Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is standing by his former assistant and University of Kansas football coach Mark Mangino. Mangino, who is facing an internal KU athletics department investigation into alleged mistreatment of players after some voiced concerned.
Mangino has denied any mistreatment of players. "I run this program with a lot of integrity," Mangino told the Kansas City Star.
Stoops concurs saying Mangino has always been close to and concerned about his players.
Mangino served as Stoops' offense coordinator at Oklahoma from 2000-2001
On Tuesday, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops addressed the media at his weekly press conference, previewing OU-Texas Tech and addressing Oklahoma's win against Texas A&M.
Monday night Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops denied any interest in Notre Dame's head coaching position. After a report first published by Chicago Sun-Times, citing an anonymous source, Stoops had told confidants he would be interested in talking to the Irish.
Stoops, however, went on to call the rumor "ridiculous" on Monday Night.
Stoops after practice told reporters:
"There's not even a job (open) at Notre Dame," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.
As the college football season nears an end, silly-season rumors are picking up. And to no one's surprise, rumors concerning Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops arise after arguably the most challenging and unpredictable season in Stoops' tenure. According to Chicago Sun-Times, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops is reportedly interested in Notre Dame if Charlie Weis is fired (as expected).
The paper cites an anonymous source, saying...
[Bob] Stoops has told confidants he would be interested in talking to the Irish.
Other names being mentioned are -- former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, Cincinnati's Brian Kelly and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz.
Stoops in June signed an extension with Oklahoma, reportedly valued over $30 million dollars, through 2015.
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops addressed the media at his weekly press conference, previewing OU-Kansas State.
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Notable Quotes:
On Drew Allen: "He gets the usual snaps that a No. 2 guy would get. I haven't counted them up but I feel comfortable with it. He's doing a nice job, he's coming along and getting better and making good improvement. We're happy with what he's doing."
On Tress Way place kicking: "I just don't feel that Jimmy (Stevens) has been consistent as he needs to be. Tress has showed me enough in practice that he is much better than he was a year ago and he's been more consistent. He deserves the opportunity and we will see how he handles it."
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops addressed the media at his weekly press conference, previewing OU-Kansas. Stoops also reviewed and commented on Oklahoma's loss to Texas.
Stoops wouldn't mind home-and-home series for OU-Texas: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops points out the atmosphere at the Cotton Bowl when Oklahoma plays Texas is special. But if he had his way, Stoops would like the series to periodically be played at Texas' Memorial Stadium and OU's Owen Field. "I always felt it'd be pretty neat to play it home-and-home once in a while," Stoops said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "That'd be pretty cool, too." (The Oklahoman)
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops addressed the media at his weekly press conference, previewing the Baylor game. In addition, discussing OU's loss to Miami and updating Sam Bradford's status.
Latest on Bradford: No timetable given for return: On Monday, Bob Stoops said Sam Bradford, the Heisman Trophy winner won't play until he's "fully capable." "We'll see," Stoops said during Monday's teleconference. "It's too early. I'm not getting into how close or far [he was to playing Saturday against Miami]. The bottom line is he wasn't where he needed to be." Stoops was asked several times about Bradford's availability and wouldn't budge. "Everyone wants me to give them an answer I can't give," Stoops said. "Until you can see a guy progress, how do you know? Until you get out and work it, you don't have any idea." (ESPNDallas.com)
ESPN's College Football Live Bus made a stop in Norman on Thursday and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops appeared on the show to discuss OU's quarterback situation. Most notably, Stoops said in the interview Sam Bradford will "probably not" dress out against Miami. (Video Below)
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops addressed the media Tuesday at his weekly press conference, previewing the Miami game. Among the subjects, he updated the status of QB Sam Bradford, he talked about the storied rivalry between Miami and Oklahoma. (Video Below)
Bob and Carol Stoops donate 150k to OU Business School: To benefit University of Oklahoma business students, Bob and Carol Stoops are making a $150,000 gift to support junior faculty who are vital to the classroom as they advance professionally.
The gift from Bob, a 1983 marketing graduate from the University of Iowa, and Carol, an entrepreneur, establishes the Bob Stoops Business Faculty Fellow Program within the Michael F. Price College of Business. The program will assist untenured assistant professors in the college with their research into the areas of accounting, finance, management, management information systems and marketing and supply chain management.
"We all value exceptional faculty members," Coach Stoops said. "I had a number of good instructors during my time in the business school at Iowa and was unaware at that time that donors were contributing to the overall health of the university and my education," he said. "It is gratifying for Carol and me to help out in this way now. We hope that this program will ultimately benefit OU students. I appreciate Dean Evans and everyone who has worked so hard to build a great reputation for the Price College of Business."
OU President David L. Boren said, "The university is grateful for the generous gift to the Price College of Business made by Carol and Bob Stoops. Their strong support of OU's academic mission is a great source of encouragement and opportunity for faculty and students."
Awards in the Bob Stoops Business Faculty Fellow Program will be made to junior faculty who have demonstrated research promise and provided clear evidence of high-level research productivity potential. It will support untenured assistant professors in Price College and support their publication of research findings in professional journals.
"We are grateful for this generous gift from Bob and Carol Stoops," said Price College of Business Dean Kenneth Evans. "Their commitment to supporting faculty in the early stages of their career development is particularly vital to both faculty recruiting and retention efforts. Since my arrival at OU, I have been impressed with the collaboration between OU athletic programs and the campus academic community. The Bob Stoops Faculty Fellow Program will provide valuable resources to assist the college in addressing this priority."
Coach Stoops will not update Bradford's status 'day-to-day': Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops swears he's not "trying to be coy," but during his weekly press luncheon, he was having nothing to do with questions about quarterback Sam Bradford. "I just don't want Sam to have to deal with the pressure of everybody's expectations. It's just not fair," Stoops said. "The bottom line is it'll be day-to-day as he improves. "I'm not gonna detail day-to-day." After practice on Monday, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and wide receiver Ryan Broyles each revealed that Bradford had begun practicing, suiting up and going through drills, albeit with short throws only. "I'm a little disappointed our players had so much to say," Stoops said. "Not that we're at all trying to be coy or anything that's behind the scenes." (Tulsa World)
Mike Stoops is giving advice on BYU in preparation for Saturday's game: BYU's last opponent -- in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl -- was Arizona, a team coached by OU coach Bob Stoops' brother, Mike Stoops . Another brother, Mark Stoops , is Arizona's defensive coordinator. Rest assured that the brothers have talked about BYU, Bob Stoops said. "I am close enough with my brother that we are going to talk about a common opponent. So, yeah, we definitely did," Stoops said. "When you are playing a team you don't have a lot of familiarity with, where you don't play the year in and year out, you talk to other people who do." BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said that after watching Oklahoma film, he has noticed a lot of "philosophical" similarities between OU and Arizona. "Knowing that it is a coaching family, we are certainly not underestimating the transfer of knowledge from one program to the other, so we are not going to be an unknown to them," Mendenhall said. "Nor would I assume that they are putting extra, undue emphasis on us." (Salt Lake Tribune)
The first weekly Bob Stoops press conference of the 2009 season is scheduled for today at 12:05 CT and is streaming live via SoonerSports.com. Or available on local radio stations WWLS The Sports Animal and Sports Talk 1400AM The Ref. If you miss it live, I'll post video later this afternoon.
Follow Oklahoma Sooners Blog on Twitter @Oklafootball
Stoops says WR Jameel Owens needs to make improvements: During his session with the media, Bob Stoops singled out sophomore Jameel Owens as someone who has work to do to make the wide-receiving rotation. Owens is a candidate to fill one of the vacant starting spots at wide receiver, or at least be a significant contributor in a reserve role. But Friday, it didn't sound like Owens was on track for either. "Jameel needs to make a lot of improvement," Stoops said. Stoops, however, wouldn't go into details. "There are just some things right now that he isn't where he needs to be," he said. (The Oklahoman)
Halze now an OU graduate assistant: Joey Halzle, Bradford's backup the previous two years, now is a graduate assistant, working in quality control. He'll break down film, prepare scouting reports, that kind of thing. "I really wanted to get into coaching," Halzle said. "Not a better place to start than getting your foot in the door at OU. "I always said, I didn't think I could have a regular job. I wanted to be involved in football. It's a passion of mine." (The Oklahoman)
Toby Rowland named Oklahoma football sideline reporter: Oklahoma will be adding a new voice to its football radio broadcast team. KWTV's Toby Rowland will be the Sooners' new sideline reporter, the school announced Wednesday. "I am truly honored," said Rowland, who replaces former OU tight end Trent Smith on the sidelines. "Working with OU has been a thrill the last several years. And to get the opportunity to join the broadcast team during such an exciting time for Sooner athletics is humbling." (The Oklahoman) More on Sooner Radio Network on the media page.
Stoops visits Nick Saban: Bob Stoops had defensive coordinator Brent Venables and secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright accompany him on the private flight to Alabama. The three OU coaches spent "an entire day" watching video tape with Saban and his assistants. "We also worked on different wrinkles in each other's defense that should help both teams," Stoops said. When the Stoops-Saban Summit was confirmed, most assumed the two defensive gurus had huddled to discuss ways to stop the offensive expertise of Florida head coach Urban Meyer, who has won two of the last three BCS national titles. "They've always played really good defense," Stoops said of Saban-coached teams. "And we have that same reputation. "But it's funny how sometimes you see something differently through someone else's view. Or how they project it to you, and it makes sense." It's long been a practice for coaches to swap information in the offseason. Earlier this week, Stoops sent his entire staff to spend two days in the training camp of the NFL's New Orleans Saints. (Tulsa World)
Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy, Jermaine Gresham and Bob Stoops video from various media outlets at Big 12 media days in Irving, TX.
From ESPN.com
From FOXSports.com
<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=1dfc268f-79eb-4f81-a4f5-037f35e509db&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral" target="_new" title="Big 12 Media Day: Oklahoma">Video: Big 12 Media Day: Oklahoma</a>
University of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops to vote in coaches poll: After sitting out last year in somewhat of a protest vote over all the politicking of coaches, Stoops returns to the voting panel in the USA Today coaches poll. "You don't need to make a point twice," he said. When someone suggested that his absence from last year's poll could have hurt Oklahoma's chances in such a razor-thin difference between OU and Texas, Stoops said, "It didn't help." (Austin-American Statesman)
Stoops not counting wins: Over the past nine seasons, Bob Stoops has won 102 games, more than any coach in major college football. While the 2009 Sooners are primed to keep him atop the elite, Stoops said he's not taking part in the counting. "I don't much pay attention to that," Stoops said. "Counting things up just doesn't matter to me. I enjoy the process. I enjoy the games. I enjoy the competition. Love seeing the players every day. You get to be in a challenging situation every week. "That's just not my style to worry about any of that. In the end, there will be a record -- so what? I'm going to do the best I can with good people, have some fun and hopefully do well." (The Oklahoman)
Bob Stoops set to receive $30 million through 2015 plus bonuses: Football coach Bob Stoops and basketball coach Jeff Capel have received new contract extensions featuring stay bonuses aimed at keeping them at Oklahoma long term. Regents governing the university voted Wednesday to approve the new contracts that would keep both of the coaches in charge of the Sooners for seven more seasons. Stoops' new deal would pay him more than $30 million through the end of 2015. He would earn a total of $3.675 million next season, including an annual stay bonus of $700,000 that rewards him for staying through usual coaching hiring season. He will get the bonus in October this season, but in July in subsequent years. (AP/USA Today)
Stoops among OU coaches to have raises considered during regents meeting: Most of Oklahoma's high-profile athletic coaches and OU athletic director Joe Castiglione could receive raises this week. OU regents are meeting for their annual retreat in Ardmore and will vote on potential raises on Wednesday. Coaches listed on the meeting agenda for potential raises include football's Bob Stoops, men's basketball's Jeff Capel, women's basketball's Sherri Coale, baseball's Sunny Golloway, softball's Patty Gasso, men's gymnastics' Mark Williams and wrestling's John Spates. (KFSM)
Stoops one of the fittest coaches in NCAA: ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman writes Bob Stoops - Like a lot of coaches, Stoops tries to stay in shape by getting his workout in during the noon hour and does a combination of weights, stairmaster and a lot of swimming.(ESPN.com)
Stoops, Gundy high-paid public college or university employee: Two of the highest paid college and university employees in Oklahoma are coaches, a Tulsa World analysis found. University of Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops topped the list, earning more than $230,000 by late February, according to a payroll database maintained by the Oklahoma Office of State Finance. Oklahoma State University head football coach Mike Gundy ranked second, pulling in $150,000 as of Feb. 27. The Office of State Finance maintains rolling payroll data for state higher education employees. It does not maintain annual salary data. To get that information, a person must contact the individual college or university, said Jennie Pratt, accounting manager for the Office of State Finance. Pratt said the office doesn't collect salary data because it doesn't have the authority (higher education employees are treated differently than state agency employees) and because payroll data is more accurate. Payroll takes into account overtime, bonuses, pay for additional shifts and other measures that could increase or decrease how much a person makes. "Payroll is true information," Pratt said. "Salary is a projection." According to state data, Stoops and Gundy earn far more than their universities' presidents do. In the first two months of 2009, Stoops made about $200,000 more than OU President David Boren did, data show. Gundy pulled in about $120,000 more than OSU President Burns Hargis did. (More at Tulsa World)
"It's a disappointing and hurtful time; I know everyone's heard about the accident with Corey Wilson, or if you haven't, it's a tragic accident. We're all just praying for Corey and his family. It's a really difficult time. Medically, what was out from his family I'm not going to elaborate on anything else than what was said yesterday. We're all just continuing to pray for him and have him in our thoughts and his family."
Stoops on Oklahoma's offensive line
"Offensive line, of course losing four of the five starters from a year ago, that's where another major issue will be, and we'll see. Those guys are at this point, it's just everything, whether it's with their work ethic, their attitude, those things need to improve. They haven't had the winter everyone else has had. They right now are the weak link of the team and we'll see if they can respond and have any kind of spring and summer to help us be a team that can contend for a Big 12 Championship.
Stoops on Oklahoma's special teams
"Overall, I think special teams-wise, same thing. I expect us to improve. Tress Way will start off taking over for Mike Knall in punting. Through the year last year I thought he did a nice job and he's had a good winter too with kickoffs, field goals, all of that. We expect Jimmy [Stevens] to be better, but I also expect Matt Moreland and Tress Way to be better. Also we have a newcomer in Bryce Easley coming in from Norman North who is a guy that we're excited about as well. I do feel that overall those positions will be improved for us, and that'll be a big plus as well."
Box expected to miss spring practice: Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box is expected to miss spring practice due to elbow surgery, coach Bob Stoops said Wednesday. Box dislocated the elbow as a senior at Enid High School, and injured it again last year causing him to miss most of spring practice. Box, a rising sophomore, has battled several injuries since coming to Norman. (The Oklahoman)
Stoops reaction to Williams, Gresham, Bradford return: In addition to Sam Bradford's announcement that he plans to remain at Oklahoma, two other Sooners also announced that they plan to play for the Sooners next year. Both tight end Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams said they will return for the 2009 season. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy announced earlier that he also will return. "We are pleased that these players are returning to our program," said OU head coach Bob Stoops. "They understand the value of gaining another year of experience and improving their position in the draft along with the value of either finishing their degree or being within a few hours of completing it. "I also think our players recognize the opportunities we have as a program to pursue more championships and that's something that means a lot to all of us." (SoonerSports.com)
Stoops not a candidate in Denver: Bob Stoops can coach the Bowl Championship Series title game tonight in peace. The Oklahoma coach was telling the truth this week when he said he's not a candidate for the Broncos' head coaching position. An NFL source with knowledge of the Broncos' search confirmed Wednesday night Stoops is not under consideration. (Denver Post) via ProFootballTalk.com
Davis at 100 percent: Sooner defensive end Alan Davis said he feels 100 percent and is ready to go Thursday. Davis suffered a knee sprain at Texas A&M and missed OU's last three games. "I feel good," Davis said. "Knee's not sore or anything. Just a matter of getting back my conditioning, getting back to game speed." (The Oklahoman)
Stoops calls for extra help: Florida figures to have a crowd edge tonight, but Stoops is ready to recruit any neutral ticket-holders to his side. "There's a whole lot of 'Cane fans (Miami U.), and I'm calling on all the Hurricane and Seminole (Florida State) fans that are down here to root for us," Stoops said. "That won't be hard, I don't think." Said Lewis, "Whatever people we've got screaming for OU, they're a fan of mine." (The Oklahoman)
Governors' wager: University of Oklahoma football fans should be hoping Gov. Brad Henry will be getting a shipment of Florida oranges. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist made a friendly, handshake wager on Wednesday to send Henry some Florida oranges if the Sooners defeat the University of Florida in tonight's college football national title game, said Henry's spokesman, Paul Sund. Henry agreed to send Crist some Oklahoma beef if the Gators win, Sund said. (The Oklahoman)
Coach Bob Stoops focused on Oklahoma football team: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops denied a report on Saturday saying he has been contacted by the Denver Broncos about their head coaching vacancy. Speaking after practice at Barry University, Stoops said he was unaware about a story in the Denver Post that claimed the Broncos had interest in him replacing Mike Shanahan. Shanahan was fired last week. Stoops, who is preparing his team to face Florida in Thursday's BCS National Title game Thursday at Dolphin Stadium, called the report just speculation. "That's a rumor that I haven't heard," Stoops said. "No one has contacted me about that so I don't know anything about it. We're preparing for a national championship and that's all my focus and that's all my concentration is on. Obviously, I'm not a candidate or someone might have told me other than (the media)." (Sun-Sentinel)
Bob Stoops among Denver coaching candidates: High atop the Broncos' wish list is believed to be Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who is preparing his second-ranked Sooners to face No. 1 Florida in the BCS championship game in Miami on Thursday. It will be his fourth shot at the national title in a decade at the school.Another intriguing possibility is Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who turned down offers last winter from Baltimore and Atlanta after the Cowboys made him the highest-paid coordinator at $3 million with the promise he'd be head coach Wade Phillips's successor.Denver is planning to interview Garrett at some point next week, the team said Friday. (Associated Press)
Bob Stoops receives $3 million incentive bonus: Stoops is scheduled to receive a one-time payment of $3 million that will push his compensation package to over $6 million for this season. The OU coach's contract, signed in 2005, calls for Stoops to earn $2.775 million this year. Of that, only his $220,000 base salary is paid by the school. The remaining $2.555 million comes for personal services for TV appearances, shoe, apparel and other endorsements and $580,000 for speaking engagements and fundraising appearances that is paid by the Sooner Club -- the school's fundraising organization, which operates on private donations and doesn't use school funds. OU’s 12-1 season has also initiated an additional $335,000 in performance bonuses. Another $100,000 would be added if the Sooners win the national championship. All told, Stoops could earn over $6.2 million. (Norman Transcript) More can be found at Tulsa World.com
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."
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)
Nine Sooners named to All-Big 12 team; Stoops earns coaches honor: Oklahoma produced the coach of the year, the offensive player of the year and a total of nine first-team honorees on the 2008 All-Big 12 Conference Football Team announced Tuesday. Bob Stoops shared coach of the year honors with Texas Tech's Mike Leach, while Sam Bradford was named the league's top offensive player. Center Jon Cooper earned lineman of the year honors and redshirt freshman linebacker Travis Lewis was the defensive freshman of the year. Joining Bradford on the first team offense from Oklahoma were running back DeMarco Murray, fullback Matt Clapp, tight end Jermaine Gresham, tackle Phil Loadholt, tackle Trent Williams and guard Duke Robinson. Sooners on the first team defense included tackle Gerald McCoy and safety Nic Harris. The second team offense included OU wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias and Cooper. The second team defense contained defensive end Jeremy Beal, Lewis, cornerback Dominique Franks and safety Lendy Holmes. OU's honorable mention picks were running back Chris Brown, linebacker Keenan Clayton and offensive guard Brandon Walker. (SoonerSports.com PR)
Did you know? Sam Bradford is the third Oklahoma player to be named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
Stoops puzzled about OU's drop in BCS standing: "Yeah, a little bit, but I'm (not) totally surprised," Bob Stoops said. "With Tech coming up after they beat Texas, you kind of thought that could happen. But there's still so much football left. There's still a lot that can happen." (ESPN.com)
Mossis Madu on the OU-Texas game meaning more this year than last: "It always means this much. We could both be ranked 24 and 25, or we could be unranked. It's OU-Texas and it is always a big deal."
Auston English on being a Texas native playing for Oklahoma in this game: "It's a big game, I don't think it really matters where you come from once you realize the history behind the series. It becomes a big deal for anybody that goes to your school."
Dominique Franks on the anticipation of OU-Texas: "There's nothing like OU-Texas. I'm really excited and ready for Saturday to come. This is the biggest anticipation of the year. It's a one versus five matchup. There's just a lot of anticipation going into the game, a lot of talk about whether our defense can stop their offense or their defense being able to stop our offense."
TCU denies spying on OU: UPDATE: Oklahoma closed its preseason scrimmages this season. Well-connected Tulsa World columnist Dave Sittler linked the move to the Horned Frogs' 17-10 upset of OU in 2005. He suggested OU coach Bob Stoops closed the scrimmages because he felt "information some friends of the TCU program picked up watching the scrimmages" in 2005 helped the Horned Frogs beat the Sooners. Patterson raised the subject following his team's win over Stanford on Sept. 13 and addressed it again in a phone interview Sunday. The Horned Frogs taped the publicly available TV broadcast of Oklahoma's spring game, Patterson said, looking for schemes and personnel. "As far as us watching their practices, I took a little bit of offense that they would think that I would have someone go and spy on their practices, because, absolutely, that did not happen," Patterson said. "But did we watch the spring tapes as far as the spring game? We did, and I watched all summer." (More at Dallas Morning News)(9/22/08) UPDATE: Bob Stoops acknowledged Tuesday that he closed preseason scrimmages this season not because he was concerned about spies feeding information to this week's opponent, TCU, but because the Sooners were trying out a new offense. "I think it's pretty obvious why we closed practices," Stoops said during his weekly press luncheon. "I think our no-huddle offense has been pretty obvious we didn't want to let on how much we were using it, all our terminology at the line of scrimmage -- even defensively, our terminology going against it, all of that is pretty obvious why we didn't want anyone being at our practices."(Tulsa World)
Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes Mensik suffers ankle injury: Third-string tight end Eric Mensik has a broken ankle and will be out for at least a month, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Tuesday. Mensik suffered the injury in practice during the Sooners' open week when a teammate fell on his ankle during a blocking drill. The sophomore from Rosenberg, Texas, saw significant action in a 55-14 victory over Washington two weeks ago. (The Oklahoman)
Stoops not ready to play R.J. Washington yet: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday that he's not ready to burn a year of eligibility yet for freshman defensive end R.J. Washington. Stoops said Washington is still getting adjusted to the Sooners' defense. "If you just play a 4-3 and let those guys get wide and go, then he'd be in there," Stoops said. "There is just so much when you zone blitz. Who's dropping? Who's blitzing. Where you're blitzing. Is he twisting around somebody or is he going straight? R.J. is a bright, young guy who is doing great. We're probably just a little bit too complex in all that we ask these guys to do. We just fear that we're going to play him and, through the whole year, it's not going to be enough to warrant giving up his year." (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops open to moving conference games earlier: [The] OU coach was asked if he would be willing to play a Big 12 Conference opponent over the first few weeks of a season, thereby bumping one of the nonconference games down the calendar a bit. "I'd be open to it," he said. "I see the benefits for your crowd and for media and fan interest and college football's interest, to have a conference game somewhere in there early." As to how soon into a season Stoops would feel comfortable playing a conference foe? "I'd prefer three (weeks)," he said. "Sometimes two's enough, depending on how many guys you have coming back." (Tulsa World)
Stoops on Granger injury: Coach Bob Stoop on DeMarcus Granger injury... "There's something in the tendon and the bone and they (OU physicians) are experimenting on whether to let it heal or take four weeks and see if DeMarcus can come back, or the other thing is to possibly do surgery and pin it," OU coach Bob Stoops said following Wednesday's practice. "DeMarcus and the doctors are uncertain. I know it's been reported that he's done for the year. That isn't the case yet. If he gets it pinned, he obviously will be. If he doesn't, he could be out four or five weeks. We'll just see." (Norman Transcript)
OU's practice schedule: With an idle Saturday, the Sooners altered their practice schedule slightly this week. "Our Tuesday and Wednesday as we go through the week are usually pretty heavy," Stoops said. "They go against each other a lot on inside drill and team sessions. We try to keep each other sharp. Blitz periods, we come after each other. We'll do that Tuesday and Wednesday and probably part of Thursday." (Tulsa World)
Moore to see more action: The Sooners plan to keep their four-man rotation at defensive tackle with or without Granger. Junior Cordero Moore will move up to Granger's spot. "I think he'll do a good job," defensive tackles coach Jackie Shipp said of Moore. "We'll keep working at it and we'll get him ready." Moore saw his first action of the season in the Washington game. He made one tackle. (Norman Transcript)
Stoops not paying attention to rankings: For now, Sooner coach Bob Stoops isn't paying much attention. "In the end, it's a long year," he said. "All we can focus on is being the absolute best we can be each time we play. "(The ranking) really doesn't do anything to us right now. We have so many more games to play." As the season evolves, Stoops said, the rankings become more relevant. "It's a long way to earn your way to something like that," he said. "That's what our focus will be on, earning it. Earn it each week and not get ahead of yourself." (The Oklahoman)
DeMarcus Granger suffering from a sprained left foot: Oklahoma junior defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger of Kimball suffered a sprained left foot late in the first half Saturday against Washington on a play in which Huskies' players appeared to rough him up. "There looked to be some of that," OU coach Bob Stoops said Monday. "Unfortunate any time any of that happens. There is always a lot of rough and tough play inside. Nobody here's whining about it." (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops thanks many others for 100th win: "There's been a ton of people responsible for it," Coach Bob Stoops said. "My great administration, great assistant coaches who have been fabulous to work with, a bunch of great young men we get to see who work so hard. "I feel fortunate every day, believe me, to be at such a quality place with such good people. Blessed and fortunate."
Granger suffers leg injury: The Sooners' only problem of the night came during the final drive of the first half, when DeMarcus Granger went down with a left leg injury. The junior defensive tackle, among OU's four-man rotation at defensive tackle, returned to the sideline in the second half on crutches and with a black boot around his lower leg. (Tulsa World)
Kickoff coverage changes: OU made two personnel changes on its kickoff coverage Saturday night. Backup linebacker Austin Box and fullback Matt Clapp replaced backup linebackers Mike Balogun and J.R. Bryant on the unit. (Norman Transcript)
Coach Stoops wins 100th career win at OU: The Oklahoman takes a look at previous OU head coaches record at 100th career win.
Coach (Overall record), Record at 100, Winning Pct. Bud Wilkinson (145-29-4), 100-8-3, .926 Barry Switzer (157-29-4), 100-18-3, .849 Bob Stoops (100-22), 100-22, .819 Bennie Owen (122-54-16), 100-33-9, .760
Coach Bob Stoops on Pac-10 officiating: Coach Stoops today, commented on last weekend's Pac-10 officials controversial call. "Hey, that's the way it is," Sooners' Coach Bob Stoops said on Monday's Big 12 coaches' conference call, "so we're going to go play and hopefully play as well as we can." Asked if Stoops even saw the play in question? "I did," Stoops said. "But for me to comment on it wouldn't be appropriate." (LA Times) Pac-10 Conference officiating crew will work Saturday's game against Washington.
Stoops dismisses claims: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he saw nothing on tape that would warrant postgame comments criticizing the Sooners' conduct Saturday in a fourth-quarter pileup that resulted in an injury to Cincinnati quarterback Dustin Grutza."Heck, no," Stoops said Sunday. "Absolutely not." Stoops said he saw nothing out of the ordinary."Our guys did what any other guy does, just trying to get a sack," Stoops said. "Unfortunately two guys [were] at him and it ended up, as they're taking him to the ground, his foot was caught, I guess."There was nothing that would have indicated [anything unnecessary]." (Star-Telegram)
Coach Stoops respects Cincy as non-conference opponent: OU is taking a risk by scheduling nonconference games against the likes of Cincinnati. "I'm from Ohio, and I know they have a great program," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "They don't win 10 games like they did last year and not be very good." The Sooners booked the game in July 2007, when the rise of the Cincinnati program was apparent. (Dallas Morning News)
Coach Stoops on Cincinnati's talent: "Talking to NFL scouts, they're evaluating 10 of their guys (Cincinnati) -- more than we have. They're really good," OU's Bob Stoops said. (Tulsa World)
Coach Stoops watches the Olympics like the rest of us: While former OU gymnast Jonathan Horton was leading the USA to a bronze medal, coach Bob Stoops was tuned in at home Monday night, cheering on a fellow Sooner. "Jonathan Horton was absolutely amazing last night, wasn't he?" Stoops said. "Loved it. And what a leader. I was really proud watching him. I thought he was fabulous." Stoops said he's a fan of the Olympics, appreciating all that goes into making that grand stage and then responding to it. "All of them, I like watching all of it," Stoops said. "What's so neat about it is you get that one moment to be at your best. That's what I love about boxing as well. "You get that one shot. And if you happen to have over-trained, or you don't hit it just right..."(The Oklahoman)
Limited tickets remain for UT Chattanooga and Cincinnati: The University of Oklahoma has a limited number of tickets remaining for each of its first two home games, the Aug. 30 opener against Tennessee-Chattanooga and the Sept. 6 contest against Cincinnati. The tickets became available when they were returned by the visiting teams. The UTC tickets are $49 each, while the Cincinnati tickets are on sale at $62 each. Kickoff times are already set for both games. The Sooners and Chattanooga will start at 6 p.m., with the UC game slated at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at SoonerSports.com, in person at the office located on the stadium's west side or on the phone at 405/325-2424 or 1-800-456-GoOU (4008). (SoonerSports PR)
Oklahoma No. 1 in Playboy's annual Pigskin Preview: Playboy magazine has the Sooners ranked No. 1 in its annual Pigskin Preview. Ohio State, Florida, Missouri and USC round out Playboy's top 5. Also, OU offensive lineman Duke Robinson was named to the magazine's All-American team. (Norman Transcript)
Coach Stoops on The Dan Patrick Show: Oklahoma's Bob Stoops appeared on The Dan Patrick Show to discuss a variety of topics from Brett Favre to Big 12 football including former Sooner Josh Jarboe.
Coach Stoops on..
Reaction to seeing the video: "Just disappointed. I understand there are different styles of music. In the end, it was the two of them together, the fact that he came in with an arrest already and with the understanding from us, nothing but exemplary behavior was going to be tolerated. And the expressions, regardless how its music its rap or whatever.
When asked if he fought to keep Josh Jarboe on the team:
"No. It was something that needed to be thought through and discussed.
Jarboe's reaction to the news:
"It was very difficult. He was very hurt and crushed. But understood where we had to be."
Full audio of the interview can be found at DanPatrick.com under interviews.
Coach Stoops on Sam Bradford at OU Media Day: "He is stronger in the weight room and in the years of maturity. He is a stronger guy. I know he will be more comfortable in the position going through 14 games a year ago. I think just play within the system, take what is there and be smart and, I think, naturally, just some pocket presence. I think that the hardest think to teach young guys is to stay in the pocket, trust it and throw it. He really has that and always has. I think there are some times he can escape it maybe a little bit better but it may come naturally to him."
Sooner Coaches, players join National Marrow donor list: Bob Stoops was among 84 individuals who placed their names on the National Marrow Donor Program list today during Oklahoma's football media day. A majority of the team followed the lead of the head coach, as did several OU athletics department staff members and at least one representative from the news media. Stoops and the Oklahoma football program are part of a growing number of people stepping up to register as potential bone marrow donors with the NMDP. "It's rare when you might get a chance to save a life," Stoops said. "This process could lead to that for someone." Stoops, who has been regular visitor to children stricken with cancer, got the idea when athletes at Wagner College held a similar registry. "We didn't pressure our guys to participate," he said. "We just made it available to them. It was nice to see a number of them respond." (SoonerSports.com) To find out more information about National Marrow Donor Program visit www.marrow.org
Stoops to sign autographs after Friday's practice: The OU head coach will sign autographs this Friday following an open practice. Stoops will sign in the Lloyd Noble Center after the practice, which is scheduled to conclude at approximately 11:30 a.m. Fans interested in attending the event should enter the LNC through the main West entrance. Those doors will open at 11 a.m. The signing session will last for two hours. Fans will be restricted to one item to be autographed. (SoonersSports PR)
New comers receive their numbers; Jermie Calhoun #23: Newcomers officially wore their OU numbers for the first time on the practice field including junior transfer Mike Balogun (10) at linebacker, freshman running back Jermie Calhoun (23) and freshman Stephen Good (77) at offensive line. SoonerSports.com released an updated printable roster to assist fans in learning the new jersey numbers. (SoonerSports.com)
Coach Stoops on Oklahoma's first fall practice: "We worked on just about everthing, every part of the game," said Stoops. "I saw a lot of good things. There was excellent carry over from spring practice and that's always something you look for in your early August workouts. The guys really looked good. "We got a chance to look at a lot of young guys. We would like to play every one of them this season if that's the way it work outs. "We worked on the no-huddle some. I was pleased. "The heat was no factor at all. They've worked out in this heat for a lot of the summer. "I thought our specialists looked good. We've got a couple new long snappers (James Winchester, Ben Hampton) and both of them were impressive."
Defense Coordinator Brent Venables: "I think we found some players. We've had a few question marks, but I was pleased with the development. Now we're pretty simplistic right now and we'll put more in every day, so we'll see how much we progress, but overall I was pretty happy."
Offense Coordinator Kevin Wilson: "All eight of the freshmen played with the two's. They have the skill level to be on the field. We need to see how they hold up and how much they learn. Our job is to get them up to speed."
Josh Jarboe dismissed from Oklahoma football team: Josh Jarboe has been dismissed from the OU football team. Statement from Bob Stoop on the Jarboe matter.
"We are disappointed in this outcome, but our complete review and this final decision is in the best interest of our program" Stoops said. "We outlined for Josh the expectations we had for him when he arrived and, unfortunately, those expectations have not been met. Josh needs to learn from this experience. We hope he can move forward in a positive manner."
"I'm heartbroken for the young man," said Sebree. "It shows that he [Josh Jaboe] needs some kind of assistance that he obviously can't get from DeKalb County and can't get from Oklahoma. He had a large opportunity to do something great with his life."
Stoops offers no comment on Jarboe video: After the Josh Jarboe rap/freestyle spread like wildfire, The Oklahoman reports, Coach Bob Stoops is on top of it.
OU coaching staff visits Saints camp: University of Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops stood on the sidelines chatting it up with New Orleans coach Sean Payton during kickoff drills. Stoops and a few members of his staff will be at Millsaps [College] over the next few days to watch the Saints practice and sit in on coaches meetings. "If college coaches aren't coming that means they're not really interested in studying what you're doing. So that's not a good thing," Saints coach Sean Payton said. (Alexandria Town Talk)
Limited tickets available for 2008 Annual Coach's Luncheon: The 2008 Annual Coach's Luncheon, featuring University of Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops and his coaching staff, will benefit Norman's Secret Santa Program and assist in providing gifts to more than 750 boys and girls in protective custody care of the Department of Human Services' Child Welfare Unit. The luncheon is scheduled 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 7 at Journey Church, and tickets are still available, organizers said. "This event is an annual tradition for the Norman community. Coach Stoops and his staff will outline their plans for the 2008 Sooner football season while promoting a level of excitement that only Sooner football can produce," said Janet Richison of the Citizens Advisory Board of Cleveland County.(Norman Transcript) Individual tickets must be purchased in advance for $25. No tickets available at the door!
ACC proposes standardizing injury reports; Big 12 not interested: For background, the ACC this season has recommended that its teams disclose injuries twice a week. An announcement every Monday would disclose season-ending injuries and upcoming surgeries. A Thursday report would be the standard NFL report: out, doubtful, questionable, probable. There is no penalty for noncompliance. Big 12 policy leaves the reporting of injuries up to each school's discretion, and most of them choose to keep quiet, including Kansas. "There's two sides to that story. Some will tell you if you release injury reports, it keeps undesirables from infiltrating your program to get inside information," KU coach Mark Mangino said. "That could happen. The other thing is, where I stand on it is, the only people who really want to know about injuries are your opponents and gamblers, and why would we want to give it to them?" Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is another who sides with Mangino. He shares the same concerns about gambling, but also worries about his players' health. "It's not professional sports," Stoops said. "If the young guy was out there playing for his school and has no chance of playing in the NFL and he has a bad ankle, why should everybody know going into the game to pick on this guy? They may figure it out in the first quarter, but let them figure it out. "I agree that if a guy for sure is not going to play, then I'm all for letting people know that." (More at Topeka Capital Journal)
Will Stoops coach another 10-years at OU? NFL in the future? "I don't know, we'll see," Stoops said. "I love what I do. And it's not very often you are with the same president and athletic director for me. I'm very fortunate to work with President Boren and Joe. It's exciting to go to work every day and I love what we're doing. So I could see it, yeah. But you never know what the world gives you." Having three adolescent children kept the NFL from being an attractive opportunity earlier in his career. But Stoops said that could be amended as they grow older. "Who knows? It's not something that today is really intriguing to me with the age of my children and what we're doing right now," Stoops said. "But life changes as you go. You never know what comes." (ESPN.com)
Opening statement: "It's great to be here again. The players we brought are Jon Cooper, starting offensive center, a senior and four-year starter for us; Manuel Johnson, senior wide receiver and also a four-year starter for us. Last year Manny was probably one of the most valuable players of the game three or four times and has consistently done a great job for us. And then defensively, senior safety Nic Harris, who is also a two-year starter and a part-time starter as a freshman. He was an All Big 12 guy a year ago and one of the leaders on our defense.
"I'm excited to be starting my 10th season. I would also like to note that in those 10 years I've had the same president and the same athletics director and that's really special. I feel very fortunate to have had the success we have had and work with the people we have and a great group of players. You'll hear from three of them here representing the team at some point today. So thanks again."
Q. On having three of his former assistants now being head coaches in the Big 12:
COACH STOOPS: "It's exciting. Those guys are all good friends. As everyone knows, I've been one of those head coaches where I'm probably closer to my assistants maybe than some. I pull for them and I'm happy for them and they're doing a great job. It's exciting to see guys go on and have those kind of opportunities. It's challenging because they're all good coaches, but I'm still excited for them."
Q. Would you like to see the Big 12 standardize the release of injury information?
COACH STOOPS: It probably would be easier for everybody. You know, in the end, the other dynamic in that is the more you do that -- I'm always leery that we protect college sports from gambling and wagering. And in the end that's pretty much all that matters. That's why everybody wants to know. And in the end I don't know that we need to do that. And the other thing, I think we -- it's not professional sports. If the young guy was out there playing for his school and has no chance of playing in the NFL and he has a bad ankle, why should everybody know going into the game we're going to pick on this guy. They may figure it out in the first quarter, but make them figure it out. So, anyway, I don't know. You're trying to protect a young guy who is trying to play, so why broadcast how truly injured he is if he's going to be out there playing. I agree that if a guy for sure is not going to play, then I'm all for letting people know that.
Q. What's DeMarco Murray's status and what he will mean for you guys this year?
COACH STOOPS: DeMarco, he's recovered well, when I've seen him coming in the training room and rehabbing his knee, he says it feels great. I ask him, "How are you running?" He says, "Coach, I'm doing everything. I feel great running, I feel super." So according to him and our trainers, everything is on schedule and he looks great.
Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops statement on Keith Nichol transfer: "We had a good conversation with Keith and certainly understand his desire to seek an opportunity in another program. He knows that we are supportive of him under any circumstance, whether it's here or at a different school. We want what's best for him. "Keith worked very hard while he was here and put forth all the effort our coaches could expect. He contributed to our program with his character and dedication. Keith leaves with our appreciation and best wishes and we will do what we can to make this an easy transition for him." (SoonerSports)
Stoops to kick off OU blood drive scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday: The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department and the American Red Cross are partnering again this year to save lives through blood donation with drives scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 16. Donation sites are located at the north end of the stadium on the second floor Athletics Department lobby and the Red Cross Bus parked north of the OU bookstore. Times will be 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at both locations on both days. OU head football coach Bob Stoops is scheduled once again this year to be the first donor. All those coming to donate will receive a commemorative OU T-shirt, a $5 Louie's coupon and a coupon from the OU bookstore. All donors are also eligible to win memorabilia donated by the OU Athletics Department. "Each year, the Red Cross asks for our help and we are very happy to lend our support," said Annette Moran, Assistant Director of Athletic Academic Affairs and blood drive coordinator. "You never know when a family member, friend or neighbor might need the 'gift of life.' This is a chance for OU students and faculty to make a difference." This is the fourth year for the OU Athletics Department/Red Cross blood drive. The Red Cross reports increased efforts to educate high school and college students on the importance of becoming lifetime blood donors. To donate blood you must be 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. The Red Cross reminds those coming to donate to bring a photo ID, such as a Red Cross donor card, OU student ID or driver's license. (SoonerSports PR)
Stoops responds to Kelly's Pro Day comments:Kelly accused OU of "misdiagnosing" a December thigh injury, which kept him from participating in the Fiesta Bowl and from training for the NFL Draft until last month. Kelly said he was told by OU doctors that he had a deep thigh bruise, though a February MRI revealed he had suffered a partial quadriceps tear. Sooner coach Bob Stoops said Kelly never practiced after suffering the thigh injury and took issue with Kelly's accusations that OU's doctors erred. "I don't think that is fair," Stoops said. "A lot of deep tissue injuries take a while to figure out. Our doctors do as good a job as anybody in the country. Regardless of what his injury was, misdiagnosed or not, it was a deep tissue injury. He never played. It isn't like he played a game and re-hurt it. He would not have done anything different than he's done, which is rest it for a long period of time, which he did, and rehab it." Stoops said Kelly's assertion that he would've been able to play had the tear been found earlier is off-base. "He didn't do anything the whole time before we went to the Fiesta Bowl. He didn't practice once," Stoops said. "He didn't practice at the Fiesta Bowl, even though we tried to warm him up. It's not realistic for that injury to heal that fast." Wednesday, OU spokesman Kenny Mossman conferred with members of the Sooner training staff, who said that Kelly was initially diagnosed with a bruise, but that the injury was later upgraded to a strain within 48 hours. (More at The Oklahoman)
Bob Stoops thinks OKC can more than support college sports and NBA franchise: OU coach Bob Stoops said he's excited about the prospects of an NBA franchise coming to Oklahoma City and that he's not worried the presence of an NBA team could chip away at his or any other collegiate fan base in the state. "I don't think it has to. People love all sports. More than anything, there's enough fans to go around for everybody," Stoops said. "In the end, success brings people, brings crowds no matter what it is. I think they have a great market for that. People around here will follow it and support it." Stoops was among several local dignitaries who greeted the NBA subcommittee that visited Oklahoma City last week, the next step in the Sonics making the move to Oklahoma City. "There's a lot to be proud of, and they presented it and it's undeniable," Stoops said. "Great things are happening for this state and for Oklahoma City." (The Oklahoman)
OU Football scrimmage Saturday: Oklahoma's football team will hold scrimmages on March 29 and April 5. Both are open to the public. The OU Athletics Department today released information that will help those fans planning on being in Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for those two workouts. The March 29 scrimmage will begin at 11 a.m., with the April 5 event set for 1 p.m. Entrance to the stadium will be limited to gates 1 (west side) and 12 (east side). Seating will be restricted to the west side only. Concessions stands and restrooms on that side of the stadium will be open. Prohibited items are the same as during the regular season with the addition of all cameras. (SoonerSports PR)
Stoops among others to welcome NBA to OKC: Gov. Brad Henry, Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops and numerous other representatives of the city, state and sports community came out to welcome Stern, New Jersey Nets owner Lewis Katz, Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon and Los Angeles Lakers vice president Jeanie Buss as Oklahoma City brought out fancy cars and hard facts to woo its first major-league sports franchise."It was a pretty full presentation and pretty much a tour de force on behalf of Oklahoma that I'd say impressed the members of the committee greatly," Stern said. (Associated Press)
OU Pro Day Today: The OU football program holds its annual pro day this morning at the Everest Indoor Training Center.. Results and measurements to be posted later today. OU offense tries goes no-huddle: OU coaches determined during the offseason that a quicker tempo was needed. So through three spring practices, the Sooners have worked extensively on installing a version of the no-huddle offense. "We're looking into doing that (exclusively)," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Monday, "and if we feel it's going good, then we'll consider doing that. "We won't go to it if it's not a good deal." Wilson said head coach Bob Stoops and "defensive coaches" approached him after the Fiesta Bowl with the idea of speeding things up offensively. (Tulsa World)
March of Dimes to honor Coach Stoops: The March of Dimes will honor New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker and Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops during its 32nd annual Sports Headliner Banquet on Wednesday. The banquet will begin at 7 p.m. at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63. Tickets are $100 per person. Tables for groups start at $500. For more ticket information, call the March of Dimes office at (405) 943-1025 or go to MarchofDimes.com/Oklahoma. (The Oklahoman)
Injuries create opportunities on defense: At outside linebacker, that should include converted safety Keenan Clayton as well as redshirt freshmen Austin Box and Travis Lewis. Both Clayton and Box strong impressions during winter workouts. "Keenan Clayton, he and Austin Box have had great winters," Stoops said. "Keenan has been around here for several years now and we've been using him at that weak-side position. We're hoping Keenan can really make a difference. He has the ability to." (The Oklahoman)
OU's kicker to be determined: The Sooners also are looking to replace kicker Garrett Hartley. Redshirt freshmen Jimmy Stevens and Matthew Moreland will handle the chores in the coming weeks. Incoming freshman Tress Way will join the battle in the fall. (Norman Transcript)
Granger and Holmes to participate in spring practice: Despite being held out of the Fiesta Bowl for different reasons, defensive back Lendy Holmes and defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger will both participate in spring drills. Holmes didn't make the trip to Arizona after failing to stay academically eligible. But he has since made himself eligible to practice with the team again. Granger was arrested in Tempe, Ariz., accused of shoplifting. He was sent home the next day. (The Oklahoman)
Reminder Red/White tickets on sale today: The game is set for April 12 with a tentative kickoff time of 1 p.m. The tickets are $5 in advance or $10 the day of the game and will be available online, in person at the Athletics Ticket Office on the plaza level of the Asp Avenue Parking Facility or by phone at 405-325-2424 or 800-456-GoOU.
Stoops on former LB Mike Reed: Stoops commented Tuesday on linebacker Mike Reed no longer being on the team. "I'm never specific on things that aren't positive," Stoops said. "In the end, there are too many team-related and academic-related activities that are not being met. So therefore, he is not going to be with us during the spring and he will seek other opportunities at the end of the semester." Last season, Reed struggled financially to support his wife and kids, while playing football and attending classes all at the same time. When his wife was hospitalized last October, Reed began missing practice and workouts to care for her and their two children. Reed has not yet commented on what his plans might be. (The Oklahoman)
Bob Stoops' opening spring press conference quotes: From SoonerSports.com
On QB Sam Bradford's development: "He had an amazing year. All you have to do is compare his statistics to the All-Americans or offensive players of the year in our league and he is there. Everything we have asked him to do he has been exceptional, so I think you have to be careful that he doesn't go out there and try to be superman. That is not what we ask our guys to do. We rely on everybody; do your job, do what you're asked to do, direct in a positive way. I think with another year under his belt he will be more of a leader vocally. He was a great leader in his actions last year, but now with more experience I think more of that will come."
On building depth at running back: "There is a perfect chance to build depth with Mossis Madu and Justin Johnson. They will get the bulk of it; we will give Matt Clapp some back there as well. But those guys have not played much at all and it will be a great opportunity. We already know what the other guys can do, so it is perfect."
On how the Fiesta Bowl loss affects spring practice: "Each year is a new team. I've never seen one year tie to the next. We have won the National Championship before and it didn't have anything to with the next year and we have lost in it and it didn't have anything to do with the next year. Each year is a different team, with different players. In the end you have to go at it again. I will say we have been pretty consistent in going after the Big 12 Championship and we look to do that again next year. Hopefully, we can finish the year a little bit better."
On Asst. Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach Jay Norvell: "Jay has a lot of excellent experience that I am excited about. He is a very positive, team-oriented guy who is incredibly competitive and passionate about the game. That is something I love about all the assistant coaches. I am excited about all of that combined with an excellent knowledge of offense. Just look at where he has been with UCLA and Nebraska and before that."
Stoops likes the schedule change: From the Tulsa World.. OU took playing in the Big 12 championship game into consideration when it agreed to play Texas Tech the week before the Nov. 29 Bedlam Series shootout at OSU. "Having been in that many Big 12 Championship games, we count that in our schedule," said Stoops about planning for 13 instead of the normal 12 regular-season games. "We feel it (open-date change) spaces the games out in a positive way." The Nov. 15 bye would come after a challenging seven-week run of games that includes four matchups against what should be Big 12 contenders in Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas A&M. "It breaks up that stretch and gives you time to work on Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in the off week," Stoops said. "It gives you a chance to regroup, and then here comes the stretch run. "And when you get to that late in the year, I like the rhythm of playing every week." (Tulsa World)
Bob Stoops to earn $2.7 million salary; $3 million bonus in 2008; plus performance bonuses: Bob Stoops is about to become a $6 million coach. Stoops, 47, is scheduled to receive a one-time $3 million benefit on Dec. 31 this year for coaching at OU 10 seasons, according to his contract obtained by The Oklahoman through the Oklahoma Open Records Act. That $3 million benefit, combined with more than $2.77 million he'll receive in guaranteed compensation, along with additional income he could gain from various performance bonuses, means that Stoops could earn more than $6 million in 2008. Sooner athletic director Joe Castiglione admits that figure could invite criticism of OU having misplaced priorities. "People may question why we do certain things," Castiglione said. "But we can measure his impact, not just with success on the field, but the way our team generates interest and excitement because of the leadership of the head coach. He positively affects so many elements of the athletic program, campus community and the state -- you could talk about it from the infusion of excitement to the economic impact." "Bob Stoops is worth every penny and always has been and always will be." (More at The Oklahoman)
Let's not forget the other perks: In addition, Stoops is also provided with *35 hours annually of private airplane use *2 automobiles with insurance *20 football tickets *Membership and monthly dues at a Norman-area golf course
UT's Rick Barnes stayed in the Stoops Suite: From Tulsa World Sports blog.. The Longhorns spent Tuesday night at Sooner Legends Inn & Suites in Norman, where Barnes bunked in the Bob Stoops Suite. The pictures and memorabilia were everywhere, prompting this quip from the Texas hoops coach: "We were pretty intimate." (Tulsa World)
Ibiloye like the hairstyle: Free safety Joseph Ibiloye got everyone's attention at South Garland's signing ceremony just by removing his baseball cap. Ibiloye had the "OU" logo sheared into his hair on the back of his head. "I wasn't going to do it," said Ibiloye, who signed with Oklahoma, "but I was talking to my barber and just threw my hat down and said, 'Let's do it.'" Ibiloye's teammates ribbed him about having to shave the logo off before school started, since attention-getting hairstyles are against school policy. (Dallas Morning News)
Coaches on the theatrics at signing ceremonies: Muskogee's Stacy McGee and Jameel Owens announced together, with McGee picking up an OU cap and placing it on his head, leaving Owens to pick up an OSU cap, only to pull an OU cap from inside the Cowboy cap. "Some of these kids, you want to slap 'em once they sign,” Barry Switzer said on Jones' radio show Wednesday. It all gets silly, which made Guthrie's Kye Staley a throwback Wednesday when he simply walked into his ceremony wearing an OSU cap. "I wouldn't say it bothers me,” Bob Stoops said of theatrics at recruiting announcements. "It's not my kid, not my young man. But you kind of set yourself up in those situations.” (The Oklahoman)
Where OU Ranks Nationally
Scout.com: #13 ESPN/Scouts Inc.: #8 It added teammates ESPN 150 WR Jameel Owens (Muskogee, Okla.) and Stacy McGee (Muskogee, Okla.) down the stretch to an already impressive class. Right now we believe RB Jermie Calhoun (Van, Texas) is special and will join an already outstanding stable of Sooners running backs and contribute quickly. However, DE R.J. Washington (Keller, Texas/Fossil Ridge) is right on his heels as the premier player in this class.
Rivals.com: #5 The Sooners did their usual sterling job, cleaning up in-state and going into Texas for some top players. They also signed top-ranked players from Georgia, New Jersey and New Mexico.
Tom Lemming, CSTV: #5 Texas players are key to recruiting, and the Sooners secured them very early and kept them: R.J. Washington, arguably the best pass rusher, RBs Jermie Calhoun and Justin Johnston, and OLs Ben Habern and Stephen Good.
SuperPrep: #6 Texas routinely supplies the Sooners with some of their finest talent. This year Bob Stoops raided the Lone Star state for five-star RBs Jermie Calhoun and Justin Johnson as well as highly regarded DE R.J. Washington and OLs Stephen Good and Ben Habern.
Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Wes Welker to be honored at Headliner Banquet: Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops and New England receiver Wes Welker will be honored by The March of Dimes at the 32nd annual Sports Headliner Banquet, at 7 p.m. March 12 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Welker, an Oklahoma native who played football at Heritage Hall High School and Texas Tech, is this year's Sports Headliner. He is a wide receiver for the New England Patriots. Welker set a franchise record in the 2007 regular season with 112 receptions, which also tied for the NFL lead. Stoops is this year's Headliner Special. This year's OU team won the Big 12 championship and played in the Fiesta Bowl. The March 12 event at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City will begin with a special reception for sponsors at 6 p.m. followed by the awards dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available. Please contact the March of Dimes at (405) 943-1025 or MarchofDimes.com/Oklahoma for more information. (The Oklahoman) In addition, Sam Bradford and former Oklahoma runningback Adrian Peterson will be given honoree awards.
Bob Stoops stops by Butte College: Bob Stoops, the University of Oklahoma's vaunted head football coach, visited the Butte College campus this morning [Thursday]. On Sunday, Stoops received a verbal commitment from standout Butte free safety David Sims, who is expected to start for the Sooners when they begin their Big 12 Conference title defense in the fall. Assistant coaches from some of the nation's top programs routinely visit Butte to recruit Roadrunners players, but appearances from head coaches like Stoops, who have a limitless schedule of offseason obligations, are much more rare. (Enterprise Record)
OU stretched thin: The Sooners were without Malcolm Kelly for all but three plays Wednesday night, and lost Juaquin Iglesias for one play early in the second quarter when the junior wide receiver appeared to turn his ankle. Quentin Chaney was able to help plug Kelly's absence with a career-high 129 receiving yards on four catches. When Iglesias left, however, OU was forced to insert walk-on Garrett Bothun. Sam Bradford scrambled for 8 yards on Bothun's one play. (Tulsa World)
Pair of Sooners get their first start: Oklahoma started redshirt freshmen Jeremy Beal of Carrollton Creekview at defensive end and Adrian Taylor of Mansfield at defensive tackle. Beal started in place of sophomore Auston English, the Big 12 sacks leader with 9 ½ , who has been battling the flu all week and is still recovering from an injured right ankle. It was Beal's second start this season. English saw limited playing time. Taylor started in place of sophomore DeMarcus Granger (Kimball), who was arrested late Saturday night on a charge of shoplifting and was sent home. (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops Coaching rumors: There are rumors that Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is a candidate for the NFL job with the Baltimore Ravens, who fired Brian Billick on Monday. Stoops was also mentioned as a possibility for Michigan, which eventually hired Rich Rodriguez from West Virginia. (The Arizona Republic)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Former Sooners' coach Mike Stoops hospitalized: Before kickoff, Bob Stoops acknowledged he was concerned about the health of his younger brother. Arizona coach Mike Stoops, who once served as OU’s defensive coordinator, was hospitalized Friday in Tucson for what was diagnosed as a problem with kidney stones. Stoops was scheduled to be on the sideline Saturday night when Arizona hosts Washington State. Bob Stoops said he didn’t know about his brother’s medical problem until after he read about it in a newspaper. "I called him, and he said he’s been in a lot of pain," Bob Stoops said. (Tulsa World)
Stoops on OU's loss: "They outplayed us and outcoached us in the second half," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "It's disappointing. We're not a very smart football team right now." (Dallas Morning News)
Reynolds expected to have X-rays today: Oklahoma linebacker Ryan Reynolds played most of the fourth quarter with numbness in his right shoulder after getting hit with a helmet Saturday. "I'll get X-rays (Sunday),” Reynolds said. "Hopefully nothing's wrong with it. It just went numb, couldn't move it.” At times, Reynolds struggled to lift his arm and trainers inspected the shoulder nearly every time he came off the field. (NewsOK.com)
Williams may return in 2008 with medical hardship: Stoops said Williams had successful surgery Tuesday to repair his Achillies' tendon and could be back next year if the NCAA grants him another year of eligibility. Williams tore an ACL in the 2005 season opener against TCU and missed the rest of the season. (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops used fake calls: Bob Stoops wore a defensive-call wristband at Tulsa and, along with Brent Venables, signaled calls to the defense -- some real, some not.Stoops said he did so "strictly because we didn't want [Tulsa coaches] to get our signals."Deciphering a defensive call has become easier for offensive coaches, and quarterbacks frequently look to their sidelines near the end of the play clock to verify calls or switch plays after offensive staffs have checked out the defensive sets. (Star-Telegram)
Stoops on rather he'd coach his sons: Stoops, who has two sons, said he isn’t sure whether he would like to coach either of them, but admires what he sees at Colorado. "I think it would be tough, just with all the scrutiny and opinion out there," Stoops said. "But just knowing Dan a little bit and being around him, I'm sure he'll handle it as well as anyone can. I think it's great to have a chance to see your son every day, and to be in competitive situations with him would be neat." (Norman Transcript)
Brown recovering after head injury: Stoops said Tuesday that sophomore running back Chris Brown is "looking better and better" after being hit in the head late in the Sooners' win Friday at Tulsa. "His checkups Sunday and Monday were really good. So we expect him to be able to play [Saturday at Colorado]," Stoops said. "I'm not saying he is yet, that's something they'll check by the end of the week. "He ran all his conditioning Monday and looked great afterward, so there aren't any lingering signs that there is something going on there." (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops wouldn't put it past anyone to tape signals: Since New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 by the NFL for taping opposing coaches defensive signals, one of the biggest questions in college football has been are coaches spying on them. Stoops said OU has never caught anyone committing the crime Belichick was accused of. But he wouldn't be surprised if it's going on. "I haven't heard any, but I wouldn't put it past some guys," he said. (Norman Transcript)
Stoops: On playing on Friday Night: OU agreed to play on Friday so that Tulsa could be on national television (ESPN2), but not before OU athletic director Joe Castiglione checked with the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association to see if high school administrators would object. They didn't. "If they had a strong feeling that this would really devastate (them), we wouldn't have done it,” Stoops said. "We're not going to make this a habit." (NewsOK.com)
OSU's Gundy favors ninth conference game; Stoops favors only if...: Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Monday he would prefer to do away with the Big 12's divisional format and have each team play nine conference games instead of eight. Gundy said he proposed the change at the conference's spring meetings, but "everybody laughed at me." Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he would support adding a ninth game, but only if it meant eliminating the conference championship game and the North and South divisions. "That's the extra game maybe that everybody's looking for, I don't know," Stoops said. "That's not a bad idea, but I don't see how it would work with two divisions. Those other teams that do (play nine games) don't have divisions like we do." Under the nine-game format, Stoops didn't think it would be practical to have the top two teams in the division play a championship game when the Big Ten and Pac-10 don't have title games. "Now your BCS opportunities aren't real good if you're just going to take the two best teams in the championship game," Stoops said. "Your likelihood of getting two in any BCS games is pretty much out the window. I don't see financially why that would work." (AP/SI.com)
Caleb may return this week? Sophomore wide receiver Brandon Caleb wasn't in pads for the Miami game due to knee injury. "He got a slight sprain on Thursday where a guy fell into him. It was kind of a freaky thing that happened to him late in the week," Stoops said. "We're hoping he'll be back this week. We'll see." Caleb is listed as a second-team wide receiver, but hasn't caught a pass this season. (Norman Transcript)
Oklahoma-Utah State available on PPV: The Oklahoma-Utah State game on Saturday, Sept. 15 will be televised live on pay-per-view by Big 12 Special Order Sports, FSN Southwest's pay-per-view division. The game, which is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT, will be available on participating cable television systems in Oklahoma and Texas and nationwide to satellite dish customers. The suggested retail price is $29.95. A list of participating programming providers carrying the PPV telecast will be announced later this week. Fans should check with their local programming provider for price and availability in their area. The game is being televised on pay-per-view because it wasn't selected for over-the-air broadcast or cable television coverage. Under conference TV rules, games not picked up for regular television distribution can only be televised live on pay-per-view, giving fans the option to watch a game they otherwise wouldn't be able to see. Participating cable and satellite TV providers will offer the telecast to their customers on a designated pay-per-view channel. The telecast will not pre-empt FSN Southwest's regularly-scheduled programming. (SoonerSports PR)
Broyles charged with misdemeanor: An attempted larceny misdemeanor charge was filed against Oklahoma wide receiver Ryan Broyles Tuesday, in connection with Broyles' arrest early last Friday for using a key and override codes to steal gas from a Norman convenience store. According to Greg Mashburn, the Cleveland County District Attorney's Office representative who filed the charge, a guilty verdict carries a maximum 15-day jail term and $1,000 fine. (Tulsa World)
Big 12 to name Commissioner today? Interim Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe and Indianapolis attorney Jack Swarbrick are the finalists to replace Kevin Weiberg as Big 12 commissioner, according to two sources close to the search. The two will interview this morning with the Big 12 Board of Directors, made up of presidents and chancellors from all the conference's schools, and plans are to announce the new commissioner today, the sources said. (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops on early kickoffs: "Selfishly, for us, (early kickoffs are) great, and the players as well," he said. "Because you get up and you're not having to sit around and think about it and wait for it all day. You get up and here it is, you go. So for us, I love it. But I recognize for the fans and everyone else that it is not the best. But we have no say-so at all in scheduling. That's all TV. We just play when they tell us to." (Tulsa World)
Patrick expected to start: Running back Allen Patrick returned to practice Monday and is expected to start. His injured ankle was the only medical question the Sooners had going into the season opener. "We had everyone practice yesterday and everyone looks good," Stoops said. Patrick will start Saturday and Chris Brown should play after missing the North Texas game due to a one-game suspension. "Like we planned all along, we want to rotate those guys in," Stoops said. "Give a guy a series here, give him a break here. If a guy's hot, stay with him a little longer." (Norman Transcript)
Gundy on D. Murray performance: "He's a terrific athlete," Oklahoma running backs coach Cale Gundy told The Post. "He can play cornerback, running back and wide receiver. I don't know how many touches a game we're going to get him, but we talk about that more than any other topic." (NY Post)
Sims statue unveiled: Oklahoma honored former Heisman Trophy-winning running back Billy Sims before the game by unveiling a statue of Sims at Owen Field. The statue joins OU's other Heisman Trophy winners, Steve Owens and Billy Vessels, already in place. A statue of Jason White will be unveiled before Saturday's game against Miami. (Dallas Morning News)
UNT coach Todd Dodge on blowout loss: "I don't really have any feelings about, 'Wow, this is the first time I've felt this,'" Dodge said of the opposite end of all the success he's had. "I'm hurting right now and hurting for my kids. When you're in this arena, you take the chance of this happening. You'll be on the wrong end of one of these."(Star-Telegram)
Franks Debut: Union redshirt freshman Dominique Franks made his OU debut Saturday night in relief of punt returner Reggie Smith. Franks fair caught the first kick he saw, then made a couple moves before settling for 8 yards on his second return. Franks fumbled his first return of the second half, and came on to return a late kickoff 37 yards. (Tulsa World)
UNT most points allowed: UNT set a school record for points allowed (79), surpassing Nebraska's 76-14 victory in 1993. Nevada's 72-0 victory in 1991 is UNT's largest margin of defeat. (Star-Telegram)
Stoops tried to run out clock: Before the fourth quarter of Saturday night's 79-10 blowout of North Texas, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops requested a running clock for the final period. At the time, the score was 63-3. "I asked the officials,” Stoops said. "They said they agreed with me, but I didn't see them go do it. You just want to get it over with. It seemed like forever. It was forever.” (NewsOK.com)
Update: OU's Broyles arrested on suspicion of theft: Suspended:Update previous post; Oklahoma's Coach Bob Stoops released an official statement on Broyles.. "We are aware of a matter involving Ryan Broyles," OU head coach Bob Stoops said today in a statement released by the OU sports information office. "Effective immediately, Ryan is suspended from the team for an indefinite period of time. I take very seriously the conduct of our players, and I will not compromise my expectations for anyone associated with our program." (NewsOK.com)
Malcolm Kelly early NFL entry? While he [Malcolm Kelly] admits he thinks about his future from time to time, he knows it's too early for all that [high draft] hype. "I'm not gonna say I don't think about it," Kelly said. "That's all you dream about your whole life. That's why you play this game -- to be able to make a living out of it. People have been saying that, but it don't really mean anything. I haven't done anything this year. "I have a lot of stuff I need to get done (before I'm ready to play in the NFL.)" (NewsOK.com)
Patrick runs light Monday practice, no timetable set: [Allen] Patrick did not practice with the team Monday. Stoops said there's no cut-off day for deciding if Patrick will play. "If we think he's close enough to full speed and not going to re-injure it and make a difference for us, then he'll play," Stoops said. (Norman Transcript)
Bob Stoops statement on Herman Mitchell: From the Tulsa World.. "Yeah, it's really sad. It's tragic," Stoops said. "All of us are saddened. Just don't know what to say in those situations. He was a great young guy, was just up here a few weeks ago when we were in our summer two-a-day work. He and his mom spent a good part of the day here. We loved having him. He was a great young man. Prayers go out to his family, his teammates, coaches and friends. It's just really, really tragic for any young guy and anyone in that circumstance."
Stoops doesn't believe today's coaches will have longevity like JoePa: An interesting quote from the Philadelphia Daily News, Paterno set to start 42nd season at PSU, break longevity record.. Bob Stoops believes regardless of success some people just like change..
Telling the Daily News.. "I think sometimes even when people have had a great deal of success or a good amount of success, I think sometimes people like change just for change," Stoops said."Maybe they just get kind of tired of looking at the same guy and want somebody different in there sometimes," he said. "I think it's tougher to do, though I'm sure it could still happen."
Oklahoma Scrimmage Stats: A crowd estimated at 5,000 braved a steady rain to watch the workout, which included 97 plays. SoonerSports.com
Passing Sam Bradford: 12-17-130, 4 TDs Keith Nichol: 5-16-82, 1 TD Joey Halzle: 8-23-47, 1 INT
Rushing Murray: 9 carries for 105 yards, 1 TD. Brown: 8 carries for 37 yards. Gove: 8 carries for 34 yards. Madu: 7 carries for 28 yards. Gutierrez: 8 carries for 26 yards. Nichol: 3 carries for 4 yards. Halzle: 1 carry for -3 yards. Iglesias: 1 carryfor -4 yards. Complete Scrimmage stats at SoonerSports.com
Patrick may return next week? Stoops said next week's workouts might include running back Allen Patrick, who has been sidelined for nearly two weeks with a sprained right ankle. (SoonerSports.com)
Stoops on the QB performance:"We're still deciding," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "We like what we've seen from all of them. They've all made great progress."
Clayton to strongside linebacker: One position switch was noticeable Saturday. Keenan Clayton, who started two games last season at strong safety, has been moved to strongside linebacker. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said the switch was made a few days ago. Clayton only made eight tackles last season and lost his starting job when Reggie Smith was switched back to strong safety after two games. D.J. Wolfe has won the starting job there this season. (Norman Transcript)
Equal time for all three quarterbacks in practice allows comfort: That's part of the reason Oklahoma's scrimmage on Saturday is open to the public. It's also why the Sooners offensive coordinator and his other coaches will step to the sideline during practice. "Instead of us being out there calling the play and setting the tempo, 'Hey, it's your team, your offense. You've got this group. Let's see how you do.'" Wilson said. "We did that a lot at the end of last spring, and we want to start early this year with those guys playing on their own, instead of us holding their hands." Wilson said all three quarterbacks -- Joey Halzle, Sam Bradford and Keith Nichol -- are playing an equal number of snaps in practice. (NewsOK.com)
Stoops appreciates Barry's HR 756: Count the Sooner coach among those who support new home run king Barry Bonds. "I thought it was great," Stoops said of Bonds' 756th home run. "The guy is amazing what he's done. The more they talk about him. . . I'm not the biggest baseball fan, I don't follow it that much. But just all the Gold Gloves, what a complete player he's been is really impressive." (Tulsa World)
Big Red Rally set: OU has set the date for its annual preseason pep rally. The Big Red Rally will take place at 6 p.m. on Aug. 23 at Owen Field. (NewsOK.com)
Scrimmage Information: Remember Oklahoma's first scrimmage of the 2007 fall schedule is open to the public this Saturday, gates open at 9:30 a.m. and starts at 11:00 a.m. Information on the scrimmage is available at SoonerSports.com.
Sooners and Bearcats series official; OU to play UC at Bengal Stadium in 2010: As posted previously,Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati Slated for 2008 and 2010?..The University of Cincinnati and Oklahoma have signed a contract to play each other in a home-and-home football series, beginning in 2008 when the Bearcats will travel to Norman to face the Sooners on Sept. 6. Oklahoma, which plays in the Big 12 Conference, will return the game on Sept. 25, 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium. UC and Oklahoma have never played each in football. "If we expect Bearcat football to be a national presence and compete in the BCS, we need to play nationally recognized programs," said UC coach Brian Kelly. "This is an opportunity for UC to play at the highest level and host a BCS program in an NFL venue." (The Enquirer)
Oklahoma Sooners practice report: Stoops gave his first practice update since OU's media day last Friday. "We're much further along than we were a year ago at this time," he said. "Guys are competing well and doing good." As for his three quarterbacks? "(They) look good," he said. "They all are making really good progress." (Tulsa World)
Scrimmage open to the public: Oklahoma's first scrimmage of the fall is open to the public, scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Owen Field.
Stoops doesn't rule out using two quarterbacks: Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops seeks a starting quarterback for the 2007 season and hasn't ruled out the idea of using two quarterbacks. "There's always that chance," Stoops said Friday morning during the Sooners' media day in Norman. "I'm not saying we will, but it's too early to say we wouldn't." The biggest question as Oklahoma opens August practice is who will be the starting QB. (Tulsa World)
Pendleton receives Bowden FCA Award: Former Oklahoma football player Carl Pendleton held the Bobby Bowden Fellowship of Christian Athletes Award in his hands for about two minutes. And that was enough for him. Pendleton, who was announced as the winner of the award in January, finally received the trophy Thursday night during the OU Caravan stop at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. (NewsOK.com)
University of Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops Big 12 Media Day Quotes:
On Oklahoma's Quarterback race: Bob Stoops:I think the big issues I'll address right off the bat is everyone wants to talk about are quarterback situation and everyone wants to know who the guy is. We don't have a timetable. That position, as I keep saying, needs to be earned. I want that position. And we've been fairly successful. I've said this before. We've had four different quarterbacks win four different Big 12 championships. So this isn't anything new to us. We believe that that position needs to have the confidence of the team. Needs to have the respect of the team in the huddle, in the locker room, and you only get that through your time on the field. And they haven't had the time yet.
How does losing Adrian Peterson effect the Oklahoma offense: How will we handle that? But I believe for the most part everyone saw us do that a year ago. We average rushing the ball actually more yards per game without him than we did with him.
Defensive Expectations: Defensively I'm excited about the group of guys that are back. I feel overall the biggest question I think everyone will have will be at linebacker, but with guys like Curtis Lofton, Ryan Reynolds is healing great in a great way, will be set to play.
Q. Bob, can you just kind of take us through your back field and how you would foresee that? How would you like that to develop with Allen and what he did last year, maybe some of the other guys like Chris and DeMarco?
COACH BOB STOOPS: Well, I'd like to see them rush the ball for a bunch of yards. I think in the end, the way we look at it, I don't feel any of those guys have the physical, maybe, prowess that Adrian had, that Adrian Peterson had. The stamina and the strength that he had is very unusual. Adrian could play 60 snaps or more. These guys, I just don't feel their body types through hopefully 14 games will be able to -- so in the end we look to use them, each of them 20, 25 snaps in that kind of way. And Allen Patrick, I think as much as anything they need to be able to take care of the football. And they did a year ago. But Allen Patrick, Chris Brown, had the bulk of the load last year when Adrian went down and did a great job for us. And I expect them to be every bit that good or better with another year. And DeMarco Murray showed great excitement and promise through the spring. Probably showed through the spring to be our biggest play threat with DeMarco back there. And he's up to about 205, 210 pounds. He's put on muscle and looks good. So we'll use him to complement one another. I think in the end it will be better because we'll be able to keep them fresh. A fresh set of legs hitting the defense in a different series I think helps. Via Big12Sports.com
Oklahoma at Big 12 Media Days today: As previously posted.. OU coach Bob Stoops will bring a pair of junior Sooners, defensive back Reggie Smith and wide receiver Malcolm Kelly. Cowboys starting quarterback Bobby Reid won't make the trip, and neither will any of OU's three potential quarterbacks, Sam Bradford, Joey Halzle or Keith Nichol. (NewsOK.com) UPDATED: Players listed to participate in Big 12 Media Days according to Big12Sports.com, Joe Jon Finley, TE; Malcolm Kelly, WR; Marcus Walker, DB.. UPDATED Schedule: • 1:00-1:45 pm - Print • 1:45-2:25 pm - TV • 2:25-3:05 pm - Radio • 3:05-4:05 pm - National TV All-Access video coverage available on Big12Sports.com
Former OU QB Holieway arrested: McIntosh County Sheriff's deputies have arrested former Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway on a misdemeanor complaint of possession of marijuana. Deputies arrested Holieway, 40, about 2:30 a.m. Saturday after a traffic stop in Eufaula, deputy Tim Turner said. Holieway played for Oklahoma from 1985 to 1988 and was the starting quarterback on the Sooners' 1985 team that won the national title. He remains the only true freshman quarterback in NCAA Division I-A history to start for a national-championship team. (AP/Dallas Morning News)
Stoops speaks about balance between family and work at event: [Bob] Stoops and ESPN's NFL reporter Chris Mortensen were the featured speakers at Friday night's In The Zone event at Mabee Center. In The Zone is a four-hour seminar for men dedicated to uniting them on a spiritual level by appealing to their love of sports. Stoops was warmly received by the nearly 700 people in attendance, many wearing OU attire. (Tulsa World)
