Game Day - Sept 8

The Norman Transcript n Sept. 8, 2012

Florida A&M at Oklahoma 6 p.m. n Owen Field n Pay Per View n KOKC-AM 1520

Home opener: Sooners must improve in Week 2

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Daily Transcript

The Norman Transcript

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Sept. 8, 2012

GAMEDAY

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THE VIEW

Looking good?

Against an opponent they’re sure to crush, Sooners should also appear to really know what they’re doing

H

ere’s the thinking on Oklahoma playing a Football Championship Subdivision program like Florida A&M for its Owen Field opener.

It’s an awful game.

Great program’s like OU should not dip into the FCS for opponents.

Of course, the Sooners get reprieve as they had very nearly no choice, having lost TCU as a nonconference game (funny, nobody’s suggested playing TCU twice but it sure would have had people’s attention).

Along with that narrative is the idea there’s not a lot to be accomplished against a squad the likes of the Rattlers. The Sooners could match what the Pokes did against Savannah State — 84-0 — and still, what will we have learned?

It’s true, OU needs to develop depth, needs to get

Clay Horning Sports Editor

more bodies on the field, needs to give its defensive line a few breathers; heck, probably needs to see what Blake Bell can do when he’s not running the “Belldozer.”

The quality of opponent may not mean much, but it’s still a Saturday in front of almost 90,000..

That matters.

But whether it’s for a quarter, a half, a half and the first series of the third quarter, it might be nice to see the Sooners do more.

Anything but a lopsided final will be quite the surprise and still, not all • See HORNING Page 14

Florida A&M at Oklahoma Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Owen Field Series: First meeting Records: OU 1-0, FAMU 0-1 Rankings: OU No. 5 USA Today coaches poll; No. 5 Associated Press Top 25.

FAMU unranked in FCS. TV: Pay Per View Radio: KOKC-AM 1520, KRXO-FM 107.7

Inside n n n n n n n n n

Time to get better Breakdown Rosters Two-deeps Poster Stats National Schedule Big 12 Glance Predictions

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On cover: Kenny Stills catches a touchdown pass against UTEP last Saturday.

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

Sooner running back Dominique Whaley carries the ball at UTEP last week.

Whaley played well enough against the Miners, but the Sooners need him to continue toward the form he displayed last season.

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GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

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Sept. 8, 2012

THE BIG STORY: GET SH A RP

Time to play better It’s a last chance to set tone before conference begins

By John Shinn Transcript Sports Writer

The old adage is teams make their biggest improvement between the first and second games. Oklahoma hopes it doesn’t buck the trend in today’s 6 p.m. meeting with Florida A&M. The Sooners (1-0) know their performance in a seasonopening 24-7 victory over UTEP left a lot to be desired and caused many to wonder if OU was truly worthy of its preseason status as Big 12 Conference favorite and a national championship contender.

“Everyone kind of freaks

out the first game, but we need to play better and we will,” linebacker Tom Wort said. “Everyone freaks out, but everyone here has a level mindset. We’ll get better.”

They have to, or it’s going to be a long season.

Spending more than three quarters mired in a one-possession game wasn’t the ideal way to start the thing off.

Quarterback Landry Jones struggled to connect with any receivers other than Kenny Stills. The offensive line had some pass protection issues. OU’s special teams had one of its worst games in years with a

“Everyone kind of freaks out the first game, but we need to play better and we will. Everyone freaks out, but everyone here has a level mindset. We’ll get better.”

Tom Wort,

OU middle linebacker blocked field goal and blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown.

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript Mistakes are going to be Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones prepares to throw a pass at UTEP. Every • See BETTER Page 10 Sooner will be looking to play a better game tonight against Florida A&M.

The Norman Transcript

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Sept. 8, 2012

GAMEDAY

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FAMU at OKL A HOMA: BRE A K ING DOWN TONIGHT’S G AME

Stills can’t be only good target

By John Shinn

Sooner receiver Trey Metoyer fights for yardage against UTEP. The freshman receiver won’t have to do much to be better than he was in El Paso.

Transcript Sports Writer

The seaFive son didn’t things to begin with a thud, yet watch the SoonJohn Shinn ers’ 24-7 victory over UTEP was hardly a dominant performance.

Receivers struggling to get open, pass protection breaking down and special teams gaffes all led to a closer than expected season opener.

Tonight, OU hosts Florida A&M in a game that shouldn’t be close, but there are several aspects and players in tonight’s game worthy of watching closely: Wide receiver Trey Metoyer:

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

The freshman looked like a future All-American last spring, but looked like a typical freshman with four catches for 21 yards against UTEP. The Sooners need to get him going if they hope for him to

be a go-to wide receiver on the outside this season. He can still get there, but his comfort level must rise in order for it to happen. Look • See WATCH Page 11

RUNNING GAME

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Say what you will about OU’s offense, 5.5 yards per carry was a good start.

Damien Williams showed he has big-play potential and Dominique Whaley, though rusty, can still move a pile, backup quarterback Blake Bell remains a first-down machine. All should rack up bigger numbers tonight.

PA S S I N G G A M E

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Kenny Stills can be a go-to receiver. Getting the rest complement him is the issue. Freshman Trey Metoyer needs to become a bigger part of the passing game. That’s not play-calling, that’s him getting open more often. OU’s receivers should find plenty of room to roam.

PA S S D E F E N S E

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An interception is the only thing missing from the OU secondary’s resume.

Outside of that the group showed it could play with discipline that was missing last season. The Rattlers are going to be running up a steep hill when it comes to defending the pass.

RUN DEFENSE

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It was shoddy on a handful of plays against the Miners. It should be better against the Rattlers. Key thing to watch is how much defensive tackles David King and Jamarkus McFarland play. The Sooners must develop some depth at the tackle spots. Tonight is that chance.

SPECIAL TEAMS

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If Florida A&M has a tiny edge in anything, it has to be here. It managed to play its season opener without having a punt or field goal.

Blocked OU can’t say those things. Of course, those were protection issues.

Kicking wise, Michael Hunnicutt and Tress Way give OU a huge edge.

I N TA N G I B L E S

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This is a game Oklahoma will win. The only question is by how many. Florida A&M will get a slight boost because tonight represents the only chance for OU to seriously test its bench before Big 12 play begins.

Expect those reserves to get in the game very early and the scoreboard will likely reflect it.

— John Shinn

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GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

OKLAHOMA ROSTER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 36 37 38

Tony Jefferson Julian Wilson Sterling Shepard Kenny Stills Joseph Ibiloye Demontre Hurst Corey Nelson Dominique Whaley Joe Powell Gabe Lynn Trevor Knight Rashod Favors Blake Bell R.J. Washington Kendal Thompson Landry Jones Durron Neal Jalen Saunders Aaron Colvin Drew Allen Lamar Harris Jaz Reynolds Trey Metoyer Michael Hunnicutt Lacolton Bester Justin Brown Frank Shannon Tom Wort Austin Brown Roy Finch Cortez Johnson Kass Everett Danzel Williams Brennan Clay Trey Franks Aaron Franklin David Smith Zack Sanchez Damien Williams Gary Simon Alex Ross Grant Bothun Quentin Hayes Javon Harris Daniel Franklin Marshall Musil Trey Millard Daniel Brooks Julian Winters Joel Ossom Tress Way Dylan Seibert Brandon Young

DB DB WR WR LB DB LB RB DB DB QB DE QB DE QB QB WR WR DB QB DB WR WR K WR WR LB LB WR RB DB DB RB RB DB LB RB DB RB DB RB WR DB DB LB FB FB RB RB FB P P DB

5-11 212 6-2 191 5-10 188 6-1 190 6-3 218 5-10 183 6-1 219 5-11 204 6-0 173 6-0 199 6-1 197 6-1 250 6-6 254 6-3 256 6-1 184 6-4 218 5-11 201 5-9 160 6-0 181 6-5 226 6-1 186 6-2 198 6-1 190 6-0 173 6-3 205 6-3 209 6-1 230 6-0 237 6-5 202 5-7 175 6-2 191 5-10 180 5-8 189 5-11 201 5-10 184 6-1 212 5-10 193 5-11 170 6-0 208 6-1 180 6-1 204 5-11 183 6-0 181 5-11 206 6-2 224 6-2 241 6-2 256 5-8 163 5-11 169 5-9 235 6-1 215 6-3 215 5-10 173

Jr. Chula Vista, Calif.

So. Moore Fr. Oklahoma City Jr. Encinitas, Calif.

Sr. Garland, Texas Sr. Lancaster, Texas Jr. Dallas, Texas Sr. Lawton Jr. Dallas Jr. Tulsa Fr. San Antonio So. Fort Worth So. Wichita,Kan. Sr. Fort Worth R-Fr. Oklahoma City Sr. Artesia, N.M. Fr. St. Louis, Mo. Jr. Elk Grove, Calif.

Jr. Owasso Jr. San Antonio Sr. Gilmer, Texas Jr. Houston, Texas Fr. Whitehouse, Texas So. Richardson, Texas Jr. Scooba, Miss.

Sr. Wilmington, Del. R-Fr. Dallas Jr. New Braunfels, TX R-Fr. Buffalo, Wyo. Jr. Niceville, Fla. So. NewOrleans, La. Jr. Philadelphia, Pa. R-Fr. Arlington, Texas Jr. San Diego Jr. Orange, Texas So. Marshall, Texas Fr. Midlothian, Ill. Fr. Keller, Texas Jr. San Diego Fr. St. Petersburg, Fla. Fr. Jenks Fr. Rowlett, Texas So. Lancaster, Texas Sr. Lawton Sr. Mount Airy, Ga. Jr. La Crosse, Kan. Jr. Columbia, Mo. Fr. Port Lavaca, Texas So. Sacramento, Calif.

Sr. Denton, Texas Sr. Tulsa R-Fr. Tulsa So. Frisco, Texas

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Sept. 8, 2012

FAMU ROSTER 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 56 59 64 67 68 69 71 72 74 75 77 78 79 80 80 81 82 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Jack Steed K Nick Hodgson K P.L. Lindley LB Eric Striker LB Jesse Paulsen DB Patrick O’Hara K Jaydan Bird LB Caleb Gastelum LB Eric Doughtie DB Alex Christiensen FB Eric Hosek K Aaron Ripkowski FB David Driskill FB Austin Woods OL John-Philip Hughes OL Casey Walker DT Nila Kasitati OL Ty Darlington OL Nathan Hughes OL Gabe Ikard OL Robert Hollis OL Bronson Irwin OL Lane Johnson OL Tyrus Thompson OL Derek Farniok OL Adam Shead OL Tyler Evans OL Marquis Anderson DT Kyle Marrs OL Daryl Williams OL Jordan Phillips DT Derrick Woods WR Sam Grant TE Brannon Green TE Mike Onuoha DE Don Caudill WR Geneo Grissom TE Brandon Kitchens WR Derrick Bradley WR Taylor McNamara TE Connor Knight TE Chase Buck TE David King DE Charles Tapper DE Stacy McGee DT Jordan Wade DT Torrea Peterson DT Damon Williams DT Mitch Tate DE Jamarkus McFarland DT Chuka Ndulue DE Chaz Nelson DE

6-5 200 6-2 189 6-2 240 6-0 198 6-0 193 6-0 192 6-2 236 6-1 196 6-0 197 6-3 243 5-10 150 6-1 260 6-1 239 6-4 293 6-4 250 6-2 309 6-4 309 6-3 266 6-6 248 6-3 288 6-4 333 6-5 307 6-7 303 6-5 303 6-9 319 6-4 307 6-5 315 6-3 265 6-5 320 6-6 299 6-6 318 6-1 185 6-7 234 6-2 250 6-5 235 6-1 194 6-4 247 5-11 161 5-8 173 6-5 234 6-4 212 6-3 231 6-5 286 6-4 265 6-4 299 6-4 290 6-3 277 6-3 305 6-4 238 6-2 288 6-3 256 6-2 239

Fr. Katy, Texas So. N. Richland Hills, TX R-Fr. R. Rock, Texas Fr. Seffner, Fla. Sr. Albuquerque, N.M. Sr. Topeka, Kan. Sr. Wichita, Kan. So. Claremore Fr. Sugarland, Texas Fr. Edmond R-Fr. Sherman, Texas So. Dayton, Ohio So. Oklahoma City Jr. Rockwall, Texas R-Fr. Tulsa Sr. Garland, Texas R-Fr. Euless, Texas Fr. Apopka, Fla. R-Fr. Spring, Texas Jr. Oklahoma City R-Fr. Tulsa Jr. Mustang Sr. Groveton, Texas So. Pflugerville, Texas R-Fr. Sioux Falls, S.D. So. Cedar Hill, Texas Sr. Strafford, Mo. R-Fr. Cibolo, Texas Fr. San Antonio, Texas So. Lake Dallas, Texas R-Fr. Towanda, Kan. Fr. Inglewood, Calif.

Fr. North Royalton, Ohio Jr. Altamont, Kan. Fr. Edmond Jr. Muldrow So. Hutchinson, Kan. Fr. Jenks Sr. Houston, Texas Fr. San Diego, Calif.

Fr. San Antonio, Jr. Edmond Sr. Houston Fr. Baltimore Sr. Muskogee Fr. Round Rock, Texas So. San Antonio So. Irving, Texas R-Fr. Bartlesville Sr. Lufkin, Texas So. Dallas Jr. Columbus, Ohio

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 44 46 47 48 49 51 52 54 55 56 57 58 59

McBurse, Al-Terek RB Harvey, Travis WR Roberts, Devan DB Johnson, DevontateCB Aiken, Patrick DB Maxey, George LB Fleming, Damien QB Denmark, Brandon LB Rocker, Eddie RB Williams, Lee RB Williams, Anthony WR Bass, Tyler QB Ross, Marvin CB Godbolt, Marshane DB Mathews, Antwain DB Caffey, Timothy QB Smith, Joshua CB Pillow, Jonathan DB Amos, Christopher CB Owens, James RB Paul, Vasty RB Thomas, Willie RB Ojo, John FS Daniels, Lakeif WR Lennon, Lenworth WR Butler, Johnathan DB Cromartie, Roderick WR Harrison, Diante` WR Cunningham, Neal S Stephens, Michael CB Varnadore, Chase K Lockett, Lonnie RB Stanley, Jordan RB Blanton, Colby K Jackson, Raymond FB Wiggins, Diavonte RB Riley, Tyler LS Bone, Trevor LB Willis, Kambriel LB White, David LB Connor, Derrick LB Jackson, Bobby LB Blount, Akil LB Morris, Michael TE Norton, Nolan LB Ducre, Mike LB Hepburn, Brandon LB Davis, Brandon DT Almendares, Doug. OL Butler, Kashawn LB Small, William LB House, Kevin OL Turner, Reginald C

5-11 205 6-2 185 6-1 200 6-0 183 5-10 170 6-2 230 6-3 180 6-4 230 5-8 175 5-8 160 5-10 172 6-3 220 5-10 183 5-10 6-0 170 6-3 200 5-9 180 6-0 195 6-2 215 5-9 180 5-11 200 5-8 170 6-3 205 6-0 180 5-10 175 5-11 185 5-8 165 5-7 172 6-1 205 5-9 170 5-11 170 6-0 215 5-10 192 6-1 210 5-9 253 5-9 185 5-11 215 6-4 240 5-11 230 6-2 200 6-4 225 6-1 230 6-3 225 6-4 230 6-1 215 6-2 230 6-4 235 6-4 310 6-3 310 6-1 235 6-2 205 6-3 300 6-4 300

Sr. Oviedo, Fla. RSr. Inglewood, Calif.

So. Ocala, Fla. So. Tallahassee,Fla. RFr.Pembroke Pines, Fla. RFr. Jacksonville, Fla. So. Jacksonville, Fla. Jr. Tallahassee, Fla. Sr. Ocala, Fla. Fr. Pelham, Ga. RFr.Fort Lauderdale, Fla. RSr. Atlanta, Ga. Sr. Jacksonville, Fla. Fr. Crawfordville, Fla. RSo. Quincy, Fla. Fr. Port St. Lucie, Fla. Jr. Miami, Fla. Jr. Jacksonville, Fla. Fr. MCDonough, Ga. RJr. Apopka, Fla. Jr. Tampa, Fla. Fr. Sopchoppy, Fla. Sr. Tallahassee, Fla. Fr. St. Petersburg, Fla. So. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. RFr. Tallahassee, Fla. So. Macon, Ga. Fr. Orlando, Fla. Fr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Fr. Tampa, Fla. So. Tallahassee, Fla. RJr. Baton Rouge, La. So. Tallahassee, Fla. Fr. Jacksonville, Fla. Jr. Tampa, Fla. Fr. Jacksonville, Fla. Fr. Ocala, Fla. Fr. Kansas City, Mo. Sr. Miami, Fla. Fr. Tampa, Fla. So. Miami, Fla. Jr. Miami, Fla. Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa. RFr. Jacksonville, Fla. RFr. Tallahassee, Fla. Jr. Orlando, Fla. Sr. Pomona, Sr. Jacksonville, Fla. Jr. Miami, Fla. So. Dania, Fla. RFr. Austell, Ga. Jr. Jacksonville, Fla. RSo. Kissimmee, Fla.

60 61 62 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 74 75 76 78 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 87 88 89 90 91 95 96 97 98 99

Hall, Bryce OL Harris, Javen LB Vera, Daniel OL Rose, James OG Rios, Ivan OL Escandon, Ignacio OL Liford, Gene DT Hyppolite, Ellie DE Templeton, Ryan OL Lennon, Daniel OL Hartley, Robert OT Gay, Jamal OL Patterson, Zerrie OL Robinson, Steven OL Sarvary, Drew OL Harvey, Dewayne WR Williams, Motavius WR Felix, Admasen WR Ray, Anthony WR Palmer-Hicks, Alonzo OL Holdren, Branden P Orr, DaLawrence WR Williams, Anthony WR Ethridge, Michael TE Hall, Dennis WR Mays, Frances DE Chisholm, Romario DE Scott, Padric DT Willams, Danzell LS Broaddus, James DT Helms, Matthew C. DE Ihenacho, Baldwin DE

6-4 280 6-1 240 6-2 274 6-1 306 6-3 280 6-5 280 6-9 300 6-4 275 6-4 285 6-2 304 6-7 310 6-2 265 6-2 340 6-3 300 6-6 315 6-1 205 6-0 160 5-11 195 6-4 225 6-2 340 6-2 240 6-2 175 5-11 165 6-3 230 5-10 186 6-10 295 6-3 260 6-1 305 6-0 268 6-5 245 6-4 255 6-2 265

Fr. Fort Pierce, Fla. RJr. Eufaula, Ala. Fr. Sunrise, Fla. Jr. Miramar, Fla. Fr. Orlando, Fla. RFr. Miami, Fla. RFr. Monticello, Fla. Sr. Daytona Beach, Fla. So. Chicago, Ill. Fr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. RSr. Lake City, Fla. Fr. Tallahassee, Fla. Fr. Fort Pierce, Fla. RSr. Tallahassee, Fla. Fr. Tallahassee, Fla. So. Tallahassee, Fla. Fr. Tallahassee, Fla. RSo. Palm Beach, Fla. RJr. Lakeland, Fla. Fr. Ft. Pierce, Fla. Sr. Jacksonville, Fla. Fr. Miami, Fla. RFr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jr. Tallahassee, Fla. RSo. Pahokee, Fla. Jr. Bemidji, Minn.

Unk Orlando, Fla. RSr. Tallahassee, Fla. Fr. Wildwood, Fla. RFr.Choctawhatchee, Fla. Fr. Tallahassee, Fla. Sr. Boston, Mass

Gameday events

n 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — $1 off regular admission at Fred

Jones Jr. Museum of Art with same day game ticket, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art n 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — “Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Discoveries from China” and “A Gathering of Traditions: A Centennial Celebration of Dr. Charles Marius Barbeau in Oklahoma” exhibits, Sam Noble Museum n 3-5 p.m. — Fan Fest, Rhyne Hall parking lot n 3-6 p.m. — Union Game Day Events, Will Rogers Room of Oklahoma Memorial Union n 3:45 p.m. — OU Drumline performance, east side of Oklahoma Memorial Union n 4 p.m. — Sooner Family Fun Zone family tailgating, Norman Institute of Religion, free n 4:30 p.m. — Pride of Oklahoma marching band concert, Jacobson House

69, Lane Johnson 71, Tyrus Thompson

FB: When Sooners take a receiver off the field 33, Trey Millard 48, Aaron Ripkowski 85, Geneo Grissom 88, Tyler McNamara

LT:

FB: 43, Lonnie Lockett 48, Michael Morris

TB: 8, Dominique Whaley 24, Brennan Clay 26, Damien Williams

TB: 9, Eddie Rocker 21, James Owens

DT: 53, Casey Walker 97, Jamarcus McFarland

SS:

CB: 6, Demontre Hurst 15, Lamar Harris

DE: 98, Chuka Ndulue 84, Mike Onuoha

7, Corey Nelson 25 Aaron Franklin

Sept. 8, 2012

WR: 27, Lenworth Lennon 11, Anthony Williams

88, Michael Etheridge 48, Michael Morris

LB:

21, Tom Wort 20, frank Shannon

LB:

1, Tony Jefferson 42, Jesse Paulsen

TE:

RT: 75, Zerrie Patterson 77, Gene Liford

RG: 63, Kevin House 71, Daniel Lennon

DT: 90, David King 80, Jordan Phillips

QB: 7, Damien Fleming 12, Tyler Bass

C: 55, Douglass Almendares 60, Bryce Hall

LG: 76, Steven Robinson 65, James Rose

72, Robert Hartley 78, Drew Sarvary

9, Gabe Lynn 2, Julian Wilson

WHEN OKLAHOMA HAS THE BALL

LB:

FS:

DE: 11, R.J. Washington 10, Rashod Favors

CB: 14, Aaron Colvin 27, Gary Simon

CB: 4, Devontae Terry Johnson 5, Patrick Aiken

3, Devan Roberts 19, Jonathan Pillow

WR: 2, Travis Harvey 81, DeWayne Harvey

46, Bobby Jackson 47, Akil Blount

LB:

57, William Smalls 51, Mike Decre

52, Brandon Hepburn 63, Kashawn butler

LB:

LB:

8, Brandon Denmark 6, George Elijah Maxey

SS:

WR: 19, Justin Brown 13, Durron Neal

TE:

DE: 54, Brandon Davis 90, Francis Mayes

NT: 95, Padric Scott 92, Michael Lovejoy

RT: 79, Darryl Williams 72, Derek Farniok

RG: 68, Bronson Irwin 50, Austin Woods

QB: 12, Landry Jones 10, Blake Bell

C: 64, Gabe Ikard 56, Ty Darlington

LT: LB:

25, John Ojo 28, Jonathan Butler

â–

LG: 74, Adam Shead 54, Nila Kasitati

DE: 69, Ellie Hyppolite 98, Matthew Caleb Helms

CB: 13, Marvin Ross 18, Joshua Smith

FS:

SR: 4, Kenny Stills 3, Sterling Shephard

WR: 17, Trey Metoyer 18, LaColten Bester

The Norman Transcript GAMEDAY 7

WHEN FAMU HAS THE BALL 30, Javon Harris 9, Gabe Lynn

Photo by Jerry Laizure

6 ■ DB ■ 5’10 ■ 183 Lancaster, Texas Career: 41 games, 28 starts, 122 tackles , 2 interceptions, 25 pass breakups

DEMONTRE HURST

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GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

Jones Total Opp.

SCHEDULE Sept. 1 at UTEP Sept. 8 Florida A&M Sept. 22 Kansas St. Oct. 6 at Texas Tech Oct. 13 Texas Oct. 20 Kansas Oct. 27 Notre Dame Nov. 3 at Iowa State Nov. 10 Baylor Nov. 17 at W. Virginia Nov. 24 OSU Dec. 1 at TCU

W, 24-7 6 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

STATS Williams Whaley Clay Bell Stills Millard Jones Total Opp.

Att 10 11 6 4 1 2 3 37 36

(One game) Rushing Yds A/C TD 103 10.3 1 54 4.9 0 26 4.3 0 26 6.5 0 9 9.0 0 6 3.0 0 -19 -6.3 0 205 5.5 1 207 5.8 0

Lg 65 18 8 19 9 6 0 65 71

Y/G 103.0 54.0 26.0 26.0 9.0 6.0 -19.0 205.0 207.0

Stills Brown Metoyer Whaley Millard Green Clay Total Opp.

Eff 128.47 128.47 42.43

Passing C-A-I 21-36-0 21-36-0 7-26-0

Pct Yds. TD 58.3 222 2 58.3 222 2 26.9 48 0

Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg A/G 6 121 20.2 1 68 121.0 4 32 8.0 0 11 32.0 4 21 5.2 0 9 21.0 3 1 0.3 0 7 1.0 2 19 9.5 0 10 19.0 1 18 18.0 1 18 18.0 1 10 10.0 0 10 10.0 21 222 10.6 2 68 222.0 7 48 6.9 0 13 48.0

Tackles (leaders) S A T Loss Jefferson 3 7 10 Harris 4 4 8 1.0-4 Wort 1 6 7 1.0-5 Ndulue 2 5 7 .

Washington 2 4 6 Colvin 1 5 6 McFarland 0 5 5 0.5-2 Nelson 0 4 4 Favors 0 4 4 0.5-3 Bird 0 3 3 Hurst 1 2 3 King 0 3 3 0.5-1 Lynn 1 2 3 1.5-2

Sack

0.5-0 1.0-2 0.5-3

TE A M NUMBERS SCORING Points per game FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing

OU 24 24.0 19 9 10 0 205 225 20 37 5.5 205.0 1

Opp. 7 7.0 13 7 3 3 207 222 15 36 5.8 207.0 0

PASSING YARDAGE 222 C-A-I 21-36-0 Average per pass 6.2 Average per catch 10.6 Average per game 222.0 TDs Passing 2 TOTAL OFFENSE 427 Total Plays 73 Average per play 5.8 Average per game 427.0 3rd-DOWN Conversions 5-16 Percentage 31% 4th-DOWN Conversions 1-1 Percentage 100%

48 7-26-0 1.8 6.9 48.0 0 255 62 4.1 255.0 3-16 19% 0-2 0%

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Sept. 8, 2012

Better: Sooners need to improve • Continued from Page 4 made. Repeating them is what sends seasons spiraling down the drain.

“It’s just one of those things where it takes time to get at the peak of your game,” center Gabe Ikard said.

But how can improvement be measured?

Florida A&M (0--1) is a Football Championship Subdivision team and OU has typically avoided playing teams outside the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Sooners didn’t set out to play an FCS team this season. The non-conference schedule had to be shuffled in the spring after the Big 12 Conference announced it was bringing in TCU as a new member. OU already had the Horned Frogs as a non-conference opponent and was left scurrying to find a replacement.

The result is a game that shouldn’t be competitive.

There’s the simple matter of the Sooners having 20 more scholarship players in uniform. There won’t be a game this season where OU has a

Blake Bell did his job last week at UTEP, delivering a first down each time the “Belldozer” package was inserted into the game.

Today, Bell might see time in the Sooners’ regular offensive package.

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

bigger talent edge.

It comes down to discipline.

Tonight’s game isn’t about the big picture of being able to compete for a Big 12 or even a national championship. It’s about the fine points of execution.

“It’s not big-picture things.

It’s a lot of fine detail that we’ve got to continue to iron out,” OU offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said.

Smoothing out what didn’t go as planned against UTEP is important for OU’s starters and second-team players.

The quicker they can do it the better.

The other objective — and it’s a big one tonight — is to get the Sooners’ backups involved in the game quickly.

The struggles against UTEP eliminated that chance. With the start of the Big 12 season coming on Sept. 22 against Kansas State following an off week, tonight is the Sooners’ last chance to truly clear the bench and see what these guys can do.

Everyone in a Sooner uniform has something to prove

tonight and it goes well beyond the scoreboard.

“We know what we’re capable of. When we don’t perform the way we know we’re capable of, we feel bad,” left guard Adam Shead said. “It’s just the thought of knowing you left something on the field.”

The only way to get rid of that feeling is to improve.

The opponent is beside the point.

John Shinn Follow me @john_shinn jshinn@normantranscript.com

The Norman Transcript

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Sept. 8, 2012

GAMEDAY

Eff Fleming 87.7 Tyler 539.2 Total 102.2 Opp. 141.9

SCHEDULE Sept. 1 at Tenn. St. L, 17-14.

Sept. 8 at Oklahoma 6 p.m.

Sept. 15 Hampton 5 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Del. St. 5 p.m.

Sept. 29 at Southern 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Howard noon Oct. 13 Sav. State 5 p.m.

Oct. 20 S.C. State 5 p.m.

Nov. 3 at N.C. A&T 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 10 N.C. Central 2 p.m.

Nov. 17 at Bet.-Cook. 1:30 p.m.

STATS Rocker Fleming Harvey McBurse Owens Bass Total Opp.

Att 13 13 1 1 3 1 32 42

(One game) Rushing Yds A/C TD 90 6.9 0 52 4.0 0 4 4.0 0 0 0.0 0 -2 -0.7 0 0 -4.0 0 140 4.4 0 138 3.3 1

Lg 33 17 4 0 3 0 33 16

Y/G 90.0 52.0 4.0 0.0 -2.0 -4.0 140.0 138.0

Passing C-A-I 15-30-1 1-1-0 16-31-1 22-32-1

Pct Yds. TD 50.0 119 1 100.0 13 1 51.6 132 2 68.8 263 1

Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg A/G Harvey 6 52 8.7 1 16 52.0 Lennon 2 26 13.0 0 16 26.0 Williams 2 18 9.0 0 14 18.0 McBurse 2 16 8.0 0 15 16.0 Rocker 1 11 11.0 0 11 11.0 Etheridge 1 8 8.0 1 8 8.0 Almendares 1 1 1.0 0 1 1.0 Owens 1 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 Total 16 132 8.2 2 16 132.0 Opp. 22 263 12.0 1 44 263.0

Hepburn Ducre Roberts Ojo Denmark Ross Pillow Hyppolite Scott Jackson Johnson Smalls

Tackles (leaders) S A T Loss Sack 7 3 10 3.5-8 1.5-6 6 1 7 6 1 7 1.0-1 5 1 6 3 2 5 3 2 5 3 1 4 4 0 4 2.0-15 2.0-15 1 2 3 1 2 3 2 1 3 0.5-4 0.5-4 3 0 3

TE A M NUMBERS SCORING Points per game FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing

FAMU 14 14.0 21 7 7 7 140 168 28 32 4.4 140.0 0

Opp. 17 17.0 23 10 10 3 138 169 121 42 3.3 138.0 01

PASSING YARDAGE 132 263 C-A-I 16-31-1 22-32-1 Average per pass 4.3 8.2 Average per catch 8.2 12.9 Average per game 132.0 263.0 TDs Passing 2 1 TOTAL OFFENSE 272 401 Total Plays 63 74 Average per play 4.3 5.4 Average per game 272.0 401.0 3rd-DOWN Conversions 2-11 4-14 Percentage 18% 29% 4th-DOWN Conversions 0-2 1-1 Percentage 0% 100%

11

Watch: Stopping run a priority • Continued from Page 5 for OU to try to get Metoyer going early tonight. The Sooners can’t afford for his confidence to take a beating.

Punt protection: The only reason OU didn’t post a shutout in the season opener was the punt block it allowed for a touchdown. It marked the first blocked punt OU’s given up since 2009. It’s a guarantee that every team the Sooners will play this season took notice. Special teams coaches see blocked punts the way sharks sense blood in the water. It offers a weakness that can be attacked. The Sooners’ punt protection must be rock solid the rest of the season because every team it faces, beginning with the Rattlers, is going to come after at least one.

Dominique Whaley: The Sooners’ senior running back rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries in the season opener. Statistically it was an acceptable start. But he showed there’s still some rust that’s built up after 10 months away from game speed and full contact.

Whaley dropped a couple passes and fumbled once against

Sooner defensive coordinator Mike Stoops has some instruction for cornerback Aaron Colvin durng OU’s victory last Saturday at Texas Tech.

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

UTEP. He was also called for a chop block that cost a big play.

He needs to be sharper tonight. It takes real games to expose what must be worked on. We’ll see how far Whaley can come in a week.

Run defense: Blame whomever you want for OU giving up 177 rushing yards to UTEP’s Nathan Jeffrey.

Coaches and players from the secondary to the defensive line all stuck their hands up.

But OU is going to see the

same kind of zone-read scheme tonight. Stopping it requires following through on assignments. Players have a gap and they have to tackle whatever goes in it. Miss one and running backs are out of the gate. The comfort level should be better tonight. It’s hard to be much worse than allowing 5.8 yards per carry.

Turnover margin: There wasn’t one in the opener. Neither team turned the ball over.

The Sooner defense was very

irritated it couldn’t get at least one takeaway. One of the things that prevented the offense from getting on a roll was it never got a short field until the fourth quarter, when UTEP was stopped on fourth down. Expect OU to be much more greedy when it comes to turnovers tonight. It was the only thing missing from the opener.

John Shinn Follow me @john_shinn jshinn@normantranscript.com

12

GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

n

Sept. 8, 2012

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY

It gets tougher for Pokes Cowboys’ first road test at Arizona

By Jeff Latzke AP College Football Writer

STILLWATER — After a whole offseason of anticipation, receiver Isaiah Anderson couldn’t believe it was already time for him to be finished playing in the season opener for No. 19 Oklahoma State.

With a minute or two left in the first quarter, receivers coach Kasey Dunn walked over to him, shook his hand and told him he was retired for the evening. The Cowboys were well on their way to an 84-0 rout of overmatched Savannah State, and it was already time to show mercy.

Anderson only got to be on the field for about 25 snaps, and he said Monday that “it didn’t even seem like that when I sat down.”

Starting cornerback Brodrick Brown didn’t even get that much playing time, getting yanked after just over a

dozen snaps. Starting tailback Joseph Randle carried the ball only six times, piling up 107 yards and two touchdowns.

The degree of difficulty, and the workload, is about to go up for all of them.

After a walkover of a first week, the Cowboys (1-0) hit the road to face Arizona (1-0) tonight.

Oklahoma State has rolled to easy wins against the Wildcats each of the past two years, winning the 2010 Alamo Bowl 36-10 before recording a 37-14 victory last season in Stillwater. There are plenty of changes for this year’s game, though.

Freshman starting quarterback Wes Lunt will be playing in his first college road game for Oklahoma State, and it will be against a different Arizona team in its first season under Rich Rodriguez.

Lunt played only four

AP Photo

OSU quarterback Wes Lunt prepares to throw a pass on opening day. Today, it shouldn’t be quite so easy. offensive series against Savannah State, completing all 11 of his passes against relatively little resistance. Coach Mike Gundy said several times that his players were never “stressed” in the game against a team that was 4-72 against Football Championship Subdivision competition over the previous decade.

“It always concerns us because as a coach, you want to get your players enough work to where you feel like they’ve advanced in different areas and gotten prepared for the next week but you don’t want to get them too much work to where they stress their bodies, they stress their • See OSU Page 13

Today’s Games EAST Lehigh (1-0) at CCSU (0-1), 11 a.m.

Albany (NY) (1-0) at Robert Morris (0-1), 11 a.m.

Bryant (0-1) at St. Francis (Pa.) (0-1), 11 a.m.

Maryland (1-0) at Temple (1-0), 11 a.m.

NC State (0-1) at UConn (1-0), 11 a.m.

Dayton (0-1) at Duquesne (0-1), 11:10 p.m.

Maine (0-0) at Boston College (0-1), noon Wagner (0-1) at Georgetown (1-0), noon Rhode Island (0-0) at Monmouth (NJ) (0-1), noon Delaware St. (1-0) at Delaware (1-0), 2:30 p.m.

Howard (1-0) at Rutgers (1-0), 2:30 p.m.

Southern Cal (1-0) vs. Syracuse (0-1) at East Rutherford, N.J., 2:30 p.m.

Indiana (1-0) at UMass (0-1), 2:30 p.m.

Morgan St. (1-0) at Buffalo (0-1), 5 p.m.

Bucknell (0-0) at Marist (1-0), 5 p.m.

Pace (0-1) at Stony Brook (1-0), 5 p.m.

Fordham (1-0) at Villanova (0-1), 5 p.m.

SOUTH Auburn (0-1) at Mississippi St. (1-0), 11 a.m.

Penn St. (0-1) at Virginia (1-0), 11 a.m.

East Carolina (1-0) at at Campbell (0-1), 5 p.m.

Morehead St. (1-0) at E. Kentucky (0-1), 5 p.m.

Akron (0-1) at FIU (0-1), 5 p.m.

Savannah St. (0-1) at Florida St. (1-0), 5 p.m.

Old Dominion (1-0) at Hampton (0-1), 5 p.m.

Alcorn St. (1-0) at James Madison (1-0), 5 p.m.

W. Virginia St. (1-1) at NC A&T (0-1), 5 p.m.

Gardner-Webb (0-1) at Richmond (0-1), 5 p.m.

B.-Cookman (1-0) at SC State (1-0), 5 p.m.

Gea. Southern (1-0) at The Citadel (1-0), 5 p.m.

Montana (1-0) at App. St. (0-1), 5:30 p.m.

MVSU (0-1) at Alabama St. (0-1), 6 p.m.

NC Central (1-0) at Elon (0-1), 6 p.m.

Presbyterian (1-0) at Georgia Tech (0-1), 6 p.m.

Chatt. (0-1) at Jacksonville St. (0-1), 6 p.m.

Washington (1-0) at LSU (1-0), 6 p.m.

Norfolk St. (1-0) at Liberty (0-1), 6 p.m.

W. Carolina (1-0) at Marshall (0-1), 6 p.m.

FAU (1-0) at Middle Tennessee (0-1), 6 p.m.

UTEP (0-1) at Mississippi (1-0), 6 p.m.

Cent. Arkansas (0-1) at Murray St. (0-1), 6 p.m.

Ark.-Monticello (1-0) at N’western St. (0-1), 6 p.m.

Jackson St. (0-1) vs. Tennessee St. (1-0), 6 p.m.

Louisiana-Lafayette (1-0) at Troy (1-0), 6 p.m.

Lafayette (0-0) at William & Mary (0-1), 6 p.m.

Lincoln (Mo.) (0-1) at Wofford (1-0), 6 p.m.

Kent St. (1-0) at Kentucky (0-1), 6:30 p.m.

McMurry (0-1) at McNeese St. (1-0), 7 p.m.

S. Dakota St. (0-1) at SE Louisiana (0-1), 7 p.m.

MIDWEST Miami (1-0) at Kansas St. (1-0), 11 a.m.

N. Hampshire (1-0) at Minnesota (1-0), 11 a.m.

UCF (1-0) at Ohio St. (1-0), 11 a.m.

Illinois St. (1-0) at E. Michigan (0-1), noon S. Illinois (0-1) at Miami (Ohio) (0-1), noon Quincy (0-1) at Indiana St. (0-1), 1:05 p.m.

Colgate (0-1) at South Dakota (0-1), 2 p.m.

Michigan St. (1-0) at C. Michigan (1-0), 2:30 p.m.

Rice (0-1) at Kansas (1-0), 2:30 p.m.

Air Force (1-0) at Michigan (0-1), 2:30 p.m.

Purdue (1-0) at Notre Dame (1-0), 2:30 p.m.

Iowa St. (1-0) at Iowa (1-0), 2:41 p.m.

Indianapolis (0-1) at W. Illinois (1-0), 3 p.m.

Valparaiso (0-1) at Youngstown St. (1-0), 3 p.m.

Idaho (0-1) at Bowling Green (0-1), 6 p.m.

Montana St. (1-0) at Drake (1-0), 6 p.m.

UT-Martin (1-0) at N. Illinois (0-1), 6 p.m.

Central St. (Ohio) (0-1) at N. Iowa (0-1), 6 p.m.

New Mexico St. (1-0) at Ohio (1-0), 6 p.m.

Mars Hill (0-1) at SE Missouri (0-1), 6 p.m.

E. Illinois (1-0) at W. Michigan (0-1), 6 p.m.

Portland St. (1-0) at N. Dakota (1-0), 6:05 p.m.

Georgia (1-0) at Missouri (1-0), 6:45 p.m.

Vanderbilt (0-1) at Northwestern (1-0), 7 p.m.

SOUTHWEST Tulane (0-1) at Tulsa (0-1), 11 a.m.

Texas A&M Com. (0-1) at UTSA (1-0), 1 p.m.

Florida (1-0) at Texas A&M (0-0), 2:30 p.m.

Alabama A&M (1-0) at A.rk-Pine Bluff (1-0), 5 p.m.

La.-Monroe (0-0) vs. Arkansas (1-0), 6 p.m.

Memphis (0-1) at Arkansas St. (0-1), 6 p.m.

Texas Southern (1-0) at N. Texas (0-1), 6 p.m.

Florida A&M (0-1) at Oklahoma (1-0), 6 p.m.

Grambling St. (0-1) at TCU (0-0), 6 p.m.

Texas Tech (1-0) at Texas St. (1-0), 6 p.m.

Louisiana Tech (0-0) at Houston (0-1), 7 p.m.

Prairie View (0-1) at Lamar (0-1), 7 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin (1-0) at SMU (0-1), 7 p.m.

New Mexico (1-0) at Texas (1-0), 7 p.m.

FAR WEST Weber St. (0-1) at BYU (1-0), 2 p.m.

S. Utah (0-1) at California (0-1), 2 p.m.

Sacramento St. (0-1) at Colorado (0-1), 2 p.m.

E. Washington (1-0) at Washington St. (0-1), 2 p.m.

Mesa St. (0-1) at N. Colorado (0-1), 2:35 p.m.

South Florida (1-0) at Nevada (1-0), 2:35 p.m.

Wisconsin (1-0) at Oregon St. (0-0), 3 p.m.

Toledo (0-1) at Wyoming (0-1), 3 p.m.

Black Hills St. (0-0) at Idaho St. (0-1), 6:05 p.m.

Fresno St. (1-0) at Oregon (1-0), 5:30 p.m.

N. Dakota St. (1-0) at Colorado St. (1-0), 6 p.m.

Army (0-0) at San Diego St. (0-1), 6:30 p.m.

Nebraska (1-0) at UCLA (1-0), 6:30 p.m.

UC Davis (1-0) at San Jose St. (0-1), 7 p.m.

W. New Mexico (1-0) at San Diego (0-1), 8 p.m.

N. Arizona (0-1) at UNLV (0-1), 9 p.m.

Oklahoma St. (1-0) at Arizona (1-0), 9:30 p.m.

Illinois (1-0) at Arizona St. (1-0), 9:30 p.m.

Duke (1-0) at Stanford (1-0), 9:30 p.m.

The Norman Transcript

n

Sept. 8, 2012

GAMEDAY

Longhorns trying to tackle an issue On opening day, Texas struggled to stop the big play

By Jim Vertuno AP Sports Writer

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas expects to have one of the best defenses in the Big 12.

What they saw in their first game was a unit capable of making the big plays that can win a game and give up the kind that can lose one.

The No. 17 Longhorns (10) gave up two long touchdown passes, but also forced two turnovers that set up touchdowns and made a key fourth-down stop late in a 3717 win over Wyoming.

Senior safety Kenny Vaccaro suggested the defense got off to a slow start because players spent too much time

listening to and believing media reports of how good they could be.

“Honestly we need to get our head out of the magazine and start fast and play hard,” Vaccaro said.

The Longhorns trailed 9-7 in the first quarter after the Cowboys hit an 82-yard catch-and-run TD pass. Texas defensive back Carrington Byndom and Adrian Phillips collided, taking each other out of the play.

“That’s my bad,” Byndom said.

On the next two Wyoming possessions, Vaccaro and Byndom had interceptions that set up Texas’ next two touchdowns. Vaccaro’s inter-

ception came with an acrobatic leap with perfect time to snag what would have been a touchdown pass if he hadn’t grabbed it.

Vaccaro was the only player in secondary singled out for praise from coach Mack Brown after the game.

“If you give up and 80-yard pass, you can’t say your secondary played well. Kenny Vaccaro played well,” Brown said, noting several blown coverages, including a 22-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.

Texas sacked Smith just once and the Cowboys averaged a whopping 17 yards per catch with six passes covering 14 yards or more.

Texas had up to eight

missed tackles in the first half, but cut that to one in the second, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. The Longhorns also allowed Wyoming to convert just one of 11 third downs.

Several Texas players said tackling in the first game can be sloppy after a preseason filled with the “thump rule” coaches use in hopes of avoiding injuries. Players practice up to the point of contact, but do not take each other to the ground. It saves bumps and bruises — or worse — but can lead to bad habits.

“You haven’t been tackling for so long,” Byndom said.

“But it comes back to you pretty quick, kind of like riding a bike.”

Big 12 Standings Baylor Iowa State Kansas Kansas State Oklahoma Oklahoma St. Texas Texas Tech West Virginia TCU

Con. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

Overall 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 0 0 .000

Today Miami at Kansas State, 11 a.m.

Iowa State at Iowa, 2:30 p.m.

Rice at Kansas, 2:30 p.m.

Florida A&M at Oklahoma, 6 p.m.

Grambling State at TCU, 6 p.m.

Texas Tech at Texas State, 6 p.m.

New Mexico at Texas, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma State at Arizona, 8:30 p.m.

Next Saturday TCU at Kansas, 11 a.m.

La.-Lafayette at Oklahoma St., 11 a.m.

J. Madison at W. Virginia, 3:30 p.m.

Sam Houston State at Baylor, 6 p.m.

North Texas at Kansas State, 6 p.m.

New Mexico at Texas Tech, 6 p.m.

Western Illinois at Iowa State, 7 p.m.

Ole Miss at Texas, 8:15 p.m.

13

On the air 11 a.m.

Penn St. at Virginia (KOCO-5) Auburn at Mississippi St. (ESPN) UCF at Ohio St. (ESPN2) Tulane at Tulsa (FSN) Miami at Kansas St. (FX) E. Carolina at S. Carolina (KSBI) Maryland at Temple (ESPNU) 2:30 p.m.

Air Force at Michigan (KOCO0-5) Florida at Texas A&M (ESPN) USC vs. Syracuse (ESPN2) Rice at Kansas (FSN) Purdue at Notre Dame (KFOR-4) Delaware St. at Delaware (NBCSN) Kentucky at Alabama (KSBI) Michigan St. at C. Michigan (ESPNU) S. Florida at Nevada (CBSSN) Howard at Rutgers (CST) N. Carolina at W. Forest (FSNPLUS) 3 p.m.

Wisconsin at Oregon St. (FX) 6 p.m.

Washington at LSU (ESPN) Central Okla. at Pitt St. (COX) UTEP at Mississippi (FSN) Arkansas vs. La. Monroe (ESPNU) 6:30 p.m.

Nebraska at UCLA (KOKH-25) Army at San Diego St. (NBCSN) 6:45 p.m.

Georgia at Missouri (ESPN2) 7 p.m.

La. Tech at Houston (CBSSN) 9:30 p.m.

Illinois at Arizona St.(ESPN)

OSU: Trip to Tucson will be a completely different test for Lunt, Cowboys • Continued from Page 13 legs or could have at times been vulnerable to some sort of an injury,” Gundy said.

“We would have liked to have more work. It didn’t work out that way.”

Arizona needed overtime

to beat Toledo 24-17, but produced 624 yards of total offense and had two touchdowns negated by penalties in Rodriguez’s debut. It was the second most total yards in school history.

“You can’t take them light-

ly,” Brown said. “You’ve got to be on top of your game.

They could have a big play at any moment.”

That’s the challenge for the Cowboys this week, preparing to play a full game at full speed after an opener when

they had to punch the accelerator and then almost immediately slam on the brakes.

Gundy said there are still plenty of question marks on his team, which featured 10 new starters from last season’s Big 12 championship

squad. For instance, he said, starting defensive tackle Calvin Barnett performed well in 15 or so first-quarter snaps but will he still be playing at the same level if he has played 55 snaps by the third quarter in 90-degree Arizona

heat on Saturday night?

“We don’t know how good we are yet, and we won’t know for about a month,” Gundy said. “We’re going to have a good challenge this week and then the teams we play are quality teams.”

14

GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

Horning: Look good • Continued from Page 3 lopsided finals are created equal. Some are built on nothing but big plays.

Some are only built on turnovers. Some actually rob the offense of getting much work done, all the lopsidedness produced by defense and special teams.

Yet, as long as the Sooner offense has something to say about it, wouldn’t it be nice to see it hum? Wouldn’t it be nice to see it look like it’s supposed to look?

Against Texas Tech last year, OU scored 38 points, threw for 412 yards and picked up 536. But the offense lost that game with seven consecutive threeand-outs.

Against Missouri last season, OU scored the same 38 points, threw for 448 yards and gained 592, but only 14 second-half points made for a too-closefor-comfort 10-point victory.

It is nothing new.

Even before former offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson left Norman for Bloomington, Ind., he spoke frequently of “leaving points on the field.”

It has been a bit of a thing for OU to move up and down the gridiron, only to settle for field goals, or to be stopped by penalties, or the odd interception. The playmaking has been there, so it has tended to cash in enough, and still there’s been this frequent feeling of not being as good as it should have been.

Today, it should be as good as it should be.

The Rattlers will be trying hard. Hard enough that, should the Sooner offense hum, it could be meaningful heading into the Kansas State here, the Texas Tech there and the Texas in Dallas.

But resistance will not be so great as to make today about anything other than OU’s progress; progress not necessarily dictated by the scoreboard, which should reflect a whole lot to not very much, but by how OU looks making it happen.

If for only a day, it is a day to look great.

Clay Horning Follow me @clayhorning cfhorning@normantranscript.com

n

Sept. 8, 2012

THE WAY WE SEE IT

Clay Horning

John Shinn

Corbin Hosler

Michael Kinney

OSU (-10 1/2) at Arizona Pick: OSU 27-13 Miami (+7) at Kansas State Pick: Kansas State 21-17 Iowa State (+5) at Iowa Pick: Iowa State 27-24 Texas Tech (+18) at Texas St. Pick: Texas Tech 35-13 Rice (+10) at Kansas Pick: Kansas 21-7 New Mexico (-38) at Texas Pick: Texas 45-10 Washington (+23 1/2) at LSU* Pick: LSU 42-10 Florida (+1 1/2) at Texas A&M Pick: Florida 27-24 Tulane (+25 1/2) at Tulsa Pick: Tulsa 48-17 Purdue (+14) at Notre Dame Pick: Notre Dame 31-13 Nebraska (-5 1/2) at UCLA Pick: Nebraska 17-14 Georgia (-2) at Missouri Pick: Georgia 28-24

OSU (-10 1/2) at Arizona Pick: OSU 38-31 Miami (+7) at Kansas State Pick: Kansas St. 24-21 Iowa State (+5) at Iowa Pick: Iowa State 20-14 Texas Tech (+18) at Texas St. Pick: Texas St. 34-31 Rice (+10) at Kansas Pick: Kansas 21-17 New Mexico (-38) at Texas Pick: Texas 45-14 Washington (+23 1/2) at LSU Pick: LSU 35-14 Florida (+1 1/2) at Texas A&M Pick: Texas A&M 35-28 Tulane (+25 1/2) at Tulsa Pick: Tulsa 41-20 Purdue (+14) at Notre Dame Pick: Notre Dame 41-24 Nebraska (-5 1/2) at UCLA Pick: Nebraska 41-31 Georgia (-2) at Missouri Pick: Missouri 31-24*

OSU (-10 1/2) at Arizona Pick: OSU 45-24 Miami (+7) at Kansas State Pick: Kansas State 31-21 Iowa State (+5) at Iowa Pick: Iowa 24-17 Texas Tech (+18) at Texas St. Pick: Texas Tech 34-17 Rice (+10) at Kansas Pick: Kansas 34-21 New Mexico (-38) at Texas Pick: Texas 59-20 Washington (+23 1/2) at LSU Pick: LSU 45-21* Florida (+1 1/2) at Texas A&M Pick: Florida 31-28 Tulane (+25 1/2) at Tulsa Pick: Tulsa 38-17 Purdue (+14) at Notre Dame Pick: Notre Dame 31-18 Nebraska (-5 1/2) at UCLA Pick: Nebraska 24-14 Georgia (-2) at Missouri Pick: Georgia 31-28

OSU (-10 1/2) at Arizona Pick: OSU 35-23* Miami (+7) at Kansas State Pick: Miami 42-38 Iowa State (+5) at Iowa Pick: Iowa 26-24 Texas Tech (+18) at Texas St. Pick: Texas Tech 60-21 Rice (+10) at Kansas Pick: Kansas 23-15 New Mexico (-38) at Texas Pick: Texas 55-10 Washington (+23 1/2) at LSU Pick: LSU 34-10 Florida (+1 1/2) at Texas A&M Pick: Texas A&M 24-22 Tulane (+25 1/2) at Tulsa Pick: Tulsa 55-20 Purdue (+14) at Notre Dame Pick: Notre Dame 33-21 Nebraska (-5 1/2) at UCLA Pick: Nebraska 28-22 Georgia (-2) at Missouri Pick: Missouri 35-31

Last week (overall) Straight up: 10-2 (10-2) Spread: 8-4 (8-4) * Lock: 1-0 (1-0)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 9-3 (9-3) Spread: 6-6 (6-6) * Lock: 1-0 (1-0)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 8-4 (8-4) Spread: 6-6 (6-6) * Lock: 1-0 (1-0)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 10-2 (10-2) Spread: 4-8 (4-8) * Lock: 1-0 (1-0)