NORMAN, Okla.-- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops says he expects his players to give great effort and play well when the Sooners go against Texas on Saturday.

He also expects them to have learned something from last week's loss to Notre Dame.

Oklahoma had a 30-14 lead in the third quarter, only to see the Fighting Irish put together consecutive touchdown drives that covered 81, 56 and 98 yards. The Sooners managed only 56 yards on their final four possessions and lost the game, 34-30.

Stoops said the fact Oklahoma led for much of the day against a talented team _ one that had an extra week to prepare, was playing at home and didn't commit a turnover _ showed that the Sooners are pretty good, too.

"But the bottom line is we need to be able to win," he said Tuesday. "I've told our players we're not going to accept going somewhere, looking good, giving up a good fight and losing. That's unacceptable here. That's unacceptable anywhere."

As he did immediately after the game, Stoops gave Notre Dame credit for making plays at crucial times. Oklahoma, he said, must learn how to keep its intensity when it has a lead and how to come through at pivotal times in close games.

"When we learn to do that, we'll win those games," he said. "I'm not so sure our players maybe realized how good we were, or that they expected to be ahead 16 points in the second half and how to handle that situation.

"If we're fortunate enough to do it again, I believe we'll do it differently."

Stoops, in his first year as a head coach, will be taking part in his first Oklahoma-Texas game this week. But Sooner followers have made him fully aware of the importance they place on the game.

"Everyone wants to tell you how important it is and I recognize that," he said. "Heck, I'm smarter than I look. I understand that. I understand I won't have a job next week if we don't win."

No one is about to run him out of town, and he knows it. Not after a good start in which Oklahoma has looked far better than it has in recent years.

And while Stoops said he will take the same approach this week as he has taken in the first four and will take in the following six games, he acknowledged the rich history of the series and seemed glad to play along with the hype-building.

He said assistant coach Bobby Jack Wright, who spent 12 years as a coach at Texas, has been filling him in about the game all week.

"He told me those guys down there don't like us a whole lot. I was surprised," Stoops said.

"But that's good, heck. Our guys don't like them, they don't like us, that's what makes rivalries and that's what makes it fun. Let's go play it and see how we do."

Stoops said he's not supposed to like Texas coach Mack Brown, but Brown sent a bouquet of flowers to Stoops and his wife this summer after the birth of their twin boys. "So I liked him there for about a week," he said.