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00:00 All right, disappointed to say the least.
00:04 Didn't see that coming, we practiced well.
00:06 The last two years against Oklahoma, combined score been tied.
00:11 And that didn't resemble anything, that football in all three
00:16 phases didn't resemble anything that we put on tape this year.
00:21 And credit Oklahoma, they beat a soundly,
00:24 Brent had those guys ready to go after the two losses.
00:28 And home crowd was into it, and they played with a lot more energy and
00:33 a lot more execution than we did.
00:36 Offensively, if you look at it, Garrett really struggled after that first drive
00:41 in the first and second quarter, didn't play like himself.
00:45 They beat us up front, especially I thought, after our first initial drive there
00:50 in the first, second quarter, where the game got away from us a little bit.
00:55 They got after us up front, that's really the first time it's been done all year.
00:59 I thought we got in on first down, down on the goal line,
01:03 thought we got in on second down, and that's not a knock on officiating.
01:07 But here we are, we're playing a national TV game,
01:10 we don't have a goal line camera.
01:11 Not one single goal line shot, whether the ball got over or not,
01:16 which is amazing to me.
01:18 I don't think we win the game, but it's a hell of a lot more interesting.
01:22 But I really feel strongly that we got in on first down for sure,
01:27 second down, it'd been nice to have a shot at it.
01:30 We didn't have any video of it, so they couldn't overturn it in the rock,
01:34 they couldn't overturn it here because there's no video of it,
01:37 which I don't know how that happens.
01:39 And then offensively, we can't be any quality teams
01:45 if our pass game is in the shape it was tonight.
01:49 It probably is bad as stats passing as I've ever been associated with.
01:54 We had drops, we missed reads, we missed throws.
01:57 We got hit more tonight than we have.
02:00 And then our third down execution just wasn't good enough.
02:04 Defensively, they pretty much did what they wanted to.
02:08 If you look at it, basically 10 of 14 on end of possessions down,
02:12 we couldn't get off the field.
02:14 They exposed us in coverage.
02:17 They took advantage of matchups.
02:20 They went after some people tonight.
02:22 We didn't fit the run, especially early.
02:24 We didn't fit the run very well.
02:26 And like I said, couldn't get off the field.
02:28 And so disappointed, I can promise you this, that won't be how we finish.
02:34 We've been nine games where we played football at a pretty high level.
02:38 Even the games we lost, Penn State, competitive one score game going to
02:41 fourth quarter, lose on a Hail Mary, and
02:43 then up in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma State.
02:47 In all that, we played pretty sound football,
02:49 looked like a well-coached unit, and played and competed.
02:52 And I don't wanna get into it till I watch the tape, but
02:55 we didn't coach good enough, we didn't execute good enough, and
02:58 that didn't resemble anything that the 2023 Mountaineers have been.
03:02 And to say that I'm disappointed would be an understatement at the least.
03:10 Quite frankly, I'm pissed and
03:12 nearly embarrassed by what we put on the tape tonight, so questions.
03:16 >> Neil, start with the defensive problems.
03:18 You guys haven't given up explosive plays to that extreme most of the year.
03:23 So you said went through some of that.
03:25 >> Yeah, they spread us out.
03:26 They spread us out and put us in one on one situations, which credit to them.
03:30 They hadn't done that as much.
03:32 Now that's in Levy's background.
03:35 And I know they're giving him a hard time, but he's a hell of an offensive coach.
03:38 Everywhere he's been, they've been good on offense.
03:43 And credit to him, what they did, and they've got a whole lot,
03:46 their offense stats really good.
03:47 And they got a bunch of analysts and stuff that have been really good offensive
03:51 coaches as well.
03:52 And so what they did is they spread us out and made it a one on one game.
03:56 And we didn't do a good enough job putting our kids in position where
04:01 we could get them some help.
04:02 And they exposed us and they hit us with some runs.
04:05 They blocked us pretty well up front and we missed tackles at the second and
04:09 third level.
04:10 And then in coverage, they RPOed us.
04:12 They got us and got some guys in some run fits and
04:15 exposed some guys in some one on one.
04:17 >> And comparing some of the past catching,
04:20 it seemed like they made some tougher catches, some out of the frame catches,
04:23 things like that.
04:24 Your team didn't as much, is that- >> Yeah, if you're gonna, yeah.
04:28 No, I think Kevin, you're right on.
04:30 I mean, to win games like this, you gotta make some tough plays.
04:36 And this is a game we really felt like was winnable.
04:39 I know we were double digit underdog and all that, but
04:42 really felt like we played our best football the last two weeks.
04:44 And so that's why I'm kind of blindsided by this.
04:46 We practiced well, helped the kids prepared well.
04:49 We went down and scored an opening drive.
04:50 Now we didn't much get in their way on their opening drive.
04:54 But they made a lot of really good plays, but
05:00 they also made a lot of plays that were easy too.
05:02 Like quarterback was pretty clean, they had a bunch of catching runs.
05:07 Drake Stoops is a hell of a football player.
05:10 Now, this may be his biggest night receiving, but
05:13 he really is a hell of a football player.
05:14 He's one of those kids that you don't appreciate him when you're going against
05:19 him, but then when you watch the tape, you're like, man,
05:21 the kid's maximizing his talent.
05:23 And he's a good player.
05:24 He'll go play in the NFL, which is good for him.
05:26 But no, we didn't make enough competitive plays.
05:31 They did, and that's why they kicked our tail.
05:33 >> Offensively, you guys had some opportunities in the first half,
05:38 even after the first drive, which was successful, but
05:41 just couldn't take advantage.
05:42 I mean, you had the muff punt.
05:44 >> Yeah, that was disappointing.
05:46 That was kind of the night in a nutshell.
05:48 They muffed the punt.
05:50 We did a good job recovering it.
05:51 And then we have to kick a long field goal rather than, and
05:56 the thing that irritates you, and Garrett's played really well most of the year, but
06:00 tonight went his best.
06:01 It was really decision making.
06:02 I can deal with some errant throws and all that kind of stuff.
06:04 But on that series in particular, we had a couple good plays.
06:08 And sometimes when you see too much,
06:11 he didn't see it very good.
06:16 And he'll learn from it, and he'll get better.
06:20 I didn't do a good enough job putting our guys in positions either.
06:22 We had a lot of people open in the pass game.
06:26 And we had some drops, more drops tonight than we've had probably all year,
06:30 when you go back and look at it.
06:33 But we're a lot better offensively than what we did.
06:40 And there's a couple drives, that one irritates me and
06:43 the one where we didn't get it in.
06:44 That even with on first and second down, which I thought we scored,
06:51 still should be able to score on third or fourth down there too, and we didn't.
06:54 And like I said, credit to them.
06:57 That's the first time that we've been beaten up front all year, and
07:01 they got us, they got after us.
07:03 >> You mentioned Levy, he has been criticized around here quite a bit.
07:09 I'm just wondering from your perspective as a long time coordinator and
07:13 coach caller, what it's like sort of dealing with that stuff on the weekend?
07:17 What's up with this?
07:19 >> Well, I think my mantra is, I don't listen to any criticism from anybody
07:24 I wouldn't take advice from.
07:25 And I doubt the people criticizing him have the credentials he has.
07:32 That would be, if you do this long enough,
07:35 you're gonna like to have some calls back.
07:38 Like anytime you're 70 to 80 plays in a game,
07:41 there's gonna be some where you'd like to have a few calls back.
07:45 I think how you evaluate it,
07:46 are you putting your players and your team in a position to win a game?
07:51 And I just think over a long time, I don't have a personal relationship with him.
07:54 I know him, we see each other on the road recruiting, I like him.
07:57 But my professional opinion, he's a really good offensive football coach.
08:01 And he exposed some matchups tonight and they did a good job mixing it up.
08:05 And I think he's given them chances.
08:09 And so that's my thought on it.
08:13 >> You've noted the past couple of weeks you've been a little bit more basic,
08:16 more fundamental defensively.
08:17 Because of the injuries, youngsters, all of that.
08:21 Does that then make it more difficult to try to adjust or
08:25 change anything when another team is hitting things like Oklahoma was?
08:29 >> Yeah, well, I mean, we don't carry a lot of defense right now.
08:32 And part of that's cuz we can't handle a whole lot of defense.
08:35 And so we have basically what we have.
08:39 And so now we didn't play good enough defense tonight.
08:44 Even we just didn't play, we didn't tackle, we didn't tear off blocks.
08:50 We weren't very good in coverage.
08:52 So don't get me wrong, there's things coaching wise in all three phases
08:59 that we should have done better.
09:00 We did not coach good enough tonight.
09:02 You don't have a game like that where we obviously didn't have our kids prepared.
09:07 We didn't coach well enough.
09:08 And that starts with me.
09:09 And at the same token though, is I can promise you we'll finish a hell of
09:16 a lot better than we look tonight.
09:17 Cuz that ain't been the team that we've been coaching all year.
09:20 Yeah, we got the- >> Coach,
09:21 you've had some battles with these guys.
09:23 I know you beat them last year, all the close games.
09:26 I know it hasn't always gone your way for a little while, but
09:29 were you misplaying on you?
09:31 >> No, I don't care.
09:32 I like them.
09:33 I respect their fan base, but I don't care.
09:35 I'm pissed about this game.
09:38 I hate to end it like this.
09:40 But like I say, you probably weren't here early, but I said,
09:43 it's been a tie score the last two years, if you combine the scores.
09:47 I like coming here.
09:47 I think it's a passionate fan base.
09:49 They do a great job in game.
09:50 I thought it was electric in game with their atmosphere.
09:54 I really respect all the guys that as a coordinator and
10:00 as a head coach that I faced, whether it was Coach Stoops when he was head coach or
10:05 Lincoln when he was here, and now to Brent.
10:07 Those guys, all three of those guys do it the right way.
10:11 And we've had some really good battles.
10:13 One here, lost some close games here and
10:17 obviously got smoked tonight.
10:20 And so, but I respect the fan base, respect the program, but
10:26 I'm kind of whoever's on our schedules who will play.
10:28 All right.
10:29 >> Thanks, Coach.