Fiesta Bowl 07-08

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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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band Biography : Mountain Ridge High School Band

     Fiesta Bowl Parade
     Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship

Chick this for a huge photo then do a 'right click and save as' to save on YOUR computer.

 

Location Glendale, AZ.
Band History

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. 

 


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

Fiesta Bowl
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.

 

 

 

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL MEDIA DAY DECEMBER 31

 

 

City Manager Ed Beasley with Julie Frisoni and Jerry McCoy Marketing and Communications.

 

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.

34

Matt Clapp

FULL/BACK

6-2

237

Jr.

Phoenix, Arizona

13

Mike Knall

P

5-9

192

Jr.

Scottsdale, Arizona

 

 

13 Mike Knall P 5-9 192 Jr. Scottsdale, Arizona

 

40

Curtis Lofton

LB

6-0

238

Jr.

Kingfisher, Oklahoma

47

Trent Ratterree

TE

6-3

220

Fr.

Weatherford, Oklahoma

 

      

 

 

 

 


West Virginia

 


Click on this  picture or text to see a HUGE image of this group photo of the WV team.

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL


January 1, 2008


Bill Stewart


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

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL


January 1, 2008


Bob Stoops


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

 

 
 

 

GLENDALE, ARIZONA AFTER GAME INTERVIEWS


TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL


January 2, 2008


Noel Devine

Johnny Dingle

Keilen Dykes

Bill Stewart

Patrick White


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

 

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL


January 2, 2008


Sam Bradford

Curtis Lofton

Bob Stoops


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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