OU coach Bob Stoops doesn't see road woes as 'being an issue'

But the past six seasons it has been an issue. OU has been a different team away from Owen Field.

The Sooners have won 35 consecutive home games but are 22-18 away from Norman since 2005.

In two road games this season, OU edged Cincinnati 31-29 and lost at Missouri.

"Give Missouri credit," Stoops said. "They obviously played better than we did. In the end you learn from it. We feel there are things scheme-wise we could have done differently or should have that we'll look at.

"We also were in position but a player makes a good play for them. Other times, player-wise we could have played better and we didn't execute well. It's always a little bit of all that. In the end they're a good football team."

Twenty minutes and 21 questions after the initial road struggles question, Stoops was asked several times about the disparity between the home and road records compared to OU teams that prospered on the road earlier in his tenure.

"You're talking about a national championship year," Stoops said. "Two seasons in a row we were undefeated (during the regular season). We obviously aren't that kind of team like we were when we were having undefeated seasons since we've already lost once. What are you asking?"

The follow-up question was why OU has been dominant at home, close to a .500 team away from Norman since 2005.

"I guess I'd like to see what everybody else's (road) record is," Stoops said. "Go ahead and Google it up and I bet it's not a lot different. I bet everybody else is around that away from home, I'm just guessing. In the end there's no magic to it."

Informed Texas, Florida, Oregon and a few other teams have fared better on the road the past five years, Stoops dodged the question and reverted back to the Missouri game.

"We played another team that was undefeated at the time," Stoops said. "They were playing well. We turned the ball over or they forced turnovers. Sometimes they force your hand and they get a better play than you. That's it. If that happened here at home, we'd lose, too."

Stoops also was asked about quarterback Landry Jones' road struggles last season and his 0-of-7 fourth quarter in the loss at Missouri.