Last year's loss serves as motivation for Sooners

Sports

Related Photos

OU logo color.jpg

Discussion

November 22, 2012

Last year's loss serves as motivation for Sooners

By John Shinn, CNHI News Service CNHI The Enid News and Eagle Thu Nov 22, 2012, 11:21 PM CST

NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and his brother, defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, share many traits. One characteristic that separates them is span of memory.

Ask the head coach about what happened last season or seven days and it’s a distant memory. He only worries about the future.

Mike Stoops is different. He has an elephant-like memory for anything in the past that might motivate his players. The embarrassment from giving up 778 yards in last week’s 50-49 victory over West Virginia is a strong topic.

Another one he’s harping on was something he didn’t even see in person — last season’s 44-10 loss to Oklahoma State

“Our pride is hurt. Our guys are very prideful. We’re embarrassed by what happened,” Mike Stoops said. “We’ll see what we can do about Saturday.”

Above all else, it was the Sooners’ dignity that got rubbed into the turf the last time the Bedlam rivals met. That 34-point loss that turned into a mob scene at Boone Pickens Stadium had a lot of time to sink in.

“You never see yourself getting embarrassed on national television,” OU wide receiver Kenny Stills said. “But they were a great team, but it wasn’t something that I felt like was a fluke or anything like that.”

The 14th-ranked Sooners (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) have shown every measure of respect they can possibly give the 22nd-ranked Cowboys (7-3, 5-2) since that loss. Stills’ sentiment OU had to accept last year’s Bedlam shellacking like men has been universally accepted.

If anything, it has heightened a rivalry that’s been very one-sided for decades.

“That was a massacre. That wasn’t even a loss. We’ve gotta play so much better defense, especially from last week to last year,” defensive tackle Casey Walker said. “The defense has to improve tremendously.”

However, the respectful tones will end when the teams meet at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Owen Field. This is a game OU has been looking forward to for quite a while. Those who were critical cogs for the Sooners last season probably started thinking about it as they left Stillwater.

“It’s still a sour taste in our mouth, the way we went down there and laid an egg last year,” defensive end David King said. “A lot of guys on this defense were a part of that. We’re going to use that game last year as a motivator to come out. They came and put up 40-something points on us last year. That’s just not the way we want to play.”

Anyone else playing for the Sooners that doesn’t have that memory, has been getting non-stop history lessons from OU’s defensive coordinator. He believes a team is never more focused than when its pride is wounded.

“I think you can motivate a team by what you say and what you do and how you act,” Mike Stoops said. “This game is built on emotion and motivation … we say that wears off after a few plays but that’s not true. Your will to win, your determination to win is built as the week goes on. It certainly can be a factor in any game.”

If the Sooners lacked motivation last season, they won’t be the case on Saturday. Mike Stoops won’t let them forget.

Shinn writes for the Norman Transcript.

Text Only

Sports

Kansas beats Cowboys
May 25, 2013
Madison's Barsness likes playing in Enid
May 24, 2013 1 Photo
Sooners zero in on Big 12
Oklahoma has made a complete turnaround in the last two days. The squad that looked dominant early in the season has re-emerged at the Big 12 tournament. The Sooners (38-19) rolled to their second straight tournament victory, thumping Texas Tech (25-30), 8-0, Friday, and improving to 2-0 in the event.
After three weeks of struggling, the team OU thought it would be surfaced. The mix of premier pitching and timely hitting was overwhelming to Baylor on Thursday and Texas Tech on Friday.
More importantly, the victories set up the Sooners’ meeting with Kansas State, which topped Baylor 13-9 Friday, at 12:30 p.m. today. The winner advances to Sunday’s championship game.

May 24, 2013 1 Photo
Ricketts, Sooners rout A&M
Keilani Ricketts beat Texas A&M with both her arm and bat Friday as No. 1-ranked Oklahoma moved to within one win of reaching the Women’s College Softball World Series by run-ruling the Aggies 10-2 at Marita Hynes Field Friday.
The Sooners (51-4) can punch their ticket to the Series by beating the Aggies at 11 a.m. today. The game can be seen on ESPN. If A&M wins, a second championship game will follow

May 24, 2013 1 Photo
Claborn pleased with WHS progress
The Deer Creek-Lamont team camp has given Waukomis football coach Jon Claborn an idea of how much his team has progressed over the past year.
A newly hired Claborn a year ago took his team to the DCLA camp with three days of spring football behind them.
“We’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year,’’ Claborn said. “We have looked really good ... we’re a year older, stronger, and hopefully, a year smarter.’’
The DCLA camp has offered the Chiefs good competition with teams such as defending Class B state runner-up Pond Creek-Hunter, Coyle and the host Eagles among the participants.

May 24, 2013
Travelers beat Majors in tournament opener
May 24, 2013
Sports briefs for 5-25-13
May 24, 2013
Radio-TV for 5-25-13
May 24, 2013
TCU rally beats OSU
May 24, 2013
Weeden to help with Moore relief
Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden is heading home to help his cherished Oklahoma heal.

May 23, 2013 1 Photo
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Last year's loss serves as motivation for Sooners

Site Map

Contact Us