English update; back to practice: Defensive end Auston English, on the mend from a broken ankle and a bout with the flu, took part in his first interviews on Sunday morning, then practiced Sunday afternoon for the first time since arriving in Scottsdale. "Other than the sickness, I'm feeling great," he said. "I haven't got out of my room but to go eat." The flu bug may be a blessing in disguise for English, giving him even more time to rest the ankle that knocked him out of three games. He returned in a limited capacity for the Big 12 championship, but figures to be full speed after another three weeks of rest. "I was good to go once we left Norman," he said. "I was looking forward to getting out here and having a full go at it. I would have liked to have gotten those few extra days of practice, but it is what it is." Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said he'd like to be able to start English and play him the entire game. (Tulsa World)
Venables unsure who'll start at CB: Sunday morning, OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said he's still unsure who will start at cornerback opposite Marcus Walker. Sophomore Brian Jackson and redshirt freshman Dominique Franks have been battling for that spot all week. Venables said OU likely would have a starter picked by today. "Experience would help in that position, but we're not in a position to have that,” Venables said. (NewsOK.com)
Venables interviewed for Arkansas job: If then-Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino hadn't taken the Arkansas head coaching job Dec. 11, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables could have been headed to Fayetteville, Ark. Venables said he interviewed for the Arkansas job and it "went well." "Had they not gotten Coach Petrino," Venables said, "their plan was to go with a proven coordinator, and it was down to me and another guy." (Dallas Morning News)
Former OU Coaches Mike Stoops and Fairbanks stop by practice: Former Sooner coach Mike Stoops, now head coach 100 miles south at the University of Arizona in Tucson, visited practice Saturday, his final chance to catch up with a handful of remaining players who played for him at OU in 2003, including defensive back Darien Williams, linebackers Lewis Baker and Demarrio Pleasant, defensive ends Alonzo Dotson and John Williams and fullback (ex-linebacker) Dane Zaslaw. Chuck Fairbanks, OU's head coach from 1967-72, is a Phoenix-area resident and also dropped by. (Tulsa World)
English remains out of practice: OU defensive end Auston English missed his third consecutive practice Saturday because of the flu. English, the Big 12 sack leader, has participated in team meetings at the Sooners' hotel, but hasn't made it to a practice yet in Arizona. Coach Bob Stoops said that English's ankle is fine and that he didn't want English practicing sick. "He's close, he's better,” Stoops said. "He'll be fine.” English missed the final three games of the regular season because of a hairline fracture in his right ankle. (The Oklahoman)
Malcolm Kelly expects to return next season: Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly is one of several players who will have to decide whether to come back for their senior season or enter the NFL draft following the Fiesta Bowl. Kelly, who many project as OU’s highest pick if he goes, said he hasn’t made a decision. “As of right now, I’m still coming back.” he said. “I have not had any paperwork come back in, so I am still coming back next year. We’ll see more on that after the season, but I expect to be back.” (Norman Transcript)
Wilson's and Stewart's longtime coaching ties: OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson will be coaching against one of his former mentors in the Fiesta Bowl. West Virginia interim head coach Bill Stewart was the offensive line coach at North Carolina when Wilson was a graduate assistant for two seasons in the mid 1980s. "I'm just grateful that Coach (Dick) Crum didn't run me off and hire Kevin because he was a whole lot smarter than me back then," Stewart joked Friday. "I just hope he is not a lot smarter than me this week. He’s a tremendous football coach and a tremendous friend." (Norman Transcript)
Fiesta Bowl swag: The rundown of gifts received by the OU football players from the Fiesta Bowl and the university: A $300 Best Buy gift card, a 20-inch flat-screen TV, Oakley sunglasses with built-in MP3 player, Fiesta Bowl watches, loads of OU and Fiesta Bowl apparel. And that's not all. "Oh, and the per diem out here, too. Pick up some cash, have a little bit of fun," said kicker Garrett Hartley. "We got $200 the other night. I don't know when we get our next." (Tulsa World)
English sidelined with a cold: Oklahoma defensive end Auston English is recovering from an ankle injury, Sooners coach Bob Stoops said, but wasn't at practice Thursday for another reason. "The ankle is fine, but he's got a little bit of a cold," said Stoops, who expects the 6-foot-3, 257-pound sophomore to play. (Arizona Republic)
DeMarco Murray fine after surgery: OU running back DeMarco Murray, who had knee surgery a few weeks ago to repair a dislocated kneecap, said Thursday he's doing better. "I feel good, just rehabbing right now,” said Murray, who is still walking with a noticeable limp. Murray suffered the injury against Texas Tech while trying to recover an onside kick. (NewsOK.com)
West Virginia's White impressed with OU: White said third-ranked Oklahoma is playing at a national-championship level right now, even if the Sooners have to wait until next season to fulfill their promise. "I think they're the best team in the country," White said. "Their athleticism is far beyond any other team we've played. "They make plays. That says Oklahoma to me," he said. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Franks and Jackson competing for starting CB role: Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks are both competing to replace Reggie Smith as starting cornerback. Both, Stoops said, "are doing a nice job, so we'll see. Very confident and pleased with the way the two of them are working, so we'll work it out during the week. More than likely, they'll both play." (Tulsa World)
Sooners arrive in Arizona: The Sooners arrived in Phoenix at approximately 6:14 p.m. Wednesday to a ceremony of about 100 boisterous Fiesta Bowl officials and family members along with members of the media. Also there to greet the Sooners was a six-piece mariachi band that also played for the arriving players from West Virginia and Oklahoma State earlier in the day. The OU buses were escorted to their hotel by a motorcade comprised of at least 11 police motorcycles. (The Oklahoman)
Stoops confirms Holmes ineligible for Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops confirmed Wednesday night that junior defensive back Lendy Holmes of South Oak Cliff didn't make the trip and won’t play in the Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia on Jan. 2. Holmes' father, Lendy Holmes Sr., told The Dallas Morning News on Saturday that his son is academically ineligible and wouldn't play in the Fiesta Bowl. "He won't be here," Stoops said during the Sooners' arrival press conference at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. “I thought that was talked about a couple days ago." Stoops said redshirt freshman Dominique Franks or sophomore Brian Jackson of DeSoto would start at cornerback in place of Holmes. (Dallas Morning News)
Reggie Smith to miss Fiesta Bowl: Cornerback Reggie Smith will not play because of broken toe suffered in the Big 12 championship game. Holmes, a junior safety this season, was expected to start at Smith's spot. Now, redshirt freshman Dominique Franks, who only has three tackles on the year, or sophomore Brian Jackson is expected to start. (Arizona Republic)
West Virginia returns 7,500 tickets: West Virginia University has returned 7,500 tickets to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the likely fallout from a fan base that already had made reservations in New Orleans for the BCS national championship game. Fiesta Bowl President John Junker called it a "Christmas miracle" that West Virginia accounted for 10,000 tickets, considering recent developments within the football program. Just more than two weeks after losing its final regular-season contest to Pittsburgh - a loss that likely kept the Mountaineers out of the title game - West Virginia lost popular coach Rich Rodriguez, who resigned and became coach at Michigan. (Arizona Republic)
Coach Wilson excited about defensive line future: OU's defense suffered late in the season without English, who missed the final three games of the regular season with an ankle fracture. But in some ways, English's injury benefited freshman defensive end Jeremy Beal, who was thrown into the starting lineup in place of English. "We've been calling that a blessing in disguise,” defensive ends coach Chris Wilson said. "That forced us to give Jeremy more opportunities. And he's really grown the latter part of the season.” (NewsOK.com)
Stoop fine after surgery: Head coach Bob Stoops had arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Tuesday, but was out of his sling by Wednesday. He said the procedure removed bone spurs. (Tulsa World)
Lendy Holmes likely out of Fiesta Bowl? The father of Oklahoma junior defensive back Lendy Holmes of South Oak Cliff said Saturday that his son is academically ineligible and won't play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2 against West Virginia. Lendy Holmes Sr. said his son's eligibility came down to one class and he "was missing one grade point." Holmes' father said the matter isn't totally resolved yet and there was still an outside chance his son could "make it right" and gain his eligibility. (Dallas Morning News)
Suspended Broyles sees action on scout-team: [Ryan] Broyles has drawn the scout-team duty for impersonating West Virginia quarterback Pat White. OU has no quarterbacks who can simulate the speedy and shifty White in practice, so Broyles got the job. "He's doing a good job of it," Stoops said Wednesday. "(Tulsa World)
