Duke Robinson named Lombardi award semifinalist: Oklahoma left guard Duke Robinson has been named a semifinalist for the 38th Rotary Lombardi Award presented by Wachovia. The list of 12 was announced today. The recognition dinner for the winner has been set for Dec. 5 at the Americas Hotel in downtown Houston. Robinson, a native of Atlanta, is working on a string of 21 consecutive starting assignments for the Sooners. The 6-5, 352-pound junior is grading at 80% for the season and averaging 10 knockdowns per game. His high game for knockdowns was 13 against Miami. The 200 7 Sooners rank No. 1 nationally in passing efficiency, No. 4 in scoring offense, No. 14 in total offense, No. 21 in rushing offense and No. 35 in passing. Perhaps most impressive from the offensive line's standpoint is the fact that OU is No. 6 in sacks allowed at just 0.71 per game. The other semifinalists include LB Xavier Adibi from Virginia Tech, OT Sam Baker of USC, DE Calais Campbell of Miami, LB Dan Connor of Penn State, DT Glenn Dorsey of LSU, LB James Laurinaitis of Ohio State, LB J Leman of Illinois, DE Chris Long of Virginia, OL Jake Long of Michigan, C Alex Mack of California and DE George Selvie of South Florida. (SoonerSportsPR)
Robinson named CollegeFootballNews.com first team midseason All-American: The midseason All-American honors keep coming for the Sooners. OU offensive guard Duke Robinson was named a first-team All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com. Cornerback Reggie Smith made the second team. (NewsOK.com) Austin English named to watch list: The Ted Hendricks Award, which annually honors the top defensive end in college football, has added Oklahoma's Auston English to its watch list for the 2007 season. English, who redshirted last season after playing one year at OU, has made a big splash in his sophomore season. He currently ranks No. 9 nationally with 1.1 sacks per game and No. 11 in tackles for loss at 1.1. The Canadian, Texas, product was particularly impressive in his last two outings, both of which came against ranked opponents. He had two sacks against No. 19 Texas, then notched a career-high nine tackles and 1.5 sacks versus No. 11 Missouri. (SoonerSports PR)
Cohen named to Ray Guy watch list: Oklahoma punter Michael Cohen has been added to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award. Presented annually by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council to the nation's top collegiate punter. Cohen currently ranks No. 13 nationally with a punting average of 44.3 yards per kick. Six of his punts have exceeded 50 yards and he has at least one 50-yard boot in three straight games. Five of Cohen's 24 kicks were downed inside the 20 yard-line, only one went for a touchback and seven were fair caught by opponents. The Ray Guy Award began in 2000. It has never been won by an Oklahoma player, although Jeff Ferguson was a finalist in 2001. (SoonerSportsPR)
Stoops old memories: (Bob) Stoops is glad to see the Cleveland Indians closing in on the World Series. He said he was a big Tribe fan growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, but not as big a fan as his late father, Ron Stoops. "I remember my dad about breaking the TV all those years they were horrible," he said. (Tulsa World)
Sooners named to CBS All-American list: Receiver Malcolm Kelly and defensive end Auston English have been named Halfway All-Americans by CBSSports.com. Kelly is tied for fourth in the country in TD receptions with eight. English leads the Big 12 in sacks with 7.5. (NewsOK.com)
Coleman out due to injury; Reed out due to personal matters: Senior defensive tackle Steven Coleman likely won't play this week at Iowa State because of a strained abdominal muscle, said defensive coordinator Brent Venables. He said linebacker Ryan Reynolds will play despite injuries to his neck, arm, shoulder and both knees. Venables also said backup linebacker Mike Reed, who didn't suit up for the Missouri game, will miss the Iowa State trip while tending to personal matters. Reed's wife had surgery and he's been taking care of the couple's two small children. (Tulsa World)
Murray's ankle "feels better": Running back DeMarco Murray played sparingly against Missouri because of a slight sprain on the outside of his left ankle he suffered the week before against Texas. "It feels better now,” Murray said. "But it was hurting me last week.” (NewsOK.com)
Limited OU @ Texas Tech tickets available: A limited number of tickets are available for the Nov. 17 game at Texas Tech. Cost of the tickets are $65 and are first-come, first-served. Tickets can be purchased by phone (800-456-4668) during normal business hours, at the ticket office on the west side of Memorial Stadium or online at SoonerSports.com. (Tulsa World)
Lofton named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week: Oklahoma linebacker Curtis Lofton has been named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week. The junior earned the honor for his effort against No. 11-ranked Missouri last Saturday. Lofton had a career-high 18 tackles and a 12-yard fumble return for a touchdown at a critical juncture in the contest. OU had just re-taken the lead at 29-24 early in the fourth quarter when Lofton scooped up the loose ball and gave his team an 11-point bulge. OU led by at least 10 points for the remainder of the game. The Kingfisher, Okla., native now has 82 tackles on the season. That figure leads Oklahoma and more than doubles the career total of 40 he amassed during his first two seasons in the program. Last week, Reggie Smith won the Big 12 defensive honor for his work in the win over Texas. It was a repeat for Smith, who also won the award after Oklahoma's win over Miami. (SoonerSports PR)
No changes planned at kicker: Kicker Garrett Hartley missed a PAT and had another blocked against Missouri. Hartley, a senior, is 40-for-46 on PAT attempts and 5-for-7 from field-goal range. Despite the struggles, OU football coach Bob Stoops said there are no plans to change kickers. He said the PAT was missed was due to a bad hold by Hays McEachern and the line was to blame for the block. Nonetheless, the gaffes have been and will continue to be addressed. “We have to get that unit sharper and we will,” he said. (Norman Transcript)
Bradford seventh on CSTV Heisman List: 7. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (9) -- has beaten both Texas and Missouri, and could get a New York invite if the Sooners win out. (Complete list at CSTV)
Sam Bradford named to Maxwell watch list: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford has been added to the watch list for the Maxwell Award. The honor is presented annually to the top player in college football by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia. Bradford, a redshirt freshman, leads the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 181.15. He has completed 128-of-181 passes for 1,689 yards and 20 touchdowns with only four interceptions. His 20 touchdown passes are tied for the sixth-best total in school history. Bradford's position coach, Josh Heupel, also threw 20 in the 2000 national championship season. The school record of 40 was set by Jason White in 2003. Bradford has multiple TD passes in six games, including five in the season opener. That effort tied White's school record. He has completed at least 65% in six games, has no interceptions in four games and has at least one 30-yard pass in every game. Oklahoma players have won the Maxwell Award twice. Tommy McDonald captured the honor in 1956 and White followed in 2004. (SoonerSports PR)
Iglesias career milestone: With seven catches against the Tigers, junior WR Juaquin Iglesias has 102 for his career. He becomes the 12th Sooner with more than 100 career catches all-time and the eighth under Bob Stoops.
Hold that phone: Bob Stoops couldn't help but interrupt his weekly teleconference with beat writers Sunday afternoon. He was watching Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings beat Chicago. "You guys watching Adrian tear it up?" Stoops said. "He just ripped off about a 30-yard run . . . I take that back. It was about a 50-yarder."(Tulsa World)
OU-Iowa State kickoff set for 11:30 FSN: Oklahoma's football game at Iowa State this Saturday will kickoff at 11:30 a.m., and will be televised by Fox Sports Net. The network made the announcement Sunday afternoon. The No. 4-ranked Sooners will be playing at Ames, Iowa, for the first time since 2003. The homestanding Cyclones, 1-6, 0-3, will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Last season, Oklahoma turned back Iowa State in Norman, 34-9. (SoonerSports PR)
McCoy first career sack: Freshman DL Gerald McCoy recorded his first career sack against the Tigers.
Baker career best: Senior LB Lewis Baker recorded a career-best 11 stops against Missouri.
Sooners 4th in Coaches and AP Polls: Oklahoma continued its climb back to the top of the polls. The Sooners were No. 4 in the AP, Coaches and Harris polls released Sunday afternoon. OU (6-1 overall, 2-1 Big 12) dealt previously undefeated and then-No. 11 Missouri a 41-31 loss at Owen Field Saturday night. The Tigers (5-1) dropped to a tie with Kansas (6-0) at No. 15 in the AP poll and No. 17 in the Coaches poll. The Sooners received one first-place vote in the AP poll. Half of the Big 12 Conference teams were ranked in the AP Top 25 including Oklahoma (4), Kansas (15), Missouri (15), Texas (19), Texas Tech (22) and Kansas State (25). K-State was the only team of the group not also ranked in the Coaches poll (No. 30 in votes). (Full Rankings available at SoonerSports.com)
BCS Standings Week 1 1. Ohio State 2. South Florida 3. Boston College 4. LSU 5. Oklahoma 6. South Carolina 7. Kentucky 8. Arizona State 9. West Virginia 10. Oregon
AP Top 10 (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 Ohio State (50) 1,599 2 South Florida (11) 1,503 3 Boston College 1,448 4 Oklahoma (1) 1,399 5 LSU (1) 1,331 6 South Carolina 1,247 7 Oregon 1,177 8 Kentucky 1,098 9 West Virginia 1,090 10 California 1,065 15 Kansas 664 15 Missouri 664 19 Texas 348 22 Texas Tech 241 25 Kansas State 107
USA Today Poll (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 Ohio State (56) 1,495 2 Boston College (1) 1,383 3 South Florida (3) 1,320 4 Oklahoma 1,288 5 LSU 1,173 5 Oregon 1,077 7 West Virginia 1,007 8 South Carolina 997 9 California 983 9 USC 983 15 Kansas 705 17 Missouri 519 18 Texas 396 21 Texas Tech 232
Lewis Baker starts in place of Ryan Reynolds: Weakside linebacker Ryan Reynolds, a pass coverage target of OU's last two opponents, was replaced by former safety Lewis Baker to start Saturday's game. Reynolds did come on during Missouri's second possession, and spent most of the rest of the game blitzing Missouri QB Chase Daniel. (Tulsa World)
Former All-American Brahaney honored at halftime: Oklahoma honored former All-American center Tom Brahaney at halftime. Brahaney will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 4. Brahaney anchored the OU offensive line during the heyday of the wishbone. He becomes the 18th Sooner enshrined in the hall. Oklahoma's last inductee was Joe Washington in 2005. Other notable 2007 inductees include Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie, Oregon wide receiver Ahmad Rashad and Penn State coach Joe Paterno. (NewsOK.com)
Recruits in town for OU-Missouri:More than three dozen recruits, including Muskogee wide receiver Jameel Owens, were on hand for Saturday's game. Only six were on official campus visits -- one was quarterback Landry Jones from Artesia, N.M., who's already given OU a verbal commitment. OU coach Bob Stoops spent several minutes prior to pregame warmups speaking with Jeff Fuller, a verbal commitment from McKinney, Texas. (Tulsa World)
C. Brown sees limited action: Redshirt freshman running back DeMarco Murray said he had his carries limited against Missouri because of a left foot injury. Murray had a team-high 17 carries for 128 yards and an electrifying 65-yard touchdown run in a win over Texas last week. But against Missouri, he had only four carries for 2 yards. "All last week, my foot was bothering me. It's a bruised bone or something like that," Murray said. "I really didn't practice as much as I usually do. It was hurting every time I got tackled." (Dallas Morning News)
Oklahoma pulls away late to win 41-31 against Missouri: After Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly's 17-yard reception in the second quarter against No. 11 Missouri, the homecoming crowd of 85,041 here erupted with its loudest cheer of the Sooners' gritty 41-31 victory. Saturday night's roar wasn't for the catch, but in celebration of Kentucky's upset of top-ranked Louisiana State, which was announced after the play with 3 minutes 46 seconds remaining in the first half. "I had no idea what they were cheering about," Oklahoma defensive end Auston English said. The merriment represented optimism that sixth-ranked Oklahoma could potentially make the Bowl Championship Series title game, which seemed unlikely two weeks ago after the Sooners, ranked No. 3 at the time, lost at unranked Colorado. (New York Times - Stats)
Loadholt receives mid-season SI honors: OU left offensive tackle Phil Loadholt has been named a mid-season first-team All-American by SportsIllustrated.com. Defensive end Auston English, who leads the Sooners with six sacks, made the second team. (NewsOK.com)
Coaches on Bradford's performance: Quarterback Sam Bradford passed another test with his first win over Texas. His performance was hardly a fluke, said offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "We had a pretty good blitz period Wednesday and he made some great plays, and (passing game coordinator) Kevin Sumlin said to him, 'That's a good blitz period,' and he said, 'We're going to do that Saturday,' " Wilson recalled. "He was just very assertive about it. I think he's a prideful kid. We didn't play well the previous game, and I think he took that personally as well. He had a great week of practice." (Tulsa World)
ESPN GameDay location: ESPN's College GameDay will originate from Norman this weekend and University of Oklahoma officials have announced logistics for fans wanting to be part of the event. The location for the set will be the infield of John Jacobs Track, which is immediately east of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Fans may enter from gates that will be open only on the southwest corner of the track facility. Officials are stressing that the track itself will be closed and all pedestrians should restrict themselves to the grass infield or bleachers on the south side of the track. The first time that ESPN will originate from Norman is Friday at 4 p.m. Gates will be open to fans at 3:00 p.m. The Saturday morning show originates at 9 a.m. ESPN has requested that fans be in place by 8 a.m., and gates will be open at 7 a.m. The parking lots adjacent to the track will be controlled on Friday and Saturday as they are on all game weekends. Those attending GameDay functions will need to make alternate parking plans. (SoonerSports PR)
Stoops not happy with kickoff coverage: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops won't accept the blanket statement that his special teams have struggled this season. "Some of them have been outstanding," he said Tuesday. But Stoops recognizes where they've had problems, too. "Kickoff coverage is the issue," Stoops said. "I thought our kickoff coverage was again poor (against Texas)." (NewsOK.com)
Allen Patrick fine after suffering cramps; remains starter: Running back Allen Patrick is fine and, despite DeMarco Murray's 128 yards and 65 yard score, won't lose his starting job, running backs coach Cale Gundy said. Patrick "just cramped. It was very humid down there. He's got the lowest body fat on the team, which is in the low 4s (4 percent), which is not normal, I don't think. So he doesn't have a whole lot to give up. He did against Miami. It was extremely hot and humid. Any time you have low body fat and it's extremely hot and humid, sometimes it can affect you." (Tulsa World)
Reggie Smith named Big XII Defensive Player of the Week: For the second time this season, Oklahoma cornerback Reggie Smith has been named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week. He received the honor for his play in the Sooners' 28-21 win over Texas last Saturday. Smith, a junior from Edmond, Oklahoma's Santa Fe High School, was credited with six tackles, two pass deflections and one interception, which he returned 33 yards. Two of Smith's key plays came at critical times in the fourth quarter. His interception came on the heels of OU's final and decisive touchdown. Then on the next Texas drive he batted away a long pass intended for UT's Limas Sweed while in single coverage. That play occurred inside the Sooner 10-yard line. Smith's play helped preserve the victory, which was Bob Stoops' sixth in nine meetings with Texas. (SoonerSports.com)
Oklahoma at Iowa State tickets available: The University of Oklahoma Athletics Ticket Office is currently selling a limited number of tickets for the Sooners' football game at Iowa State on Oct. 20. Tickets are available online 24 hours a day, by calling the Athletics Ticket Office at 800-456-4668 or 405-325-2424 during regular business hours Monday-Friday between 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Tickets for the game are $60 each and are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. (SoonerSports PR)
Hartley continues season struggles: Senior kicker Garrett Hartley of Southlake Carroll continued struggling. Hartley hooked a 38-yard field goal attempt wide left with 19 seconds left. He has missed two field goal and three extra-point attempts this season. (Dallas Morning News)
Venables takes the fall for linebackers coverage: Texas' five plays involving tight ends Jermichael Finley and Blaine Irby gained 175 yards. The Longhorns' 50 other plays gained 210. Since Finley and Irby were primarily the responsibility of Sooner linebackers, Venables, OU's linebacker coach, put himself squarely on the spot. "I've got to do a better job and get them better aligned and play with better technique and better awareness and all of the above," he said Sunday. "That's obviously discouraging. Obviously you're glad you won despite that. We couldn't play any worse in the coverage aspect on those snaps." (Tulsa World)
Sooners climb polls after Red River Rivalry win: Oklahoma vaulted to No. 6 in the latest AP Poll following a 28-21 win against Texas Saturday in Dallas. OU rose to a tie with South Florida for the No. 5 slot in the latest Coaches Poll. The Sooners are the highest-ranked one-loss team in both polls. Oklahoma hosts No. 11 Missouri on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised by FSN and OU announced Sunday that Norman will be the site of ESPN's College GameDay show. (Full Rankings available at SoonerSports.com)
AP Top 10 (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 LSU (65) 1,625 6-0 2 California 1,538 5-0 3 Ohio State 1,511 6-0 4 Boston College 1,346 6-0 5 South Florida 1,339 5-0 6 Oklahoma 1,221 5-1 7 South Carolina 1,183 5-1 8 West Virginia 1,059 5-1 9 Oregon 1,047 4-1 10 USC 1,024 4-1 11 Missouri 966 5-0 20 Kansas 336 5-0 23 Texas 136 4-2
USA Today Poll (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 LSU (58) 1,498 6-0 2 California 1,416 5-0 3 Ohio State (2) 1,399 6-0 4 Boston College 1,283 6-0 5 Oklahoma 1,145 5-1 5 South Florida 1,145 5-0 7 USC 1,000 4-1 8 Oregon 936 4-1 9 West Virginia 931 5-1 10 Virginia Tech 913 5-1 11 Missouri 897 5-0 20 Kansas 390 5-0 22 Texas 195 4-2
ESPN College GameDay Live! from Norman: ESPN College GameDay is headed for Norman again. Officials with the weekly college football show contacted the Oklahoma Athletics Department Sunday morning with the word that the network had selected this week's homecoming game with the Missouri Tigers. It will be the 14th time the show has been on hand for an Oklahoma game, including last year's game at Texas A&M. GameDay's last visit to Norman was for the 2003 Oklahoma State game. Other trips to Norman included the 2000 Nebraska game, the 2001 Kansas State game and the 1995 Colorado game. The exact location for the GameDay set will be determined later this week. GameDay features host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, who spend two hours each Saturday morning providing in-depth coverage of college football. (SoonerSports PR)
Brown returned with eight carries: Chris Brown, who took a blow to the head at Tulsa and carried just once at Colorado last week, rejoined OU's tailback rotation. He carried eight times for just 24 yards, but converted on third-and-short during two touchdown drives. (Tulsa World)
Peterson on the OU sideline: Former OU star running back Adrian Peterson cheered the Sooners from the sidelines Saturday. His new team, the Minnesota Vikings, is off this week. "It felt like he was still one of us," junior wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias said. "After every play, he was hitting you and saying congratulations. He was one of those great players, and I still feel like he's part of this team." (Dallas Morning News)
Harris celebrates 21st birthday with eight tackles: Oklahoma free safety Nic Harris couldn't have envisioned a much better 21st birthday. The Alexandria, La., native turned 21 Saturday and celebrated with the first victory over Texas in his three seasons at OU. Harris had a team-high eight tackles and one quarterback sack. (NewsOK.com)
Play of the Game? With the score tied 14-14 at halftime, Texas came out firing to start the second half. The Longhorns marched 64 yards in seven plays to set up first-and-goal from the Oklahoma 8. A delay of game penalty pushed the ball back to the 13. Texas running back Jamaal Charles rushed over left tackle and was headed toward the end zone when OU linebacker Curtis Lofton grabbed him from behind and used his right hand to slap the football from Charles' grasp. Stoops called it the "play of the game." OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy recovered the fumble at the OU 4-yard line. (Dallas Morning News)
Gerald McCoy returned to starting lineup: Oklahoma redshirt freshman Gerald McCoy returned to the starting lineup at defensive tackle for the first time since the second week of the season. McCoy broke a bone in his right hand against Miami and sat out the following week. McCoy has played the last two games as a backup, with his hand in a cast. (Dallas Morning News)
Oklahoma defeats Texas 28-21 in Red River Rivalry: After growing up in the Texas family, Malcolm Kelly switched sides for a better chance at winning the Red River Rivalry. Without him, No. 10 Oklahoma might never have come away with their latest victory in the century-old series. Kelly caught the game-winning 35-yard pass in the fourth quarter, then stuck around to savor it. Even as an announcement over the public address system warned everyone to leave the Cotton Bowl because of an impending thunderstorm, Kelly was posing near midfield for another photo and soaking in his first win over the 19th-ranked Longhorns. "A lot of great players have played in this game, and I wanted to be one that walked off victorious," said Kelly, who caught five passes for 105 yards and one score in Oklahoma's 28-21 win Saturday. "I had a good game, so I feel like I accomplished that." (AP/SportingNews - Stats)
Sooner fans remain on tunnel side: UT fans will still be sitting in the end zone opposite the Cotton Bowl's tunnel for today's game. The school had the right to sit over the tunnel as the designated home team but chose to remain in its traditional spot. Seating over the tunnel was once considered a big edge, but improved security measures now limit contact between fans and players. And by staying put, UT fans have a clear view of the replay screen over the tunnel. (Dallas Morning News)
Wright's past Texas connection:OU defensive backs coach Bobby Jack Wright knows what the OU-Texas rivalry is like wearing burnt orange. Wright spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Texas before joining Bob Stoops' staff in 1999. "When I was south of the Red (River), I got cussed by people north of the Red,” Wright said. "Being born and raised in Texas, I have a lot of friends in Texas. "I get cussed by them now." (NewsOK.com)
Switzer on the Red River Rivalry: (Barry) Switzer, who turns 70 today, works as a college football analyst for XM Satellite Radio, but still remembers the pressure surrounding an OU-Texas game. "I know how that game goes. I know the pressure," he said. "It's tremendous." The former OU coach said the weight to win the game is always heaviest for those on the OU sideline. "I don't think I've met anybody that's graduated from the University of Texas and come north of the Red River to make a living," he said. "But we've got a lot of our graduates who left and have gone south of the Red River, to Dallas and Houston, that make a living and live in those communities, the social clubs, the golf clubs ... It's very important to us. There's tremendous pressure on Oklahoma to win this game every year. I’ve always felt that."(Norman Transcript)
Only so far back: Stoops said he only goes back two years to look at past Texas-OU games. "We'll look a little bit at what they were doing," Stoops said. "If you go back too far, things look too different." (Dallas Morning News)
Thin air no excuse in OU's Colorado loss, Stoops says: It's been suggested that one reason for OU's second-half collapse at Folsom Field was because the Sooners fell victim to the thin air in the 5,335-feet altitude. A few tired players making a few sloppy mistakes, perhaps? "That's ridiculous. That makes no sense," Bob Stoops said. "Why would that be? I don't get that. Offense wasn't tired. They were fresh as a daisy. On (46) plays? No. That's not accurate." "The altitude had some affect," said offensive tackle Trent Williams, who platooned on an offense that ran just 46 plays. "But I don't think it affected our play that much." (Tulsa World)
Switzer's XM radio show broadcasting from the Cotton Bowl: Former OU coach Barry Switzer and T.J. Rives will have special editions of their XM satellite radio sports show (channel 144) from 5-8 a.m. Friday and 9-11 a.m. Saturday from outside the Cotton Bowl. XM also will carry the OU-Texas game. (NewsOK.com)
Baker may sub for less than 100% Reynolds: Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said he might sub starting strongside linebacker Lewis Baker for weakside Ryan Reynolds more to give Reynolds some rest.Venables said Reynolds, who missed part of the spring and was limited during two-a-days after undergoing knee surgery, was hurting late against Colorado. Venables did put Baker in, but said he probably should have done it earlier. (Star-Telegram)
Hate involved in Red River Rivalry? Asked about his OU-Texas experience this week, Longhorn quarterback Colt McCoy was quoted as saying: "I was just amazed at how much these teams hated each other." Asked to respond Tuesday, Stoops said: "We don't talk about hating anybody, and I don't think it does a whole lot for you. In the end, people talk about hating or being angry, that doesn't get you two minutes into the game. After that, you've got to play and you've got to know what you're doing, and you've got to have the focus and the ability to get it done." (Tulsa World)
More Franks, less Smith on returns? Smith will continue to return punts, but Stoops might choose to rest him on occasion, replacing him with Dominique Franks. Stoops hinted that Smith's muffed punt could have been a result of his starting cornerback being tired late in a game where OU's defense had been on the field more than usual. "I've got to be smarter (about) how fatigued he is at times, how many snaps he's had," Stoops said of Smith. "Dominique Franks has done a great job with it. We need to probably spell (Smith) some for that reason."(NewsOK.com)
Stoops: It's not just about Texas: Stoops said beating Texas is just a part of the whole picture. "In the end, we've beaten Texas before and not won the Big 12 championship, and I don't hear anybody congratulating us at the end of the year," Stoops said. "If you beat them and do nothing the rest of the year, that doesn't go around here. "That might go at some schools where everybody said, 'At least you did that and you're showing improvement,' or whatever, but that doesn't happen here. Winning a championship is what matters." (Dallas Morning News)
Malcolm Kelly upbeat despite no catches in a loss to Colorado: "We got a good scheme now," said Kelly, who didn't have a pass thrown his way in Saturday's 27-24 loss to Colorado. "We'll be able to counter that." Kelly said he was frustrated by not being a bigger part of the offense but appeared upbeat after practice. "If I sit around and worry about that, I'm not getting better, getting ready for Texas," Kelly said. "That's all behind me now." (NewsOK.com)
Stoops not worried about Bradford's confidence: With Texas looming, is OU coach Bob Stoops concerned about his redshirt freshman’s state of mind? "No, I don’t think his confidence will be shaken whatsoever," Stoops answered during the Big 12 coaches teleconference Monday morning. "He's doing an excellent job in what we're asking him to do. He was the least of our problems the other day. There’s a whole bunch of other things around him that need to be better." (Tulsa World)
Venables: No scheme found in Texas loss to Kansas State: Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said when he played the tape of Kansas State's 41-21 win over Texas, he was hoping to see the Wildcats had come up with a definitive scheme to stop the Longhorns."That wasn't the case," Venables said. "When Texas wasn't turning the ball over, they were moving the ball. They had to play catch-up... but you would be getting ahead of yourself if you thought Kansas State shut 'em down." (Star-Telegram)
OU-Missouri kickoff set for 5:30 FSN: The Oklahoma-Missouri football game on October 13 will kick at 5:30 p.m. from Owen Field. The game will be broadcast by FOX Sports Net (FSN). FSN televised the season opener against North Texas and the conference opener at Colorado. (SoonerSports PR)
Oklahoma coach Stoops avoids replay talk: Two Oklahoma pass plays in Saturday's 27-24 loss to Colorado were reviewed by the replay booth during the second half. And both calls eventually went against the Sooners. OU coach Bob Stoops refrained from commenting on either play. "I'm not gonna get into it,” he said. "What's that gonna do?” (NewsOK.com)
OU's Ryan Reynolds "fine": OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said linebacker Ryan Reynolds is "fine" after playing through a shoulder injury Saturday. "He's just a little bit sore," Venables said. Reynolds had numbness in his right arm after getting hit by another player's helmet. (NewsOK.com)
Kevin Wilson: On OU's offensive performance against Colorado: OU had seven second-half possessions against the Buffs, none longer than five plays. A Sooners' offense that had averaged 562.3 yards per game finished with 230. "We had been playing so well," OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said, "but our execution was just off, and it hasn't been that way." (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops on the Red River Rivalry after losses: When asked if the losses [OU and Texas, Saturday] detract from Saturday's showdown, Sooner coach Bob Stoops dryly responded: "I don't know how it could add." (Norman Transcript)
