Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) defeated No. 7 Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC) 24-3 in Norman on Saturday.
Here is what co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley said after the game:
On being able to move the ball:
“We got a couple of good young running backs and a quarterback that can run. So we really wanted to sustain drives and move the ball so that our defense could get a break over there on the sideline. They did a great job making plays when the defense forced turnovers and capitalized on those. It was a complete team win, led by the defense and special teams. Extremely proud of of everybody on our football team, because they deserve that because of how they worked for the past couple of weeks.”
On utilizing Jackson Arnold in the run game:
“It wasn’t on accident, I could promise you that. A lot of those that were reads, where he the got option to give it or keep it. But I think (Alabama) was going to say, we’re going to make him beat us. He ran tough all night, took care of the ball and extremely proud of him. It is well deserved for a guy like that that continues to work.”
On the offensive line:
“It’s just it’s more of the same. That group continues to grow. It’s full of young guys, guys like Logan Howland that got beat up pretty bad on Twitter after the (Mississippi) game, but he just, he came back to work that next Monday with a smile on his face, knowing that he’s going to grow from that. I said, ‘Dude, you’re going to look back at this game one day and say this was the beginning, but I’m going to play the football for a long time,’ and he’s going to do that. I’m extremely proud of him for the way that he works, and that whole group. As soon as Troy Everett got back, it was just like a spark plug for that group. He’s a great leader, great energy, and exactly what that group needed at a time when things weren’t going exactly how we wanted to go. But love those guys, and extremely proud of them. They all had big smiles on their face, and I’m so happy for them because they work their butt off.”
On Xavier Robinson:
“So proud of him, because that guy comes in to work every single day. He’s here, you know, every single day, at like six or seven, in there with Schmitty getting a lift. When we went over there and took him off with the scout team, he was a little bit upset because he felt like he was getting better. He was in a great routine, and he didn’t want to come over there and be the third-team or fourth-team guy watching everything, because not going to get as good that way. But he man, he deserves everything he gets. He runs behind his pads every time, and every time he gets hit it seems like he’s falling for three or four. He has no idea what that does for an offense, an offensive line, a quarterback, and just the momentum of everything we’re doing. It obviously helps the defense get some rest over there on the sideline when we can sustain drives and have a big back like that.”
On younger players performing against Alabama:
“All those guys, have done a great job. When Jovante (Barnes) went down, they just stepped up and went to work. Even Jackson (Arnold), he’s running like a running back right now. So proud of him. It’s not easy for a guy like that, who came out of high school as a big five-star quarterback throwing the ball all the time, but what we’re asking him to do right now is be a tough quarterback and put his team, put the team on his shoulders, and that’s what he does. I’m so proud of everybody on our football team because you wouldn’t know we were five and five when you go to practice every single day. They all got a smile on their face. We get together on Thursday right before team meetings start, and it’s like a party in there, because they just enjoy working and going to work with each other. It makes me so happy for them because they deserve this moment.”
On the mentality heading to the second half:
I think it was a learning experience. When we were at (Mississippi), we came in and had a great first half, and everybody was super excited because we were moving the ball and doing the things that we needed to do. Then we went out in the second half and didn’t execute like we did in the first half. So I think I just saw a group of focused guys. Man, they knew the job wasn’t done. We had one good half. Now it’s time to go have another good half. And obviously when we come back in the second half and the defense gets the pick right away, it it just rejuvenates everybody .
On not turning the ball over:
“That was the biggest emphasis of the week…I said, ‘Guys, all this work that you’re doing, you can play extremely well, but if you have three plays where you drop the football, it’s all going to go for nothing. You could see the emphasis in practice, these guys were hugging that football, putting that right by their chin and, and everybody knew that was that was going to be the difference in this football game and it showed up for us.”
On the atmosphere post-game:
“This is the moment that these guys deserve. You know what I mean? It was a lot of fun on that field. I mean, I’m getting high fives from college students and grown men, moms, and all this stuff, but I had a had a blast out there. I really just wanted to see the smiles on our guys faces, because, like I said, they, they keep coming to work every single day, and in this, this day and age, just, it’s easy to throw in the towel and say, I’m, not going to finish this year out. But we haven’t had one bit of that.”
