OU football: What Sooners' Ted Roof, Ethan Downs, DaShaun White said before Cheez-It Bowl vs. Florida State

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Ted Roof, defensive end Ethan Downs and linebacker DaShaun White spoke to reporters in Orlando on Monday ahead of the Sooners' (6-6) Cheez-It Bowl matchup with No. 13 Florida State (9-3).

OU and FSU kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29 at Camping World Stadium. The Sooners' defense will contend with an FSU squad that ranks No. 12 nationally in total offense (475.7 yards per game) and No. 16 in scoring offense (36.2 points per game).

Here's the best of what Roof, Downs and White said:

Ted Roof

The current FSU team’s similarities to those he used to face in the ACC

“They have improved so much this year, so much from last year to this year and also during the course of the year. They are Top 20 in rushing offense, leading the free world in third down conversions, averaging almost 37 points a game. They have playmakers all over the place and a lot of improvement in the offensive line.

"Yeah, they look like and play like what we are used to when playing Florida State… all the years in the ACC with Coach (Bobby) Bowden and Jimbo (Fisher).”

Containing FSU QB Jordan Travis

“​​He is a tremendous challenge. He is a playmaker. He extends plays with his legs. Makes players miss in space, is an accurate passer and can extend plays, not only scrambling but also extend plays to throw the ball down the field. We have a lot of respect for him, and he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”

The uniqueness of 5-star safety Peyton Bowen flipping from Oregon, signing with OU last week

“Unique, very unique. Certainly, our staff was extremely excited about it and happy to get it and look forward to him coming in and starting the process and becoming a college football player.”

The defense’s improvement this season

“It has been an up and down. There have been some ups, and there have been some downs, but I am really proud of how our group has faced it all, handled it all and understand the adversity that we have gone through, because we haven't played like we've wanted to. I take the responsibility for that. That's all on me.

"Again, just this group of men, this group of players, it's fun to go to work and coach them every day, because it is all about what's next. How can we get better, how can we improve. The attitude and mindset has really shown up during bowl practice as well. Excited about the next opportunity and thank goodness we have another opportunity to play, excited to be here and looking forward to playing.”

Florida State’s rushing attack

“Certainly, they have a wonderful scheme. They know how to stress a defense and put people in conflict. They have a very physical offensive line that knows who they are targeting. Then you have great backs, and a quarterback that can run, too. It is all encompassing. It is not like one thing. It is an all-encompassing deal. Again, it is a real challenge. That is top in the league and they are one of the best in the country.”

Ethan Downs

Players’ mindset going into the bowl game

“Coach Venables will tell us that a season is like a roller coaster. Like Coach Roof mentioned, the highs and lows. You can't jump off the roller coaster. You can't give up. We are telling a story with this season of, it really feels like life: You get punched, you get knocked down, you get right back up. Sometimes you are on a high, and a lot of times you are on a low. We are trying to show our perseverance and what we are made of. We are trying to show our heart by getting back up and fighting.

"Even when it doesn't look like we've had such a great past, we are trying to give people home for the future. We are playing for more than just 7-6, which looks a lot better than 6-7. We are playing for the future of the program and the people that have been through the program and the coaches, Oklahoma's reputation. There is a lot on the line.”

Facing Jordan Travis

“He is probably the most talented on his feet that we have seen, being able to run sideline-to-sideline and get the ball to where he needs to be. He has a great ball, as well. He can throw short. He can throw deep. He has great run reads. He is super talented, one of the top quarterback in the nation and it is a great challenge for us and the D-Line to test our skills even more to get better.

"It is an opportunity to get better and to see what we are made of, even this late in the season. Doesn't matter, you know what day it is, like there is an opportunity to get better, an opportunity to finish and face the challenge and attempt to conquer it.”

Importance of winning and finishing the season on a high note

“I don't think a victory would be finishing right. I think playing our best would be finishing right. If we play our best, I believe we will win. A victory isn't always a win in our books. It is about how we played and what we did, and I am very faith-driven. I believe in God and how I play, so I am going to play with the max effort I can, and I'm going to play like there's no tomorrow.

"When I've failed to do that, I've failed. Even when we won, the victory, I haven't done my part. Going into every game, every practice, I'm going to try to give my best and be the best person I can for all my teammates and the coaches around me to represent them and to represent my Lord, who I play for. So, a victory, even if we lost, a victory is playing hardest and putting my best foot forward.”

If a down year like this season affects the program’s foundation

“Yeah, it's always hard. It's always hard to have losses and lots to persevere through, but with that perseverance, we are still a very motivated team. A very driven team and that shows our heart and our commitment to the program and our belief from our fan base. The culture and Coach Venables and the staff brought has really highlighted the tradition of the program and the culture and what it means to be a Sooner.

"We play for more than just our pride, our personal pride. We play for everybody that looks up to the symbol of OU, and how it can motivate their household for weeks or months or it can tear down their household for weeks or months. We understand that. We are playing for more than just a victory.”

DaShaun White

Defending FSU’s rushing attack

“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.”

If the team recognizes the importance of playing its best, not just winning

“No doubt. I definitely can attest to the way (Downs) 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.”

The defense’s comfortability in its scheme now compared to earlier this season

“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.”

What it would mean to end his time at OU with a win

“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.”

Editor’s note: OU Daily’s reporting on the Cheez-It Bowl is being produced remotely from Norman.