Watch Oklahoma Sooners defensive end Rondell Bothroyd meet the press after practice on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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00:00 How do you feel like the team has been able to pass stress so far up to this point in the season as a unit?
00:05 I think we've been like we've been working on this stuff, but a lot of teams
00:09 we played just like quick game, like side pro all that, so it's definitely been
00:13 frustrating for me personally, just because it hasn't been a lot of drop back,
00:16 but when it is drop back we have to take advantage of that, just because we know
00:20 that teams are gonna try to side pro and do as much as they can to keep us from
00:24 the quarterback, but I think we just keep working and it'll come eventually.
00:27 What does Iowa State do? They're a lot of, they're really like to the
00:32 basics and they do it really well. Their technique is great and they do a lot of
00:36 like smash concepts. They do a lot of stretch, but as far as pass it's
00:42 what we've seen so far.
00:44 Do you feel like you guys were as disruptive against Cincinnati as you've been out here?
00:48 I think we took a step up a little bit just because it was conference play and
00:54 it's just a better environment, kind of. So it was cool to see everyone just
01:00 play hard and keep getting the backfield and all that.
01:03 That was the best team you faced, most physical team you faced, that raised you guys' level of play, you think?
01:09 I mean, every team we played has brought us to be our best. We kind of want to just play ourselves every week,
01:15 not really play, like we play a nameless, faceless, that's what Coach V says,
01:20 a nameless, faceless opponent. And I think if we just, if we play up to our standard every week,
01:24 it doesn't really matter who we play.
01:26 How helpful was it facing a rushing quarterback like Emery Jones? Do you think that's going to help down the road?
01:31 It's always a challenge to face somebody with wheels in the backfield.
01:35 It's frustrating as a D-lineman just because you want to get there and then he's gone right away.
01:40 But it's going to help because we're going to play multiple quarterbacks down the road.
01:45 So it was helpful. It did him down, though, a few times like you guys did.
01:50 You had it one-hander. I guess it got called off. Yeah, it was called off.
01:53 But that had to be rewarding, gratifying? A little bit, yeah, just because it was kind of my first one,
01:58 even though it didn't count. But yeah, it's always fun to get your first one, your first TFL, whatever.
02:04 But just got to keep going.
02:05 I know he plays behind you, but DeSan's back on Saturday.
02:09 He's kind of the most action that he's had in a live game.
02:12 What's his presence like in the defense?
02:15 He's great. He's vocal, knows what he's doing, and then just watching him fly around.
02:20 Same thing with Danny, same thing with Jaron, just all the corners, all the safeties.
02:23 It's cool to turn around and watch them making plays because the ball gets all quick sometimes.
02:28 But it's just cool to see everyone making plays and having fun.
02:31 I know there's a lot there between him and Justin when they were both on the field.
02:34 But you've got Danny, Jaron, and then DeSan in there, that speed.
02:37 Does that change much for you guys? What does it feel like?
02:41 It's kind of the same thing. I'm on the other side, and I can watch Danny make a ridiculous play.
02:46 I think one of the pictures I got in his face, I was like, "I love the way he plays football."
02:51 It was just funny. But it's so cool to see those guys fly around.
02:55 Best linebackers in the country. It's cool.
02:58 What's it been like to see PJ get out here and make some things happen?
03:02 He's ridiculous, too. He's going to be great. He's long, fast.
03:07 He's young still, so sometimes plays and stuff.
03:10 But we try to help him as much as we can because when he's on the field, he makes stuff happen.
03:14 There was a few pass rush reps he had, and I was like, "I don't think I've ever done that in my life."
03:18 He's going to be great, though. He already is.
03:21 That two-handed – what's that called? Two-handed – he jumps at the same time?
03:25 He did the cross drop, yeah, the jump. He's so long, it's hard to stop it.
03:31 Maybe you can dice him one.
03:33 I wish I had a 7'10" wingspan.
03:37 Kendall OU for lining up offside to wipe that off?
03:40 What did you say?
03:41 Does Kendall OU like Denver or something?
03:43 No, we stopped him. We stopped him again, so I'm not worried about it.
03:46 The fact that you guys did stop him, though – you obviously weren't here last year –
03:50 but is that kind of a sign of where things have come in this defense?
03:53 I think that's a sign of where Coach Vanderbilt, all of the coaches, have put us to a stand-at-all camp.
03:59 Just regardless of what happens, we're going to face adversity.
04:02 What was it? It's fourth and seven. If I add five yards, fourth and two.
04:06 Still fourth down. Got to stop him. We know a lot of their tendencies.
04:09 Just execute and do what we do.
04:11 What's next for the Stephens, just in terms of staying hungry?
04:14 Is that hard? Is the idea of doing this every week – does it become redundant?
04:19 No. I think when people do get redundant, that's when you start losing games and losing your way.
04:25 Even after the game, we held them six points, and that's the lowest in however long.
04:30 But there's still a list of things we've got to –
04:33 us, personally, we didn't really care about the good.
04:35 We got in the film room and saw the list of bad stuff.
04:39 Iowa State had maybe their best offensive performance last week.
04:43 Is that tougher, going up against an offense that clicked so well just a week ago?
04:47 It's always tough going against Iowa State.
04:51 I know in the past I wasn't here, but I know they always play at their best here in Norman.
04:56 The fact that they clicked a lot last weekend on offense, it was on tape. You see it.
05:00 It's a team that's going to come in here and fight.
05:03 We've just got to be ready for anything and just play our best.
05:06 Is there anything they do offensively that maybe stands out to you guys?
05:10 I said it earlier. They're just really technical.
05:13 They don't do anything really crazy because they rely on their technique
05:16 and how well they do the basic stuff.
05:18 But they do a lot of stretch, which we have to be ready for every week.
05:22 Then the swaps, the pull-ins come really fast.
05:25 We've just got to get ready for anything, but they do the basic stuff well, so we've got to stop that.
05:30 Do they feature tight ends more than anybody else on the schedule?
05:34 I think sometimes they have three tight ends in there.
05:38 Appreciate it, man. Thanks for all that.
05:40 Appreciate it.