Thompson likes the deep ball: Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson says he likes to throw deep passes, which is a good thing. With defenses focusing on stopping Adrian Peterson, the deep ball has been, and could continue to be, a weapon for the Sooners. "I've definitely got to be comfortable with throwing deep balls," Thompson said. "With the types of defenses we're getting, they're allowing us to take those shots. "With the kind of receivers we have and the playmakers we have on the field, it makes my job easier and makes my job more fun." Of his playmaking receivers, sophomore Malcolm Kelly has shot to the top of the list. (NewsOK.com)
Props to O-Line, Named Offensive Players of the Week: Guard Duke Robinson said all five starting offensive linemen were named the team's offensive players of the week for their performance against Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders had one sack, and the Sooners tallied 462 total yards. Running back Adrian Peterson had 128 yards and scored three touchdowns. (Dallas Morning News)
85-yr. old Pac-10 official speaks, kinda: The Oregonian newspaper reached the 85-year-old replay assistant who was in the booth for the OU-Oregon game Sept. 16. "I really need to honor the Pac-10 statement. They told me not to respond," Gordon Judd told the paper. "The whole thing was . . . a blown call. That's all I can say." Judd, who is from Salem, Ore., and replay official Gordon Riese have taken leaves of absence for the remainder of the season. (Tulsa World)
SHSU awaits Bomar appeal: Sam Houston State coach Todd Whitten said Tuesday that the school has not heard from the NCAA about quarterback Rhett Bomar's eligibility. Because his appeal is pending, the former Oklahoma quarterback is not allowed to dress out or travel with the Bearkats. That means he won't be in Austin for Saturday's game against seventh-ranked Texas. Bomar was dismissed from the Sooners football team along with offensive lineman J.D. Quinn in early August for accepting money from a Norman car dealership for work they did not perform. (Houston Chronicle)
A year later, Stoops pleased with experience: One extreme difference separates the Sooners now from the Sooners of a year ago and it hasn't gone unnoticed by Stoops. "I just realize the experience level from a year ago is drastically different on our team in a lot of areas that really matter," Stoops said. Areas where OU lacked experience last year -- receiver, defensive end, some parts of the secondary, among others -- are loaded with experienced players this season. (NewsOK.com)
Reggie Smith earns Big 12 Special Team honors: For the third consecutive week an Oklahoma player has claimed one of the Big 12 Conference's weekly awards. This time it's punt returner Reggie Smith, who had a 61-yard touchdown return against Middle Tennessee during OU's 59-0 win, Saturday. In the previous two weeks, Sooner running back Adrian Peterson won the offensive player honor. Smith currently ranks No. 10 nationally with 15.9 yards per return. The 61-yard return was his first for a touchdown, but not his longest of the season. He had a 62-yard return against Washington in game two. Smith average per punt return is magnified by the fact that he has 13 attempts. No other player in the NCAA top 25 has more than 10 thus far. (SoonerSports Release)
Both schools OU-Texas decline moving game to primetime: ABC announced Monday that the Oct. 7 OU-Texas game will be played at 2:30 p.m. The network initially inquired about playing the game at night, but both schools declined. "We make our decisions based on the best interests of the university, a magnificent and passionate rivalry and of the fans that attend the game," OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione said Monday. Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds could not be reached Monday for comment. Likely heading the list of reasons for the schools' stance is the safety of the fans and other innocent State Fair of Texas patrons. The general idea is that fans at a night game are a bit more raucous, having had a few extra hours to get that way. Perhaps the Cotton Bowl can't contain anything more raucous than the average OU-Texas crowd. ESPN has yet to determine the location of its Oct. 7 College GameDay broadcast. (NewsOK.com) Sooners in the Pros -- Week Three: SoonerSports.com
OU-Texas Set for 2:30 Nationally Televised Kickoff: The AT&T Red River Rivalry Game featuring Oklahoma and Texas will kickoff at 2:30 p.m., Oct. 7, in Dallas. ABC has the live telecast of the game and will be sending it to a nationwide audience. It will be the 101st renewal of the series, which has been played in Dallas every years since 1929. Oklahoma will take a 3-1 mark into this year's contest as the Sooners are off this week. Texas, also with one loss on the season, hosts Sam Houston State this week. As usual, the game is sold out with more than 75,000 expected at the Cotton Bowl. (SoonerSports Released)
Wilson pleased with O-Line: Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was pleased with the play of his three true freshmen who saw action on the offensive line in Saturday's 59-0 win over Middle Tennessee State. Center Chase Beeler started the game after getting in against Oregon last week when sophomore Jon Cooper suffered an ankle injury. For Trent Williams and Cory Brandon, Saturday was the first action of their careers. Wilson expects all three to be used as the season goes on. "We thought for the long haul, as we go through conference play, we're going to need those guys to be major contributors and have a significant role," Wilson said. "Not just be a backup, but be a guy we can get something out of." (NewsOK.com)
Oklahoma inches up in Polls: Oklahoma rises 1 spot to number 16 this week in the AP college football poll after the Sooners' 59-0 rout of Middle Tennessee. Ohio State is still #1 with 59 of a possible 65 first place votes. Auburn, Southern California, West Virginia and Florida round out the top 5. (AP/KOTV.com)
Minor changes on Defense in MTSU game: There were some minor changes to the personnel, particularly on defense. Reggie Smith's return to strong safety gives the Sooners a middle defender with top-shelf coverage skills. D.J. Wolfe's return to field cornerback -- midway through the first quarter -- was productive. And Nic Harris, who was beaten in coverage for the game-winning touchdown at Oregon, played with more confidence than ever. Venables said Smith was moved back to the spot he played last season because "our next options at safety doesn't give us our best players on the field. That was determined after three games of evaluations." (Tulsa World)
Allen Patrick struggles with fumbles: Coaches won't quickly forget backup running back Allen Patrick's two fumbles in the second half. "Through spring, he did that a few times," Wilson said. "Hopefully, we can get that cleaned up, because we will need him down the stretch. He is a good player, but we're going to need him to play smarter than that." (NewsOK.com)
Sooners take some time off: Players will get today, Friday and Saturday off. (Dallas Morning News) Note: Texas-Red River Shootout is 12 days away.
Stoops pleased with Beeler:Jenks' Chase Beeler joined fellow true freshmen Trent Williams and Cory Brandon for significant minutes on the Sooners' offensive line Saturday. Beeler started his first game in place of the injured Jon Cooper." "I thought he did a really good job for his first time in there," Stoops said. "And he'll only get better from it." "He missed some blocks or got a little high (in his stance) at times," Wilson said, "but he didn't have any significant mental errors. His snaps were all clean." (Tulsa World) Reaction from Saturday's 59-0 win: SoonerSports.com
President Boren tells Sooner fans to move on: University of Oklahoma President David Boren says that it's time for the Sooners and their fans to move on after a controversial loss at Oregon, but that efforts to deal with officiating issues apparent in that game should continue. "We can put the game behind us," Boren said Friday, after an announcement of a $1 million donation to OU's College of Earth and Energy. "But we shouldn't put behind what we can learn from this, and I think what we can learn from it is that we need more neutrality when [teams from different] conferences play each other. We need not only actual neutrality, we need the perception of neutrality." (AP/ESPN.com)
More of the suspended officials work, Pac-10 delays suspension: Line judge Manuel Alonzo, back judge Steve Hudson and field judge Daniel Spriesterbach worked Saturday night's Oregon State-Idaho game at Reser Stadium even though all three drew one-game suspensions from the Pacific-10 Conference for their work in last week's Oregon-Oklahoma game in Eugene. A Pac-10 spokesman said this week that there wasn't enough time to rearrange schedules and find replacements, and that the officials in question will serve their suspensions later this season. Beavers coach Mike Riley said he hopes the conference learns something positive from the mistakes that were made in the Ducks-Sooners game. (The Oregonian)
Middle Tennessee Game-Notes from SoonerSports Beeler first career start: Chase Beeler made his first career start tonight. Beeler is also the first true freshman to start a game this season.
Hazle passes first career OU pass: Sophomore Joey Halzle tossed his first career completion to Manuel Johnson in the fourth quarter for a 15-yard gain.
First Career TD Grab: True freshman Jermaine Gresham caught his first career touchdown in the second quarter, a 22-yard reception.
Oklahoma Shutout: The Sooners recorded the ninth shutout of the Bob Stoops Era and the first since blanking Baylor in 2004.
Oklahoma Dominates and Shuts Out Middle Tennessee: Adrian Peterson and Malcolm Kelly made sure there was no doubt Oklahoma came away with a win this time. Peterson scored three touchdowns, Kelly set a school record for receiving in a brilliant first quarter and the 17th-ranked Sooners scored 45 points in the first half on their way to a 59-0 win against Middle Tennessee on Saturday night.Paul Thompson threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns for the Sooners (3-1), who left nothing to chance after a 34-33 loss last week to Oregon that the Pac-10 Conference later said was affected by an incorrect call. (AP/FOXSports.com - Stats)
Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Note UPDATE 8: Sooners defeat Middle Tennessee 59-0.. Oklahoma's first shut out, since Baylor 2004 35-0... More to Come..
UPDATE 7: Oklahoma Sooners have dominated the Blue Raiders, the 17th-ranked Sooners have accumulated 59 points, 455 yards compared to MTSU's 0 and 100 yards. Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson ran for three touchdowns, with 26 rushes and 138 on the ground came out after Oklahoma's opening second half drive. Oklahoma's Paul Thompson was impressive, 13 of 19 passing for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns, before coming out late in the third. His primary target Malcolm Kelly connected for 166 yards, and 1 touchdown. Oklahoma's defense has only allowed 100 total yards with 2:00 minutes remaining in the game, and forced five Middle Tennessee turnovers.
UPDATE 6: Oklahoma's offense traveled 67 yards for a TD, as Adrian Peterson rushed for 47 yards, including a 34 yard rush. Oklahoma leads Middle Tennessee 52-0.
UPDATE 5: First half complete Oklahoma leads Middle Tennessee 45-0.
UPDATE 4: Adrian Peterson rushed two times inside the MTSU 10, running 7 yards for his 3rd TD of the evening -- extending Oklahoma's lead 45-0... 2:23 remaining in the half.
UPDATE 3: Oklahoma is driving in MTSU territory with 6:00 minutes remaining. Oklahoma's defense has only allowed 22 total yards compared to Oklahoma's 244 total yards. Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham catches a 22-yard Paul Thompson pass with 5:22 remaining in the half, extending the Sooners' leader over the Blue Raiders 38-0
UPDATE 2: Oklahoma leads MTSU 24-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. OU threatening to score inside MTSU's two yard line to begin the second quarter. Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson rushes for his second touchdown in 10 carries from MTSU's two yard line. Paul Thompson passes for 163 yards on 9 attempts and 5 completions.
UPDATE1: Oklahoma leads Middle Tennessee in the first quarter 24-0 with 1:49 remaining. Two forced turnovers by the Sooners, (1) Rufus Alexander, and (1) Zach Latimer.. Paul Thompson 4-7 for 120 yards, longest 73 yards, Adrian Peterson 7 rushes for 31 and 1 TD..
Oklahoma-Middle Tennessee State available on PPV, Sooner Radio Network: Big 12 Special Order Sports, FSN Southwest's pay-per-view division will produce Oklahoma's Sept. 23 game against Middle Tennessee. The game will be available on participating cable television systems across Oklahoma and Texas and nationwide to DirecTV and Dish Network customers. The game will also be available online in its entirety to O-Zone members three hours after the conclusion of the action on the field in an agreement with the broadcast distributors. Participating cable and satellite TV providers will offer the telecast to their customers on a specially designated pay-per-view channel. Suggested retail price for the 6 p.m. kickoff from Norman, Okla., is $29.95. (SoonerSports Release) Also, the OU-MTSU is available on the Oklahoma Sooner Radio Network, check for your station on Media/Radio/TV page.
Sooners Youth Movement: [Chase] Beeler shouldn't be the only true freshman to get playing time tonight. First-year players like tight end Jermaine Gresham, tackle Trent Williams and wide receivers Adron Tennell and Brandon Caleb are slated to help out the veterans. "Joe Jon Finley played 71 snaps," Wilson said of the Oregon game. "Adrian Peterson played 71 snaps. Malcolm Kelly is playing too much, and (Juaquin) Iglesias. They're playing so much that we're actually losing a little speed, we're getting a little sloppy." (Tulsa World)
More Pac-10 Officiating Errors, although not OU.. Against Baylor: Not that it does a lot of good now, but the Pac-10 Conference agrees with Baylor. Head coach Guy Morriss, who asked the league to review six plays from last Saturday's 17-15 loss to Washington State, received a report Thursday from Pac-10 coordinator of football officiating Verle Sorgen. In all six cases, Sorgen agreed with Baylor's assessment and "graded down" the referee, back judge and head linesman. But there was no public apology by Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen nor game suspensions handed down like there were for the mistakes made at the end of the Oklahoma-Oregon game that cost the Sooners a victory. "That's about all you get is I'm sorry," Morriss said Friday (Waco Tribune)
Suspended Pac-10 ref to officiate this weekend's Arizona, Stoops game: David Cutaia, the on-field referee in last Saturday's Oregon-Oklahoma game, will referee Saturday's USC-Arizona game. On Monday the Pacific 10 Conference issued one-game suspensions to the field officials and instant replay crew for their mistakes in the controversial finish to Oregon's 34-33 victory. But because the Pac-10 does not have enough crews to cover all of its games this weekend, Cutaia will be working Saturday -- and serve his suspension later in the season. Arizona is coached by Mike Stoops, the brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen said Monday that a review by conference officials of video of Saturday's game revealed that both the replay officials and the game officials assigned by the conference made errors in the final 1 minute, 12 seconds of the game. (ESPN.com)
Interesting Site: Looks like a Oklahoma Sooners' fan has launched a new website, in light of last weekend's game at voidgame.com.
White wouldn't want 2004 Title, if forfeited: If a report that Reggie Bush and his family violated NCAA rules by accepting more than $100,000 worth of cash and services leads USC to forfeit its 2004 national championship, it wouldn't be much of a consolation to Jason White. The former Oklahoma quarterback wouldn't feel any different about the 55-14 drubbing USC handed his team in the Orange Bowl two years ago. "If they had to forfeit it, I wouldn't want the national championship. We didn't win it," White said in a phone interview. "When you get beat, you get beat." "I'm sure any other player wouldn't feel any differently. If anybody wasn't eligible, I wouldn't want anybody to tell me we were national champs two years later. As an athlete, I don't think it would be very accepting to take that. You definitely wouldn't feel like you earned it." Still, White believes if the allegations are true, some type of punishment is in order. (San Bernardino County Sun)
Beeler may see first start: True freshman Chase Beeler from Jenks will likely make the first start of his young career Saturday as starting center Jon Cooper nurses his sore ankle. Beeler played the final three series at center against Oregon after Cooper went out. Starting tackle Chris Messner likely will back up Beeler on Saturday. For quarterback Paul Thompson, the transition between Cooper and Beeler was smooth last week and he doesn't foresee any problems Saturday. (NewsOK.com)
Peterson wants to try punt coverage at gunner: Stoops said that isn't the only special teams spot the Heisman Trophy candidate wants to try. "He's been badgering me more about being a gunner on our punt team," Stoops said. "He wants to run down and hit somebody." The chances of Peterson finding his way onto the punt team are extremely slim, but he'd probably excel at the job. "Heck, he would be down on the return man before the ball, I guarantee you that. He would outrun the ball," Stoops joked. "Shoot, I would be scared that he would just run over the return man whether he caught the ball or not. I think he is so tired of getting hit that he wants to start hitting somebody. I don't think we will go that far with him, but he asks me about it two or three times a week. He would be the best gunner in college football if we would let him." (Norman Transcript)
Arizona's Mike Stoops favors Pac-10 policy change: The brother of Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops finds himself on both sides of the fence in the debate over whether the Pacific 10 should change its conference officiating policy in the aftermath of the school's game against Oregon. "They may move forward with this thing to get regional refs that don't have any bias, subconsciously or consciously," Arizona head coach Mike Stoops told the Oklahoma Daily on Wednesday. "I think it's good anytime you have out-of-conference [officials]. For out-of-conference games, all coaches I think would be for that." Stoops said he takes a lot of pride being in the Pac 10, but was upset by the calls. "I just thought it was ridiculous that they couldn't get all of the angles. It was pretty obvious, and not to see that Oklahoma had recovered those were just errors that are the fundamentals of refereeing," Mike Stoops said. (AP/ESPN.com) Harris NFC Defensive Player of the Week: SoonerSports.com
Tech's Coach Knight speaks about controversial call: Three years ago, Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight expressed disgust when Oklahoma refused to forfeit a home game it won under a cloud of controversy. Given the circumstances surrounding last Saturday's OU-Oregon football game in Eugene, the legendary coach couldn't resist revisiting the topic with a telephone call late Wednesday afternoon. "Maybe now those people at Oklahoma understand what I was talking about," an upbeat Knight said. "And you make sure they get this message. I want them to be that much more enamored with me over at that place." On Jan. 20, 2003, the Sooners beat the Red Raiders 69-64 in overtime at Lloyd Noble Center in a contest mired by two clock controversies in the final seconds of regulation. The game clock stopped for a full second when Texas Tech had the ball with 6.7 seconds left, and started .7 seconds late after OU in-bounded the ball with 4.5 seconds remaining. "Had Oklahoma forfeited that game against us like I suggested, they would have gotten far more positive publicity out of that than if they had gone to the Final Four that year," Knight said. "Now I guess the 'duck' is swimming in the other pond." (In part NewsOK.com)
Sooners-Middle Tennessee on PPV: Big 12 Special Order Sports, FSN Southwes's pay-per-view division will produce Oklahoma's Sept. 23 game against Middle Tennessee. The game will be available on participating cable television systems across Oklahoma and Texas and nationwide to DirecTV and Dish Network customers. The game will also be available online in its entirety to O-Zone members three hours after the conclusion of the action on the field in an agreement with the broadcast distributors. Participating cable and satellite TV providers will offer the telecast to their customers on a specially designated pay-per-view channel. Suggested retail price for the 6 p.m. kickoff from Norman, Okla., is $29.95. Kansas City Chiefs radio voice Mitch Holthus (play-by-play), KWTV News 9 Sports Director and former Oklahoma quarterback Dean Blevins (analyst), and Oklahoma City-New Orleans Hornets broadcaster Sean Kelly (sideline reporter) form the announcing team. The game will be replayed on FSN Southwest throughout the network's coverage area (Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, parts of New Mexico) on Monday, Sept. 25 at noon CT. (SoonerSports.com)
Thompson's running game: For those wanting to see more of Paul Thompson in the running game, be patient. "I definitely enjoy running the ball, feel comfortable running the ball," Thompson said. "It puts more pressure on the defense. Oregon had a plan for that. A lot of the reads, I handed it off instead of running it. There were definitely more opportunities I had to run the ball, but they played it well. "I don't think our game plan is for me running the ball 10, 11 times a game or something like that." (NewsOK.com)
Wilson used to not getting calls: One coach not as quick to jump into the melee is offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "When you play nine years in the Mid-American Conference playing Big Ten teams, you get used to not getting calls," said Wilson, who coached at Miami (Ohio) and Northwestern from 1990-2001. "And when you're at Northwestern playing big teams, you get used to not getting calls. "So I've always been where you've got to play well enough to overcome that one call and not leave points on the board, get in the scoring zone and execute better or have a better plan or rhythm of plays to get 7s instead of 3s." (Tulsa World)
Pac-10 Offcial takes leave of absence: The league announced Wednesday that official Gordon Riese, who has already been suspended for a game by the Pac-10, requested a leave of absence. Because Pac-10 replay officials work in crews, replay assistant Roger Judd also will not work any more games this season. "Gordon Riese had a distinguished 28-year career as a Pac-10 official and, with the exception of Saturday, had done a fine job as a replay official," Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said. "He is an individual with impeccable officiating credentials and unquestioned integrity. We look forward to his return next season." Riese has said he was "struggling" with missing the call. (Kansas City Star)
Huskies expect Sooners to show up: Washington athletic director Todd Turner said he has received no indication that Oklahoma would pull out of its 2008 game at Husky Stadium despite the fact that Sooners coach Bob Stoops said that was a possibility during a Tuesday press conference. "It's not an issue right now," Turner said. "As far as I know, we have a contract with Oklahoma and they'll be here in 2008. We're scheduled to have Pac-10 officials and until I'm told differently or Oklahoma officially calls and says that's unacceptable, that's what we're counting on." (Daily Herald)
Sooners 'not pointing fingers' and Stoops moving on: Coach Bob Stoops said he would address the controversial finish at Oregon for the last time Tuesday at his news conference. Normally, the weekly Q&A lasts 30 minutes. But Stoops spent the first 25 minutes of a 36-minute session talking about the loss. "First, we take accountability for what we could have done that changed that game," Stoops told reporters. "Anyone who's sitting there thinking that we're just pointing fingers and not looking at ourselves, that's not true." But he went on to say, "I'm proud of a football team who was an underdog on the road against a ranked football team in a sold-out, packed stadium that you all talked about was so difficult to play [in] and put themselves in position to win. "It's undeniable that the results of the officiating mistakes changed the football game." (Dallas Morning News)
Ref former high school friend of Bellotti: David Cutaia, the Pac-10 Conference referee who called Saturday's Oklahoma game at Oregon -- and who was leader of the crew that was suspended Monday by the Pac-10 for one game for officiating errors on the field -- is a longtime associate of Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti. The Tulsa World received an anonymous fax on Tuesday offering details about their relationship, which dates back to the late 1960s at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concorde, Calif. David Cutaia is also a police chief in Martinez, Calif. Phone messages left at his office were not returned. An employee at Ygnacio Valley confirmed that Cutaia graduated from the school in 1968, and Robert Michael Bellotti graduated in 1969. "I had no idea about that," said Pac-10 associate commissioner of communications Jim Muldoon. Muldoon said the Pac-10 has no policy in place that would preclude Cutaia from presiding over the officiating crew at an Oregon game. "We don't have any rules against officials working games at their alma maters like some conferences do," Muldoon said. "We do believe in the integrity of out people.(Tulsa World)
Peterson's Heisman run: Stoops was asked what he thought of the suggestion in the national media that OU tailback Adrian Peterson has fallen in the running for the Heisman Trophy. "How can that be?" Stoops asked. "Other than that a game was taken away from us, if that's how they look at it, the fact that there's a loss in the column, then you've got to be undefeated to win the Heisman." Peterson finished with 211 rushing yards against Oregon, including 145 in the fourth quarter. He now has 515 rushing yards and six total touchdowns for the season. (NewsOK.com)
Stoops receives calls: Stoops said he's received numerous phone calls from coaches over the last few days about the Oregon finish. One came from a total stranger -- Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo -- and another from Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti. Stoops said Bellotti apologized for the way the game ended. "I'd rather be in his position," Stoops said. (Dallas Morning News)
Sooners rethink Washington visit in 2008: If the Pac-10 Conference doesn't change its policy of using its own referees for home nonconference games -- as OU president David Boren suggested Monday in a letter to the Big 12 -- then OU might cancel its 2008 game scheduled at Washington. "I think there's no question that (athletic director) Joe Castiglione and I or President Boren will, if that rule is not changed, that we may reconsider that game," coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday. "I think it's justified that we look into that, and that may change." The Sooners played UW in Norman on Sept. 9, and are contracted to return the game in two years. Castiglione declined comment on the possibility of canceling the game. "I know it's the heat of the moment, and while people want answers to those kinds of questions in the heat of the moment, decisions like those are better made when people can be more rational," Castiglione said during an interview prior to Stoops' comments. "Keep in mind, the University of Washington didn't do anything wrong here." The Pac-10 has a policy that all nonconference home games be officiated by Pac-10 crews. (Tulsa World)
M. Walker to start Saturday:Stoops verified Tuesday that junior Marcus Walker will start Saturday at cornerback. Walker will be the third player to start opposite Reggie Smith at cornerback. D.J. Wolfe started the first two games and Lendy Holmes started last week. "We're going to continue to work in the secondary to get better play," Stoops said. (NewsOK.com)
Peterson to get more returns: Adrian Peterson made his debut as a kick returner against Oregon. The All-American running back will continue his role on special teams Saturday against Middle Tennessee. "He just needs to see it more," Stoops said. "We need to keep getting him more practice with it. Sure, we intend to continue with it." (Norman Transcript)
Pac-10 Official no stranger to controversial calls, future games will 'be closely monitored': Suspended were instant replay officials Gordon Riese and Roger Judd, both retired field officials, along with referee David Cutaia, umpire Dennis Angel, linesman Dan Antonietti, line judge Manuel Alonzo, back judge Steve Hudson, field judge Dan Spriesterbach and side judge David Curschman. Hansen said their work in future games would "be closely monitored." Riese and Judd are Oregon residents. "We generally don't travel our replay officials, nor do other conferences," Pac-10 associate commissioner Jim Muldoon said. This wasn't the first time Riese has been involved in controversy. On Nov. 20, 1982, he was the line judge when California defeated Stanford on arguably the most controversial finish in college football history. Cal won the game on a crazy kickoff return that ended with Kevin Moen scoring the winning touchdown before crashing into Stanford band trombonist Gary Tyrrell. In 2002, Riese told the San Jose Mercury News he wasn't in position to call an illegal forward lateral -- Mariet Ford to Moen -- because he had been run over by the on-rushing Stanford band. Riese said he has received menacing phone calls and a death threat over Saturday's game, adding he would make a decision soon about whether to finish the season, or even whether to return next year. (LA Times)
More controversial calls: Washington State fans may remember how [Gordon] Riese ruled in a 2002 Apple Cup game against rival Washington. In triple overtime, Cougars quarterback Matt Kegal lost the football and the Huskies recovered. Many thought it was either a fumble or an incomplete pass. After huddling with other officials, Riese made a confusing announcement that it was a backward pass and, thus, a live ball. Washington State coach Mike Price said afterward, "That's wrong." Riese also made a strange ruling in the 2004 USC-UCLA game. The Bruins held up Reggie Bush, and while the running back pushed for more yards, he fumbled. A UCLA linebacker picked up the ball and raced for an apparent touchdown. Riese told the crowd that Bush's forward progress had been stopped and the play was dead. ABC announcers said at halftime that the officials took a touchdown away from UCLA. (Dallas Morning News)
Coach Stoops unsatisfied w/apology: Stoops believes Riese, who elected not to overturn the calls, should have faced a much stiffer penalty. "I find it still absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable," Stoops said. "In particular the people who had an opportunity to review it all and look at it and get it right. They chose not to. "You discern whether a one-game suspension is appropriate for those individuals. I'm not talking about people in the heat of the moment out there in the middle of the chaos. I'm talking about people who, like every viewer at home, had an opportunity to see it. It's not for me to decide what is appropriate, but I think it's fair to say that a one-game suspension compared to the way our season now is altered, I don't know if that fits the situation. "Like I said, I've made a million mistakes. In a game I'd love to have a chance to replay it and do it over. They get that opportunity, we don't. To me again it's just unacceptable and inexcusable." (Norman Transcript)
Cooper may be held out: Stoops said Jon Cooper and DeMarcus Granger are "limited" in practice, but "should be fine" for Saturday's game against Middle Tennessee State. Wilson said Cooper should be available but, with an open date upcoming, would likely be held out a week. (Tulsa World)
Sooners moving forward: Stoops said his team is fully focused on the season ahead and what it can bring. "Our players understand there's a lot in front of us," Stoops said. "The season's young. We've got a ton to get better at, improve at and that's what we're focusing on. I have to deal with this because I'm the head coach. There's too many questions about it. "We're on to Middle Tennessee. We had a great practice. Our players are upbeat. They understand the potential that's on the football team, and we're going to continue working to get better." (NewsOK.com)
Easy Monday workload for AD: Running back Adrian Peterson had a light day at practice Monday, working only on blitz pickups. Head coach Bob Stoops said he likes to give Peterson a light load on Mondays "after he's has a hard day." (Tulsa World)
Oregon reaction; Ignore and 'move on': Ducks coach Mike Bellotti told The Oregonian that he wouldn't allow outside focus on the controversy to taint his team's win. "We ignore it and move on," Bellotti told the newspaper. Bellotti did say that if the calls were proven to be bad, as they since have been, he would feel bad. And he said he wouldn't want to win a game that way. "It still can't take away the effort and the will of our players," Bellotti said. (NewsOK.com)
Weekly team awards: Stoops said Peterson, Iglesias and Paul Thompson were OU's offensive players of the week, cornerback Marcus Walker was defensive player of the week and Reggie Smith and Michael Cohen were special teams players of the week. (Tulsa World)
Pac-10 Official says, he made the wrong call, now receiving threats: The instant replay official whose failure to overturn a bad call led to a narrow victory for Oregon over Oklahoma said he feels like he is under siege after receiving menacing phone calls and a death threat. Gordon Riese said he would make a decision soon about whether to finish the season, or even whether to return next year. "I'm struggling with it," Riese said in an interview at his home. "I feel so bad I missed that call, it's driving me crazy." A former college baseball pitcher in the 1960s who was inducted into the Portland State Hall of Fame in 1997, Riese said he never played football but always enjoyed the game during 28 years as a Pacific-10 Conference official. "I loved it, I absolutely loved it," Riese said. But that was before he became an instant replay official. "I've felt much, much more pressure as an instant replay official than I ever did on the field," Riese said. He said the equipment is not as sophisticated as NFL replay equipment, and does not allow the official to freeze the frame. Riese said he has stopped answering the phone, and police are investigating the threatening calls while keeping an eye on his neighborhood. (Seattle Times)
Q&A with Pac-10 Coordinator Of Officiating: Verle Sorgen, the coordinator of football officiating for the Pacific-10 Conference, on Monday answered questions about Oregon's controversial 34-33 win Saturday over Oklahoma, on the instant replay system and on the conference's decision to suspend the crew and replay officials. Q: What happened on the onside kick and what went wrong with the officiating? A: One of the officials was very definite that the Oregon player had recovered it and that the ball had been taken away from him. It's clear to me that Oregon touched the ball first. It is also clear that Oregon did not recover the ball in the pile. In either case, it should have been given to Oklahoma. Q: What went wrong with the process and why wasn't the call reversed? A: I think there was a glitch in the (instant replay) booth. Somehow they didn't get all of the replays that ABC was providing. I think there was a miscommunication between the No. 2 (Roger Judd) and the No. 1 (Gordon Riese), and as a result, we didn't get all the information we should have gotten. Q: If the glitch was in the replay booth, why was the entire officiating crew suspended? A: They made two incorrect decisions to begin with that caused all of this. The suspensions came from the conference office. We had a conference call for an hour this morning. Q: The pass interference call (on the final drive), was it ruled incorrectly? A: That was reviewed also. I really couldn't tell. I could see the linebacker go up with his right arm, I could see the ball go at a crazy rotation afterward, but it was going at a crazy rotation to begin with. (More at the Oregonian)
SportsNation Poll: ESPN ask the SportsNation, How should the BCS handle the Oklahoma-Oregon game? Vote now on ESPN.com. Currently, 53,000 votes.. 59% say Count It, 41% say Disregard It.
Please forward all e-mail complaints to the Pac-10, not my e-mail.. I don't do petitions, or complaints.. Here's a direct link to Pac-10 Conference Officials' contacts, Pac-10.org.
"Biggest robbery since the Oklahoma land grab" Tony Kornheiser, PTI
Pac-10 apologizes; officials suspended, result stands: The fallout from controversial officiating and instant replay decisions in Saturday's college football game between Oklahoma and Oregon continued Monday when the Pacific-10 Conference suspended for one game the field officials and instant replay crew and apologized to the Sooners. Oregon won 34-33 after scoring two touchdowns late in fourth quarter. After the first score, Oregon recovered an onside kick, leading to the winning touchdown. The Pac-10 acknowledged Monday that the kick was touched by an Oregon player before it traveled the required 10 yards, so the ball should have been awarded to Oklahoma. The video also shows an Oklahoma player recovered the ball, although that part of the play was not reviewable under the instant replay rule. The kick had been reviewed by the instant replay officials, who concurred with the field officials. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops also questioned a pass interference call on the subsequent drive. Stoops said he believes Oklahoma defensive end C.J. Ah You deflected the pass that resulted in the penalty. If the ball was tipped, the penalty would have been negated. The replay officials ruled that there was not indisputable video evidence the ball had been tipped. "Errors clearly were made and not corrected, and for that we apologize to the University of Oklahoma, Coach Stoops and his players," Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen said in a statement. Earlier Monday, Oklahoma President David Boren sent a letter to Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg, asking him to push for the game to be stricken from the record books and having the officials suspended for the rest of the season. "There is no provision under NCAA or conference rules for a game result to be reversed or changed as a result of officiating errors, nor do I believe there should be," Weiberg said in a statement. (USA Today)
Oklahoma's President David Boren letter to Big 12: Today, University of Oklahoma President David Boren released a letter calling on the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference to take action related to the breakdown of officiating in the Oklahoma-Oregon football game last Saturday. (SoonerSports.com Release)
Dear Commissioner Weiberg:
To describe the lapses in accurate officiating at the Oklahoma-Oregon football game last Saturday as constituting an outrageous injustice is an understatement. Since officiating is a conference responsibility as opposed to an individual institutional responsibility, we must look to you to launch a vigorous effort to correct the situation.
On behalf of the University of Oklahoma, I ask that you as Big 12 Commissioner take the following actions:
- First, seek an apology from the Pac-10 Conference for the gross errors in officiating.
- Second, since institutions, players, and coaches are held responsible by conferences and the NCAA for their actions, those who officiate games should also be held responsible. At the very least, those found responsible for reviewing the onside kick call and the interference call in the closing minutes of the game should be suspended from officiating for the rest of the season.
- Third, it is my understanding that the Pac-10 Conference has a rule that they will only use Pac-10 officials at games with other conference institutions hosted by Pac-10 members. In light of what happened Saturday, the Big 12 should request that the Pac-10 change its rule to assure impartial officiating.
- Fourth, the Big 12 should request that the game should not go into the record books as a win or loss by either team in light of the level of officiating mistakes.
- Fifth, the Big 12 should place on the appropriate agendas of NCAA meetings and meetings of the conference commissioners a discussion of how the film review process should be implemented.
Since the University of Oklahoma and its officials are required by conference sportsmanship rules to limit their comments in situations like this, we must look to you as the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference to vigorously demand that our teams be treated fairly when participating in non-conference games.
It is truly sad and deeply disappointing that members of our football team should be deprived of the outcome of the game that they deserved because of an inexcusable breakdown in officiating.
Sincerely, David L. Boren President, The University of Oklahoma
Conference/OU Statements' and result unlikely to be overturned: Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said Sunday in a statement, "There should be no mistaking our very serious concerns about the events that transpired and the energy we will exert in voicing those concerns." Jim Muldoon, Pac-10 associate commissioner of communications and football administration, said Sunday, "We are reviewing it right now and we may have a statement tomorrow. "Our coordinator of officials (Verle Sorgen) will review the tapes and, if he deems necessary -- which I suspect he will -- he will then talk to the parties involved, the replay officials," Muldoon said. "He reviews the tapes of every game, yes, and gets a report of every game, yes. But we'll be expediting this one just because of the somewhat controversial nature of the finish." Muldoon said the Pac-10 has taken action for officiating mistakes previously. It may be nothing more than a public reprimand or, more unlikely, a formal apology to Oklahoma or the Big 12 Conference. "I know different leagues do this differently," Muldoon said. "But we are not reticent about admitting if we make a mistake." Big 12 associate commissioner of communications Bob Burda said Sunday "the result will stand. I don't believe there's any protocol in place to overturn the result of a game, regardless of what the review process may uncover."...... Castiglione said he has "taken immediate steps . . . in officially requesting a comprehensive review of specific officiating decisions and use of instant replay," but said, "we fully understand the outcome of the game is irreversible, regardless of the decisions made in regards to the grievance." Said Stoops, "In the end, it isn't going to change anything. In the end, I've got to look at a bunch of kids that fought hard and have a loss right now(In part from Tulsa World) Walker may start? Defensive coordinator Brent Venables indicated that CB Marcus Walker is likely to start next week after breaking up four passes against Oregon. (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops disappointed with Pass Interference call: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Sunday he was "incredibly disappointed" after reviewing videotapes of a disputed onside kick and pass interference penalty from the Sooners' last-minute loss to Oregon. Stoops said he believes an Oregon player interfered with Oklahoma's chance to recover an onside kick by touching the ball before it traveled 10 yards. The play gave Oregon possession and set up the Ducks' game-winning drive. "The instant replay was brought up to eliminate issues like this. And here, there are a number of issues that are clearly -- looking at video -- wrong," Stoops said Sunday. (SoonerSports.com)
Offensive Coordinator Wilson praises Adrian: "With loaded boxes, I think that running back is playing about as good as you can ask anyone to play," Wilson said. "He's playing against a loaded deck every week and he's playing great." (NewsOK.com)
Stoops: Protection Good, Kick Low: Bob Stoops said the protection was solid on Garrett Hartley's final field goal, but the kick was a little low. Oregon blocked the 44-yard attempt as time expired. (Dallas Morning News)
Peterson receives Big 12 Weekly Honor: For the second straight week, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson has been named the Big 12 Conference's Offensive Player of the Week. It is the sixth time in his three-year career that he has been so honored. The junior had 34 rushing attempts for 211 yards and one touchdown last Saturday at Oregon. Peterson was particularly brilliant in the fourth quarter when he rambled for 145 yards. His career mark now stands at 3,548, just 570 yards shy of Billy Sims' OU career mark of 4,118. With 515 yards thus far, Peterson is off to the best three-game start of his career. He is averaging 171.1 yards per game and is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division I-A statistics. (SoonerSports Release)
The Oklahoma-Oregon fourth quarter onside kick video is available on YouTube, available in real-time and slow motion.. You decide for yourself. A blind duck can see no-one from the receiving team touched the ball before the kicking team.
Peterson returning kick returns: OU's Adrian Peterson returned kicks for the first time as a Sooner, part of a strategy to prevent teams from benefiting by kicking away from Reggie Smith. "I hadn't done it since high school," Peterson said. "It takes work. You've got to read the blocks and understand and see what you've got set up." Peterson had 68 yards on three returns, with a long of 28 yards. (NewsOK.com)
Earplugs seem ineffective: OU's offensive players spent the week wearing earplugs in practice so they could focus. Whether it was the noise or Oregon's defense, quarterback Paul Thompson was clearly confused at times. OU was out of timeouts with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter. Coaches also had to call a timeout with 10:02 left in the third quarter, because Thompson lost track of the play clock. (Dallas Morning News)
Peterson big day: Adrian Peterson's 211 rushing yards carried him past De'Mond Parker and into fourth place on OU's all-time list. He trails fourth-place Quentin Griffin by 390 yards. Peterson's 279 all-purpose yards vaulted him by Mark Clayton for 10th place on the Sooners' all-time list. (Tulsa World)
Injury report, Cooper, Granger: Sophomore center Jon Cooper left the game with a left ankle injury. He did not return. Cooper's status for this week is uncertain. Redshirt freshman defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger was shaken up and walked off unsteadily. He did not return. (NewsOK.com)
Change in secondary: Lendy Holmes replaced D.J. Wolfe as OU's starting boundary cornerback Saturday. He struggled with Oregon wideout Jaison Williams (9 catches, 177 yards) early, and gave way to Marcus Walker during the Ducks' second series. Walker left midway through the third quarter with cramps, and Williams burned Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown on fourth-and-6 on the second play of the fourth quarter. Jason Carter played the whole game at strong safety in place of Keenan Clayton, who had started the first two games of the year, and led OU with 10 tackles. (Tulsa World)
No further discussion on future series: Saturday marked OU's third game with Oregon in 24 months. OU beat Oregon in Norman in 2004 and also played in the Holiday Bowl last December. OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said OU and Oregon have not discussed a future series. (NewsOK.com) Blocked field goal dooms OU: SoonerSports.com
Oregon Edges Oklahoma 34-33: In a wild final 72 seconds, Dennis Dixon and the Oregon Ducks had everything go their way. Dixon rallied for two late touchdowns, with the help of a successful onside kick, and the No. 18 Ducks blocked a field goal on the final play to seal a 34-33 victory over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday. Dixon's 16-yard keeper with 1:12 left brought the Ducks within 33-27 and set up the onside kick attempt. The Ducks (3-0) recovered the bouncing kick on their own 48, but Oklahoma (2-1) argued that an Oregon player touched the ball before it went the required 10 yards, which would have given the Sooners possession. Officials delayed play for an instant replay review, but the call stood and Dixon went to work. After a pass interference call on Oklahoma again had Sooners coach Bob Stoops shaking his head on the sideline, Dixon threw a 23-yard TD pass to Brian Paysinger with 46 seconds to give Oregon the lead. Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said Saturday night that both the onside kick and pass interference call will be reviewed by the league. Oklahoma wasn't done, though, as Reggie Smith returned a squib kick 55 yards to the Ducks' 27. With no timeouts the Sooners ran one play, run into the line by Adrian Peterson, then spiked the ball with a second left. Garrett Hartley's 44-yard field-goal attempt wasn't high enough to clear the line and the Ducks celebrated. "I was just praying we would get that onside kick," said Sooners tailback Adrian Peterson, who ran for 211 yards. "Once we didn't get it, things got really ugly from there. " (AP/ABC News - Game Stats)
Expect less snaps for Kelly? Oklahoma's Kevin Sumlin on WR Malcolm Kelly's workload: "Malcolm's (Kelly) out there (against Washington) for close to 50 or 60 snaps when you count the penalty snaps," said wide receiver coach Kevin Sumlin. "That's maybe too many." (Tulsa World)
Nic Harris enjoying defensive roles: Harris is the first-team nickelback. He also works as a backup strong safety, free safety and strongside linebacker. "Sometimes it gets mind-boggling," the sophomore said. "You have to understand all the different rotations." "If coach tells me to play the nickel, I'll play the nickel. If he tells me to play strong or free (safety), I'm gonna play that. If he tells me to go under water and hold my breath for 30 minutes, I'm gonna try to do that, too." (NewsOK.com)
Gutierrez honored with AFCA Good Works Team: Oklahoma running back Jacob Gutierrez has been named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team for 2006. He is the first Sooner ever to earn the honor The two 11-man teams, a Division I-A team and a combined team from Divisions I-AA, II, III and the NAIA, honor players for their dedication and commitment to community service. From 1992-1996, the Good Works Team was selected by the College Football Association. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA began selecting the teams. Gutierrez has put in more than 100 hours of community service in a year in Norman. He was presented with the Norman United Way Young Volunteer of the Year Award in 2005 and was the only football player among the six collegiate finalists for the 2006 John Wooden Citizenship Award presented by Athletes for a Better World. A running back from San Antonio, Texas, Gutierrez has worked directly with the Madison and Cleveland (Okla.) Elementary reading program and has been an FCA Huddle Leader at Irving Middle School in Norma. He participates in the annual FCA Food Drive benefiting needy families and interacting with children. “It never ceases to amaze me to see the contributions student-athletes make to their communities,” AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff said. “Often times, these young men are better known for the good things they do on the field. The AFCA is proud to recognize these student-athletes for the good things they do in their communities.” (SoonerSports.com)
A Greater challenge than the Holiday Bowl: Sooner's Defensive expects tougher challenge than last year's Ducks: "They're going to be a lot harder than in the Holiday Bowl," OU defensive end Larry Birdine said of the Ducks. "I think (quarterback Dennis Dixon) was just one threat then, pretty much running. But now he's got that pass in the equation." (Tulsa World)
Oklahoma JUCO commitment arrested: Garden City (Kan.) Community College offensive lineman Phil Loadhold, who has committed to play for Oklahoma next season, was arrested early Sunday morning in Manhattan, Kan., on allegations of disorderly conduct. According to the Garden City Telegram, the 20-year-old Loadholt, 6-foot-9, 340 pounds, was arrested at 2:30 a.m. Sunday and later released on $750 bond. Oklahoma coaches cannot comment on a recruit until he has signed a letter of intent. (NewsOK.com)
Sooners see Oregon game as 'big' and 'the defining point': "Definitely, it's a big game," defensive end Larry Birdine said. "They're ranked, and we're ranked [No. 15] and I think we both have our backs against the wall. We don't think the media is giving us enough credit. "We definitely think they're a worthy opponent. It's a great challenge... and I think it's going to be a great game." Most view OU's performance as a window to the rest of the season. "This can be the defining point in our season as far as the direction we want to go in," quarterback Paul Thompson said in agreement. "A lot is riding on this game. I'm excited to see what this team can do." (Star-Telegram)
Coach Switzer on the Sports Blitz: Barry Switzer will be a guest in studio on "The Oklahoma Sports Blitz," 10:25 p.m. Sunday, KWTV-9.Thompson can end drought: The Oklahoman
Differing opinions of last match up: Oregon coach Mike Bellotti raised eyebrows Wednesday when he was quoted in a USA Today story as saying, "Oklahoma recognizes they escaped last year." The reference was to OU's 17-14 Holiday Bowl victory over the Ducks. "Oh, I don't know," Stoops said. "It was a heck of a game. I think it's fair to see we had our other opportunities. We fumbled at the (Oregon) 1, and they had a fake field goal on us. . . . You can define it any way you want, but this is a new year and we've got to be ready to play." (Tulsa World)
Defensive to improve Alexander says: Oklahoma's defensive leader Rufus Alexander says the defensive will improve overtime: "There were times [last season] when we weren't disciplined. We were playing when it was convenient for us instead of playing hard every down," Alexander said. "We learned from that, and we broke those habits. You'll see this defense improve as we go along. I don't think we have any weaknesses." (Star-Telegram) All Day All-Access, Week Three: SoonerSports.com
University of Oklahoma purchases land near stadium: University of Oklahoma regents approved a purchase of land near the football stadium on Wednesday, including property where a popular Norman landmark sits. Jerri Culpepper with the Regents Board confirmed that they approved the sale. O'Connell's Irish Pub & Grille sits on the land that was purchased by OU, as does a strip center that contains several businesses.Officials have not intimated what they plan to do with the land; however, O'Connell's owner Jeff Stewart has indicated to Eyewitness News 5 that he intends on keeping O'Connell's open albeit, eventually, in a different location. (KOCO.com)
Oklahoma-Oregon ABC Coverage map available: For those outside, Oklahoma or Oregon and are unsure of the ABC College Football Coverage map.. ABC released its regional coverage map for Saturday's Oklahoma-Oregon game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The game will kick shortly after 2:30 p.m. Central, 12:30 p.m. Pacific. Twenty-two states in their entirety will receive the OU-Oregon game on ABC in HD including Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. (SoonerSports.com)
Stoops gets testy about Poll Rankings: OU has fallen in the polls despite its 2-0 start, but Stoops doesn't seem worried. He believes that undefeated teams rise to the top. "I don't care about that," Stoops said. "They're not giving out any trophies this week." (Dallas Morning News)
Coach Stoops Interview Special Saturday on ABC before Kickoff: Back in August, Kirk Herbstreit came to Norman for a lengthy interview with Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops. It was part of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. ABC and Liberty Mutual -- the sixth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. -- announced the launch of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award to honor the college football coach who best exemplifies responsibility and excellence on and off the field of play. Six coaches are being profiled as part of ABC's involvement. The segment on Stoops will air this Saturday at 1 p.m., central. In conjunction with this award, Liberty Mutual has enlisted the support of famed ABC sportscaster, Keith Jackson, known to many as "the voice of college football." During September, ABC will air three one-hour Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year specials (1-3 p.m. CT), hosted by Keith Jackson with commentary and interviews from notable College Football Hall of Fame inductees and national college football media as they feature six prominent NCAA Division I coaches: September 9 -- Mack Brown (Texas) and Jim Tressel (Ohio State) September 16 -- Pete Carroll (USC) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) (SoonerSports.com)
Players of the Week:Stoops gave his defensive player of the game honor to Larry Birdine, the coach said Tuesday. Birdine, a senior defensive end finished with five tackles, including one for loss. Adrian Peterson and Malcolm Kelly shared offensive honors. Peterson had 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Kelly finished with 121 receiving yards and two scores. Garrett Hartley, who converted three field goals and had seven touchbacks on kickoffs, was the special teams player of the game. (NewsOK.com) Limited Oklahoma-Middle Tennessee tickets available: Huge crowds have been flocking into Gaylord Family -- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to see OU football this season and now another opportunity is available thanks to returned tickets from Middle Tennessee. The Sooners host the Blue Raiders on Sept. 23 with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. The only television for the game is pay-per-view. OU officials said today that approximately 500 tickets, which were returned by Middle Tennessee, are available. The tickets sell for $57 each. Purchases can be made online at SoonerSports.com, over the phone at 1-800-456-GoOU or in person at the office located in the Asp Avenue Parking facility. (SoonerSports.com release)
Yo ABC, Where's the Coverage? If Wilson used the media to criticize his running back last week, he used his running back to criticize the media Tuesday. "If you want a real issue, why is it on ABC the other night, I'm watching the Texas game, they do all the highlights of the games at halftime, and the Sooners are playing the Huskies on ABC, and we get no clips?" Wilson said. "Because they're trying to stack it where my man (Peterson) doesn't win the Heisman. I got Miami-FAU highlights. I got West Virginia against Eastern Washington. I got Nebraska against Nicholls State. I got Florida State-Troy . . . "We're on a national game, regional coverage, we had two-thirds of the market, and that night when they show the clips, there's not one clip. The only comment they made about us was that Adrian can't win the Heisman. (Tulsa World)
Updated injury report: Coach Bob Stoops pronounced starting fullback Matt Clapp "very probable" to play Saturday. Clapp, who missed the victory over Washington with an ankle injury, did not practice Tuesday. Stoops also reported that Brian Simmons, a starting guard last spring before he injured his knee over the summer, is practicing again. Stoops does not know when Simmons will be game-ready. (Tulsa World)
OU-Texas Student Tickets Sold Out! The Oklahoma Athletics Department announced that student football tickets for the OU-Texas game sold out on Tuesday. Tickets were gone the first day they were offered, which has traditionally been the case for the Red River Rivalry. "Coach Stoops and the Sooner football team certainly appreciate the enthusiastic support of our students," said Assistant A.D. for Ticket Operations Billy Ray Johnson. The Sooners meet the Longhorns on October 7 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. (SoonerSports.com release)Sooners need more out the Defensive Line, McCoy, Taylor not likely: OU coaches have tried strengthening the middle by playing three defensive ends up front, with C.J. Ah You lined up over a guard. Coach Bob Stoops said that gets more speed on the field. Granger, Carl Pendleton, Steven Coleman and Cory Bennett have combined for 14 tackles in two games. Stoops said freshmen Gerald McCoy, the USA Today high school defensive player of the year, and Adrian Taylor of Mansfield are not likely to join the rotation soon. (Dallas Morning News)
Thompson wants to expose young Oregon backs: With quarterback Paul Thompson coming off a career-best passing performance against Washington, it stands to reason that the Sooners might want to throw the ball this Saturday in Eugene. "They have some young guys back there," Thompson said. "We want to try to expose that as much as we can." "We've just got to grow up in a hurry," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti told the Oregonian. (Tulsa World)
Defensive back starters TBD: Stoops hasn't tabbed his starters at cornerback and strong safety yet, but said Tuesday that Lendy Holmes is likely to start at corner and Jason Carter is leading the competition at safety. "Those guys have to keep competing and then make plays to stay on the field," Stoops said. (NewsOK.com) FSN to produce PPV telecast: SoonerSports.com
Peterson back only if Major Injury: Adrian Peterson said Monday the only thing certain that would keep him at Oklahoma another season would be a major injury. The junior running back is looking to rush for 2,200 yards this season and shatter Billy Sims' OU record. He wants to win the Heisman Trophy. And he'd like another crack at the national title. But Peterson said if doesn't accomplish those goals this season, he may never have another chance. "My goals when I got here were win a national championship first and then have an opportunity to win the Heisman," Peterson said. "Those are things I want to do, but the only thing right now I know for a fact that would keep me back next year is a major injury. God willing, that won't happen." (NewsOK.com) Peterson Big XII Offensive Player of the Week: Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson has been named the Big 12 Conference's Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in last Saturday's win over Washington. The junior rushed 32 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the 37-20 Sooner triumph. Peterson, currently the nation's No. 6-rusher with 152.0 yards per game, posted strong numbers against a UW defense that has been stingy against the run. The Huskies allowed just 50 rushing yards in their season openr and last season held down the likes of UCLA's Maurice Drew (14-33) and USC's Reggie Bus (8-51). With 304 yards thus far, Peterson is off to the best two-game start of his career. Peterson also caught two passes for six yards last Saturday and currently has three receptions for 75 yards on the season. The defensive player of the week honor went to Missouri's Marcus Bacon while the special teams award went to Texas Tech K Alex Trlica. Oklahoma also nominated K Garrett Hartley for the special teams honor. He made all three of his field goal attempts (44, 37 and 30 yards), all four of his point after touchdown attempts and also booted seven touchbacks in eight kickoffs. The lone exception was a sky kick in the fourth quarter. (SoonerSports.com)
Ear Plugs: OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson equipped his offensive linemen with ear plugs for Monday's practice. The men up front were flagged five times for procedure penalties against Washington and are now headed for Oregon's Autzen Stadium, known as one of the loudest venues in the country. "It's a new thing," center Jon Cooper said. "Coach Wilson gave those to us to make us focus on listening, really. (NewsOK.com)
Peterson nominated Cingular's Player of the Week: Four nominees for the Cingular All- America Player of the Week have been announced after the second weekend of college football action, and the power now rests solely in the hands of the fans to determine a winner. University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak, University of Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Notre Dame University quarterback Brady Quinn and Ohio State University quarterback Troy Smith have been selected by a panel of ESPN college football analysts as this week's top candidates based on their outstanding performances this past weekend. Fans can determine the winner by text messaging "VOTE" to "87654" on their wireless phone and casting their votes for the nominees. Leak threw for a career-high 352 yards and four touchdowns in the No. 7 Gators' 42-0 victory over Central Florida Saturday. It was Florida's largest margin of victory in three years. Peterson rushed for 165 yards and two scores in the No. 15 Sooners' 37-20 win over Washington. He is a four-time past recipient of the Cingular All-America Player of the Week, having won the award three times in 2004 and once last season. Quinn, who claimed the honor twice last year and was a finalist for the 2005 Cingular All-America Player of the Year, passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns in helping the fourth- ranked Fighting Irish cruise by No. 19 Penn State 41-17. Smith threw for 269 yards and two scores, as the top-ranked Buckeyes snapped No. 2 Texas' 21-game winning streak with a 24-7 victory. Fans have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday to submit their votes. The winner will be announced September 14 during ESPN's Thursday Night College Football Game between Maryland and West Virginia. Fans can vote as many times as they like, with each vote counting as one entry into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2007 BCS National Championship game. (PR Newswire)
A step up in September: The Ducks are the highest-ranked team the Sooners have faced in September since the start of the 1999 season. (Dallas Morning News)
O-Line Consistency Needed: Coaches said OU's offensive line played well at times against Washington. It's the other times that concern Sooners coach Bob Stoops. "It needs to be more consistent," Stoops said. "And we need to be better. We can play better." Stoops was irritated by the penalties up front. Of OU's seven penalties against the Huskies, six — five false starts and one holding — were called on the offensive line. "The bottom line is we need to be able to manage the line of scrimmage better." (NewsOK.com)
Holmes and Walker compete for starting CB: Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Sunday that junior D.J. Wolfe is currently not in the picture to start at the boundary cornerback position next Saturday at Oregon. Instead, Lendy Holmes and Marcus Walker will compete in practice this week for the starting job. "D.J. will still have opportunities to get back out on the field," Venables said. "In what capacity, it kind of remains to be seen." Walker shed his redshirt in the ninth game of his freshman season and started the last four at cornerback. Injuries derailed his sophomore season, but his play in fall camp has him in the mix for a starting job again. "In fairness to Marcus, you still want to try to put your best corner on the field," Venables said. (In part NewsOK.com)
Wilson pleased with Peterson performance: Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson praised RB Adrian Peterson's performance. He said the junior "ran through some trash" for 5- and 7-yard gains when he should have gotten 2 or 3. (Dallas Morning News)
Sooners remain 15th in AP poll: The University of Oklahoma remained at Number 15 in The Associated Press college football poll. The Sooners didn't move following a 37-to-20 win on Saturday over unranked Washington. The Sooners opponent next week -- the Oregon Ducks -- moved up two places to Number 18 after a 31-to-24 win over unranked Fresno State. Ohio State remains Number 1 after the Buckeye's 24-to-7 win on Saturday over then-second-ranked Texas. Texas fell six spots to Number Eight in the poll. (KOTV)
A. Peterson making a run on history: Adrian Peterson's 165-yard effort Saturday vaulted him over Stanley Wilson for sixth place on Oklahoma's all-time rushing list. He'll need 67 yards at Oregon next week to pass De'Mond Parker for fifth. Peterson's 171 all-purpose yards allowed him to move from 14th to 11th on that career list. He passed Jarrail Jackson, Billy Vessels and Dewell Brewer Saturday. Peterson's 32 carries, his most since a 32-tote effort against Tulsa last year, moved him past Billy Sims and Kejuan Jones into fourth place all-time. Also, Peterson is now in 12th place on OU's career touchdown list with 33 and tied for ninth with 32 rushing touchdowns. (Tulsa World)
Stoops gets a win for birthday: The Sooners improved to 2-0 on head coach Bob Stoops' birthday, who turned 46 today. The only other time that OU played on Coach Stoops' birthday was on Sept. 9, 2000, a 45-7 win against Arkansas State. Oklahoma also jumped to 43-2 in home games under Stoops. (SoonerSports.com)
Bomar gets Booed: Washington starting linebacker Tahj Bomar was booed every time his name was called over the loudspeaker. "The first couple tackles, I didn't hear it," senior Tahj Bomar said "After about four tackles, I remembered they had a quarterback that got kicked out. "I just had a little chuckle in the huddle." (NewsOK.com)
Wolfe gets benched, Stoops pleased with Holmes: When Washington wide receiver Anthony Russo beat cornerback D.J. Wolfe for a 51-yard catch on third and 11 midway through the second quarter, OU coach Bob Stoops had seen enough. "Unacceptable," he called it. Then he called on Lendy Holmes to play the rest of the game in place of Wolfe, who was beaten for two long completions against UAB last week, at the Sooners' boundary corner position. "I'm really pleased with how Lendy played," Stoops said. (Tulsa World)
Career best for Thompson: Senior quarterback Paul Thompson recorded a career high for passing yardage against Washington with 272 yards, passing his previous best set against UAB last week (227 yards). (SoonerSports.com)
New offensive formations: The OU offense showed a few new formations early Saturday. The Sooners opened the game in a five-receiver, shotgun formation with tight end Joe Jon Finley and running back Adrian Peterson among the receivers. A four-wide set featured Finley out wide with fellow tight end Jermaine Gresham in the slot. Another tight end, Brody Eldridge, lined up at fullback in the I-formation. (NewsOK.com)
Injuries: OU fullback Matt Clapp did not suit up due to an ankle injury. Freshman tight end Brody Eldridge and Ian Pleasant replaced him in the Sooners' I formation. Sooner right guard Brandon Walker injured his right knee midway through the third quarter and was replaced for a series by junior college transfer Sherrone Moore. (Tulsa World)
Another Sellout: Today's sellout crowd (45th straight) was the fifth highest all-time at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. (SoonerSports.com) Sooners roll past Washington: SoonerSports.com
Sooners Defeat Huskies 37-20: Paul Thompson threw two touchdown passes to Malcolm Kelly, and Adrian Peterson ran for 165 yards and two scores as No. 15 Oklahoma pulled away from Washington in the second half Saturday for a 37-20 win. Thompson broke a 13-13 tie on Oklahoma's first possession of the second half when he found Kelly racing down the right side of the field for a 35-yard TD to put the Sooners (2-0) ahead for the first time. Garrett Hartley made it 23-13 with his third field goal of the day, a 30-yarder, after Jason Carter blocked Washington's punt on its next drive. The Huskies (1-1) had a chance to pull closer when Chris Stevens forced a fumble by Thompson that Scott White recovered at the Oklahoma 4, but Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback fumbled on the next play. Thompson and Kelly hooked up again for a 42-yard pickup on the ensuing drive, and Peterson scored on a 17-yard run on the next play. Peterson added a 1-yard TD run after he had converted a fourth-and-1 play with just over four minutes to play. (AP/ABC News)
Game Preview: Washington Huskies vs. Oklahoma Sooners game notes, preview, television, radio information, local links, weather and more on Oklahoma Sooners NEXT Game Page.
Thompson development: Oklahoma quarterback coach Josh Heupel praised Paul Thompson's decision-making in the passing game, but both Thompson and his coach know the quarterback has some improvements to make in other areas. "Every time he dropped back and went to throw the ball, he was throwing the ball to the correct guy," Heupel said of Thompson's performance in last Saturday's 24-17 win over UAB. "Fundamentally, he overthrew a guy a couple times or he was a little low sometimes, but it wasn't always his fault either. "Obviously, we need to take better care of the ball in the red zone." (NewsOK.com)
Stoops wants a say in new clock rule:Head coach Bob Stoops simply hopes the coaches will have a voice in determining whether the new game clock rules remain after the season. "Hopefully we will," he said. "I don't believe we have to this point. Doubtful whether we will. I think there will be higher powers than us that determine whether we change it or not. "Our athletic directors and presidents do value what we have to say about it, so hopefully when we look at all this and everybody's kind of unsatisfied with it, maybe we can do something about it." (NewsOK.com)
QB Recruit picks FL. over OK: Atlanta Westlake quarterback Cameron Newton will be a Florida Gator. Newton announced his decision Thursday night, sticking to a deadline he set for himself more than two weeks ago. The four-star, dual-threat signal caller had been heavily recruited by Oklahoma since coach Bob Stoops dismissed Rhett Bomar. The Sooners were among Newton's final three college choices, but in the end, the prospectopted for the program that had been courting him since his junior year in high school. "Cameron likes the state of Florida," Newton's father, Cecil, told Rivals.com on Wednesday. "From his sophomore season on he was favoring Miami, Florida State or Florida." (NewsOK.com)
Humidity a concern for Washington: Last time Tyrone Willingham checked, there were no available humidity-control chambers around Seattle big enough to host a traveling NCAA Division I football team for practice. If there were, the coach would have scheduled a few University of Washington workouts there this week in preparation for Saturday's game against the 10th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. As it stands, the Huskies will fly to Oklahoma City this morning, and get a feel for what kind of conditions await them for their 12:30 p.m. [2:30 CT] kickoff Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. "There are two sides to their weather conditions," said Willingham in his final pregame press conference Thursday before heading off to practice. "It's not really the heat that will be to our detriment. We've had a few warm days here, 80- and 90-degree days … (but) if they have one of those high-humidity days that they can have, along with the heat, that is the real discovery for us." The forecast calls for a high of 88 degrees, with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. "(There's) nothing we can do to our air … that can really duplicate humidity that we'll face down there," Willingham said. "It's something we'll have to go and fight through, and our guys will give it a great try." (In part The News Tribune)
Peterson's father to miss OU-Texas: Nelson Peterson, Adrian's father, said federal prison officials will not let him attend any Oklahoma football games until mid-October, which means he can't attend the Texas-OU game at the Cotton Bowl. Peterson said he probably won't be able to attend an OU game until the Oct. 14 matchup against Iowa State in Norman, Okla. He asked for permission to attend Saturday's home game against Washington and was denied. Peterson is scheduled to be released from an Oklahoma City halfway house on Oct. 5 – two days before the Texas-OU game. But federal officials require that parolees stay within their district for 30 days after their release date. (Dallas Morning News)
Wright expects Wolfe to get better: "We potentially have two really good corners," secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright said. "Now, Reggie (Smith) played extremely well the other night in the game. The other one didn't play quite as well as he's capable of playing. Or as he's played. Or as I expect he'll play in the future. "That happens." Wright said he's seen too much good from Wolfe -- last year and in the preseason -- to panic yet. "A guy gets beat, he gets beat," Wright said. "I don't worry too much about that. Now, if it continues to happen week in and week out, then that's something I'd worry about. He got beat on two throws. (NewsOK.com)
Stoops OK with Wilson comments: Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson made national news Tuesday when he criticized the opening-game performance of running back Adrian Peterson. Coach Bob Stoops had this response after the Sooners' practice Wednesday evening: "Everybody makes a big deal about it. Being honest at all, guys can get better, let's face it. 'AD' realizes it. He sees spots where he can get better. "Everybody just likes to make major headlines about it because Adrian Peterson can get better? Sure he can. So could every other guy that's played here and every other guy that's won the Heisman. They can all do some things better." (Tulsa World)
Limited Tickets Available: Oklahoma has a limited number of tickets available against Washington. An estimated 200 tickets, returned by the Huskies, are for sale over the phone at 1-800-456-GoOU or at the office located in the Asp Avenue Parking Facility. Cost is $67 per ticket. (NewsOK.com) All Day, All-Access Week Two: SoonerSports.com
Smith to play more offense: The three offensive plays for which Oklahoma sophomore Reggie Smith was on the field last Saturday will likely be surpassed this week when Washington visits Owen Field. "I'd like to get Reggie some more snaps offensively," Sooners head coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday at his weekly media conference. Smith was in on all 57 defensive plays for the Sooners, as well as some on special teams, in the 24-17 win over Alabama-Birmingham. (NewsOK.com)
Thompson getting comfortable: Oklahoma QB, Paul Thompson on returning back to Quarterback:"When I got the position, it seemed like everyone was freaking out," [Paul] Thompson said. "It was good to come out there and show everybody that they need to calm down and everything was going to be all right." (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops pleased with Paul Thompson:Stoops said he was happy with the way senior Paul Thompson played in his second career start as a quarterback. "He managed the game in a really good way," Stoops said. "And he'll get better. You look at the whole thing and he threw a lot of really good balls. He'll only get better as he goes and the more practice and the more game experience he gets." (NewsOK.com)
Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes Offensive Coordinator criticizes Peterson:AP/SI.com reports, Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson walked into Oklahoma's locker room and sat down with Adrian Peterson. The talented tailback had just run for 139 yards and scored two second-half touchdowns to help lift the Sooners to a 24-17 win in their opener against UAB. Wilson had a message for the 2004 Heisman runner-up. "I said, 'Hey, that ain't close to what you need to play,"' Wilson said Tuesday. "He goes, 'I know."'
"I told him after the game, 'If you're a man, you need to go in and tell those guys you didn't play your best.' He was dancing too much early, he's looking for big plays instead of sticking it, being decisive and making great cuts," Wilson said.
"When he stops moving his feet, he's just another guy like everyone else," Wilson added. (More at SI.com)
Sooners fall 5 spots in AP Poll:The Oklahoma Sooners dropped out of the Top 10 in this week's AP Top 25 college football poll. OU -- a 24-to-17 over the UAB Blazers on Saturday -- is ranked 15th in the poll released today. The Sooners were ranked 10th last week. Oklahoma had two fumbles and two interceptions and needed both of Adrian Peterson's second-half touchdowns to beat UAB. (KOTV)
Stoops Weekly Press Conference: Oklahoma's Coach Bob Stoops live weekly press conference is scheduled at NOON CT, available streaming on SoonerSports.com.
Vote Peterson for Player of the Week: The USA Today has selected Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, among the 5 nominees for the Weekly Player of the Week. Sooner fans have until noon Wednesday, to vote on USAToday.com.
Stoops hasn't changed opinion on NCAA rules: One game into the season, Stoops hasn't changed his opinion on the NCAA's new timing rules. OU and UAB combined for just 110 offensive plays, the fewest in 50 years for an OU game. The previous low during that span was 112 for the 1960 OU-Colorado and the 1962 OU-Missouri games. The Sooners ran only 53 plays against the Blazers. "I don't believe it's what we need in college football or what we want," Stoops said. "And I don't believe it's what the fans want. It's what the networks need to set their programming. "I believe 85,000 people pay to see more than 53 plays on offense and defense." (NewsOK.com)
Johnson back to practice: Sophomore wide receiver Manuel Johnson was held out of Saturday's game with an ankle injury. Stoops said Johnson practiced Monday and should be able to play Saturday when the Sooners face Washington at 2:30 p.m. at Owen Field. "He looked good," Stoops said. Johnson caught 10 passes for 170 yards last season, including a 55-yard touchdown grab against Oklahoma State. (Norman Transcript)
Report: Lineman switches commitment, from Texas Tech to Oklahoma: Two-star offensive lineman Kody Cooke of Enid High School attended the Oklahoma-UAB game Saturday, even though he was committed to Texas Tech. On Sunday, Oklahoman staff writer Blake Jackson learned Cooke called Lubbock to give Tech coach Mike Leach the news. He was changing his commitment to Oklahoma. "I came to the decision last night," said Cooke, who originally committed to Texas Tech in June. "I visited with coach Stoops last night before the game. It was a casual conversation. Then he asked if I had any questions. "After all my questions were answered, I made the decision. I've grown up watching OU my whole life. I want to be a Sooner and that's all I want to be." (NewsOK.com)
Sooners Injury update: Fullback Matt Clapp missed time in the fourth quarter with an ankle sprain that coaches do not expect to be serious. Junior Ian Pleasant, who shifted from linebacker in two-a-day practices, played well in his place. Senior linebacker Zach Latimer missed a few plays during the first half with a stinger in his neck, but there's no lingering effect. After an ongoing battle with a knee injury, sophomore receiver Manuel Johnson did not play, but offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson expects Johnson to be "full go" this week. (NewsOK.com)
Wolfe must improve to keep starting job: The Oklahoma defense has plenty to work on from Saturday night's 24-17 season-opening win over Alabama-Birmingham, but a starter or two could be playing for their jobs. Head coach Bob Stoops pointed to junior cornerback D.J. Wolfe. "He needs to play better," Stoops said Sunday. "Otherwise, we need to work Lendy (Holmes) more." After Saturday night's game, tackling was an area of concern for the coaches, and it remained as such after viewing game tape. (NewsOK.com)
Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes Staying in to play: The past two years, Peterson had frequently been replaced in passing situations. That wasn't the case Saturday night. Peterson had the same line blocking for him all night as well -- Chris Messner, Duke Robinson, Jon Cooper, Brandon Walker and Branndon Braxton. (Tulsa World) Freshmen see playing time: On Oklahoma's third possession, three true freshmen took the field together. Receivers Adron Tennell and Brandon Caleb, and tight end Jermaine Gresham entered together on first down and exited after a 1-yard run by Peterson. All three returned to the field at other times during the game. The only other true freshmen to play for OU were defensive back Quinton Carter and deep snapper Derek Shaw. (NewsOK.com)
Johnson not suited: OU's third receiver, Manuel Johnson, was not in uniform because of a knee injury despite practicing some during the week. (Dallas Morning News) Sixth largest crowd on-hand, largest opener: 84,555 Attendance at Owen Field, a record for an OU season opener and the sixth-largest crowd in Sooner history. (Tulsa World)
First career reception for Strong, Greshman:Sophomore receiver Fred Strong made his first career catch on the Sooners' first drive of the game. Strong made an eight-yard catch on 3rd and 6 to give OU the first down and followed that up with a 11-yard reception on the next play... True freshman Jermaine Greshman recorded his first career catch with a 14-yard reception on a first and 10 play in the second quarter. (SoonerSports.com) Stoops acknowledges lackluster Defensive performance: Coach Bob Stoops was pleased with Thompson's performance, but he acknowledged that the defense was far from perfect. UAB had 304 yards and still had a chance at an upset late in the fourth quarter. But coach Watson Brown oddly chose to punt on fourth-and-12 from his own 31-yard line with more than two minutes remaining. OU simply called Peterson's number a few more times and ran out the clock. "The defense has gotten lot of attention, and they've been bragged on," Stoops said. "They weren't nearly as good as they were billed to be." (Dallas Morning News)
Career best reception for Joe Jon:Junior Joe Jon Finley hauled in a career-best 25-yard reception in the first quarter. Finley's previous high was a 24-yard grab against Texas A&M in 2005. (SoonerSports.com)
Peterson helps Oklahoma past UAB: It's all about Adrian for Oklahoma. With Paul Thompson still settling in as Oklahoma's quarterback, Adrian Peterson helped the 10th-ranked Sooners avert a second straight season-opening disaster by running for 139 yards and scoring twice in the second half of a 24-17 win over UAB on Saturday night. "I wouldn't say we escaped," Peterson said. "We came out and we fought." Thompson proved inconsistent in his return to quarterback after nearly a year away, but Peterson took control by running for 83 yards in the second half as the Sooners' offense became almost completely reliant on him. (AP/Yahoo!)(Game Stats)
Both teams honoring the past: Both teams will wear helmet decals in memory of a deceased dignitary. The Sooners will wear No. 38 to honor Prentice Gautt, the African-American who broke OU's color barrier in 1956, and who passed away in March, 2005. The Blazers will wear No. 68 in memory of Kirk Tuck, their all-conference center in 2002 who developed leukemia and died last July 24. (Tulsa World)
Game Day Reminder: With the chance of rain throughout Saturday in the Norman-area, umbrellas are prohibited from the stadium. Next Game Preview UAB vs. Oklahoma
Owens statue dedicated today: Steve Owens didn't have to look long to find a design for a statue of himself that would be used in Heisman Park, located on the east side of the University of Oklahoma's Memorial Stadium. He recommended a work that had been done several years earlier by the late Nick Calcagno. A 7-foot-tall version of that sculpture will be unveiled during a ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. "I feel so blessed that this is happening," said Owens, who grew up in Miami then went to OU, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1969. Calcagno used pictures of Owens taken by the late Ed Craig as the idea for the original statue, which is only about a foot tall. "Steve loved it," said Calcagno's widow, Carol. "He carried Nick's sculpture in (during a meeting with members of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission) and put it on the guy's desk. 'I don't want another sculpture - I already have one.'" The bronze statue of Owens is the second of four planned for Heisman Park, a joint effort of OU and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission. (News-Record) Peterson looking for opportunity to catch: Running back Adrian Peterson made the first catch of the 2005 season, a 7-yarder on the second play against TCU. Of course, he only made one more grab that afternoon, and just seven more the rest of the year. So what are tonight's plans? "I don't know, man," Peterson said. "We've got some plays laid out that will give the opportunity for all our running backs to get the ball in our hands out there. We'll see how many times they call that number." "Merv Johnson (OU's radio analyst) says (Peterson) is the worst guy to throw a screen to because everyone's watching him," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. (Tulsa World) Last season's lessons still fresh: Norman Transcript
Peterson on Doak Walker Watchlist: The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Thursday announced the candidates for the 2006 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top college running back. Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, who in 2004 was the first freshman ever to be a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, is on the preseason watch list. Peterson, who is also on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is presented to the top player in college football, enters this season with 3,033 career rushing yards. He is chasing the coveted OU career mark of 4,118 yards held set by Billy Sims from 1975-79. Last season, Peterson gained 1,108 yards despite missing all or more than half of four games due to injury. The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on Nov. 15, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote to determine the finalists on Nov. 16. The committee will cast a second vote on Nov. 27 to determine the recipient. (SoonerSports.com)
Gameday security: The explosion outside Memorial Stadium during OU's game against Kansas State last Oct. 1 triggered a re-evaluation of OU's security measures. "For the most part, the policies are the same," said Matt Trantham, OU's associate athletic director for event management. "What has changed is our ability to prepare and train (security staff) for any of those types of situations." Trantham said the security staff has not been beefed up. Also, the only item fans may not take inside the stadium that they could in the past is stadium seats over 16 inches wide. (Tulsa World) More on Oklahoma vs UAB at Next Game Preview page.
Oklahoma Sooners Media Guide Reprinted: School officials have reprinted the football media guide and scrubbed the publication clean of all references to Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn, who were dismissed Aug. 2 for violating NCAA rules by accepting money for work they did not perform at a car dealership. School spokesman Kenny Mossman said 600 books were printed and bound for Big 12 media days. The school initially printed the pages for 13,500 books, which cost the athletic department $80,000. Mossman estimated the reprints would cost less than $40,000. The media guide lists a disclaimer saying the books were printed at no cost to taxpayers. (Dallas Morning News)
Walk-on long snapper "Excellent": True freshman Derek Shaw, a walk-on from Sand Springs, won the deep-snapping job with a consistent month of workouts."He's been excellent," Stoops said. "He's had good speed on it and his protection's been good." Shaw replaces Jacob Rice, a walk-on from Norman who spent the last four years in the deep snapper role. (NewsOK.com)
Stoops may redshirt McCoy: Asked if [Gerald] McCoy will redshirt, OU coach Bob Stoops said: "We're close to making that decision. We'll see. He's close." (Tulsa World) It's football time in Oklahoma: SoonerSports.com
