Coach Bob Stoops challenged on the recruiting trail and the practice field

NORMAN — Bob Stoops says he doesn’t slam the door behind him and commence to screaming. Doesn’t kick holes in the wall. Doesn’t take out his frustrations on the family pooch.

"Not my style,” Stoops said.

Not even in this most frustrating of football seasons, when the Sooners are a field goal here, a catch there, from being unbeaten instead of on a collision course with the Sun Bowl.

But Stoops’ upper lip doesn’t always stay stiff. He got all fired up Tuesday when asked about blaming his players instead of his staff for the 5-4 start.

"Don’t ask us questions if you don’t want the right answer,” Stoops said.

"Everything’s our fault? If a guy (jumps offside), something’s our fault?”

Stoops came off looking bad, even though he was right. Flozell Adams has been false-starting since he joined the Dallas Cowboys a dozen years ago; does that make Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips all guilty of malpractice?

A coach who accepts all the responsibility is disingenuous and not honoring his covenant with fans. But a coach who throws his ballplayers under the bus never looks good.

"Here’s the problem,” Stoops said. "Don’t ask us questions then. If you want to ask me what went wrong, I’m supposed to say, ‘everything’s our fault?’

"Then I can’t answer questions if you want me to answer truthfully. There are some things players gotta handle, too. It’s always going to be both of us.

"So don’t ask the question if you don’t want the right answer.

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