Bob Stoops Weekly Presser - Iowa State

Bob figures to be in a pretty testy mood, or at least more testy than every other Tuesday I guess.  We're hear, as always, to bring you all (and by all we mean little to none) the details.

As usual, Bob opens the presser talking about last week's game.  Not much you wouldn't expect or have already heard.  Mainly talks about their missed opportunities while being complimentary of Baylor.  Said it was pretty obvious to everyone that they needed to play much better defensively.

Moves on to talk about how well Iowa State is playing right now.  Complimentary of both the team and their coaching staff.

Says it's important to keep in mind that they're still playing for a Big 12 Championship.

Says the defense has played really well more than they haven't.

Says it challenging defensively the way offenses now really spread you out.  But they still need to be able to cover better than they did.

Asked if there will be any personnel changes.  "Oh, we'll see.  I'm not one for really broadcasting that to you guys."

Bob kicks into his annual mode of reminding everyone how many Big 12 championships they've won here.  We've never forgot Bob.  You won't let us ;)

Asked if Jefferson is 100%.  "He is 100%."  Also asked if Jefferson would move back to safety, but he wouldn't answer.

Asked if Trey Franks has been playing better as of late and some of his kick returns.  "Oh sure.  I also think guys in front of him are doing a better job of opening up some seams."

Says the times they were beat deep against Baylor were a combination of just not making the right read, but that there were also a couple times where they weren't lined up in time.

Asked a GREAT question if they ask themselves if what they're doing is too complicated.  Bob says they do that every week, that they constantly do that.  Says that it's not that simple because it's dictated by what the other team's offense wants to do.  (I do think that was an honest answer from Bob, but at the core of what they do I don't believe they constantly reexamine what they do defensively)

He was asked about Brody Eldridge's tweet from Saturday night and said that he didn't know about it and that he doesn't read tweets.  The gist of the tweet was relayed to him and he said he didn't agree with it.  He said that if there was a sense of arrogance with the program, and he said there wasn't, that it wasn't because ESPiN had been there.

Asked about Ronnell's injury and how they go about replacing his production.  "It's had to replace one of your better players.  But David's played, R.J.'s played and they have to come in and pick up that slack.  And obviously we feel they can do that."

Asked if the coverage breakdowns were on the safeties of just the secondary in general.  Bob doesn't really want to answer that and says he isn't going to single out players by name.  The answer he does give seems to infer though that it was on the safeties.

Stoops says the issue with moving Jefferson back to safety just means you have to replace him down there (assume he means at the line of scrimmage).

Asked about the chop block call on Finch that took a TD off the board.  "Oh I can see why they called it.  I can't fault my guys for it though.  Roy has a LB coming down on him on a blitz and Gabe see it and peels off to try and help.  I can see why they made that call."

Bob says he wasn't happy with how they played offensively in their first game without Broyles because of how many opportunities they had that they didn't capitalize on early in the game.

Asked how well Blake Bell is throwing the ball and that he's been running it so well that people tend to forget he was brought here to throw it.  "He's throwing it very well, very well.  It just happens to be right now that's what we're using him for.  I see him getting more and more confident in throwing it every day."

Asked what the percentages were that he might bring his brother Mike back.  "That's not something that needs to be considered right now.  It's not like Mike's going to be sitting there with no offers.  I've got enough to think about right now, I don't need to think about that."

Asked if getting prepared for this week is more about correcting the mistakes from last week or getting in the right frame of mind for what's still left to accomplish this season.  "It's both."

Bob confirms that TE Austin Haywood is trying to work his way back onto the team, but that he still has a long way to go.

Bob said that Broyles did have his surgery today, but that he hasn't hear anything in terms of an update.  He said the well known Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery.  As a huge fan of his, this makes me happy because Andrews is the best in the business and it's good to see Broyles get access to that kind of surgeon.

Interesting and I think unintended slight, but Bob was talking about the new teams coming into the Big 12 and in doing so says the league hasn't lost anything in the teams that have left or are leaving when you consider who they're bringing in.  Suck on that Beerguy!

That's about it for today.  I'm kind of surprised Bob didn't get a little more worked up, but I suppose after listening to these things every week I shouldn't be.  It's not like these media guys are going to push him on anything.  As usual, we'll have to wait until Saturday to see if this team is actually ready to play like he's told us they are.  I know I'm crossing my fingers as a loss to Iowa State at home (no disrespect Clones) would probably more than my heart could take and it might finally give out.