Why OU football veteran Drake Stoops feels Sooners have 'a lot left to play for'

NORMAN — The Sooners aren't going to make the College Football Playoff this season.

And unless they get some help from other teams around the conference, they might not even make the Big 12 Championship Game.

That's the position OU finds itself in after losing its last two games. But as the Sooners (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) prepare for a home game against West Virginia at 6 p.m. Saturday, Drake Stoops rejects the notion that they have nothing left to play for.

"I come in here day in and day out, spend 10 hours up here every day," Stoops said on Monday. "And for me, there's a lot left to play for. I bust my tail year round for this. For six years now. So I'm not really listening to what people say."

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A former Norman North standout, Stoops joined the Sooners as a walk-on in 2018 and has since earned a scholarship.

The redshirt sixth-year wide receiver was on a 2018 OU team that reached the College Football Playoff. He was also on a 2022 OU team that went 6-7, marking the program's first losing season since 1998.

Stoops has experienced highs and lows throughout his six seasons with the Sooners. And while his final year of college eligibility hasn't gone as he hoped, Stoops is still making the most of it.

"I don't care if we're 0-8 right now," Stoops said. "I'm playing ball because I love to play football. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. I love the University of Oklahoma."

Even though OU is on a two-game losing streak, Stoops is playing his best football.

After catching four passes for 76 yards in a 38-33 loss to Kansas on Oct. 28, Stoops erupted in a 27-24 loss to OSU this past weekend. He finished with career-highs of 12 catches and 134 receiving yards to go along with one touchdown.

It was a stellar showing by Stoops, who continues to be a reliable option in an OU passing game that needs exactly that. The Sooners have been without go-to wide receiver Andrel Anthony, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Texas on Oct. 7.

"I got a lot of pride for this place," Stoops said. "So I'm gonna go hard every single day and do everything I possibly can to see us win."

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OU doesn't just need Stoops' production on the field, though.

The Sooners also need his leadership as they try to snap their losing streak.

"His leadership is always good, and that’s what good leadership does," head coach Brent Venables said on Tuesday. "Leadership isn’t a position. It’s action. ... He represents all the things you want — leadership, toughness, investment, work ethic. He got a great edge to him. He’s very competitive.

"He loves his teammates and loves the game. He makes everyone around him better. He’s as popular and as good a leader as we have."

It won't be easy for the Sooners to get back in the win column this weekend.

OU is set to host West Virginia, which is fresh off a 37-7 win over BYU in Week 10. The Mountaineers (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) are also looking to remain in the race for a spot in the Big 12 Championship.

But OU will have home field advantage as it returns to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. And as Stoops' college career winds down, a chance to suit up in front of a home crowd is yet another thing worth playing for.

"I love playing in The Palace," Stoops said. "I always cherish that. I treasure that and trying to soak it in as my time at The Palace is definitely dwindling down."

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football WR Drake Stoops says Sooners have a lot left to play for