elected by their peers of each class. But the seniors in our Apostles
have stepped up and taken this football team and marched forward. So thank
you for that question.
Q. Coach, obviously any BCS game is a big game for your team. But
considering everything that's happened to your team in the last month, for
you personally, is it a little bit more important maybe this time around
to make sure your seniors and this team goes out for a win?
COACH STEWART: For our seniors, we always want to win, always. For our
juniors, our sophomores and our freshmen, as well. For me, no. I don't
worry about Bill Stewart. You can believe that or not. My home boys are
over here; they'll know what I am talking about.
It is not about coaching. It is not about -- it is about players. It is
about men in the arena. Our players, again, had a tough taste, a sour
taste in their mouth after our last football game.
That being said, we've got one more chance of stepping up to the plate and
take the bat off our shoulder and take our cuts. That's all we are allowed
in this life. You get so many opportunities. This is the final game of the
2007 season -- even though we are in '08 right now. It starts the bridge
for next year. This is the final, defining moment.
We want to go out for our seniors, most importantly. Like any team, we
want to win and have a good time. We have not approached -- we have not
put any pressure. There are not going to be any new speeches. We have
looked them dead in the eye, talked to them like men, told them what we
need to do.
These guys are sharp, young men. They know what's out there and they know
it is a wonderful opportunity to show the nation -- I guess, we're the
only show in town tonight and that's great. I hope every T.V. set in the
country is on because that's what it is all about.
And the Fiesta Bowl, it just doesn't get any better than playing what we
think is the No. 1 football team in the country. I don't care about polls.
Polls don't matter to me. Polls don't matter to us. We know what we will
be faced with when we go on that field tomorrow night and play the
University of Oklahoma.
This is good. It is good for our seniors and the entire squad.
Q. Coach, you guys have I believe given up at least 30 points in your
last five Bowl games. This year you have, I think, the seventh best
scoring defense in the country. How does that affect your offense? Does it
loosen up your offense knowing you don't have to score 50 points to win a
game and how does it affect your play calling?
COACH STEWART: Earlier, as I indicated, you call the plays basically in
accordance, I always have, with how good your defense is. We're not going
to go out there and just spin it down and select a play and go, go, go and
spin it down, go off of something we grab at.
We have calculated, not risk-taking. Some people say take a chance, take a
chance. Taking a chance is buying a lottery ticket.
We have calculated risk. That means we have plays that we think will work
with our scheme, our talent against what the opponent does. Again, I go
back to saying, if we control our sides of the ball in all three phases,
offensively, if we don't put the ball on the ground, defensively, we don't
give up a blown assignment, special teams, if we don't make a silly block
in the back, we have a chance to play almost anybody in the country. I'm
aware of what our defense has done in the past. Again, I will say this
year, it's time they've got some attention and some credibility because
these young men have kept us in many, many games.
The last couple Bowls were high-scoring. When you play people like we
played in Bowls, those guys are going to score some points on you. And we
were just lucky that we scored a few more than they did. The last one was
38-35, if I am not mistaken, the last two Bowl games? And I have to ask my
guys from back home. If we win by one, seriously, if we can win by one,
that's a win.
And that's what it is all about. I have been in locker rooms before with
guys early in my career that they were sour because they didn't have
enough yardage at their position or they didn't have enough catches. It is
a family. If we win that football game, if we are fortunate, that's a W.
That's what it is all about. A win is a win is a win. You can't ever
forget that. A win is a win is a win. 20 points, 1 point, however you win,
it is a win.
Q. Patrick White has gotten a lot of attention, and deservedly so. What
are your thoughts of Oklahoma's starter, Sam Bradford, at quarterback?
COACH STEWART: Patrick is not a showboat. Patrick is not a guy that goes
out seeking that attention. He is a quiet lad. He is a good guy. I'm sure
Sammy Bradford is the same way.
Again, Kevin Wilson and I talked throughout the season. We've shared with
Oklahoma in the past. We were out at your fine facility a couple years
ago, stayed out there and had a wonderful four-day trip.
This is like playing your brother, so to speak. So we don't know each
other inside out but we know each other pretty good. And this Bradford
lad, Sammy, he is special. When you throw 34 touchdowns with seven picks,
that's really good. I mean, that's remarkable.
Their wideouts are absolutely outstanding, three of the best tight ends I
have ever seen in one team, the running backs. He just gets the ball to
the right people. So that's really good. And I know how he is coached. He
has a tremendous quarterback coach who was a heck of a player himself. I
know Kevin Wilson very, very well. I know these guys, James Patton, very
well and I know what they ask him to do and he does it well.
What also helps him, I believe, is the defense and what also helps that is
they fumbled the ball 16 times this year in 13 games and only had 11
losses, I believe. I think they fumbled 16 times, lost 11 and 5 they got
back. That's pretty -- that's pretty solid on offense.
And that little quarterback is a dandy. He is a player and he is going to
be real special. He is going to be one heck of a challenge for our
defense.
Q. Coach, I just wanted to ask you how much, if you can -- describe how
much it would mean to you, your team, the West Virginia fans to bring home
that trophy to the Mountain State. How much would that mean to you after
everything you have been through?
COACH STEWART: Any time you win a game, it is special. Our folks love it.
We are a passionate state. We have 1.8 million people with no pro football
team and a lot of passion. We have a lot of -- our young people are almost
icons in the state, and they are, really.
And that's good. Sometimes they get a little frustrated maybe after a
game. They can't hardly get to their cars. And I said, enjoy it because
some day you'll wish you were getting your back slapped 20 years from now,
so enjoy it. Enjoy it, be humble and walk proudly and treat people right.
We think this win -- any win -- would be very beneficial to our program
because it will bridge the long winter months, help us in recruiting, get
us through our off-season and help us with spring practice and kind of
catapult us into the 2008 season.
With ten wins, we should be pretty well thought of by now, I hope we are.
Win, lose, or draw we think with the nice acclaim we've gotten from all
the press and the people and the way we've played, that we have an
outstanding program that young people would like to look at.
Winning this game would be very, very big and very beneficial, number one,
in recruiting, and number two for our players to bridge the gap between
the 2007-2008 season. I think that would be a heck of a boosting arm for
us. And most importantly, for the greatest people in the Mountain State,
this would be really special, because again, I think we didn't play our
best game the last football time we were out.
And, again, I told you that earlier about that situation. But, you know,
we would like to finish on top, as anyone would, and we would like to go
out with a good taste in our mouth against such a formidable, great
football program.
Q. I'm no Pat McAfee, but I will try this question-asking thing. I was
wondering what your team did at midnight to ring in the new year, and if
you guys are going to plan on watching any games today?
COACH STEWART: Our bed check was at 11:00, and I hope they were asleep
like their coach was. I was out. I don't mind that; I was out.
I did see the ball drop at 10 o'clock. That was on East Coast time. But
our bed check was 11:00. Mountaineer football players do not go in the
streets after 2300 hours on Thursday night. You are saying this guy has
lost his mind. It is Sunday night. No, it is Thursday night because that's
Mountaineer football. 2300 hours on Thursday night, because today is
Friday, tomorrow is Saturday. That's how we approached this thing. Our
players were sleeping with sugar plums dancing in their head. If they
weren't, they will get Coach Stoops' foot up their fanny tomorrow when I
hear about it.
Can I share on that just a minute? I hope I am not boring you all out
there. They told me to be very, very formal. That's tough for old Bill
Stewart. These guys from back home, that's tough for me. (Smiling.)
We've had -- we've had tremendous leadership and our bed checks --
although I haven't heard from last night's report -- has been outstanding,
outstanding (knocking on wood). I can only thank our football team. We've
not had one iota. It has been great.
That's special. That's very, very special. I'm very proud of that. So
without a doubt, without even asking the bed-check guys, I know that they
were in doing the right thing. I know that.
Tonight I take curfew, the rest of the staff takes curfew, because that's
what we do on Friday night at Lakeview. That's a resort, for those in
Oklahoma. You ought to come out and try your golf game, because I bet our
media can kick your media all over the course. I know they can. I have
seen some of these guys play. I don't know about you guys. You got that
wide open out there. Not where we're from. Not Lakeview. Friday night at
Lakeview, we bed-check them. We have a ritual we do. Tonight we will do
the exact same thing. We will do our Fellowship with Christian Athletes,
and we will do dinner and we meet a little bit, and from 7:00 to 9:00 they
are in their rooms watching games or a movie.
And then at 9:00 we have our team meeting. We lock it down. We lock it
down. And that's when myself and all the varsity coaches do bed-check. So
I know where they were last night. I know where they will be tonight.
Q. Coach, you guys have mentioned a couple times during the course of
the week that you think Oklahoma is the No. 1 team in the country. What is
it that makes you think that they're the No. 1 team in the country?
Because of that, a win, do you think you have an argument for being No. 1
if you win on Wednesday?
COACH STEWART: I watch film. Our players have watched film, and that's why
we think they are the best. And they stumbled like we did. They stumbled
like we did and they had Sammy got dinged up a little bit, even though he
did play very, very well.
No, I think they are the -- they are the team. They are the team. And we
set our standards wanting to beat the best. We've not pounded that in our
young men's head. Our men look at film like our coaches look at film.
Are you from Oklahoma, sir? You have seen them play. They're special.
They've got it all. They don't turn the ball over. They run the ball. They
throw the ball. Defensively, they are a big, fast, strong run in the ball.
They are ranked in every category. Their kick-off team is No. 1 in the
country.
I can go on and on. It sounds like I am blowing smoke, and I don't want to
do that because Bobby Stoops is my dear friend. They believe they have a
good football team and they are the best in the country and we are excited
about playing them. That's how we've approached it.
End of FastScripts
January 1, 2008
GLENDALE, ARIZONA
THE MODERATOR: I would like to turn it over to Oklahoma head coach, Bob
Stoops.
COACH STOOPS: Thank you. Happy New Year to everyone. Just, again, excited
to be here and looking forward to a great game here tomorrow night. And I
feel like our team really through the week has had a great week of
practice and really have been attendant at the meetings and on the field.
Feel really good about that.
I can't say enough about the Tostitos staff, everybody has been fabulous,
the accommodations out at the Fairmont Princess could not have been
better. Pinnacle High School, just fabulous accommodations. Everybody out
there has been great, gone out of their way to make it good for us. So,
again, it has been a great trip, but most important part of it all is the
game and we're looking forward to that challenge here tomorrow night.
West Virginia, compliments to them. Coach Stewart, had a function with
Bill and his staff a few nights ago. They have really done a great job.
Bill has done a great job keeping his team together. Very talented
football team that has played really well and a championship team. We feel
it is a challenge but an exciting one.
Q. Can you give us an update? How much do you think you're compromised
by the loss of three defensive starters?
COACH STOOPS: Well, I don't feel that we are compromised very much in that
Darien Williams is a guy that has been a starter for us, a full-time
starter for us a year ago. He goes in in one spot. DeMarcus Granger,
everyone knows how we rotate our inside D-linemen. We rotate a lot of guys
in there through the year, and all the guys that will be rotating in there
have played significant -- have had a significant number of plays
throughout the year.
So I don't believe it does much to us. Reggie Smith, I guess, in that
position, it is the one with Brian Jackson, Dominique Franks will get the
snaps. Dominique will start. But those guys have played well and had a
full year of practice in that position.
So we feel in the end we'll be fine. It doesn't change anything for us.
Q. Bob, someone described you earlier in the week as a team that's
really good at everything but not necessarily great at any one particular
element. Do you agree with that? If not, what would you say is the most
elevated part of the squad?
COACH STOOPS: I don't know. I have a hard time saying you're the best at
or great at. We're pretty solid, though. I don't know what that's supposed
to mean.
I look at our efficiency on offense. I think we're the third scoring
offense in the country, so -- but I think maybe what you're saying because
we are balanced, nobody wants to say we're great at running it or just
great at throwing it. We got a red-shirt freshman quarterback whose
efficiency, and if you look at his touchdowns to interceptions to points
per game, you know, just because that's not all we do is throw it, it is
as good as anybody in the country.
And so maybe that's why, is because of the balance we have. You know, the
bottom line for me is points per game and we've done pretty well there.
And the same thing defensively.
I think defensively we have been able to adapt to the different styles we
play, whether someone wants to be physical and run it or spread us out and
make us cover and tackle in space and we have been able to do both.
So, again, I'm not going to sit here and trump at anything that's great.
But I think we're more than solid in a lot of areas.
Q. Bob, you are playing another very good offensive team in the Fiesta
Bowl. This year you've played more really good offensive teams than any
team in college football and, yet, your defense is ranked very, very high
and you've had a great defensive year. Can you talk about the keys to this
defense and some of the reasons why it is so good?
COACH STOOPS: Yeah, I think as I was kind of saying a little earlier, I
think we're just very adaptable, very flexible in how we play. And we can
play a lot of styles. I think we're strong and physical enough to play
teams that do want to be physical and pound it at us.
And we've been -- we've shown the ability to stretch out and spread out
with a lot of people and, again, be very effective tackling in space,
disciplined to be where we're supposed to be.
We've played some other option teams that, again, we've shown the
discipline to be able to read it out and play it and tackle in space. So I
think as much as anything, it is our being able to adapt and be flexible
in how we play.
Q. Bob, talk about their running game, if you would, especially their
Slaton, Devine, those guys, are as they good a group of players as you
have faced this year?
COACH STOOPS: Absolutely. They all have great speed, great skill, ability
to run past you, ability to make you miss them. And I think the element
that is really there again is that they want -- they'll run their
quarterback more than most teams we've played.
I think the only team we played is the leading carrier is Texas A & M.
But, again, their willingness to use a quarterback so much sometimes can
create a numbers disadvantage for you. So that's where you have to be
really disciplined to take care of it and handle the run game with him.
Q. Bob, with some young corners, either Dominique or Brian Jackson,
what's the one thing or couple things that concerns you about them being
out there?
COACH STOOPS: Nothing different than what concerns me in the secondary.
You've got to be able to make tackles and make plays when you are out
there in space when you have the opportunities. Those guys are good
athletes, confident guys and I feel they're -- like a lot of times,
they're just waiting for their opportunity.
Q. Coach, can you talk about the way D.J. Wolfe has finally developed
the ball for playing so many positions on this team?
COACH STOOPS: D.J. has had a great year, an exceptional year for us
leading our team in interceptions. He's probably in the top five in
tackles. Has really come on and played physical for us in the second half
of the year.
So he is an excellent athlete. You know, comes in as a running back and he
was one of the guys that really helped us recruit Adrian. Still wanted
Adrian to come. They come in in the same year. D.J. moves to cornerback
and then to safety. He really found a home there. I remember in the spring
after one or two practices, Coach Wright and I talking that this really
looks good, this really -- he is a smart guy and got excellent instincts
and you get a really good athlete out there at the safety position that
has to play a lot of different ways. He handles it well.
Q. Along the lines of another last-year player for you, Allen Patrick,
we talked to him earlier in the week, I personally was not aware of his
personal situation where he lost a child until it came out in the local
media. He said that affected him in the month of November because it had
happened the previous November. So were you guys aware of that as a staff,
that he was going through some stuff? Has he bounced back incredibly?
COACH STOOPS: No, I wasn't aware -- he didn't make that known to me, but
in the end, I'm sure it's difficult. We can all only imagine what that
would be like.
But I know this, in our last -- you look at what he did for us in the
Oklahoma State game and in the championship game. You have heard me talk
all year, I have great respect for the way he competes and the example he
sets for the team and the team player he is. He has always been one of my
favorites because of how he handles himself and for that example. Again,
very unselfish player but a very hard-working, tough guy in the way we
play. He always competes that way.
Q. I want to get your comment on the Oklahoma schools getting off to a
good start in the Bowl season. Oklahoma State's impressive 49-33 win last
night over Indiana. Did you watch your games or your thoughts on it?
COACH STOOPS: I was only able to see some of the early parts. I think they
scored in the first three possessions, maybe. It didn't surprise me.
They're an excellent team that way. They're very productive, have been all
year. Sure, it is good to see. It gives you two playing so late -- their
last game. It gives you a little confidence that you've played them well
and look what they're able to do to some other people.
Q. Coach Stewart talked about getting to know your family yesterday and
a little bit of the recruiting process with your brother. Can you talk
about your relationship with him and what you know about his personality?
COACH STOOPS: Just a very positive, upbeat person that you really like
being around. I think it is obvious to everybody when you're around him
just how -- the positive influence he is and he always has a great outlook
on everything.
There is a long history there. Excellent person, excellent coach with a
great background and, again, just very upbeat about everything that he
does.
Q. On a followup from last night, Gundy mentioned yesterday how
difficult it is to evaluate an opponent, how physical they might be or
speed-wise if you don't have any common opponents, you haven't seen
Indiana play maybe a Big 12 team. Can you talk about that, about West
Virginia? Is it difficult to know how fast or physical they might be if
you haven't seen them against a Big 12 team or somebody you're familiar
with?
COACH STOOPS: I think it's always that way, yes, when you haven't -- you
can study tape, which we all do over and over. You get some ideas about
some of the teams that you feel are similar to the way you play or have
the people that you do.
Until you are on the field with them, you're right. Until you see them
even warming up, you start to gauge the size, the speed, and it is always
that way.
Q. Coach, what do you see the key matchups in the game?
COACH STOOPS: Oh, geez, there are many. You know, for us defensively, it's
perimeter tackling, being physical inside to cancel the run game. Again,
that's -- they're persistent and love to run the football.
But, you know, we've got to be physical to handle gap responsibility, and
then we've got to be able to tackle and tackle well, especially out in the
perimeter.
Other factors for us offensively, it is always critical, we feel, to be
balanced, to be able to take advantage of both, run and pass, and protect
the ball. That's a big factor in these games, as well.
Q. Coach, can you talk about kind of a two-part, one, winning this game
and what it means for this season and also the momentum it can give you
going into next season and off-season workouts?
COACH STOOPS: It is positive to win. We want -- like always, this year, to
complete it, we got one more game and want one more win and another
trophy. That's what the guys take pride in and want.
As far as the momentum, know what it gives you, in all honesty, it gives
you positive press for a month or so, you know, and if you don't win it,
then you get some negative press for a month or so. In the end, you get a
new team next year. I know -- obviously looking back at last year's game,
did it affect us this year? Didn't take away any momentum. We started the
year gangbusters.
In the end, it goes away, win or lose, and you start over with a new team.
If you watch us in our winter workouts, you'll see we've won them and we
lost them. They're no different in how we're going at our work and getting
prepared for the next year.
End of FastScripts
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GLENDALE, ARIZONA AFTER GAME INTERVIEWS
January 2, 2008
GLENDALE, ARIZONA
Q. Pat, what did you say up on the stage about Coach Stewart about what
you thought his future ought to be? Can you repeat that?
PATRICK WHITE: He needs that job. He deserves it, the head coaching job.
Q. He deserves it why?
PATRICK WHITE: Great man, great coach. All the players respect him and
love him. Couldn't ask for a better man to lead us to victory today.
Q. Keilen Dykes, Oklahoma came out in the third quarter, stopped the
offense in two straight possessions, scored nine points. Then the onside
kick. It seemed to take the momentum away. How big a play was that to
recover that onside kick?
KEILEN DYKES: That was a real big play. Way to be heads up. Who knows what
the game would have turned out to be, but we have to give credit on that
play. It was a great play, heads-up play. The rest is history.
Q. Keilen, quick question: The fact that two years ago you won the
Sugar Bowl and that felt good. After everything you have been through,
does this one feel better?
KEILEN DYKES: Oh, yeah. All of them feel good, like Johnny just said. This
one is sweet because this is my last game. This is my senior year. And it
just feels good to come out here and win it, not just for me and the rest
of the seniors but the whole state of West Virginia.
Q. This is for Noel. Can you talk about ending your rookie season,
freshman season this way and being thrust into the future back role?
NOEL DEVINE: Excuse me?
Q. Can you talk about being thrust into the future back role today and
having it this way to end your freshman season?
NOEL DEVINE: Talking about the future?
Q. Can you talk about ending your freshman season this way, what's that
like?
NOEL DEVINE: The guys were counting on me, so I had to step up so I just
went out and did what I could. And I give a lot of credit to the whole
linemen and Schmitt for picking up good blocks. A lot of good blocks and
good coaching. We came out with a victory.
Q. Patrick, you guys showed some big-play offense. Four straight plays,
scored on 39, 75, 79, 70. Talk about those four plays that broke this game
open for your offense. Again, anything surprise you from the Oklahoma
defense or pretty much what you expected?
PATRICK WHITE: I guess when all 11 are executing and doing their job, we
got the players to make plays happen. That's what happened tonight.
Oklahoma, it is definitely a great team, great competition and fought for
four quarters. I think we were a little bit more hungry than they were.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, if you could give an opening comment?
COACH STEWART: I'm very honored, very, very honored to be sitting up here
with this great group of young men and to my immediate left, your right,
is my son, Blane, 13 years old. He about jumped when saw Pat sitting out
there.
It is an honor and a privilege and a pleasure to be up here with these
young men. We had a tremendous football game tonight against a tremendous
opponent. And to win 11 games, seven of the last nine years by Bobby
Stoops and his staff, those players, and the great Oklahoma Sooners, we
were honored to be able to go out on the field and battle. They are
outstanding, as everyone knows.
Our players deserve all the credit that anyone can bestow upon them. To
come in and play what, I think -- and, again, this is not lobbying for the
No. 1 position, but what I think is the No. 1 team with the No. 1 staff
and a whole bunch of No. 1 group of young men out there to play was a real
challenge.
And if we want to be considered, West Virginia University, nation's elite,
and we've done pretty good the last few years, then you have to come in
and beat a team of Oklahoma's stature. That was very impressive. Our guys
fought hard and I am a little frustrated about some penalties, which I
will address if anyone wants to talk about later.
But it was a great, great performance by a super group of young men. You
are able right now to speak to the cream of the crop up here.
Q. Bill, I know you have refrained from talking about your situation.
COACH STEWART: Yes, Pat. Thank you for the column. It was very nice.
Q. You're very welcome.
COACH STEWART: My West Virginia home boys I've bribed. (Laughter.)
Q. What do you think maybe the job you did preparing this team to play
and coaching them through this game does for that situation?
COACH STEWART: Pat, coming from you, that's very complimentary and I
appreciate that. I just was labeled the interim. I have said this a
zillion times and I really want people to listen because I'm going to try
to say it one more time again.
The young men at West Virginia University have tremendous chemistry. I was
blessed to coach eight years at three military-style colleges, blessed,
honored.
These young men up here have that same type. Maybe it's high school to
some of you, maybe it is old-school to some of you. If it is old-school,
you should have a smile on your face. Maybe to some it is corny. You look
at a group of guys 100 plus, and the leaders up here that bond like a
group of high school military, church type of guys. They're not all angels
(smiling) but they're not bad lads. They're not bad lads.
So it was easy to lead this group. The coaching staff -- got to hurry up?
The coaching staff, as professional as anyone could ever be, which I will
discuss later if I get the right questions. Coaching staff just jutted
their jaws, bowed their backs and stepped up to the plate. I am the lucky
guy to be sitting up here with my son. It should be ten other guys up here
with their sons, tremendous coaching staff.
Again, I'll say this, number three, the people at West Virginia, they
didn't -- they didn't poll those guys. At 84%, at 16% that got polled for
us, they're back home. They would come out of the hills and holler that we
did. And, heck, half of them are probably my family, so you better believe
they would vote for us to win. The 84% -- we don't like to ever prove
America wrong, but that's pretty good force (smiling).
I will try to be more brief, but I think you needed to hear that. When you
say "Bill Stewart," I have done this a long time, 33 years.
Maybe this old dog has a few more years in him somewhere and that's good.
I hope so. I got this seventh grader beside me and he has five more years
of high school and then five years of college because I'm going to
red-shirt him. His mother doesn't know.
He will be at one of those military schools. He will be a better man than
his dad ever hoped him to be. I need ten more years to pay these bills,
get this guy to your right, my left, be ready for life like these four,
five guys here from this entire football team.
Q. Coach Stoops said he didn't think you threw too many wrinkles in the
offense tonight. That's the first question. Number two, when was the last
time you got a Gatorade drenching?
COACH STEWART: He said we didn't put too much wrinkles? I will answer that
previous question second.
I never had a Gatorade bath, never. And it is special. Never had it. So
for all the assistant coaches out there that never had it, this is for
them. This is for them because there is a lot of fine coaches out there, a
whole lot better than me. I just got the chance of getting a bath tonight.
Now, the other part, we didn't do a whole lot. We threw a couple
razzle-dazzle. My involvement was just not to goof these guys up. You put
the ball in Patrick White, at least tonight, Noel, Keilen Dykes and Johnny
Dingle, impressive passers. You talk about the offense and defense. You
saw some defense out there tonight. Wow. I was very honored to watch Jeff
Castillo (ph) and our defensive coaches, their plan, execute.
The only thing that frustrated me was the penalties. Understand this about
West Virginia University: Not everybody can play there. Not everybody can
play for us. And I say that with pride. You are held accountable. You are
a thumb pointer. You are not a finger pointer. We do this back home, this
(indicating). I was a little frustrated because a couple good men just
lost their cool and got a personal foul vocally.
We have never tolerated that in the past. It wasn't -- or will be
tolerated in the present, and it will never ever, ever be tolerated in the
Mountain State in the future. We don't like to play with our mouth. We
like to play with our pads. That's the only thing that frustrated me the
entire night. We gave up too much real estate too easy with too many
penalties.
Q. Coach Stewart --
COACH STEWART: My Oklahoma buddy.
Q. From an Oklahoma media standpoint, that was one hell of an audition.
Congratulations. But, also, last time Mississippi came in, Jeff Hostetler
put a bidding on Oklahoma and that was one of the biggest wins ever. Put
this win in perspective in West Virginia history.
COACH STEWART: It is a big one because it is a BCS win. We are having
pretty much fun having those kind of games. Again, I thought we played as
fine a team as there was in the country. And this was a colossal win for
our program. It was big, very big.
I told the fellows in the locker room, don't be like me at 55 -- or like
some of our coaches that, okay, we got to get to the next game. We got to
get to winter conditioning. We got to get to spring ball. We got to get to
2008 season. Don't be like that.
Tonight, let's enjoy this. Let's go home, let's hug every person that
helped make it possible for us to be at Morgantown, be it your mama, your
daddy, your grandparent, a guardian, your high school coach, your favorite
teacher, teammates, someone in your hometown, a neighbor that somewhere
along the way spoke to you and said, hey, keep doing right, lad, because
we believe in you. You go home and hug those kind of people and let them
know that some day because you decide to come to West Virginia University
you are going to be a great husband, you will be a great daddy, you will
be a great contributor to society. Once a Mountaineer, always a
Mountaineer.
We got high standards. And that's what made this win possible tonight, and
it is a big one. You are absolutely right. I thank you for that kind
comment and your kind remarks. I mean that sincerely.
Q. Bill, now that the season is over, I guess you are doing pretty
good. Now that the season is over, what are your plans? First, do you
expect to be interviewed for the job? If not, do you want to stay in
Morgantown? Do you want to go with Coach Rodriguez?
JOHNNY DINGLE: Coaching job, head coach.
COACH STEWART: I am glad you asked that, because you are my buddy
(smiling).
I want to tell you as calmly and rationally and as passionately as I can,
I will cherish the opportunity to be the head football coach at the state
flagship university, finest institution in the country, West Virginia
University.
But I want you to know this: They gave me my marching orders to get this
team ready, and that's what we did because of the great character on this
team, a professional coaching staff and the best fans that never quit
believing. That's a fact.
We have, at West Virginia University, a tremendous group in leadership.
Our administration -- and I will start with Deputy Director Mike Parsons
is a dear friend. Craig Walker, our chief of staff, is a pretty good
friend also. I haven't known him as long. We're blessed to have an
athletic director that I have known since I was 16 years old. He recruited
my brother to attend Salem College. Last, but not least, we've got the
finest president any school could ever have in Mike Garrison.
Our committee is in good hands. Those four men -- and please believe this
-- will pick the best candidate possible for West Virginia University, for
the football players on the team, for our community and for our people of
the Mountain State. They will do that. I believe in them.
We have a governor that I have known since the early '70s when I was
playing at Fairmont State. We are pretty good friends, also. I have not,
will not politic for the job. I have not been interviewed for the job, and
whatever decision those gentlemen and the committee decide, I'm with them.
Understand that I am with them. I am a native West Virginian. And it is a
special place; it is a special time. So good, bad or indifferent, you can
say that's a big bunch of bunk or he is as corny as can be. It's fact.
The only thing that matters to me right now in my life is this guy sitting
right here. At 42 years of age I was blessed to have a little fellow that
I never dreamed was coming after 16 years of marriage. So my No. 1 role in
this society today is to try to raise a better fellow than his daddy is.
And however this job shakes out, whatever, this, that and whatever, I will
support and admire and back 100% the decision of those four gentlemen I
introduced earlier along with the help of the governor or whomever make
because that's their role. They've got a tough call because it is a great
job with some great players and great future and we need to get the best
candidate possible, okay? If it is a national search, so be it; we will
get the best man for the job.
I only hope that these players some day are people that are my neighbors
and friends, and the people I've known for a long time, that 25, 30 years
from now when this little fellow is getting toward my age, he brings his
guys back and they say, hey, Blane, man, your dad did a pretty good job in
2008. That would be the biggest reward for me.
If that happens, then the guy to my left, your right, he had been raised
to be a pretty good old boy. I want to let it stop there. I would rather
talk about this game, these guys up here, all that job. Thanks for the
question, it needed to be addressed and it's been addressed.
With all due respect, I would like to -- if you want to talk about these
stats or what we did out there, that would be -- not we, what they, what
these guys did. I'm just glad I didn't have to play defense against these
two little rascals or tried to block these two behemoth men. I will tell
you what: You have no idea how these four guys work.
I have told every scout I know, you take one of our guys, you take a
Mountaineer and you are going to get a guy -- wait until I call Mike
Tomlin up, wait until I call my old buddy Mike. You better get this guy in
your locker room, because you will get a character, character -- not he is
going to be a character; he is going to have character. There is enough
characters out there today. You are going -- you take your Mountaineer, I
promise you -- you seen Mark Magro play out there tonight? Everybody
should have fired me. If I was auditioning for that job, they should have
fired me for playing him. 53 should never have played at all. I couldn't
get him off the field. The guy was -- he played his heart out, didn't he,
fellows? This guy here to my to my immediate right, your left, you just
have no idea how -- what he's going through hit after hit after hit after
hit. And these guys here, they were getting out -- we were outquicking
them and I thought Johnny Dingle had a saddle on his back. I was looking
for the spurs to come out (smiling).
It was a mess out there, now. If you've played football, you know what I
am talking about. Noel Devine, Owen Schmitt put that last play in that
touchdown. I was over there stuttering and sweating, stammering, trying to
talk to him, I got to stuttering. And I was like the speaker at the
Christian Athletes, still get excited, if you can believe that. Cub and
Boy Scout honor, I still get excited.
But, man, that touchdown was Owen Schmitt's call. We have a lot of input.
I give these guys a lot of freedom. They don't run the shop now; we let
them think we do. They are good guys.
Q. Coach, can you talk about the cream of the crop but Owen Schmitt is
not up there. Can you talk about what he has meant and what he did
tonight?
COACH STEWART: Owen Schmitt, to me it looks like -- 64 yards he netted and
caught a couple passes, I believe. Owen Schmitt is the heart and soul of
our football team and he is a tremendous young man and hard worker.
That's what I am saying. You know what I am talking about. You put that
guy in a pro locker room, somewhere they got to find a place for that guy,
fullback, tight end, and he is a Christian. He is a tough, rock 'em, sock
'em. I never seen him run -- below 4:59 and I have never seen them run
faster than 4:52. So he's somewhere between 4:53 and 4:58. Fourth quarter,
that's when he is at his fastest.
Q. You said a couple weeks ago you are going to the NFL. Talk about
this type of performance to send you out on a high note.
JOHNNY DINGLE: I told my mom I got to end on a good note. Ain't no -- this
is the best winning finish, Fiesta Bowl champs. I told Dykes, we got to go
out winners. That's what we did today, you know. Just decided Coach
Stewart, he let us be men and we just took care of business on the field.
THE MODERATOR: Great. Thanks, guys.
COACH STEWART: Thank you very much. Thanks for all you do for college
football.
End of FastScripts
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January 2, 2008
GLENDALE, ARIZONA
THE MODERATOR: Coach, turn it over to you for an opening comment.
COACH STOOPS: Yes, congratulations to Bill Stewart and the whole staff at
West Virginia and their team. They played an excellent football game,
really beat us in the offense and defense side of the ball and, you know,
in every part of the game.
Just definitely outcoached us and outplayed us, more physical, more
disciplined in all parts of the game. They are to be credited and we're
not.
Again, very disappointing to finish the season this way and after such a
solid year to come out and play as we did.
Q. Bob, I guess you guys got some momentum back in the second half with
two three and outs and the first touchdown and then a two-point conversion
failed and the onside kick failed. Can you talk about the decision to do
that and how they impacted the game?
COACH STOOPS: Obviously, you are in a tight situation. If they work -- you
know, the two-point conversion gets you from within three. That's what you
need to do. We had the momentum, and if you get the onside kick, you got a
chance to really make -- to give them a blow. And, obviously, we don't
kick it far enough and there you have it.
In the end, you don't do those kind of things when you don't have
momentum. I felt we had the momentum, the opportunity was there. We just
didn't execute it. And, you know, who knows? There were still a lot of
plays after that that we didn't -- they played a heck of a lot better and
executed a heck of a lot better than we did in a lot of other areas.
Q. Coach, I know you are disappointed with the loss, about 13 penalties
for 113 yards. What happened?
COACH STOOPS: Embarrassing, absolutely embarrassing. No discipline
whatsoever. That has to be a reflection on me. I am obviously not doing a
good enough job of getting our players to understand how to play smart,
and I think we had 12 or 13 in the Big 12 championship game.
It is embarrassing and just -- guys just making a lot of poor choices in
what they're doing. Anyway, just poor.
Q. Bob, it looked like on defense you probably gave up the big play. I
think they hit you in the five snap span. They hit you with four runs.
What was opening up to hit you with big plays?
COACH STOOPS: Yeah, I could go through really about all of them. You know,
that was the case, too, because early in the first half, I thought we had
a lot of good series defensively.
We give up the full-back belly. We have a zone blitz on and the blitz off
the corner goes too deep, runs past it and the linebacker doesn't scrape
outside. So they get the long run off the blitz.
The other one, we don't cover the route down the middle. We get sucked up
with the play action fake.
And then in the second half -- trying to think -- oh, the pass over to
Walker on the first play, just in a man coverage. That's the first route
we looked for. He gets caught, doesn't stay inside and gets -- guy ends up
getting behind and dives for the ball and gets up and plays.
The second play from the series, you know, they run the toss sweep and we
overrun it. There was nobody to tax it downhill. We end up scraping
everybody. I don't know, about four or five guys were outside the ball,
doesn't get in a position to touch them and it is out the gate.
Anyway, they played well and they made them miss them, made the plays when
they were there and our guys didn't do a good enough job to be in
position. And even things we did cover, they didn't do a good enough job
playing.
Q. Coach, great season this year. Obviously a let-down tonight. Now you
look towards next year. With so many players coming back, how do you get
them to get this loss out of their minds and look forward?
COACH STOOPS: They don't need to get it out of their minds too soon. We
need to be -- to really look at what we need to do differently. Obviously,
I need to do things differently as a head coach and players, we need to
have some discipline to us.
The last two games we got about 26, 27, 28 penalties. You just can't play
like that. Anyway, so ...
Q. Bob --
COACH STOOPS: I think we had three different times we were in the red zone
and penalties bring us out of the red zone, and then the other times we
stayed down there, we have to kick field goals. That's another major
factor in the game.
Q. 349 yards rushing, I'm sure one guy is not responsible for all that.
The lack of DeMarcus Granger, early on they had some success rushing the
ball.
COACH STOOPS: I think that's highly overstating his importance, no. That's
not the deal. There was a lot of missed tackles, a lot of guys not being
in position, discipline containing the ball, just different issues and
different occasions. Rarely was it up inside; I'll say that.
Q. Coach, a great accomplishment to get to a BCS Bowl. Your thoughts to
reflect on the Sooners are 0 for the last 4 BCS appearances.
COACH STOOPS: Yeah, it's -- it is not very positive. You get to this
position. Obviously you are doing a lot of things positive and good. But
you need to finish out and play well in these games.
Q. The offensive line has been one of the strong points of your team
all season; yet tonight it really seemed like Brad didn't -- Sam Bradford,
I'm sorry, didn't have the time he had all season. Three sacks and
definitely in the first half seemed hurried a lot more. Can you talk about
how the protection broke down?
COACH STOOPS: Absolutely, they really outplayed us big-time through the
first half of the game, getting to the quarterback and not being able to
protect him and even not being able to run the football.
Going into halftime, we had two field goals, and they had stopped us on
multiple occasions. There was pressure.
Q. How impressed were you with White tonight, their quarterback?
COACH STOOPS: He is an excellent player. Very impressed. I was coming in.
We knew he was an excellent player, and he did a great job of seeing what
was there. We had some -- it's like in the second half we had him on the
third and 5, I believe it was, going in and we just -- we had somebody
that was supposed to be outside and comes inside. He is the kind of guy
that if you do, he will see it and avoids the whole rush that we have and
picks up a first down. I think they scored on the next play.
Q. Coach, for you and for Sam, just 12 plays, just one yard on offense
in the first quarter. Talk about the slow start, some of the reasons for
it.
COACH STOOPS: Again, their defense just whipped us; plain and simple.
We, again, certainly didn't have our guys prepared to handle all of it and
stuff maybe that we did, they executed it, were more physical and
pressured us when we tried to throw. You can't run it and you are getting
pressure throwing it. There is not a lot to go to.
SAM BRADFORD: Like Coach said, they outplayed us in the first quarter. Any
time we tried to run it, they stuffed it. I missed some throws in the
first quarter that could have got us going and unfortunately missed them
and got us behind the change. We have to play behind the change in a good
defense. It is hard to move the ball.
Q. Bob, when did you know Malcolm was going to be largely unavailable,
and followup to that --
COACH STOOPS: I didn't feel great about it coming in because the reps he
was getting at practice were very minimal. Every time we thought he was
making some progress, he just had a hard time of opening it up all the
way. We had hoped once he got out there and the adrenalin gets going that
he would start to feel better and just wasn't the case.
Q. The followup to that is, without him, we saw the same thing happen
last year, no Malcolm Kelly early. The offense doesn't get going until
later on.
COACH STOOPS: Malcolm is a great player and huge presence on our offense.
So it sure doesn't help.
Q. Bob, you had mentioned that you didn't get the onside kick executed,
didn't kick it far enough. Were there some things in film study that you
saw --
COACH STOOPS: We felt the way they lined up and they didn't have a guy in
the center and they were 15 yards deep with their other two guys, that we
had a good chance at it.
Again, I felt with the way the momentum was, those aren't things you do
when you don't have momentum. I felt like it is a chance to give them a
blow and their defense was tired and to try and capitalize on it and
didn't work. So ...
Q. Sam, another solid night for you, but obviously you got pressured a
little bit more. What do you think you can take away from this personally
to move on the next season?
SAM BRADFORD: I just think I come out better prepared, you know, in the
first half. I just wasn't myself, wasn't going through the reads, just
forcing things, didn't hit the throws when I had the throw, I didn't make
it. I just got to come out better prepared.
Q. Curtis, your defense gave up over 500 yards, 48 points, 350 yards
rushing. Talk about what happened from your perspective defensively.
CURTIS LOFTON: The No. 1 thing was definitely tackling. I mean, the credit
goes to Pat White and Noel Devine. They are great players and make a lot
of guys miss. Everybody took their turn, gap off here, gap off there and
we increased a couple times and then made plays.
Q. Did West Virginia show any new wrinkles you didn't see on tape?
COACH STOOPS: Not really. There's some slight ones, but for the most part,
you know, the things that we saw were what we prepared for. Had a couple
little wrinkles with running the ball but overall, you know, it was pretty
similar to what we were prepared for.
Q. Curtis, you said earlier in the week that you wanted to get last
year's loss -- the taste of last year's loss out of your mouth and now
this year's comes. What do you do with this now?
CURTIS LOFTON: Well, you just got to go on to the next season. It will
stick with us throughout the next year and it is a hard loss to take.
Credit goes to West Virginia. They came out and outplayed us and
outhustled us. You got to take what you can from it.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys.
End of FastScripts
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