TCU coach almost apologizes for post-Oklahoma comments
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- TCU coach Gary Patterson almost apologized for some of the comments he made about officials when upset after the Horned Frogs' loss to Oklahoma.
Patterson said Tuesday at the end of his weekly news conference that he is passionate in his job, and could count about six times in 19 seasons saying something in postgame that he later regretted.
After a 52-46 loss at home Saturday night, Patterson was admittedly upset with the officiating , especially an intentional grounding call against quarterback Kenny Hill on TCU's final drive. The coach then also talked about a lack of a holding penalty, and even took a swipe at Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.
"In this day and age when nobody ever says it's their fault, nobody tells the truth, nobody does anything, I don't really want to be a part of that group," Patterson said Tuesday. "So one of the things I'd have to say, when it came to the officials, Baker, any of them, the bottom line to it is, is that you have to be bigger than all of it."
The Frogs went into the fourth quarter down by 25, but scored 22 consecutive points before an Oklahoma field goal, and then had the ball one last time in the closing minutes.
Hill threw the ball while being sacked for an 8-yard loss on first down, and officials initially announced that he had gotten out of the tackle box and that there was no penalty. After Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops appeared to lobby officials otherwise, the penalty, which included a loss of down, was enforced.
"This game moves really fast. It's hard to be an officiating crew anymore, I'll just be honest with you," Patterson said. "They're going to make their mistakes. So are we."
Patterson also spoke about his high respect for Stoops and the Sooners program, and said he doesn't want anything to change from the respect of the great games they have played against each other. In five matchups as Big 12 opponents, Oklahoma has won four times by a total margin of 17 points, and TCU has a four-point victory.
"My passion is, you go down and you come back from 20-something points, you about get to the end of it, and you have some suspect things that go on," Patterson said. "But the bottom line to it is I've had some of those things go my way. So you stay in this profession long enough, you're going to have some things that are going to be good for you and some things that aren't, and so from a football coach, that's probably as close to an apology as you'll ever get."
