Oklahoma football: Bob Stoops, Kevin Sumlin share chummy teleconference

He'd been a Sumlin assistant since 2008, and — as the Aggies' quarterbacks coach — was important in the development of 2012 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.

“We have an offensive staff that understands what we're doing, made some adjustments,” Sumlin said.

Sumlin said Clarence McKinney, the Aggies' running backs coach, will call plays in the Cotton Bowl, and that receivers coach David Beaty will coach quarterbacks in the interim.

KEEPING MANZIEL IN POCKET IS KEY

Oklahoma assistant Bobby Jack Wright, who coaches defensive ends, said deciding how to defend Manziel is like asking, “Which ocean do you wanna drown in?”

“(If you) rush him and get out of your rush lane, and you give him an avenue to get out of there, and he's gonna beat you with his legs,” Wright said. “But if you don't rush him, you don't collapse the pocket, you don't get pressure on him, then he can beat you with his arm.

“Very, very deserving of the Heisman. It wasn't an accident that he won the Heisman. He put the work out there on the field, and he's got the numbers to back it up and had an incredible year.”

Wright said the key task is to keep him in the pocket, because of how dangerous Manziel can be when he scrambles.

“You've gotta keep him in the pocket,” Wright said. “He can't get out. That's easier said than done, but that'll be the task at hand.”

QUOTABLE

Stoops, when asked Tuesday when he'll name next season's starting quarterback: “Here we go already. ... I don't care when we name it. We've done this for a lot of years and we feel hurried to do it. We like them to compete.”