We just finished our final interviews with UConn coach Randy Edsall and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops as both sides get ready for Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl.
And, in case you were worried, we now have a near full complement of the football version of the horde on site with the arrival of the New London Day’s Chuck Banning and the New Haven Register’s Chip Malafronte. More competition, yes, but more camaraderie, too.
Here are the highlights from the coaches:
– The usual questions about UConn being a 17-point dog were asked, and the coach gave a pretty good answer.
“That’s the story of our life,” Edsall said. “We have been the underdog ever since we’ve undertaken this adventure, this journey. So it is really no different than what we’re used to all the time.
“I always think any time if there is somebody who doubts you or questions you, it just makes you go a little bit harder and play a little bit harder and prepare a little bit harder,” he added.
– A good illustration of how far UConn has come in Edsall’s tenure: it’s opponents at the start and finsh.
“This year we opened up with Michigan and we’re finishing with Oklahoma,” Edsall said. “It’s a lot different than opening up with Maine and ending with Rhode Island. I think that spells out exactly where we’ve come from, what we’ve been able to do and what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
– The teams have one common opponent in Cincinnati, and Edsall admitted and his coaching staff paid a lot of attention to the Oklahoma-Cincinnati film when preparing for the Fiesta Bowl.
“We know who Cincinnati is and how they play,” Edsall said. “Being familiar with them, it gives us a little bit of a reference point with Oklahoma.”
“You might put a little more emphasis maybe on that particular film than maybe some of the other ones,” Edsall added.
– In part because he’s the chairman of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, Edsall was asked about the celebration penalty called on Kansas State late in its Pinstripe Bowl loss to Syracuse Thursday.
“It’s unfortunate but that is the rule,” Edsall said. “I think the official did make the right call based on the rule that we have.”
Edsall, always one of the rules’ staunchest defenders and a proponent of team celebrations, said his team knows the rules well.
“I think it is always tough because everybody knows there is no gray area,” Edsall said. “We’re not saying you can’t celebrate or you can’t have fun. There is a way to have fun. And that was one where it was more individualistic rather than a team.”
– Stoops wasn’t quite as thrilled with the interpretation of the rule but said his players know not to test the officials’ judgment.
“Absolutely it will be addressed. It is quite often addressed,” Stoops said.
“What’s explained to them is it’s a judgment call,” Stoops said. “So if you open the door for it to be called then don’t be _ if it’s called, don’t be saying ‘All I did was this.’ You opened the door, gave them the opportunity, and everybody’s judgment is different. So don’t go there.”
– Edsall said he’s been pleased with the preparation this week.
“Things have gone as well as can be expected for us practice-wise,” Edsall said.
“We’re healthy. The kids are in a good frame of mind,” Edsall said. “Really we’re just in a good frame of mind and really just now waiting to go play the game.”
The team’s final practice was Thursday. Today the Huskies have less physical duties.
“Now we do more mental work today and we have a walk-through and meetings,” Edsall said. “So all the physical stuff is done and now it’s time to do more with the mental part of the game.”
– Stoops was also pleased with his team’s work leading up to the game.
“I’m really pleased with the way our practices and meetings have gone,” Stoops said. “I feel like our players have been focused, have had a lot of energy and are looking forward to the challenge of the game.”
– Perhaps too much is made of the speed at which the Sooners run plays. Even if they play a fast tempo, they still have to run the plays well.
“I think the tempo, too much is made of it,” Stoops said. “Meaning execution is what I think has helped us be successful more so than tempo.
“If you are tempoing and still not executing very well or having penalties or not protecting the quarterback, you know, all these things, you are still not going to be successful. I think execution is still the reason we’ve had success.”
– Oklahoma has lost its last five BCS games, including three national championship games. Two of those were losses here to Boise State and West Virginia.
“It’s brought up. Our players are aware of it,” Stoops said. “But each year is a different game, a different team. So our players understand it but they also know this is this year’s team and we haven’t finished yet.”
– There will be a Pac-10 officiating crew working the Fiesta Bowl. That brings up some bad memories for Oklahoma fans.
The Sooners were famously “jobbed” by a Pac-10 crew in a loss at Oregon in 2006. A fiasco of on-field rulings and replays on an Oregon on-side kick helped the Ducks stun Oklahoma in the final seconds.
“I thought of that a little bit,” Stoops said with a chuckle. “I’m sure they will do a good job. I haven’t…I’m sure the guys that did the Oregon game a few years ago probably aren’t here. Just guessing.”
– Here are few pictures from Friday’s news conference, courtesy of Mr. Elsberry.
- Neill

