Despite alarming loss, Lincoln Riley is staying the course
Oklahoma had every opportunity to finish off a shorthanded Kansas State team last Saturday. Instead, the Wildcats put together a dramatic rally to erase a 21-point hole and knock off the Sooners 38-35. And in the aftermath of his team's first home loss in three years, Lincoln Riley shouldered as much of the blame as anyone.
Nevertheless, if there was an underlying message to be discerned from Riley's Tuesday press conference, it's that the 36-year-old head coach is processing the loss with a great deal of patience.
Riley reaffirmed his belief in quarterback Spencer Rattler, who tossed three interceptions Saturday and completed just 4-of-12 passes in the fourth quarter. In his second career start, Rattler was nothing short of spectacular for the vast majority of the game, to the tune of 387 yards and four TDs. But come crunch time, he appeared panicked and uncomfortable in the pocket.
"The struggle is just part of it," Riley said of his redshirt freshman quarterback. "There ain’t a player in history that hasn’t had his struggles. It’s going to happen. You’re ultimately defined by the team. Quarterbacks are ultimately defined by how they respond to it as well, so that’s the challenge. He’s a competitive kid; he’s eager to learn. I have zero doubt in my mind that he’s going to take this and run with it in the correct direction."
On the other side of the football, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch's turnover-crazed mentality has come under fire as of late. Many have surmised that Grinch's obsession with takeaways has caused his unit to neglect fundamentals. However, Riley isn't convinced there is validity to that notion, and emphasized that the message to his defense won't change.
"I've never seen you get anything by de-emphasizing it," Riley said. "I think you keep coaching it, you keep demanding it, you keep finding different ways to emphasize it, to practice it. And takeaways are so contagious, man. I mean, they always are in football. And so, we need to get on a run with it. I mean, there's no question: it's the equalizer. You can outplay a team all you want, for as long as you want, but if you lose the turnover margin big, that equalizes the whole thing in a hurry."
The Sooners know that all too well, as they turned the ball over four times against Kansas State. A blocked punt and a failed attempt to convert on fourth-and-1 didn't help OU's cause either. Meanwhile, Kansas State took advantage of the Sooners' miscues and didn't return the favor, parlaying turnover-free football into an upset win.
"I think to be a great defense, taking that step from being good to great, turnovers have to be a part of that," Riley continued. "Does that mean you're gonna lead the country in turnovers every single year? Maybe not, but it means you're going to get your fair share. And again, we don't see any reason in the world why we can't cause and create a lot of turnovers defensively."
Though the consensus opinion suggests that the Sooners are already out of playoff contention in a weak Big 12, Riley says the end goal hasn't changed. As his team presses on toward a sixth consecutive Big 12 championship, he's confident that the culture within the program will lift the locker room's spirits and restore order.
"Despite the disappointment, I have zero doubt in what we can be," Riley remarked. "And that we've just got to work harder, do better to get there and that we will get there. It's a great challenge; all losses are."
Oklahoma has a chance to get back on track Saturday, but it won't be easy sailing against an Iowa State team that has historically given Riley's Sooners problems. The Cyclones upset Oklahoma at Owen Field in 2017, and nearly did the same last year. A failed 2-point conversion attempt eventually gave OU a heart-stopping 42-41 win.
In 2018, the last time the Sooners were in Ames, they escaped with a 37-27 victory over ISU. It's also worth noting that Oklahoma hasn't lost back-to-back regular-season games since 1999.
"You got to be able to get back up and fight and get right back on track and play the way you should be," said Riley, "and that's going to be our challenge."
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