Watch the Sooners' offensive coordinator meet the press after the main Alamo Bowl media day press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023.
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00:00 It goes through it.
00:00 I think every quarterback's always had their first start and
00:03 it has to start somewhere.
00:04 And so I think more, it starts a lot longer before that.
00:07 I think it's the mentality you come with,
00:09 it's the mentality you show up with every day, trying to get a day better.
00:12 How much, how important is it to you?
00:15 Guys that work extremely hard and have the mentality,
00:20 the right mentality it takes to stand back there at that position and
00:23 lead a group of men on the football field.
00:25 And then being able to go out and execute and make plays and
00:29 have that confidence to do so, it takes a special person.
00:32 That's why there's only a select few really good quarterbacks out there.
00:36 So Jackson definitely has that mentality, the work he puts in.
00:40 He's mature, well beyond his years, and understands.
00:46 He's humble enough to understand he still has a lot of room for growth and
00:51 improvements, and not even anywhere close to where he needs to be and
00:54 is gonna be because of his humility and the way he works.
00:59 So I feel like he's gonna be a special player.
01:01 >> Seth, you said earlier you've been trying for
01:04 23 years to get back to Oklahoma.
01:06 What do you remember about Brent calling you about the analyst position?
01:10 And what was your relationship like with Brent when you were the player?
01:13 >> As a player, we were obviously on separate sides of the ball.
01:16 And so I didn't work with him per se, positionally day in and day out.
01:20 But I was actually the protector on the punt team and he ran the punt team.
01:23 So we had more meetings two to three times a week, just the two of us.
01:28 Always had a lot of respect for him, unbelievable coach, great knowledge, and
01:33 a great teacher.
01:33 I think really stands out to me is what a great teacher he is.
01:38 But a phenomenal person.
01:41 He's genuine, he's passionate about ball.
01:45 He lives it, he eats it every single day.
01:47 But it doesn't consume him with his relationship.
01:51 It's more than football to him with our players, with our coaching staff,
01:54 helping them learn and grow.
01:56 Like one of our players said, be better father's husband,
01:59 it's better in the community.
02:00 Mentoring them the right way, and he's been phenomenal.
02:05 Getting that call was special to me.
02:07 It gave me an opportunity to really come back home, be near family.
02:14 But at the same time, be around an Oklahoma family that I've missed over the years.
02:18 And so having that opportunity to sit back and
02:21 see another way to run a program was important.
02:24 And it validates some things that maybe you did as a head coach.
02:29 Well, hey, I was right there, but more often than some things that you could have
02:33 done better.
02:34 And so it's just learning and growing and getting better.
02:36 And it's been a blessing to be around this group.
02:39 >> Brian, this is just the latest former Bob Stoops assistant to believe in you.
02:45 Can you sum up the collective impact of everyone from Mike Leach to Mark Mangino,
02:50 Mike Stoops, and on different levels?
02:52 >> First, the only time I've been out of really a Bob Stoops tree was
02:54 with Larry Bedore of North Carolina, who was a phenomenal coach.
02:57 And we had a great opportunity to work for him as well.
03:00 But I think just that group in turn, coming here in 1999,
03:04 I always knew early on, I told you earlier, I had two dreams in my life.
03:09 When it came to football, one was playing at the University of Oklahoma,
03:12 like we talked about.
03:13 And the other one, it wasn't the NFL, it was a coach at the university one day.
03:17 And so I feel blessed to be living out my dream in that sense.
03:20 But I think early on, they knew I wanted to coach.
03:25 And those with that coaching staff,
03:27 they built great relationships with their players and took care of me.
03:32 Look, I've had, I mean, for Mark Mangino to hire me straight out of college to come
03:36 to Kansas for three years and help him there, to Mike Leach give me my first job,
03:42 I think I don't even know how old I was.
03:45 Not old enough probably to be the running back's coach at Texas Tech in the Big 12.
03:49 I mean, let's be honest.
03:50 And so, and then going with Coach Mike Stoops to Arizona,
03:54 him allowing me to be the offensive coordinator at a very young age.
03:57 I'm just, Kevin Wilson, hiring me at Indiana.
04:03 I've just had a lot of great opportunities from this coaching tree.
04:07 Giving back, it means a lot to me.
04:10 But the way they take care and think about their players,
04:12 just shows you who they are.
04:13 We have, I don't know how many former players we have on this Oklahoma staff now,
04:18 but I think it's around 17, 22, something like that.
04:21 Just guys that love this program, love to come to work every single day, and
04:25 are passionate about what this program means and winning football games.
04:29 And it's a special place, and I'm grateful to be back.
04:34 Thankful he's allowed me to be here.
04:36 >> Seth, what are one or two things from each one of those coaches that maybe
04:39 you can't describe to me?
04:40 I know there's probably a lot, but can you boil it down?
04:43 >> There's, I could be here all day.
04:46 I mean, there's a lot.
04:47 I think each coach is different.
04:49 Everybody has their different personalities, and
04:52 maybe some things Xs and Os wise.
04:55 Leach and Kevin Wilson were,
04:59 they were similar but very opposites in a lot of different ways.
05:04 And Mike Leach was gonna throw it around a ton.
05:09 He was gonna be in the air raid, and he kept it very simple.
05:12 Kevin Wilson, who was the ins and outs to every defense.
05:16 >> Those are really, really good.
05:18 >> They're just different.
05:19 They are similar.
05:20 It's a lot of the same schematics within the system, but
05:23 they're running it different.
05:25 Obviously, Kevin Wilson a little bit more running oriented, play action pass.
05:29 And so you learn from each and every coach, not only head coaches,
05:32 things that you would do, and some things maybe you wouldn't do.
05:36 As an offensive coordinator and head coach when you got that opportunity.
05:39 But I think you take something from everyone, every person I've worked with.
05:43 And not just head coaches, but other coordinators, other position coaches,
05:47 Dana, Sonny, Bill, I can name a ton.
05:52 And so just being around those coaches and soaking up as much knowledge from each one.
05:57 And then taking those things and
05:59 being able to fit the ones to your personality that fit.
06:03 And some of them do, some of them don't.
06:05 But you're gonna learn and grow from each and every person.
06:07 And sometimes again, like I told our players,
06:11 like I told guys that have worked for me.
06:14 Maybe you'll take some things that you really like and
06:16 that you wanna utilize for yourself.
06:18 And some things don't fit your personality and maybe you don't like those and
06:21 you don't have to do them when you're the head coach.
06:23 And so I think that's part of every job.
06:27 >> I think you're older now than Bob Sears was when he took over at Oklahoma.
06:30 You were in that program, you were running back then.
06:33 Did he seem older to you then?
06:34 Do you see him now?
06:35 >> I don't know.
06:37 Coach, man, he was, coach is awesome.
06:40 He come in as a young head coach, but fiery, that entire staff.
06:44 The thing that stood out to me when they came in was the confidence they had,
06:47 the confidence they had within the program.
06:50 They had all come from winning programs, winning national championships.
06:53 Brent and all those guys that come from Kansas State, with Mangino and Mike,
06:58 and just won maybe the Big 12 championship or
07:00 were right there in the Big 12 championship game.
07:02 And so just the amount of confidence, but humility confidence.
07:08 It wasn't a boastful confidence, it just made us feel good as players.
07:13 We knew we had an unbelievable staff and they cared a lot about their players.
07:17 And they built the chemistry, the culture that it took for
07:22 us in order to, that we needed in order to win and compete for a championship.
07:27 And it's probably a lot faster than anybody could have thought it would have
07:31 been, but it was great to see it and be a part of it.
07:35 Because I've used a lot of those same things along the years, or
07:39 anywhere I've ever coached.
07:41 >> You said it was kind of refreshing to come in as an analyst and
07:44 to see how someone else runs a program.
07:46 After being a head coach, is it difficult at all to kind of transition from
07:49 overseeing everything to just kind of taking the back seat?
07:52 >> No, it's not actually.
07:54 I think I've gotten the opportunity to do it all, like be a position coach,
08:01 be, I think, looking back now having been a head coach,
08:05 I'll be a much, much better assistant than I ever have been.
08:09 Because now I know what that guy feels in that seat, each and every day,
08:13 all the decisions and things that he has to do on a daily basis.
08:17 Plus the fact that there's football also involved.
08:21 It's a very challenging job.
08:22 There's a lot on the head coach's plate.
08:25 I wanna do anything I can to take pressure off of whatever it is.
08:29 Obviously, it starts with us offensively.
08:32 And just doing, making sure that I'm not gonna lay my head on the pillow any night.
08:37 I don't feel like we're getting a day better.
08:39 I'm doing everything I can to help this team compete and win football games.
08:43 And that's my job.
08:44 And so, but to say the least, it's been very refreshing.
08:48 And but I am very excited about my new role.
08:53 And I look forward to really working hard, moving forward in the future.
08:57 >> After you got this job, what was it like going into homes of recruits and
09:01 trying to tell them this is what we're gonna do next year with offense?
09:04 How do you sell what you're gonna do when they don't have a visualization of what
09:08 your plans are for the program?
09:09 >> Well, I think our offense hasn't been broke.
09:11 And so again, we've been very similar, what I've done over the years,
09:15 what we've done since I've been a coordinator.
09:18 And so we're gonna continue to,
09:22 just like I did going into other programs when I was offensive coordinator.
09:26 I went two places solo, so learning their terminology, learning.
09:30 I think it's a lot easier for me to learn the terminology and
09:34 the plays than it is for the players.
09:36 So it's my job to do that instead of however many players offensively,
09:42 50, 60 guys offensively having to learn my system right now.
09:45 And so the terminology is easy.
09:48 Obviously, our strengths, you're always gonna continue to look and
09:52 evaluate within the system what we did well this year.
09:55 And then obviously, we're gonna grow, we're gonna evolve.
09:57 And there may be some things that I like that if they haven't been implemented yet,
10:02 then we'll call it something different.
10:05 But the language itself doesn't really matter.
10:07 I think we've all as coaches, we've done a lot of different things.
10:12 Offensively, I think I kinda alluded to earlier, every team's different.
10:17 Every year is different.
10:19 Some years you may be more, I've played out of 10 personnel, 11 personnel.
10:23 Some years, 12 personnel.
10:25 I've had to throw up 40 to 50 times a game.
10:27 I've had to run up 40 to 50 times a game.
10:29 I think for me as a coach, it's my job,
10:32 what puts our guys in the best situation to be successful.
10:36 And that's, to me, it's not so much about a system as much as,
10:41 I think, being successful that way.
10:43 >> What do you remember from your time in Arizona?
10:46 >> It was great.
10:46 We, again, a young turt, first time coordinator.
10:50 >> I hate stress.
10:51 I really love you.
10:51 >> My wife's second move.
10:52 We were both young.
10:53 We had, my first son was born there.
10:56 My only son, I shouldn't say, my first child was born in Tucson.
10:59 So we have a lot of great memories in Tucson, absolutely.
11:03 We had a very fun coaching staff and went to bowl games and had success.
11:08 But it was a great place to live, great people.
11:10 And we enjoyed our time.
11:14 >> Do you still keep in touch with Mike and Mark?
11:16 >> Absolutely, yeah.
11:17 We see each other.
11:18 Again, it's like anything, with those coaches you're around over the years,
11:24 you always try to stay in touch, and everybody does.
11:27 We have a pretty cool core group.
11:30 We all, when we have time and we're at conventions, we all still hang out.
11:34 And if we need to catch up on the phone every now and then, yes, we do.
11:39 But coaching gets crazy during the season.
11:41 And I know there's a lot on your plate throughout a season,
11:46 and then through recruiting.
11:49 So there's a lot of noise going on per se, but we all do a pretty good job.
11:53 >> What are your thoughts on your two 2024 quarterbacks and
11:57 your role in locking those guys up down the stretch?
11:59 >> Yeah, I think both of them are very talented players.
12:01 I'm really excited to coach both.
12:03 They're very smart young men, love football.
12:06 But yeah, I think it's a very, very bright future for the seniors for those guys.
12:13 >> How do you reflect on the 2010 Alabama Bowl, Coach Ed Arizona?
12:18 >> Against Oklahoma State, if I'm correct, yeah.
12:21 Yeah, we didn't make the plays we needed to win, but
12:23 there's a very talented group.
12:25 >> God dang.
12:27 >> I do know this, it was a great bowl, the Alabama Bowl.
12:30 They've always treated us great.
12:32 Whenever I've been here, it's been a lot of fun for our players.
12:35 Each and every game's a little bit different.
12:37 If you're asking me, 13 years ago, the ins and outs of that game,
12:40 it's hard for me to remember every play.
12:44 But it's been a great bowl experience for us.
12:47 >> And then how would you describe the relationship that you had with Nick Foles
12:50 during his time in Arizona?
12:51 >> Yeah, I mean, obviously he was our starting quarterback and
12:55 was a very good player for us.
12:57 Again, we had a bunch of talented players when I was there.
13:01 But Nick's a great, great young man.
13:03 He's an unbelievable football player,
13:05 obviously has done some big time things at the next level as well.
13:09 So terrific.
13:13 >> I think NCAA's allowing teams to have quarterbacks wear headsets for
13:18 the bowl games this year.
13:19 Are you guys doing that?
13:20 >> I'm not gonna start that right now, for sure.
13:22 We're not doing that.
13:23 >> Are you gonna be sitting in the press box?
13:26 >> We got a good plan.
13:27 We got us a good plan going on, Joe and I do, and our staff.
13:31 And so it'll be fun to see game day going on.
13:34 >> Are you a proponent of the headsets?
13:36 Was that something you've looked at?
13:36 >> No, we haven't used them before.
13:39 To me, it's neither here nor there.
13:43 I'm not saying I'm against it.
13:45 But for us to use it as our first game right now, that made to me-
13:50 >> I guess that would mean for
13:51 the future and we always- >> Yeah, I'm not against it.
13:53 >> Yeah, okay.
13:54 >> I'm not against it.
13:55 >> As we try to piece together the team, where did you sit previously when you
14:00 were all seated?
14:01 >> I've done it both, actually.
14:03 >> [LAUGH] >> Mostly in the box.
14:07 >> As far as evaluating Jackson's performance Thursday night,
14:10 people look at box scores and all that.
14:12 But what will you be looking for,
14:13 just in terms of the things he'll do during the game, how he operates?
14:16 >> Just managing the football game.
14:17 Again, he has a lot of great players around him.
14:20 Just an understanding that he doesn't have to do it all himself.
14:24 And we're in this together.
14:25 Again, we have to trust and believe in the guys around us to make plays.
14:28 And it's his job to manage the game and
14:31 do the best he can to put the ball in the playmaker's hands.
14:34 And that's what we're looking for.
14:37 >> What did you see from him at BYU, the way he came in and made those throws late?
14:42 >> Absolutely, he made some good plays down the stretch to win us a football game.
14:45 And that was one of those games to where I burned his red shirt.
14:52 And so during that conversation,
14:54 sometimes that's not an easy conversation with a player.
14:57 But with Jackson, that helps his team win right now, he's all in.
15:01 He didn't blink an eye and went out there.
15:03 And that's what I'm talking about.
15:04 He's prepared the right way all year.
15:06 This isn't the first time he's prepared to be the starter in a football game,
15:09 cuz that's what he does.
15:10 That's how he's prepared all year long.
15:13 And he set himself up with success going into that game and
15:19 be able to make those plays because of his preparation.
15:21 That's something I know he'll continue to do.
15:23 >> When we look at the offensive line and beyond this game,
15:26 what do you want out of your offensive line?
15:27 I know there's gonna be a lot of new faces next year.
15:29 Long term, what do you look for out of the offensive line?
15:32 >> As a leader, I mean, it all starts up front.
15:34 Each and every week, it starts on both sides of the front on the line of
15:37 scrimmage where it's all at.
15:38 So Coach Beaton Bowe does an unbelievable job not only recruiting but
15:43 developing these young men and the proofs in the pudding right there.
15:49 The amount of success he's had with guys playing at the next level and
15:53 moving forward.
15:54 So I have a lot of faith in him.
15:56 Feels like family to me.
15:57 We've been together in the past, coached together at two different stops and
16:02 then around each other pretty much anytime outside of the football season.
16:06 So one of the best coaches I've been around in my life, and
16:10 I know he's always gonna have those guys prepared.
16:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]
16:15 Prepared to play.
16:16 That's where it always starts up front.
16:18 >> Your relationship with Bill, how much easier does that maybe make your job in
16:21 terms of coming in and being at a play conference?
16:24 >> A lot of the relationship with all those guys offensively, not just Bill, but
16:28 I have a lot of great relationships in that offensive staff room.
16:31 So that's a great group.
16:33 I'm really fired up about our staff.
16:35 Really, really excited about our players.
16:37 We have a ton of playmakers.
16:38 A lot of good mix of great experience with great leadership and
16:43 a lot of young guys that are really doing some really good things.
16:47 So the future's bright.
16:49 We gotta continue to evaluate and
16:53 get the right fits into our program and continue to develop.
16:56 But I like exactly where we're sitting at that.
17:01 >> You mentioned before how fast the last couple weeks have gone.
17:03 Before that, the uncertainty, what was your outlook for
17:05 2024 before this opportunity was on the table?
17:09 >> I felt like taking this year off is the best thing for me, just and my family.
17:14 After the last seven years as a head coach, allowed me to take a deep breath and
17:18 sit back and evaluate myself.
17:19 And see the, so it's always good to look in the mirror,
17:25 see the good things and the bad.
17:27 And some things you need to change or some things you need to grow or evolve in.
17:30 And so, and then also getting a deep breath.
17:33 Like I said, at that position, being the head coach, there's a lot on your plate.
17:37 And so it's been great.
17:39 It's been refreshing.
17:40 But after this year, there was no doubt I was ready to get back on the field and
17:45 hopefully become a coordinator again.
17:47 That's what I was looking forward to doing.
17:49 >> Where were the two solo stops you were supposed to go?
17:51 You said the two, where the staff was in place, I guess.
17:54 He said you get two solo stops.
17:56 >> Yeah, I went in Indiana and then North Carolina.
18:02 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> You mentioned the good and
18:07 the bad after being the head coach.
18:10 Do you lose confidence in yourself at all?
18:12 Any time that you're questioning yourself after that?
18:15 >> No, I think you always have to self evaluate, right?
18:18 I think any successful person does.
18:21 And that's whether it's after any football season or after a stop.
18:27 I mean, I think it's nothing to do with the confidence aspect.
18:30 Just, it's great just to sit back and reflect.
18:33 And it's like anyone, there's a lot of things that you felt like were
18:37 going in the right direction or things that were a positive part of how you were
18:43 leading, how you're growing, but there's always things that you can get better at.
18:47 There's always ways to grow and get better.
18:49 And I think if you put your ego aside, I think that's when you can learn and grow.
18:56 I think sometimes when you get set in your ways,
18:59 it gets a lot harder as you move forward, just cuz that's the way it's gonna be.
19:06 And so it's been, again, it's been awesome being around great coaches.
19:10 And I've had great staffs, I've been a part of great staffs.
19:14 And so again, you learn and grow each and every year is a little bit different.
19:19 Just always trying to get a day better.
19:20 Hopefully that's what we're asking our players to do, and
19:23 that's exactly what I wanna do.
19:24 >> Is it easy to let your ego get in the way when you've been a head coach?
19:28 And then when you come to a place like Oklahoma, is it easy to get humbled again?
19:33 >> No, I think, I mean, I would hope I've never,
19:37 I'm not a big egotistical guy.
19:41 I mean, I'm just, to me, it's about all of us.
19:45 We're always learning, we're always growing.
19:48 I think ego starts your growth.
19:51 And so I've always tried to set it aside.
19:53 Just because you've been a head coach, I don't see that correlation.
20:00 I think because I've been a head coach, I'll be a much better assistant.
20:05 Because I know exactly the ins and outs of what it looks like sitting in that chair.
20:12 And I think it was about a month after I took the job at North Texas,
20:15 I called Larry Fedora and said, I really gotta apologize to you.
20:19 I've been a terrible assistant coach.
20:21 He just started dying laughing.
20:22 He goes, Coach, we all get there.
20:24 And so I'm really excited.
20:26 And again, my job's to make sure that I'm doing every single thing,
20:30 every day, to make sure we're continuing to grow and get better.
20:33 And to be successful on this side of the ball, whatever job he needs me to do.
20:38 So I'm all about, I just want Oklahoma football to win.
20:44 >> Do you wanna be a head coach again someday?
20:46 >> We'll see when that time comes.
20:47 I'm not putting any, I guess, limits on that.
20:51 I have a strong faith in my beliefs.
20:55 And me and my wife have a strong prayer life.
20:59 And so I'm never gonna put God in a box, per se.
21:04 He's always been very good in leading me to the right spots.
21:09 I wouldn't have changed any spot.
21:10 I think I've learned and grown.
21:12 And we've had a lot of fun in every stop that we've been on.
21:15 And every journey, every adventure has been fabulous.
21:19 And so why put him in a box now?
21:21 At the end of the day, I love where we're at.
21:25 And I'm really excited about our future.
21:27 >> There's been a lot of talk about what this offense is gonna look like.
21:31 Call and plays, air raids, spread.
21:33 What exactly are the differences between those two for
21:36 someone that's got a good logic?
21:38 Is there differences?
21:40 Is there similar logic?
21:40 >> I mean, you can ask ten people the difference and
21:45 ten people will probably give you a different answer, right?
21:47 So at the end of the day, again, I go back to, I mean,
21:51 my time has been a coordinator, learning, growing, evolving.
21:57 I'm not gonna pigeonhole what we're gonna do.
21:58 I think I truly believe that it's what fits our players best,
22:04 what puts them in the best situation to be successful.
22:07 And that's kinda how I've always viewed it.
22:09 And that's how I've always tried to evolve as a coach.
22:11 And our offenses have evolved throughout the years because of not so
22:16 much us as coaches, but what do we do as players.
22:20 And so, listen, it's not gonna be wholesale change, especially right now.
22:25 Again, it's been a short, fast time through bowl prep.
22:31 And our job right now is to make sure we put them in the best situation to hopefully
22:35 have success and be able to play fast.
22:37 And we'll worry about all that other stuff in offseason.
22:40 >> Do you have a definition for what those offenses are or should be?
22:44 >> Every year, some years it's been the air raid,
22:46 some years it's been the run raid.
22:47 Some years it's been, I mean, I don't like all the,
22:53 I don't get into all the air raid, the run raid, all that.
22:56 I just don't.
22:57 I just, to me, it's, you go out and play ball.
23:00 You have a system.
23:01 Everybody's gonna have a lot of different concepts, run concepts,
23:06 pass concepts, and then every year's a little different.
23:10 Some quarterback may like cross better than another.
23:14 >> [LAUGH] >> So one year you're running more cross,
23:16 the next year you're running more sell.
23:18 I mean, it's just, it is what it is.
23:21 It's all within your system.
23:22 It's just a matter of how are we gonna get there and what's it gonna look like.
23:26 >> Does it need a label?
23:28 >> I don't need a label.
23:29 >> So we'll call it the wishbone.
23:31 >> Perfect.
23:32 My dad will be happy with that.
23:33 >> What about coaching quarterbacks?
23:35 You haven't coached quarterbacks before, you've coached other positions.
23:37 Do you change your mentalities?
23:39 Is there a different way to coach quarterbacks?
23:41 I know you've worked with- >> Coaching's coaching,
23:43 teaching's teaching, right?
23:44 I think it's about being a part of a system and
23:47 then learning your system and what that looks like.
23:49 And so we have great coaches on this staff.
23:52 And I've been around the quarterbacks for
23:54 the last seven years sitting in there as a head coach as well.
23:58 And so it's not a unfamiliar place for me to be in that quarterback room.
24:04 Again, as a coordinator,
24:05 you're always having to make sure you're on the same page with that guy for sure.
24:08 So it's the most important thing.
24:10 So it's not unfamiliar.
24:13 >> Completely off the beaten path a little bit.
24:17 What Mason Fine did for your career?
24:20 You guys got together at the same time and he goes in and sets all those records.
24:23 Your first time as a head coach.
24:25 >> So what was the question?
24:27 >> What Mason Fine did for your career, can you sum it up?
24:29 >> Mason Fine is an unbelievable player for us.
24:32 And we had a lot of fun together.
24:36 He's a great young man that I'll tell you, yeah, he's very competitive.
24:40 But very humble, very driven, and a really good football player.
24:45 So he did a lot for our program, absolutely.
24:48 >> What was the biggest thing about working with that Arizona coaching staff?
24:53 There's a lot of coaching staff looking back on your time in Arizona.
24:56 What's the biggest thing you learned with those guys?
24:58 >> Well, I mean, I think just we had great relationships there.
25:05 We had a lot of fun.
25:06 We had a young staff that very energetic and we love ball.
25:11 Love going to work with each other every day.
25:14 And so Mike did a great job of leading that program, leading the staff.
25:17 But you look back, I mean,
25:21 that group you're talking about, we're all still really tight.
25:26 It's a tight knit group and we have a lot of fun together.
25:29 Our families are very tight as well, our children now.
25:31 And so, like I said, every stop's different, every year's.
25:38 But they've all been great, but there's definitely a lot of great memories from
25:42 our times there at Arizona because of the staff that we have.
25:45 >> Yeah, the defensive coordinator has gone back and
25:48 watched you all the way back to Indiana.
25:50 Just to see what you may be throwing out on Thursday.
25:54 Do you even have the time to implement a lot of your stuff without giving too much
25:58 away, obviously?
25:59 >> We'll see.
26:01 We'll see.
26:01 I mean, again, it's all there.
26:05 It's just a matter of what you're gonna rip and what you're gonna work on.
26:08 So, there's a lot of things I could do and I can do.
26:14 But it's a matter of what are our players good with and
26:19 how much can we implement, so.
26:21 >> You said they got a lot of GAs.
26:24 >> Who?
26:24 >> The Arizona defensive coordinator.
26:26 >> They have a lot of GAs.
26:28 >> Watch that old fan.
26:30 >> I'm sure they do.
26:30 >> I asked coaches also, for Arizona fans that haven't seen an Oklahoma offense,
26:36 how would you describe what you want it to look like on Thursday?
26:39 >> Physical.
26:40 I want it to look physical.
26:42 I think that's the mentality.
26:43 And I wanna play complimentary football and be a physical group.
26:48 >> What are your impressions of Arizona's defense?
26:51 >> I think they're long, athletic.
26:53 They do it really good.
26:54 Schematically, understanding the weaknesses of their calls and
26:58 each call that they may have.
27:00 And because they see it in different ways and how they're gonna get attacked,
27:04 they see it, so they understand it, so they know how to play to it.
27:07 So they do a phenomenal job.
27:10 You can tell they're very well coached.
27:12 Their players play fast.
27:13 But the thing that really stands out, their length.
27:19 Their length really stands out.
27:20 So we're gonna have to be on top of our game, obviously.
27:23 I think it's a great matchup.
27:25 I think it's two unbelievable teams.
27:26 I think it's one of the better bowl matchups outside of some of the,
27:30 what is it, top 15 matchup, right?
27:33 I don't know how many bowl games we're not as of yet, but
27:36 I think it's a great matchup.
27:37 We have a lot of respect for coach, what they've done there and
27:41 what they're doing this season.
27:43 And so very, very, very solid football team.
27:47 >> Yeah. >> Appreciate it.