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Tracking the Longhorns: Oct. 2
DE BRIAN ORAKPO On coming back for the Red River Rivalry: Obviously, Oklahoma-Texas is one of the biggest games in college history. It's great to be able to come back and be 100 percent and be ready to go and it's great to be able to be there with all my teammates and get after it. On the energy he brings back to the defense: We have a lot of guys smiling to see me back out there. It's fun to see that intensity back. We've had that intensity all season but when you have new guys coming in again, like Sergio [Kindle] and I today, it's fun to see everybody back as a whole. It's like a big family again. On his fitness level: My fitness level is good. Ever since I went down in the first game against Arkansas State, I've been conditioning since day one. I feel like I never got hurt. I'm ready to go and I'm ready to get after it. I'm so excited to be back. Today was my first full contact practice and it felt great. Everything felt good for me and I didn't feel anything, everything was good. On who he is excited to play this week: I have nobody in particular. I'm saddened that I won't be playing against my former teammate John Williams. He went down earlier this season. Besides that, I can't wait to get back out there. We've been waiting for OU all season. I know it's a big game for us and it's a big rivalry. On if the OU game is pivotal: Oh, it's very pivotal for both OU and us. We both want to get back on that winning track again and we both are coming in with an awful loss. We just want to get back on the winning track and we both have something to prove. WR LIMAS SWEED On what kind of game they need to play to beat Oklahoma: I think that we need to come out and just play football at the level we are capable of playing. We need to execute, do what the coaches tell us, and just come out and give a 100 percent. On Malcolm Kelly not having a big game last week: Sometimes it's going to be like that. Some games you're going to have a lot of yards, then other games you're not going to have as many. It just depends on the coverage the defense plays. Malcolm Kelly is a great receiver and he definitely contributes to his team. On if he can expect double coverage: I couldn't really tell you, but based on film, they play some zone and some man. In my opinion, I could expect some double coverage, knowing OU and their tricky defense I think they'll switch and do a combination. On how Colt McCoy looked at practice: He looked great. He looked like Colt McCoy. He was out there making accurate reads and making accurate passes. CB RYAN PALMER On Sam Bradford: He's a really talented quarterback, so he doesn't play like a freshman. We have to go in and prepare for him as if he were a senior quarterback. He goes in there and makes good throws and good reads. He likes to make reads off of blitzes, so we have to go in there and focus on what we do at each position. On his excitement for the game: You always have to be excited for Texas-OU weekend. It's a rivalry game and one of the biggest games in college football. If you can't get up for this game, then I really don't see what you can get up for. On if this is a statement game: You could say that, but to Texas we just want to get back out there on the winning side. I know the offense wants to go out there and put up points, I know the defense wants to go out there and stop them, and special teams want to go out there and perform. I think all of us just need to go out there and do our jobs and stay focused. RB CHRIS OGBONNAYA On how pivotal this Saturday is: Every game is pivotal. We could start with Arkansas State, that was a pivotal game because we want to start well and end well, but sometimes it doesn't work out the way you plan. We treat this game like any other game, but it just happens to be a rivalry game. We go in with the same mind set - to win. We don't always want to look at who is ahead of us and who we're playing, but rather play to our standard and do a good job at that. On what impresses him about Oklahoma: They just have incredible athletes. I think that a lot of the guys who play for them are guys I have seen in high school. Athletically, they can be anywhere, like a lot of the guys we have here. It's a big setting of athletes with everybody coming together, and the team that makes more plays will win. On establishing the running game: It's definitely important in any game to establish the run. I think for the most part we have done a good job of that this year. I think the offensive line is starting to come together a little better. We are a little young at that position, but at the same time they have matured. So we're going to continue to get better at that and hopefully do a good job of establishing that this weekend. CB BRANDON FOSTER On Oklahoma's wide receiving corps: They have a good core of receivers there that all have different abilities. I think [Juaquin] Iglesias is a more of a technical receiver and he runs a great route. Malcolm Kelly is a big receiver and a fast receiver and once he gets his hands on the ball, he can do pretty much anything he wants to. But we have a great corps of receivers similar to that, as well and it's going to be a good challenge this week. On the defensive plan for this weekend: I plan to just play good solid defense and play a disciplined football game. I want to tackle well because that was our downfall last weekend. We went real hard today in practice and were more physical. We just need to play smart football. On stopping Oklahoma's QB Sam Bradford: We just need to be in the right place at the right time. If the defense calls for you to be in a certain place, you need to be in that place. Because if you're not, he's going to find his receiver. He's a great quarterback, and he might be young, but he plays older than he really is. He is a going to be a great challenge for us and we just need to play disciplined football to be able to get the victory.
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