CHEEZ-IT BOWL: OKLAHOMA VS FLORIDA STATE

December 26, 2022

DaShaun White

Camping World Stadium

Oklahoma Sooners

Press Conference

Q. Looking forward to this game and playing Florida State, I'm not sure how familiar you are with Florida State, but they are a Top 15 team. When you found out about the matchup, how excited were you about it?

DaSHAUN WHITE: Definitely pretty excited for the matchup, just knowing how much they have on offense and knowing how good of a team they have been this year and how they have performed, especially down the stretch. Big opportunity for us and we are as excited as can be

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Q. Looking at their offense, Ethan Downs was just talking about their running game. Is it -- how much of a challenge is it in terms of scheme-wise and how much of it is maybe the talent of their backs when you look at them on film?

DaSHAUN WHITE: It is a great balance, it really is they have a great offensive line. They have a lot of different backs that run the ball very well. Then, they balance it out with a quarterback who can take off on his feet any moment. He can get out-of-the-pocket really fast and make a play. They can present a lot to us on the ground.

We know we have to win our gaps and we have to play physical and we have to play hard and we have to trust our brothers that if I'm over here in one of my gap, I have to trust that you're over here doing the same thing. We know it is going to be really important and imperative to stop the run.

Q. Ethan had talked about playing for more than a win, giving his best and everything. Do you get a sense that all the guys who are here feel that, and what does that mean to you when you put the Oklahoma jersey on?

DaSHAUN WHITE: No doubt. I definitely can attest to the way he was feeling. It also really felt good to hear somebody else sort of say that. It is one of those things where we all kind of feel the same way, we don't always vocalize it. But, to sort of hear him say that kind of warmed up my fifth-year senior heart over here just to know that my teammates are in the same place where I am at. So, to come back in such a big opportunity to play with these guys, I love these guys so much, I'm just looking forward to it.

Q. You look at Florida State and what they can do, is there anyone you see similarities when you look at the films?

DaSHAUN WHITE: Not exactly. Not exactly. We played some pretty good quarterbacks and we played some pretty good offenses all year, but nothing exactly like this one. I think they have playmakers in so many different positions. You can circle just about every position on offense; they have got a guy. We have to be sharp and we have to be ready to stop just about whatever.

Q. Your offense is going to be without a few guys you counted on during the season. Does that feel like additional pressure on the defense to do more than normal or can you not worry about it like that?

DaSHAUN WHITE: I wouldn't say that. I think even going into the game, with no matter who we got, the defense. We accept the role knowing that we want to go into the game with a mindset of lets win our side of the ball and lets not -- if the offense doesn't score today maybe we have to score today.

That is how sometimes we go into the game, we are going to go into this game sort of no different. If the offense has a point-one percent chance or one of those days where nothing is rolling, we have to be sharp. We have to be the ones to take the torch and light the way. Yeah, we have got to be ready.

Q. How much different is the defense you guys are running now compared to what you did earlier in your career, and have the guys gotten more comfortable as the year has gone on?

DaSHAUN WHITE: Yeah, it is definitely different. It is a lot more complex. We do a lot of different things. We do more, but I think just as the season has gone on, I think you can see how much more guys are getting comfortable the in scheme. Just really knowing where other guys are at, I think that's the most important thing. Just knowing where your help is at. Sometimes you can get out of place and do too much, not knowing that you have got a teammate literally three feet to the right of you. So, just sort of knowing where your help is at, knowing what leverage to play, what angle to attack plays with is really important.

Q. I know you don't focus so much on the other teams defense but have you seen any guys on Florida state defense's that maybe stood out that you that impressed you?

DaSHAUN WHITE: Yeah, no doubt. They have got a lot of guys. Marvin was here earlier, they have a lot of DBs. Their backers have impressed me a little bit. I haven't seen so much of the D-Line, but I'm pretty sure they are good as well.

So another top defense, a really good defense and we are going to want to win that matchup.

Q. How much do you soak in every bit of this week after a long career at Oklahoma? What would it mean to end your time at OU with a victory?

DaSHAUN WHITE: I've been soaking up quite a bit, trying to enjoy all the little moments, the moments that might pass you by just riding in the bus with my teammates, laughing, stuff like that.

A win would be really big and I think just not even just for the seniors about you just for the morale of this program and just sort of kind of how this year's went. It's been a rough year, it's been up and down.

But I think the way you finish anything is tremendously important, and so how we finish this is going to be like anything else. You want to finish the right way, you want to finish with pride, you want to finish with -- I mean, just want to finish the right way. We are really focused on that.

Q. How is your relationship with Brayden Willis changed through the years, what's his leadership been like this year and what has it meant to the team?

DaSHAUN WHITE: Me and B-Will, we came in from Fort Worth together. We weren't really too close at first, just two young guys trying to figure it out. I think as the year has gone on, he definitely matured quicker than I did. But just to sort of, honestly, to have a guy in my class mature like he can and take a hold of the offense like he did, it opened minds a little bit. Like I need to step up and grow up a little bit.

Just having somebody like him and watching his leadership qualities, I got to pick up on some things myself. So a lot of love for B-Will.