Ted Roof Postgame Interview 9-30-23
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Ted Roof speaks to the media following the Sooners' victory over Iowa State on Sept. 30, 2023.
Transcript
00:00 >> 20 minutes and what did you like about the last four?
00:03 >> I love the way the first minute went.
00:06 I thought the first minute was wonderful.
00:08 But after that, they had a little stretch where we gave up some explosive plays.
00:13 And we got to eliminate those.
00:14 But really proud of the way our guys responded and
00:18 finished the rest of the game, really proud of that.
00:21 >> What happened?
00:21 What's the changes?
00:22 It wasn't just two home run passes, it was a caching youngster runs also.
00:26 >> Yeah, they were.
00:29 We made some adjustments, our guys took the adjustments to the field,
00:32 applied them and played better.
00:34 And so that was what happened.
00:37 >> Is it good to get some of those lessons out of the way,
00:41 not that you ever wanna give up those plays, but-
00:44 >> I agree with the second part of your
00:46 question, yes.
00:47 >> Turn it around in a game like this, especially with what's looming?
00:51 >> Yeah, there's adversity every week.
00:53 There aren't any weeks where there's no adversity.
00:56 So to be able to adjust and respond the right way, and our guys certainly did that.
01:01 That's a positive, but we don't wanna put ourselves in that position by allowing
01:05 those explosives, but that's the way it went.
01:08 But again, proud of the way our guys finished it off.
01:12 >> Out of the second year in the system, are guys able to adjust faster maybe?
01:17 >> Yes, 100%.
01:19 >> How did our Mason Thomas look?
01:22 >> [INAUDIBLE]
01:32 >> He did good, he's gonna continue to get
01:33 better, cuz he's still a young guy, missed a couple weeks.
01:37 And that has a cumulative effect, but he's a guy that works hard at it off
01:43 the field, so that way you minimize the effect that maybe missing a couple weeks
01:46 might have, and we're looking for him to get rolling.
01:51 >> The expectation's pretty high for him after last year?
01:55 >> Well, the expectations, the internal, the standards are very high for all of us.
02:00 And he certainly holds himself to a very high standard, so
02:05 he holds himself to that.
02:07 The outside expectations are one thing, but
02:10 the standards to which we hold ourselves are another thing.
02:13 >> What do you learn about your defense after a game like this,
02:15 where some struggles early tonight?
02:17 [INAUDIBLE]
02:19 >> Yeah, the ability to respond.
02:22 We've done that a few times this year now.
02:24 So the more you do that, the more that you believe, and
02:28 the more that's who you become.
02:30 And we've got to, but again, we've got to eliminate some of those mistakes so
02:33 we don't put ourselves in that position.
02:35 >> How important was it to get [INAUDIBLE] back today, and
02:39 how did you feel like he was playing?
02:41 >> I thought he played well.
02:42 And you get guys like him back that have a lot of experience that are physical,
02:47 and guys that have been there and done that.
02:50 And it's great to have him back.
02:52 We need everybody.
02:52 >> Not Gentry's, just ability to continue to grow week by week.
02:57 I mean, his TFLs and reading those screens and being able to board up blockers and
03:00 get to the ball, just his ability.
03:03 It just seems like he's getting better every week.
03:05 >> Yeah, he is.
03:05 I mean, that's what everybody needs to do.
03:08 But he's done that.
03:10 His physicality's improved.
03:12 And I'm really proud of him and
03:13 look forward to seeing a big improvement this week.
03:15 >> What's it been like seeing TJ kind of come into his own as a freshman?
03:21 >> Well, I don't know if he's come into his own, but he's improved every week.
03:24 And the incremental improvement every week is something that we've
03:29 gotta see from everybody.
03:31 And he's got such a big upside and look for him to continue to climb and rise.
03:38 >> You got a big one this week.
03:39 I just wanna know every week, how do you keep these guys just on the middle plane,
03:44 staying steady, it's not just another opponent, but
03:47 keeping steady and focused on Saturday's game?
03:49 >> Well, that's all we can control right now.
03:51 We can't control what happens after that.
03:53 And if we do, we think about that, that's not what we're gonna do.
03:57 That's not how we're trained.
03:58 And our guys are gonna focus getting better every day this week and
04:02 gonna put our best foot forward on Saturday.
04:05 >> PJ had a four, right?
04:06 He's gotten a lot of playing time over the last, I guess,
04:10 been growing over the last few weeks.
04:12 >> Yeah.
04:13 >> Can you talk about just his growth and what you saw in him today?
04:18 >> A guy that, again, so many things with him, because he's a first year player,
04:23 so many of these are first time things.
04:25 And trying to replicate every scenario with every call and practice is impossible.
04:32 So when things happen to him, for him to learn it and
04:34 then take the lesson and apply it the next time it happens to him.
04:37 And PJ, this is really important.
04:40 He's got a lot of pride in his performance.
04:42 And so that's been taking place.
04:45 >> Ted, you talked about just focusing on improving his team.
04:49 Is it easier to have that lesson set in, given what happened last year?
04:54 Not only the season as a whole, but in this next game in particular?
04:59 >> I think that it's a culmination of all your experiences.
05:03 But understanding that incremental daily improvement is the recipe for success.
05:08 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:18 >> Yeah, but I would rather just tell him that and not happen to us and
05:32 then believe me rather than that actually happened.
05:34 So, but you learn from experience both good and bad.
05:38 And our guys will grow from that.
05:41 But again, I thought they responded really well.
05:43 >> How did you look ahead, Ted?
05:45 >> We good?
05:45 >> That's good.