Conference Call: Klieman expects big test in Stillwater

“I did watch a decent amount of it. It was a good college football game, a fast-paced affair. You could tell it was probably a little warm down there. Two really good teams went at it. Texas probably made a few more plays. I think Coach Gundy was right, they had a number of opportunities, and it didn’t happen.”

On Oklahoma State’s offense…

“They’re so diverse and do so many things. The quarterback is a phenominal player. The running back we have seen being so talented, he can beat you. There are just so many explosive players on the field, we’ll have our hands full this week coming up with good plans.”

Did you get what you wanted out of the bye week?

“Yeah, we did, definitely. We were able to get a lot of work done Monday through Thursday, gave the guys the weekend off to kind of get their bodies and minds fresh. We’ll come back and start practice this afternoon.”

Does the Mississippi State game help prepare for this?

“I think it was really important for us. We talked about it being a good measuring stick for us, for our staff and our players to see how we respond on the road in a hostile environment. I’m glad we had a road game prior to this one, but obviously I know the challenge and environment will be even more difficult than what we faced at Mississippi State, and we’re looking forward to it.”

On Spencer Sanders…

“He looked like a seasoned veteran on Saturday. He’s really athletic and made some really good plays. He beat them with his feet, beat them with his arm. I’m really impressed with how hard he played and how competitive he was. Obviously, he’ll be a focal point of us – not really trying to stop him - but trying to slow him down a little bit, because he’s a special talent.”

On letting kids go home during the bye week…

“Yeah, it’s what I’ve done since I’ve been a head coach. I think sometimes you do have to get away, especially when you are here as much as we are. It gave us as coaches a chance to get off and get on the road, as well. You hope they come back with your mind and body refreshed, and it’s something I think hopefully will be a benefit for us.”

Have you seen teams fake injuries to slow the pace; is that an ethical question?

“I don’t know if you’d say it’s an ethical question or not. You never know. I’ve been on both sides of it, seen both sides of it, to be honest with you. Whether or not somebody is injured, the official has to figure that out. We want to make the game safe, and if a guy is hurt, he’s hurt. I don’t know. As you get later in the season, temperatures cool a little bit. I don’t know how hot it was (last Saturday in Austin). I know when we were down at Mississippi State it was extremely hot down there, as well. I don’t really have an answer for you there. I know I’ve seen it, but you don’t really know if the guy is injured or not.”

Follow up on teams potentially faking injuries…

“That’s a good question. I don’t know that (teams do), for a fact. I’ve seen guys on both sides, meaning I’ve been on both sides when somebody goes out to attend to them. I don't know. There are no rules against it either way. In the same respect, you don’t know when a young man is injured. You don’t want to say they shouldn’t go down. If somebody is injured, they are injured. That’s just kind of the way it is right now in football. When I say both sides, we’ve had guys go down who truly are cramping. So, they're cramping. What are you supposed to do? You can't get off the field, and the ball is going to be snapped. We've had situations where we’ve run power against somebody six times in a row, and they stay down on the ground. They probably were cramping. When you get into that kind of heat, you have to worry about the health and safety of a kid. If they are cramping up, they can’t go.”

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