AMES, Iowa -- The moment of clarity occurred midway through his postgame comments Thursday. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops had offered obligatory praise for Iowa State, which, by the way, is better than its 1-8 record -- whatever that means -- and shown his gratitude for junior running back Dimitri Flowers, who delivered a clutch 115-yard rushing performance in a dire situation for the 14th-ranked Sooners.
Stoops addressed Oklahoma’s defense, still less than two weeks removed from its meltdown in a victory at Texas Tech and gutted by injuries up front and in the secondary.
“It’s been a nightmare to manage,” said Stoops, whose team has readied two offensive linemen on defense.