Mayfield says he ‘really messed up’

LAWRENCE, KAN. — Baker Mayfield knows full well that the television cameras are always on him, part of the gig when you’re the starting quarterback at peren- nial powerhouse Oklahoma.

Not to mention Heisman Trophy front-runner.

The downside to all that attention is what occurred Saturday. After getting slighted during the coin toss by the captains from Kansas, the fiery Mayfield proceeded with a series of histrionics that forced him to apologize after the 41-3 rout to just about everyone.

There was the near-constant jawing with the Jayhawks. The back-and-forth with fans behind the Okla- homa bench. The cursing at Kansas coaches and the lewd crotch grabbing.

“In the moment, you do something, you get caught up in the emotional stuff,” Mayfield said afterward. “I talk about being a competitive player. When I realized the coaches said something, that’s when I realized that I really messed up.”

Sooners coach Lincoln Riley didn’t witness the lewd gesture, only hearing about it when the third-ranked Sooners returned after the game. He praised Mayfield’s competitive nature but acknowl- edged he was out of bounds, saying “we can’t have that and he can’t do that.”

Riley did say he would consider video of the game before meting out discipline.

“If there’s enough there for punishment,” he said, “then there will be.”

Now, the Jayhawks were hardly the innocent opponent on Saturday, getting on Mayfield’s nerves right from the start when he reached out to shake hands and their captains rejected him.

There were also the numerous late hits, including a roughing-the-passer penalty on cornerback Hasan Defense that probably should have been targeting, and more pushing and shoving throughout the game.

“That’s what happens when you play a physical sport. You’re not going to let anybody talk to you in a certain way,” Defense said. “Whenever something gets physical, your mouth gets physical as well.”

Therein lays a challenge: How do you reconcile arguably the best player in college football with all the baggage Mayfield brings to the table?

Remember the embarrassing arrest in February for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, fleeing and resisting arrest? And earlier this season, after a victory over Ohio State, Mayfield grabbed a huge Oklahoma flag and proceeded to plant it right in the middle of Ohio Stadium. He later apologized for the demeaning act.

At what point, though, do the apologies ring hollow?

“There’s a lot of stuff that can happen between the lines that can be disregarded outside of that. Some people flip a switch,” Mayfield said. “It’s not who I am. I’m not trying to play this ego of being a bad kid. That’s not who I am. I’m not someone who’s always going to be in trouble. I’ve had one instance off the field where I’ve had a mistake. On the field, I’m a competitive guy.”