NORMAN (AP) — Bob Stoops has never had a season like this at Oklahoma.

The injuries keep piling up, along with the losses. For the first time in Stoops’ 11 seasons in Norman, the Sooners have lost five games in the regular season and are limping toward the postseason instead of trying to finish off another run to the Big 12 championship game.

“This is different, but there’s been a lot of unusual circumstances around this year,” Stoops said Tuesday. “I’m not a knee-jerk guy and I’m not going to overreact to it.

“In the end, I understand what we’ve had to deal with the whole year and to think that with the strength of schedule along with all the different players that we’ve played without, to think it’s just going to be the same, it’s not very realistic.”

After last season’s appearance in the BCS championship game, Oklahoma (6-5, 4-3 Big 12) has had to deal with the loss of tight end Jermaine Gresham for the whole season and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford for most of it. Three offensive linemen have been sidelined with season-ending injuries.

Top receiver Ryan Broyles, tailback DeMarco Murray and left guard Brian Simmons have also missed games. Fullback Matt Clapp has played despite a broken hand, but his snaps have been diminished since he’s no longer a pass-catching threat.

“It’s made it incredibly difficult, not just when you have injuries but when you have them to seniors and guys that have played, have that experience, have that maturity and have the presence in the huddle and then you remove it,” Stoops said. “There’s a void there and you can’t replace it.”

Even while he admits he’s never endured a rash of injuries this extreme, Stoops doesn’t want that to be a crutch. Just look at Oklahoma’s opponent in Saturday’s annual Bedlam rivalry game.

No. 11 Oklahoma State (9-2, 6-1) has been without All-America receiver Dez Bryant throughout conference play after he was ruled ineligible. A slew of other starters, including All-Big 12 tailback Kendall Hunter, linebacker Orie Lemon and offensive tackle Brady Bond, of Garber, have been hurt.

“Everything in life doesn’t always go your way. In the end, we’ve had a lot of fortune around here. This has been a very unusual year the way it’s all happened and you have to work through it,” Stoops said. “The fact that all these guys are out, you can’t blame anyone for that.”

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Oklahoma’s coaches have tried both positive and negative motivational tactics this year, but he’s sensed “a lot of negative vibes with our team this year” when past teams stayed upbeat even in hard times.

Last week’s 41-13 loss at Texas Tech was the team’s most lopsided defeat since 2005.

“We as coaches have tried each week, and sometimes we’ve connected and sometimes we haven’t — apparently, by our performances,” Wilson said. “Regardless of any injuries we may have had, we still have had chances — until last Saturday — to have won games or been in games.”

Stoops hasn’t been a part of a six-loss season since 1992, his fourth year on Bill Snyder’s staff at Kansas State during a massive rebuilding of the program that had the most losses in college football history when they took over.

“That’s why he’s such a great coach is he always keeps his composure and he stays focused, and he’s kept us that way and kept our energy up,” defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said.

“He hasn’t let anybody get down. He’s never been down. He comes in every day, high energy ready to work. That’s just how he’s been all year.”

Stoops said he believes his players have continued to work hard and put in the effort to get ready for games.

“I’m always critical of what we’re doing as coaches and I think sometimes we’ve handled it better than at other times,” Stoops said. “But I also understand the handicap we’ve had to play with.”

Mainly, Stoops said the Sooners’ issues come down to inexperience — an issue that has only been compounded by the injuries forcing more young players into the lineup.

“You get caught too inexperienced, it’s tough to overcome it,” Stoops said. “I don’t care what. To me, talented guys in college, still the talent needs to be experienced before you really start to see a special player.

“The Adrian Petersons are rare. Most of the other guys, it takes experience before you really start to see that talent.”