Lincoln Riley postgame press conference quotes after losing to Baylor
By Scott Rogust
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley had some thoughts following his team’s 27-14 loss to the Baylor Bears on Saturday.
The Oklahoma Sooners, despite being undefeated, faced steep odds of making the College Football Playoff, as evidenced by their No. 8 ranking. Their chances of sneaking into the playoff hinged on the team winning out the remainder of the season.
Those plans ended on Saturday, as they lost 27-14 to the No. 13 Baylor Bears.
After the game, head coach Lincoln Riley shared his thoughts on what happened. First, he began with the field rushing by Baylor fans with one-second remaining in regulation, where he felt they should have been assessed a 15-yard penalty. Not only that, but he said that head coach Dave Aranda’s decision to call a timeout in the closing seconds to kick and make a 32-yard field goal went against a “code of sportsmanship.”
https://twitter.com/Eddie_Rado/status/1459625390071234565
Lincoln Riley not happy with Baylor’s actions near end of game
Riley continued about the end of game decisions by Baylor. When asked if he considered not sending the team out for the field goal attempt by Isaiah Hankins, Riley said he did tell the officials that and expressed his belief that the situation was not handled well.
Did Lincoln Riley consider telling the officials he would not bring his team out for the final three seconds after Dave Aranda’s timeout?
— John E. Hoover 🌮 (@johnehoover) November 13, 2021
“I did tell em that…I don’t believe that situation was handled well by a lot of people.”#Sooners
Besides what happened in the closing seconds of the game, the benching of Caleb Williams was something that grabbed some attention. After a drive ended on a fumble recovery in the second half, Spencer Rattler stepped up in relief of Williams. When asked about it, Riley said he made the decision to provide “a spark.”
Lincoln Riley on why he benched Caleb Williams for Spencer Rattler:
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) November 13, 2021
“He had a good week of practice. I thought we needed a spark. Didn’t have anything to do with his hand.” #Sooners
Rattler’s stay in the game would be brief, because Williams returned. Rattler completed four-of-six pass attempts for 36 yards. On the day, Williams threw for 146 yards and two interceptions while completing 10-of-19 of his throws.
With their chances of competing for the National Championship seemingly done, the Sooners will now pivot to their opponent next week — the Iowa State Cyclones.
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