Oklahoma defensive lineman Trace Ford speaks to the media following the Sooners' victory over Iowa State on Sept. 30, 2023.
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00:00 It has to be hard though because it's all anybody's gonna talk about.
00:04 Is it just that mentality though?
00:06 Is it leadership?
00:08 Is it things like that that kind of refocus everybody?
00:11 Danny and guys saying that it is just another game.
00:14 >> Yeah, I mean, every week zero and zero, another team,
00:17 I don't know who we just played, I kind of forgot already.
00:20 I think that's, yeah, I forgot.
00:22 >> Shoot.
00:23 >> And I think it's just something we do as a team,
00:26 getting goals really helps on just new week, new opponent, or
00:30 just practice like we do every week and good things will come out of it.
00:34 So I'm just excited to play them, I think we all are.
00:35 >> Having a second half like that,
00:37 what does that do for momentum as you start building to what comes next week?
00:40 >> Great, it was great momentum.
00:42 We weren't scared in the first half, but you saw what happened with just three
00:46 explosive plays for over 160 yards, that's not good.
00:50 And so just eliminate the explosive plays and
00:52 the defense is gonna be way better going forward.
00:54 So it's something we gotta work on and we will fix it.
00:57 >> What kind of things, did you hear what was talked about after that bad stretch?
01:02 >> I mean, it really was just three plays, and we just had to make the adjustments.
01:08 That one over the middle that they had a long drive on,
01:12 we practiced that exact play numerous times throughout the week.
01:16 So it was really frustrating to see that one, but we made the corrections at
01:19 halftime and came out with a better mentality and we stopped them.
01:22 That's what's supposed to happen.
01:25 >> You have that supper playmakers on the defensive side.
01:27 Does it always let you know that no matter how the team is playing,
01:31 you have people who will get you back in the game?
01:33 >> Yeah, we got dogs.
01:34 We got plenty of dudes.
01:35 You got Reggie Pearson, you got Billy Bowman, who got that amazing interception.
01:39 PJ, the dog, he's just gonna get more and more, play better every week, and
01:44 he's gonna make more stats.
01:45 And we just got a lot of players and it's exciting just to see what we can do.
01:49 We haven't even reached the summit of what we got going on, so.
01:52 >> I think PJ got into it a little bit after a play.
01:55 Is that just kind of one of those things like, okay,
01:57 this kid's growing up a little bit.
01:58 >> Yeah, just don't touch me.
02:00 >> Yeah.
02:01 >> That was exciting to watch, just seeing him kind of get scrappy out there.
02:03 Cuz you never see that in the locker room at practice.
02:05 You never see him vocal.
02:07 So it was actually pretty exciting for us.
02:08 I think Chase kind of liked it.
02:10 >> Yeah. >> So it was exciting to see that.
02:11 >> So are you kicking yourself about that punt?
02:13 >> I did it on purpose.
02:16 No, that's what I thought, like a safety.
02:19 And then we'd get the ball and score again, that'd be nine points over the seven.
02:21 >> [LAUGH] >> So I thought it was a high IQ play.
02:24 >> [LAUGH] >> Hey, what?
02:27 >> [LAUGH] >> For a lot of these guys,
02:30 it's gonna be the first time playing in that game.
02:32 And you mentioned taking each game as its own, preparing for it the same way.
02:36 How difficult is that to do when it's number three against number whatever y'all
02:40 are gonna be in the rankings?
02:43 >> The rankings are kind of really silly to me.
02:45 I think as long as you win every week, and you can start at 25,
02:48 you can start unranked, if you win every week, you're gonna go up.
02:50 So I think that's the mentality we have, just win, keep winning.
02:54 Texas is another game on the schedule that we need to win and prepare for.
02:57 And then after that, we'll have five weeks to prepare for the next game.
03:01 I'm excited, though, I think we all are.
03:03 I still don't know how important this is.
03:06 I don't know, but I'll see soon, I'll find out soon.
03:10 >> What do you think that's gonna be like for
03:12 you, just being part of that game for the first time?
03:14 >> Which is exciting.
03:15 I'll be a spectator, I'll be playing.
03:17 Just excitement for me.
03:18 I just like playing football.
03:20 So nothing different for me, just another game, it'll be fun.
03:23 >> Just being at Oakland, the kid, and being at Oakland State, did it ever,
03:27 did you see how big that was for a lot of other people?
03:29 And kind of get the sense of, I want something like that to be a part of that?
03:33 >> Yeah, my whole life I've watched the game on TV.
03:35 I've never been, but I watched the game.
03:36 I know I have a lot of friends at OU that go to the game.
03:38 All the players talk about that game.
03:40 It's way more important than OU, OSU.
03:42 So I thought OSU, OU was the biggest game of the year.
03:45 I thought it was crazy.
03:46 And then they're like, no, Texas, Texas is that game for us.
03:50 And so just seeing that, I mean, I'm excited.
03:53 I think we're excited.
03:54 >> You talk about going 3-1 against Texas so far.
03:57 What would it mean to you to add another notch to your ability against them?
04:03 >> 48-0 last year, that was, what was that score?
04:05 That was- >> 49.
04:07 >> 49.
04:07 I think everyone on the team, including myself, now that I'm here,
04:12 has to take that, all since last year.
04:15 They all had to take that.
04:16 So I know the guys are fired up.
04:17 I'm a competitor.
04:18 I think all the dudes that came in are really competitors, and
04:21 no one wants to lose Texas.
04:22 No one likes Texas.
04:23 So I think we're just, yeah, excited.
04:27 >> Do you sense that in the locker room throughout the season, the offseason,
04:32 looking back at last year and being the anger in the locker room from last year's
04:35 game?
04:36 >> Yeah, I mean, dudes talk about it all the time.
04:38 I hear about it all the time.
04:39 I watch the game on TV all the time.
04:40 So, or I watched it, and I saw what happened.
04:43 And I think it'll be a different year, just a different game this year.
04:47 And it'll be fun to win for the team.
04:48 I think that's gonna bring in a lot of people.
04:51 I'm excited.
04:52 >> Trace, you obviously weren't here last year, but
04:55 you've played against OU a few years now.
04:57 Is there anything that you can say that is just different about this year's team
05:01 than the previous teams?
05:03 >> I think just the intensity.
05:09 At practice, everyone's locked in.
05:12 As we play, we do, everyone's just locked in.
05:16 The frightening guys, the teammates, everyone just really has a great mindset.
05:21 And it's really great to see how hungry everyone is to win.
05:25 It's great to win.
05:27 Just seeing everyone be like that is the biggest thing, I think.
05:31 Just seeing how hungry everyone is.
05:32 >> Well, in the two big plays, you guys give up.
05:36 It seems like in some past years, it may have spiraled for the defense.
05:40 But today, you guys really stepped up and locked it down.
05:44 What can you attribute that to?
05:49 >> Just experience, growth.
05:51 Last year, a lot of the dudes were in the first year playing on the defensive.
05:55 I mean, I'm an experiencer right now.
05:57 It's complicated.
05:57 I'm still struggling with it.
05:59 I'm still trying to figure it out every day and get extra film to learn.
06:02 So just knowing everyone has more experience now and just playing faster.
06:07 It's easy to capitalize on mistakes when it happens.
06:09 It's okay to make mistakes.
06:10 No one's perfect.
06:11 Just capitalize and keep going.
06:13 There's no remorse.
06:15 >> How would you describe this?
06:16 How this year has gone overall for you?
06:18 Moving over to a new team, learning a new system, trying to put it all together.
06:23 How would you describe this year so far?
06:26 >> Personally, I think, I mean, it's been different for sure.
06:29 And definitely a lot of my hand in the ground all the time is just different for
06:31 me.
06:32 But I mean, I've been tremendously better football player,
06:35 even though the stats don't show it.
06:36 I've gotten tremendously better with the run,
06:38 just tremendously better with a lot of things.
06:40 And that's thanks to Venables and Chavis.
06:42 And just learning how to play football and not just being an athlete.
06:46 So I've been getting a lot better by being coached by these guys.
06:50 >> Hey, Trace, real quick, can you just go over that pun again?
06:54 I came in kinda late.
06:55 I missed when you said you thought there was an Iowa State guy behind you and
06:59 that kind of affected how you made a play on the ball.
07:03 I don't know, just talk a little bit about that.
07:05 >> I gave my hands on the ball probably once so far this year and
07:09 just I was excited.
07:12 I felt feet behind me and so I tried to dive on it and
07:15 the momentum just carried the ball and it yanked.
07:17 But it was on purpose, it was IQ play.
07:19 So I knew we'd get to see- >> That's your story and
07:22 you're sticking with it.
07:22 >> Yeah, yeah, it was IQ play and no one really realizes that except me, but
07:26 it's whatever.
07:28 >> You had the punt block return touchdown last year, right?
07:30 >> Yeah, that was fun.
07:32 >> Yeah? >> Yeah, that was a good time.
07:34 >> Just how much fun are you having with this team right now?
07:37 >> I'm having a blast.
07:38 Winning is fun.
07:39 Winning is great.
07:40 So I'm loving the dudes.
07:42 I love everyone on the team.
07:44 Danny has this humor that makes me laugh.
07:47 All these players are super funny.
07:49 Just exciting to hang out with.
07:51 Rondell's my neighbor.
07:52 Hang out with him all the time.
07:52 Just the chemistry has been going through the roof every day.
07:55 I get closer with the guys and it's super fun just to win and
07:58 play with the boys.
08:00 >> Hey, talk a little bit about that pressure you put on them tonight.
08:04 Once you got things straightened out,
08:05 you guys were putting a lot of pressure on that quarterback.
08:08 He was rushing throws all pretty much the whole second half.
08:12 Talk a little bit about that, how that changed for you guys.
08:15 >> I think the first half we just prepared a lot for a lot of stretch,
08:18 a lot of stretch type runs.
08:20 And then they run a lot of gap schemes, a lot of down and arounds, and
08:23 a little off the game plan that we practice.
08:25 And after halftime,
08:28 Nibbles dialed up the heat and gave us the capitalism, told us what to do,
08:32 how to fix what we were doing.
08:33 And we listened to him and just played ball and things worked out.
08:37 So great. Thank you. Thank you.