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Bradford back taking snaps in practice: Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford is still wearing a trimmed-down cast on his non-throwing left hand, but has progressed to taking snaps under center Monday and Tuesday at practice. "And he didn't drop one," OU coach Bob Stoops said. (Dallas Morning News)
Box expected to return today: Coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday he expects middle linebacker Austin Box to return to the practice field today. Box suffered a knee sprain at Oklahoma State and missed the Big 12 Championship. "He supposed to go," Stoops said. "We'll have to see" how he does. Stoops also said defensive end Alan Davis, who's also been out with a knee sprain, has returned to the practice field. (The Oklahoman)
Stoops denies ineligibility rumors: Stoops said there were no academically ineligible players for the national championship game, and Stoops said he expected everyone to be available who has been. "We are hopeful that Alan Davis and Austin Box will be back," Stoops said. "We're hoping here fairly soon." Internet rumors that Holmes and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt were academic casualties, they said, were laughable. Loadholt graduated last week. "It's the Internet," Loadholt said. (Tulsa World)
Sam Bradford named Associated Press player of the year: Sam Bradford of Oklahoma was voted The Associated Press college football player of the year Monday. He beat out the same two quarterbacks he did in capturing the Heisman Trophy -- Colt McCoy of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida. Bradford received 27 votes from the AP media panel that votes in the weekly poll. The sophomore quarterback was followed by McCoy with 17 votes. Tebow won the award last year and had 16 votes this time. Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree had two votes. Bradford is the third Oklahoma player to win the AP award, which began in 1998. The others were Josh Heupel in 2000 and Jason White in 2003. (AP/USA Today)
Heisman scores big locally: ESPN's one-hour Heisman Trophy presentation show, which included the announcement that OU quarterback Sam Bradford had won the award, drew a huge 19.6 rating in the Oklahoma City television market. Nationally, it set an ESPN record with 3,058,000 households and tied the 3.1 rating of 2007. Sports events Dec. 9-16 1. Heisman Trophy Presentation, Saturday, ESPN, 19.6. 2. N.Y. Giants at Dallas, NFL, Sunday, KFOR-4, 15.5. (Ratings rundown at NewsOK.com)
Mack Brown considers giving up coaches vote: The Texas coach indicated Thursday that his opinion isn't just talk. He acknowledged that he might give up his vote in the USA Today coaches' poll next season. "I don't think coaches should vote," Brown said. "I'm going to have to do a lot of soul-searching to see if I continue to vote." (Dallas Morning News)
Venables visited Pelini to discuss Florida: Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables visited Saturday with Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, apparently to discuss strategy to stop Florida's offense. Pelini previously was defensive coordinator at LSU, and the Tigers were 2-1 against Florida in those three seasons. Florida never scored more than 24 points against Pelini's defenses. Pelini was defensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2004. (Rivals.com)
OU-BYU at new Cowboys Stadium? UPDATE Brigham Young football coach Bronco Mendenhall caused waves Tuesday, telling reporters that BYU could be playing a game at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in 2009. Mendenhall singled out Oklahoma as a possible opponent. "I know that we have been and are being considered for some early games next year, and that was one of them," Mendenhall said. "There was a chance that it could be against Oklahoma. But there were a list of teams for us to play, or we might have been just one of the teams being considered to play." The Salt Lake Tribune reported discussions are ongoing with ESPN representatives for BYU to play a game next September at the new Cowboys stadium. OU spokesman Kenny Mossman, however, said talk of a game with BYU in Dallas is premature. (More at The Oklahoman) (11/05/08) UPDATE: Brigham Young athletic director Tom Holmoe told reporters Wednesday that he's close to finalizing BYU's 2009 schedule. Will that include playing Oklahoma in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas in a season-opener? "I think everybody knows that when I am working with scheduling, I don't want to announce anything, or say anything out there until it is done," Holmoe told The Salt Lake Tribune. "Right now, it is pretty obvious there are a lot of things that are going on. It is not that I have been trying to keep anything from the fans or the press or anything, but we are very close to solidifying a change." (Jake Trotter's OU Blog)
Jenks' Gabe Lynn verbally commits to OU:Gabe Lynn, the No. 1 player on the most recent Oklahoman Super 30 list, announced his decision to commit to Oklahoma during a ceremony Thursday afternoon at Jenks High School. Lynn (6-foot, 185 pounds) chose the Sooners over Oklahoma State and North Carolina. Lynn's numbers weren't overwhelming but that's largely due to teams avoiding going Lynn's way. (The Oklahoman)
DeMarcus Granger to miss BCS Championship: Oklahoma defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger will miss Oklahoma's upcoming BCS title game appearance after undergoing back surgery, OU head coach Bob Stoops said Wednesday. "Our doctors and training staff have worked extensively with DeMarcus and it was finally determined that surgery was necessary," Stoops said. "We're disappointed for DeMarcus and are certainly anxious to do everything we can to assist his recovery." Granger, a junior from Dallas, played in 11 games during the 2008 season, all in a back-up role. He had 20 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries. (Dallas Morning News) In addition, Oklahoma announced earlier this week, DeMarco Murrary will miss the BCS Championship.
Bradford, Gresham, McCoy, Robinson earn All-American honors: Sophomore defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and junior tight end Jermaine Gresham (Ardmore, Okla.) joined sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and senior offensive guard Duke Robinson (Atlanta, Ga.) as All-Americans for OU in 2008. This marks the seventh time in Bob Stoops' 10 seasons at Oklahoma that the Sooners have produced multiple All-Americans in the same season. Oklahoma has now produced 148 First Team All-Americans overall since Claude Reeds first earned the honor in 1913. Under Coach Stoops, 28 Sooners have earned All-America honors. The NCAA officially recognizes the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America teams in determining consensus (listed by at least half) and unanimous (listed by all) selections. (SoonerSports.com)
Oklahoma RB DeMarco Murray out with hamstring injury: Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray will have surgery to repair a hamstring injury and miss the BCS national championship game against Florida. Murray will undergo surgery on Dec. 22 to repair the tendon in his left leg, Sooners' coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday. The championship game is Jan. 8. "Obviously, we're very disappointed for DeMarco," Stoops said in a statement. "He has been an important part of our success this year and we will miss his contributions." Murray was Oklahoma's leading rusher before he was injured in the Big 12 championship game against Missouri on Dec. 6. The injury was first diagnosed as a bruise but an MRI exam revealed the damage. (AP)
Bradford All-American Player of the Year finalist: Sam Bradford is one of four nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year award. The other finalists are Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, Texas QB Colt McCoy and Florida QB Tim Tebow. Fans, who will determine the winner, can vote by sending the text message "vote" to the number 51234. Voting is open until noon Jan. 6. Fans are allowed to vote as many times as they want. (The Oklahoman)
Bradford edges McCoy, Tebow in Heisman vote:Sam Bradford was walking out of the Nokia Theatre following a rehearsal for the Heisman Trophy ceremony Saturday morning when he looked up at the portraits of the past winners from Oklahoma hanging from the ceiling. "When I looked up at all those Oklahoma guys, it really got to me," Bradford said. "I can't even imagine what it would be like to be up there." Bradford captured college football's most prestigious honor, edging Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in one of the most anticipated votes in the 74-year history of the award.(AP/Houston Chronicle)
Total Votes Sam Bradford -1,726 points Colt McCoy - 1,604 points Tim Tebow - 1,575 points
Heisman advice: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford received a text message this week from ex-Sooner QB Jason White, who won the Heisman in 2003. "He said, ‘Relax, have fun, there's nothing you can do now that will change the outcome,' " Bradford said of White's text. "Winning, that's probably the least important thing. "The most important thing is getting to meet all the past winners and enjoying the week." Florida QB Tim Tebow has also been talking with a past Heisman winner, ex-Ohio State running back Archie Griffin. Tonight, Tebow hopes to join Griffin as the only players to win the Heisman twice. "I had a chance to talk with him a few times," Tebow said. "He's a man who's really strong in his faith, too. So we have a lot in common. (The Oklahoman)
The Heisman Trophy presentation will be televised live on ESPN 8:00 ET/ 7:00 CT.
OT Jeff Vison commits to Oklahoma: Lackawanna Community College offensive tackle Jeff Vinson has committed to play football at Oklahoma in 2009 according to Rivals.com. "That was the best fit for me," Vinson told Rivals. "The program speaks for itself, the tradition of a wonderful, wonderful offensive line. I'm trying to be a part of that."The Sooners will be losing four starters off this year's offensive line, including award-winners Jon Cooper, Phil Loadholt and Duke Robinson. Vinson will give the OU an experienced option next season."I've got to come up there with a head of steam because we still want to keep the tradition going," Vinson said. (The Oklahoman)
Sam Bradford named Quarterback of the Year: Sam Bradford was honored with the 2008 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards show Thursday night in Orlando, Fla. The O'Brien Award, given annually to the top quarterback in college football, is the nation's oldest and most prestigious quarterback award. Leading the most explosive offense in college football this season, Bradford completed 302 of his 442 pass attempts for 4,464 yards with 48 touchdowns and six interceptions. He led the nation in passing efficiency and also scored five rushing touchdowns on the year. (SoonerSports PR)
Bob Stoops on his time as Defensive Coordinator at Florida:
"They're great memories and relationships. There's lots of great friendships. I learned a lot in handling situations. It makes a big difference in my career."
"I had great feelings and memories there. But I also felt great about Oklahoma. I love the path I was on there. We were building something there that was very specific and I wanted to continue it."
Urban Meyer on facing the best offense in the country:
"It's a lot of pressure on an offense when you face a team that scores a lot. This year, we've improved. When you force a team to punt the ball, it's not as much of a concern. Not one time this fall have we felt like we were over-matched. Last year was different."
Gators hope for home-field advantage: Bob Stoops has recruited South Florida heavily before, although his current team has only one player from the Sunshine State. Meanwhile, Florida has 13 players from the greater Miami area alone, and Meyer said the same number were part of high school state championship victories at Dolphin Stadium, where the BCS title will be decided this year. "I hope it's a home-field advantage," Meyer said. "I'd be disappointed if it wasn't a tremendous showing, but I know Oklahoma has a great tradition of traveling fans as well. In the back of our minds, even in the front of some of our minds, this was our target to get to Miami -- because it's our home state, because of recruiting, because of all of the above."(Sun-Sentinel)
Leach unhappy Harrell didn't receive Heisman invite: Texas Tech coach Mike Leach had this to say.. "If Graham is not invited to the Heisman, they ought to quit giving out the award," Leach said in a statement released by the school. "It is a shameless example of politics ruling over performance. The other guys are deserving, but he has earned a place alongside them." (Dallas Morning News)
Sam Bradford receives NYC Heisman invitation: Tim Tebow will go for two against a pair of talented quarterbacks from the Big 12 when the Heisman Trophy is handed out Saturday night. Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Colt McCoy from Texas joined Tebow as Heisman finalists announced Wednesday. The last time all the Heisman finalists were quarterbacks was 2001, when Nebraska's Eric Crouch won the award and QBs held the first six spots. Tebow's Gators will play Bradford and the Sooners in the BCS national championship game Jan. 8 in Miami. "It's a good thing I don't have a vote," Bradford said while attending an event with Tebow and McCoy in Orlando, Fla., where numerous college football awards will be handed out Thursday night. "I couldn't decide. It's just an honor to be one of the guys going up to New York." (Associated Press)
Sam Bradford weighing pro options: The Oklahoma quarterback plans to consider every bit of information available about his NFL Draft prospects before making a decision. "It's something me and my dad talked about -- in order to make a decision, in order to make the best decision, you need as much information as possible," Bradford said Tuesday afternoon. "So whether it's to stay or to go, we'll see." (The Oklahoman)
Stoops Coach of the Year finalist: Liberty Mutual Insurance and Archie Manning, chair of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, announced the 25 finalists for the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops is among that group. The finalists represent standout college football coaches across the four NCAA divisions who best exemplify excellence in coaching - on and off the field - as determined by a combination of hundreds of thousands of fan votes at www.CoachoftheYear.com and an objective scoring model endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame. Stoops has coached his 2008 team to OU's third straight Big 12 Championship, a 12-1 mark and a berth in the BCS National Championship Game. (SoonerSports PR)
Sooners' Wilson named country's top assistant coach: The Oklahoma Sooners have the best offense in the nation. Now, they can boast of the top assistant coach, as well. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was presented the 13th Annual Frank Broyles Award by officials from The Rotary Club of Little Rock during a luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel on Tuesday. The award is given annually to the nation's top NCAA assistant football coach. Wilson is the second Sooner assistant to win the award since Bob Stoops arrived at OU in 1999. Mark Mangino, now the head coach at Kansas, was cited in 2000 while serving as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator. Wilson's offense is coming off one the greatest five-game stretches in NCAA history, and is the highest-scoring team in NCAA history. Oklahoma's 62-21 victory over Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game last Saturday was the fifth consecutive game that the Sooners have gone over 60 points, a feat last accomplished 89 years ago. (More at SoonerSports.com)
Orange Bowl BCS title game sold out: OU announced by midday Monday that the school already had sold its allotment of 16,000 tickets through student sales and individuals who pre-ordered based on the athletic department's priority points system. Florida has a similar system, by which UF season-ticket holders are given first priority at purchasing tickets for the game. Florida will also hold a student lottery. The BCS and Orange Bowl Committees announced Sunday on their Web sites that tickets for the game are sold out. But the BCS and Orange Bowl are endorsing RazorGator.com as the official fan-to-fan ticket exchange, as well as VIPTicketCompany.com as the preferred travel supplier. (Tulsa World)
Oklahoma's Sam Bradford wins Baugh Award: Oklahoma sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford -- who led the Sooners to a third straight Big 12 Championship while throwing for nearly 4500 yards and connecting on 48 touchdown passes -- is the winner of the Sammy Baugh Trophy presented to college football's top passer by The Touchdown Club of Columbus. The award was first presented in 1959 and has been held by legendary players including Steve Young, John Elway, Bob Griese, Kerry Collins, and last year's winner, Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell. Bradford completed more than two-thirds of his passes in 2008, and was intercepted only six times while under center of the most powerful scoring offense in college football history. Bradford is the first Sooner ever to win the prestigious Baugh Award. (SoonerSports PR)
Bradford undergoes successful surgery: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford underwent surgery Sunday morning in Oklahoma City to repair ligament damage in his left hand. The procedure lasted about 90 minutes. Bradford was released from the hospital and attended a team function Sunday evening. "It was a clean, routine procedure, and we expect Sam to bounce back quickly," OU coach Bob Stoops of the operation. "He'll be practicing again within 10 days, and we've taken this week off anyway, so he won't miss much." (The Oklahoman)
OU duo sets rushing record: Thanks to his 122-yard effort against Missouri, tailback Chris Brown became the 20th player in OU history to rush for 1,000 yards. Brown and DeMarco Murray became just the third Sooner duo to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, joining Jack Mildren/Greg Pruitt in 1971 and Joe Washington/Waymon Clark in 1973. (The Oklahoman)
