Watch Oklahoma Sooners DB Peyton Bowen meet the press after the Sooners' 31-29 win over UCF on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
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00:00 It was honestly, I was kind of confused once I got it.
00:03 It was a weird moment.
00:05 - You were on the bench, you got called into the game.
00:07 - Yeah, for our package.
00:11 And he was kind of getting me ready for that call
00:15 like before we were even going out there.
00:17 And so once I was like ready, once I ran out there,
00:20 I knew it was coming.
00:21 I just had to be fast.
00:22 I got untouched and just made a play.
00:23 - Were you kind of surprised you were completely untouched,
00:26 unblocked?
00:29 - When we ran it during practice,
00:30 it was like kind of the same thing.
00:32 So I was really just like, all right,
00:34 someone's coming free though.
00:35 Like if he comes out to me, then whatever,
00:37 the dude next to me is going to get it.
00:38 So once I came up free, I was like, oh snap,
00:41 at my moment.
00:43 - That was a new call this year?
00:45 New call, first time you guys have had that call?
00:47 - Yeah, it's the first time we ran, something like that.
00:49 - Foot doing okay?
00:51 - Yeah, it's just for precautionary measure.
00:53 I had a little sore, but we good.
00:56 - So how do you keep a seat?
00:57 You seem like when you know they're calling your number,
01:00 you're probably pretty happy.
01:01 How do you keep that a secret?
01:03 I can almost see you smiling when you run that throw.
01:05 How do you keep that, man?
01:06 - Shoot, I don't know.
01:08 I mean, sucks I couldn't get more time to do that.
01:11 I'd just be sitting there, I'm like,
01:13 dang, like keep it 30 long, I get to go in.
01:15 Like second down, I'm like, all right, bro,
01:19 just don't pick up like five yards, I'm finna get in.
01:21 So, I mean, just being able to play though,
01:24 like there's guys that would love to get the opportunity
01:27 to play and just being able to play,
01:28 just go do my best, just surreal.
01:31 Especially in front of these fans.
01:33 - How does one be a playmaker?
01:34 Brent's talked about when you were in high school,
01:37 that you just tend to make plays.
01:38 How does that happen?
01:39 - It's not just about, you don't just luck up
01:43 and make plays, it's more of like practice tendencies,
01:46 habits, film watching, all those things.
01:49 And just like knowing the game,
01:53 like just having those instincts to,
01:56 whenever you see something happen, you make a play.
01:59 It's not, you don't just luck up.
02:00 But you gotta, it's actually like hard work,
02:02 like hard work pays off at the end of the day.
02:05 I believe that.
02:05 - Don't study through the week.
02:07 - Mm-hmm. - Exactly.
02:08 - Can you describe being behind in this game?
02:11 You guys are a big favorite,
02:12 coming off the big emotional win and all that stuff.
02:14 You got an extra week and then you come out here
02:16 and fourth quarter starts and you're all behind
02:17 by a touchdown.
02:18 - Mm-hmm.
02:19 - What it takes to come back from that?
02:21 - I mean, it takes a disciplined team.
02:22 I mean, we couldn't, we didn't beat ourselves up.
02:26 We were helping each other.
02:28 We picked up, not put down,
02:29 and we was talking each other through it.
02:31 We were staying together.
02:33 We never pointed fingers.
02:34 We were all just combined together.
02:37 And that's what I love about this team
02:38 is that we're not gonna get down on each other.
02:40 Like that's the second time we've gone into
02:43 like a situation where we're down.
02:45 And we've fought, we constantly fought back
02:48 and got through those hurdles and obstacles.
02:51 And full credit to UCF, they play a hell of a game.
02:54 I mean, they really gave us they best shot
02:56 and everyone was writing us off, honestly.
02:59 And that's the difference between this year and last year.
03:02 Like fourth quarters was our big problem.
03:04 We're fixing that this year.
03:05 And we've already proven that we're a better team
03:09 and more, better coach, not better coach,
03:13 I wouldn't say that.
03:14 I'm saying player-wise, we got a lot more leaders
03:18 that step up and just keep us going no matter what.
03:20 - You think this year's win,
03:21 this week's win has roots in two weeks ago?
03:24 The comeback and being behind,
03:27 having done it before gives you the confidence
03:29 you can do it again?
03:30 - Yeah, I say so, but I mean,
03:33 we shouldn't have gotten ourselves in that position.
03:35 I think we were just killing ourselves.
03:37 But I think there's some plays
03:39 where we could have done better a lot.
03:41 And, but yeah, having that,
03:45 we practiced the two minute situation a lot being down.
03:47 So that helps a lot.
03:48 And I say being in that situation did help, yeah.
03:52 - What was your perspective on the two point play?
03:55 - What you mean like?
03:58 - Like, I can't remember, were you on the field or?
04:01 - No, I was watching it.
04:02 - Okay, what was going through your mind,
04:05 what'd you see?
04:06 And then the play that Kendall
04:09 and the rest of the guys,
04:10 especially on the back end at preventing the passing lane.
04:13 - So I say I saw a lot of players just making plays.
04:16 Like we, I say there was a couple of people that did,
04:21 one person didn't do their job, but made the play.
04:24 So I say it's just people making plays
04:27 and helping each other.
04:28 Well, if, what's the saying?
04:32 If we're all wrong, we're all right.
04:33 So at the end of the day,
04:35 made a big play and got off the field, got the win.
04:38 - Now, earlier this season against SMU,
04:40 you on that punt, you didn't do your job,
04:42 but you made a play.
04:43 - Yeah.
04:44 - So, I mean, is that just kind of,
04:46 I mean, what kind of mentality goes into that
04:48 as far as just like taking a calculated chance
04:50 to go and try to make a play?
04:52 - Well, 'cause you just can't be scared of the moment.
04:54 Like some people are like, all right, I'm gonna stay back.
04:56 Like, I don't wanna go get that.
04:58 Like, even though it's a play right in front of you
05:00 and that can get you hurt sometimes.
05:02 Sometimes you gotta take those leaps of faith,
05:04 those chances, and that's when they pay off big.
05:07 - You feel like you guys needed a win like this
05:09 where you give yourselves plenty of stuff
05:12 to evaluate and correct on tape,
05:14 kind of wake yourselves up to the reality
05:17 that you're not invincible,
05:18 but at the end of the day, still a zero in the loss column?
05:21 - Yeah, absolutely.
05:22 And it's way better having the feeling
05:24 that we got a lot to improve on as a win than a loss.
05:28 So, just like you say,
05:31 that's what Coach V was even saying in the meeting
05:34 after the game.
05:35 So, yeah, that's absolutely correct.
05:36 - The ability as a team to not play great
05:41 and then in the fourth quarter,
05:42 when plays have to be made,
05:44 I assume there's still a confidence factor in that.
05:47 - Yeah.
05:48 - Where do you feel like this team's confidence comes from?
05:51 - I'd say our leaders and our coaches.
05:53 They have a lot of faith in us.
05:54 They have poured into us all their knowledge, wisdom,
05:58 and just given us the ability to come make plays
06:02 on defense, offense, whatever it is,
06:05 and just let us play ball.
06:08 And their confidence kind of makes the leaders
06:11 be more confident and the players as well.
06:13 And it just builds up and constantly goes and goes.
06:16 And the next guy up plays just as well as the starters.
06:20 And that's how it goes.
06:21 - Before.
06:22 - When did you sense the confidence around you
06:24 sort of percolating, maybe taking it to another level?
06:28 - I'd say from the beginning of the year.
06:30 I mean, like having just the off season, all of it,
06:33 I could tell this was a hungry group
06:36 and they know what they're capable of
06:39 and weren't able to,
06:42 but didn't show it last year
06:43 and failed to execute in some of these moments
06:47 that we're a lot better at this year.
06:49 And so whenever I hear like that,
06:52 it's just like, it just gets me going.
06:54 I mean, it's just a fun group to be around,
06:56 hard workers, all of it.