Game Day - Nov. 17, 2012

The Norman Transcript â– Nov. 17, 2012

Oklahoma at West Virginia

Stretch run begins

50 cents

The Norman Transcript

■

Nov. 17, 2012

GAMEDAY

3

THE VIEW

Going out strong Home stretch offers Jones opportunity to exit on top wo seasons ago, Landry Jones played his most memorable football.

Oklahoma had given up its chance at a national championship, yet fortuitously found itself in position to return to the Big 12 title game.

Jones threw for 468 yards, seemingly all of it in the fourth quarter, to lift the Sooners past their Bedlam rivals to earn a spot against Nebraska the next week in Dallas.

There, he helped bring OU back from a 17-0 deficit to win 23-20.

It will remain the only conference title Jones has won, and he wasn’t just along for the ride, but a prime mover, too. And still, it won’t be what the Sooner Nation remembers him for.

It’s about championships, yes, but that’s not what you’re remembered for when you leave the playing

T

Clay Horning Sports Editor

field. It’s about setting records, yes, but that’s not it either.

It’s about last impressions.

It’s why OU’s 8-5 Sun Bowl season went down easier than it’s 12-2 BCS title game season the year before.

Finishing well with a national championship your senior season is the best of all possible worlds, but just plain finishing well is enough to write the story.

That’s Jones’ task.

Before the season began, most guesses would have had OU 9-0 to this point and still, perhaps, unproven.

Remember how the Big 12 claims three reigning • See HORNING Page 14

Oklahoma at W. Virginia Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Milan Puskar Stadium Series: Tied 2-2 Records: OU 7-2 (5-1 Big 12), W. Virginia (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) Rankings: OU No. 13 Associated Press Top 25; No. 12 USA Today coaches poll; West Virginia unranked Line: OU minus 11 TV: KOKH-25 Radio: KOKC-AM 1520, KRXO-FM 107.7

Inside ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Road Warriors Breakdown Rosters Two-deeps Poster Stats National Schedule Big 12 Glance Predictions

4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 AP Photo

Landry Jones shuffles back to hand off the ball during the Sooners’ game against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.

4

GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

■

Nov. 17, 2012

THE BIG STORY: ROA D WA RRIORS

Sooners travel well Morgantown trip another chance to continue trend

By John Shinn Transcript Sports Writer

No one would come out and say it publicly but no one had to. The evidence was just overwhelming. A game like tonight’s against West Virginia used to be the kind Oklahoma dreaded.

When OU went on the road to face a good team with a hostile crowd, Sooner mistakes piled up until fans were rushing the field and goal posts were coming down.

Say whatever you want about the 2012 Sooners, but the challenge of going on the road is something this

team enjoys. Their 4-0 record away from Owen Field shows it.

What does this team have that others lack?

“I think we’re a pretty mature team on both sides of the ball,” quarterback Landry Jones said. “We have strong upperclassmen and leaders on both side of the ball. It’s not just one here or there, but a good group of guys that are pushing this thing and pushing it in the right direction right now. It’s going to be a challenge for us to go to West Virginia and play well.”

• See ROAD Page 9

“We have strong upperclassmen and leaders on both side of the ball. It’s not just one here or there, but a good group of guys that are pushing this thing and pushing it in the right direction right now.”

Landry Jones OU quarterback

Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure

Oklahoma defensive tackle Casey Williams gets ready for the next play at Iowa State. The Sooners are gunning for another road victory tonight.

The Norman Transcript

■

Nov. 17, 2012

GAMEDAY

5

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

Score fast, take crowd out of it

By John Shinn

Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell finishes off his 55-yard touchdown run last week against Baylor.

Transcript Sports Writer

As late as early October, tonight’s game at West Virginia figured to be Oklahoma’s toughest test of the season.

Going on the Five road isn’t things to easy and watch going to a John Shinn stadium with a wellearned reputation as a hostile environment is even tougher.

Throw in the Mountaineers’ 5-0 start and it’s easy to remember a time today’s game appeared to carry huge repercussions.

Opinions have changed

RUNNING GAME

Damien Williams proved his ankle injury was a thing of the past and the Sooners’ offensive line is healthier as well. The running game will benefit because of those factors. However, Andrew Buie is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and is a very effective running back. The depth of OU’s running game is the difference, but WVU can run the ball.

■

PA S S I N G G A M E

OU’s had the Big 12’s most efficient passing attack this season. West Virginia gets a slight edge because if it doesn’t win this phase, the game is going to be a rout.

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is no longer a Heisman candidate, but Tavon Austin and Steadman Bailey are still two of the most prolific pass catchers in the Big 12.

■

PA S S D E F E N S E

RUN DEFENSE

Baylor found some running room last week. OU believes it has corrected the problem. It all comes down to tackling. The Sooners are coming off a shaky game.

The Mountaineers are going through a shaky season.

You have to like the team that’s performed well in the past. The Sooners get the benefit of the doubt. The Mountaineers do not.

■

SPECIAL TEAMS

I N TA N G I B L E S

Transcript Photo

by Kyle Phillips

Here’s one of the two biggest discrepancies in the game. The Sooners are holding teams under 200 passing yards. Or, about 170 yards less than the Mountaineers allow.

Saturday, It’s all about giving up big plays. The Sooners tend to keep them at minimum, while West Virginia gives them up in bunches.

■

in the last month. The Mountaineers have lost four straight games, including two at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Sooners have proven to be a dominant road team.

They’re 4-0 away from Owen Field with the victories all by at least two touchdowns.

Here are the five things • See WATCH Page 11

The last time West Virginia played at Milan Puskar Stadium, kicker Tyler Bitancurt missed field goals in an overtime loss to TCU. But the Mountaineers have also allowed 18 punt returns of 20 yards or longer. The Sooners have benefitted from their best special teams play in years. This edge could very easily be worth 10 points or more.

■

OU’s been about the same team no matter the venue this season. It’s honestly fired up about playing in Morgantown. Still, this has been a target game on the Mountaineers’ schedule. It’s going to be a raucous environment that should give West Virginia a boost. We’ll see if OU remains mature enough to handle it.

— John Shinn

■

6

GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

OKLAHOMA ROSTER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 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 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 Aaron Colvin Drew Allen Lamar Harris Jaz Reynolds Trey Metoyer Michael Hunnicutt Jalen Saunders 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 Jack Steed

DB DB WR WR LB DB LB RB DB DB QB DE QB DE QB QB 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 K

5-11 6-2 5-10 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-6 6-3 6-1 6-4 5-11 6-0 6-5 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-0 5-9 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-5 5-7 6-2 5-10 5-8 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-2 5-8 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-5

212 191 188 190 218 183 219 204 173 199 197 250 254 256 184 218 201 181 226 186 198 190 173 160 209 230 237 202 175 191 180 189 201 184 212 193 170 208 180 204 183 181 206 224 241 256 163 169 235 215 215 173 200

Jr. Chula Vista, Calif.

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

Sr. Garland, Tx Sr. Lancaster, Tx Jr. Dallas, Tx 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. Owasso Jr. San Antonio Sr. Gilmer, Tx Jr. Houston, Tx Fr. Whitehouse, Tx So. Richardson, Tx Jr. Elk Grove, Calif.

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, Tx Jr. San Diego Jr. Orange, Tx So. Marshall, Tx Fr. Midlothian, Ill. Fr. Keller, Tx Jr. San Diego Fr. St. Petersburg, Fla. Fr. Jenks Fr. Rowlett, Tx So. Lancaster, Tx Sr. Lawton Sr. Mount Airy, Ga. Jr. La Crosse, Kan. Jr. Columbia, Mo. Fr. Port Lavaca, Tx So. Sacramento, Calif.

Sr. Denton, Tx Sr. Tulsa R-Fr. Tulsa So. Frisco, Tx Fr. Katy, Tx

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 81 82 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

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 Lacolton Bester WR 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

■

Nov. 17, 2012

WEST VIRGINIA ROSTER 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-7 6-5 6-9 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-1 6-7 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-1 6-4 5-11 5-8 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-2

189 240 198 193 192 236 196 197 243 150 260 239 293 250 309 309 266 248 288 333 307 303 303 319 307 315 265 320 299 318 185 234 205 250 235 194 247 161 173 234 212 231 286 265 299 290 277 305 238 288 256 239

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

Fr. North Royalton, Ohio Jr. Scooba, Miss.

Jr. Altamont, Kan. Fr. Edmond Jr. Muldrow So. Hutchinson, Kan. Fr. Jenks Sr. Houston, Tx Fr. San Diego, Calif.

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

1 3 3 4 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 20 20 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 32 32 33 33 34 35 35 36 36 37 39 40

Tavon Austin Stedman Bailey Vernon Davis Josh Francis Pat Miller Ford Childress Nana Kyeremeh Josh Lambert Karl Joseph K.J. Dillon Jordan Thompson Sean Walters Mikal Mayo Geno Smith Andrew Buie Paul Millard Nana Twum Agyire Dante Campbell Ricky Rumph Logan Moore Terrell Chestnut Dozie Ezemma Sam Eggleston Terrence Gourdine KJ Myers Anthony Vecchio Shawne Alston Brandon Napoleon Avery Williams Dustin Brown Brodrick Jenkins Cecil Level Darwin Cook Travis Bell William Marable D.J. Hunt D'Vontis Arnold Terence Garvin Dustin Garrison Donovan Miles Isaiah Bruce Ryan Clarke Mike Hall Nate Majnaric Jared Barber Ishmael Banks Nick Kwiatkoski Anthony Gutta Shaq Petteway Chris Smelley Wes Tonkery Nick Cadwell Tyler Bitancurt

WR WR CB LB CB QB CB K/P S S WR LB CB QB RB QB CB WR CB QB CB DL WR WR WR CB RB CB CB WR CB CB S S S RB RB LB RB RB LB RB S RB LB S LB RB LB RB LB S K

5-9 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-5 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-7 6-1 5-10 6-3 5-9 6-2 6-0 6-4 5-10 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-9 6-3 5-8 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-9 6-1

171 195 175 224 187 225 170 203 197 202 164 205 178 220 188 220 188 213 172 185 180 230 170 194 197 181 236 188 180 179 183 186 201 192 196 197 185 221 180 234 225 226 181 232 232 184 224 233 227 225 221 186 205

Sr. Baltimore, Md. r-Jr. Miramar, Fla. Fr. Miami, Fla. Sr. Damascus, Md. Sr. Birmingham, Ala. Fr. Houston, Texas Fr. Worthington, Ohio Fr. Garland, Texas Fr. Orlando, Fla. Fr. Apopka, Fla. Fr. Katy, Texas Fr. Hallandale, Fla. r-Fr. Baltimore, Md. Sr. Miami, Fla. So. Jacksonville, Fla. So.Flower Mound, Texas r-Fr. Chevy Chase, Md. r-Fr. Clermont, Fla. Fr. Daytona Beach, Fla. Jr. Fairmont, W.Va. r-Fr. Pottstown, Pa. r-Jr. Pomona, N.Y. Fr. Houston, Texas r-Jr. Miami, Fla. r-Fr. Jacksonville, Fla. r-So. Morgantown, W.Va. Sr. Hampton, Va. Fr. Rahway, N.J. So. Washington, D.C. r-So. Craigsville, W.Va. r-Jr. Fort Myers, Fla. r-Sr. Fayetteville, Ga. r-Jr. Cleveland, Ohio Jr. Belle Glade, Fla. r-Jr. Virginia Beach, Va. Fr. Raleigh, N.C. Fr. Miramar, Fla. Sr. Baltimore, Md. So. Pearland, Texas r-Sr. Stafford, Va. r-Fr. Jacksonville, Fla. r-Sr. Glen Burnie, Md. Fr. Nitro, W.Va. r-Jr. Akron, Ohio So. Mocksville, N.C. r-So. Richmond, Va. r-Fr. Bethel Park, Pa. r-Fr. Morgantown, W.Va. So. Steubenville, Ohio r-Fr. Bridgeport, Ohio r-So. Shinnston, W.Va. r-Sr. Leesburg, Va. r-Sr. Springfield, Va.

40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 53 56 57 58 60 62 63 64 65 67 69 70 70 73 74 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Austin Copeland Curtis Smelley Garrett Hope Jarrod Harper Corey Smith Eric Kinsey Michael Molinari Doug Rigg Justin Arndt Troy Gloster Taige Redman Tyler Anderson Jewone Snow Jeff Braun Adam Pankey John Bassler Curtis Feigt Michael Calicchio Mark Glowinski Tyler Orlosky Quinton Spain Tony Matteo James Gayeski Brandon Jackson Russell H.-James Joe Madsen Pat Eger Josh Jenkins Marquis Lucas Nick Kindler Ryan Nehlen J.D. Woods Devonte Mathis Connor Arlia Devonte Robinson Jerry Cooper John DePalma Cody Clay Will Johnson Shaq Rowell J.B. Lageman Trevor Demko Kyle Rose Imarjaye Albury Christian Brown Korey Harris Noble Nwachukwu Will Clarke Jorge Wright

LB LB DL S K/P DL K LB LB LB LB LB DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR WR WR LS LS RB WR DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL

6-1 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-1 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-7 6-9 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-3 6-1 6-1 5-9 6-2 5-11 6-6 6-3 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-4 5-11 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-2

200 225 245 207 210 248 197 241 200 230 230 251 243 316 332 308 317 313 298 285 334 304 240 328 311 305 304 303 312 296 204 190 219 183 184 211 235 256 248 308 273 258 276 286 300 240 259 271 291

Fr. Woodbridge, Va. r-Fr. Bridgeport, Ohio Fr.The Woodlands, Texas Fr. Frostburg, Md. r-Sr. Inwood, W.Va. Fr. Miami, Fla. r-So. Parkersburg, W.Va. Jr. Oradell, N.J. Fr. Martinsburg, W.Va. r-So. Germantown, Md. r-Jr. Keyser, W.Va. r-Jr. Morgantown, W.Va. r-So. Canton, Ohio r-Sr. Westminster, Md. Fr. Hamilton, Ohio r-Sr. New Windsor, Md. r-Jr. Mercersburg, Pa. Jr. Brooklyn, N.Y. Jr. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Fr. Cleveland, Ohio r-So. Petersburg, Va. Fr. Clinton, Ohio r-Fr. Deptford, N.J. r-Fr. Euclid, Ohio r-Fr. Plantation, Fla. r-Sr. Chardon, Ohio r-Jr. Jefferson Hills, Pa. r-Sr. Parkersburg, W.Va. r-Fr. Miami, Fla. r-Jr. Camp Hill, Pa. r-Sr. Morgantown, W.Va. r-Sr. Naples, Fla. Fr. Hollywood, Fla. So. Weirton, W.Va. Fr. Delray Beach, Fla. r-So. North Port, Fla. Fr. Cumming, Ga. r-Fr. Alum Creek, W.Va. Fr. Maple Grove, Minn.

Jr. Maple Heights, Ohio r-Sr. Huntington, W.Va. r-So. Kulpmont, Pa. r-Fr. Centerville, Ohio Fr. Miami, Fla. Fr. Bridgeton, N.J. Fr. St. Augustine, Fla. Fr. Wylie, Texas r-Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. r-Sr. Miami, Fla.

366. 3573 FB: IR:

TB: 26, Damien Williams 8, Dominique Whaley

my p a p e r, my t o w n

DT: 97, Jamarcus McFarland 53, David King CB: 6, Demontre Hurst 15, Lamar Harris

SS:

DE: 53, David King 84, Mike Onuoha

7, Corey Nelson 25 Aaron Franklin

21, Tom Wort 20, Frank Shannon

1, Tony Jefferson 42, Jesse Paulsen

1, Tavon Austin 10, Jordan Thompson

LB:

LB:

NB: 9, Gabe Lynn 2, Julian Wilson

Nov. 17, 2012

WR: 81, J.D. Woods 85, Devone Robinson

IR:

RT: 62, Curtis Feigt 79, Nick Kindler

RG: 57, Jeff Braun 76, Pat Eger

DT: 53, Casey Walker 80, Jordan Phillips

QB: 12, Geno Smith 14, Paul Millard

C: 74, Joe Madsen 60, John Bassler

LG: 77, Josh Jenkins 76, Pat Eger

67, Quinton Spain 79, Nick Kindler

WHEN OKLAHOMA HAS THE BALL

LT:

DE: 98, Chuka Ndulue 11, R.J. Washington

FS:

10, Jordan Thompson 83, Conner Arlia

28, Terrence Garvin 37, Wes Tonkery

LB:

24, Cecil Level 25, Darwin Cook

CB: 14, Aaron Colvin 27, Gary Simon

CB: 34, Ishmael Brooks Brodrick Jenkins

31, Isaiah Bruce 36, Shaq Petteway

LB:

SS:

WR: 3, Stedman Bailey 80, Ryan Nehlen

WR: 19, Justin Brown 13, Durron Neal

DE: 4, Josh Francis 53, Tyler Anderson

DT: 99, Jorge Wright 96, Korey Harris

82, Brannon Green

33, Jared Barber 47, Doug Rigg

LB:

8, Karl Joseph 9, K.J. Dillon

TE:

RT: 79, Darryl Williams 72, Derek Farniok

RG: 68, Bronson Irwin 50, Austin Woods

NG: 90, Shaq Rowell 95, Christian Brown

QB: 12, Landry Jones 10, Blake Bell

C: 64, Gabe Ikard 56, Ty Darlington

LG: 74, Adam Shead 50, Austin Woods

69, Lane Johnson 71, Tyrus Thompson

■

LT:

DE: 98, Will Clarke 91, Kyle Rose

CB: 6, Pat Miller 7, Nana Kyeremeh

FS:

SR: 18, Jalen Saunders 3, Sterling Shepard

WR: 4, Kenny Stills 17, Trey Metoyer

The Norman Transcript GAMEDAY 7

WHEN WEST VIRGINIA HAS THE BALL 30, Javon Harris 9, Gabe Lynn

TB: 32, Ryan Clarke 88, Cody Clay

When Sooners take receiver or tight end off the field 33, Trey Millard 48, Aaron Ripkowski

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF

i n Sun d a y’ s

215 E. Comanche

■

RB

Photo by Jerry Laizure

■

5-11 ■ 201 ■ Jr. San Diego, Calif.

Career: 172 carries, 799 yards, 6 TDs; 31 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD

No. 24

Brennan Clay

10

GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

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 St. Nov. 10 Baylor Nov. 17 at W. Virginia Nov. 24 OSU Dec. 1 at TCU

W, 24-7 W, 69-13 L, 24-19 W, 41-20 W, 63-21 W, 52-7 L, 30-13 W, 35-20 W, 42-34 6 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

TBA

STATS Williams Clay Whaley Bell Millard Finch Stills Shepard Team Jones

(Nine games) Rushing Att Yds Y/C TD 113 687 6.1 9 61 398 6.5 5 39 243 6.2 1 46 162 3.5 10 21 129 6.1 0 6 61 10.2 1 2 22 11.0 0 1 13 13.0 0 6 -34 -5.7 0 12 -97 -8.1 0

Lg 95 41 18 55 20 17 13 13 0 5

Y/G 76.3 44.2 40.5 18.0 14.3 6.8 2.4 1.4 -6.8 -10.8

307 1584 5.2 26 335 1395 4.2 14 Passing Eff C-A-I Pct Jones 144.2 226-345-7 65.5 Bell 122.9 8-13-0 61.5 Total 143.4 234-358-7 65.4 Opp. 92.7 140-281-9 49.8 Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Stills 54 682 12.6 6 Brown 41 537 13.1 4 Saunders 29 373 12.9 0 Shepard 28 387 13.8 3 Millard 21 261 12.4 2 Williams 18 195 10.8 0 Metoyer 16 130 8.1 1 Clay 10 53 5.3 1 Neal 4 62 15.5 0 Whaley 4 14 3.5 0 Green 3 45 15.0 1 Bester 3 29 9.7 0 Finch 2 6 3.0 0 Musil 1 12 12.0 0 Total 234 2786 11.9 18 Opp. 140 1532 10.9 3 Tackles (leaders) S A T Loss Jefferson 54 25 79 2.5-6 Harris 32 22 54 1.0-4 Wort 17 24 41 3.5-19 Hurst 31 8 39 1.0-2 Nelson 18 19 37 3.5-13 Colvin 24 13 37 0.5-1 Ndulue 17 18 35 5.0-10 Washington15 16 31 2.0-8 Shannon 15 9 24 3.0-13 Lynn 18 6 24 1.5-2 McFarland 10 11 21 5.0-27 King 9 12 21 2.0-9 Franklin 14 5 19 1.0-8

95 176.0 71 155.0 Yds. TD 2691 18 95 0 2786 18 1532 3 Lg 68 46 35 31 73 38 27 14 25 13 18 13 5 12 73 75

A/G 75.8 59.7 74.6 43.0 29.0 21.7 16.2 5.9 8.9 2.3 5.0 3.2 0.7 6.0 309.6 170.2

Sack 0.5-3 1.0-11 1.0-2 1.0-8 4.0-9 0.5-2 2.0-12 3.0-23 2.5-8 1.0-8

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 358 39.8 230 81 142 7 1584 1771 187 307 5.2 176.0 26

Opp. 176 19.6 156 68 74 14 1395 1550 155 335 4.2 155.0 14

PASSING YARDAGE 2786 1532 C-A-I 234-358-7140-281-9 Average per pass 7.8 5.5 Average per catch 11.9 10.9 Average per game 309.6 170.2 TDs Passing 18 3 TOTAL OFFENSE 4370 2927 Total Plays 665 616 Average per play 6.6 4.8 Average per game 485.6 325.2 3rd-DOWN Conversions 62-119 61-147 Percentage 52% 41% 4th-DOWN Conversions 4-6 4-10 Percentage 67% 40%

A l w a y s

• Continued from Page 4 A month ago it looked like it would be a much bigger one. The Mountaineers (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) carry a four-game losing streak into tonight.

They haven’t won since topping Texas on Oct. 6. Once No. 5, they’re now out of the polls.

That doesn’t seem to matter to the 13th-ranked Sooners (7-2, 5-1). They still believe this game is the same massive challenge they figured it would be in August.

It’s a testament to the focus the Sooners have displayed this season.

“I think as much as anything, it should be irrelevant where you’re playing in regard to your mindset, in regard to how you prepare, in regard to how you walk on the field ready to play,” OU coach Bob Stoops said.

“All that matters is what you’re doing inside those lines. I think we’ve been more consistent in approaching it that way.”

The Sooners haven’t had that in past seasons. The Sooners haven’t won all their

Oklahoma offensive lineman Bronson Irwin, left, and Ty Darlington keep Baylor’s Nick Johnson away from quarterback Landry Jones.

Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure

games away from Owen Field since the last time they won all their games — the 2000 national championship season — period.

This year’s bunch won’t bring home the hardware that team did. Home losses to Kansas State and Notre Dame have OU trailing in the Big 12 standings and out of the national championship picture.

It has, though, changed the perception that OU was dominant at home, but ripe

for an upset away from it.

“I feel like we’re focused more on us than focusing on the (opponent) like we did last year,” cornerback Aaron Colvin said. “We know we are great players and a great team. We can be unstoppable if we’re on our game.

We just have been really focusing on us and playing the technique that we know we’re capable of because we know our talent will take us elsewhere.”

West Virginia’s going to

be as tough an environment as the Sooners seen this season. It will be loud and rowdy. The Mountaineers know tonight is a chance to make a declaration in its first Big 12 season.

The Sooners mentioned all those things this week.

They know what they’re getting into. They relish the opportunity.

John Shinn Follow me @john_shinn jshinn@normantranscript.com

C o n n e c t e d my paper, my town

TAKE US TO THE

Tigers head Biggest test yet back to Ram for T-Wolves country Sports

Sports

With You Since the Land Run of 1889 Norman, Oklahoma

Friday, Nov. 16, 2012

By Joy Hampton

U Bring on the music: -ÌÕ`i Ìà >Ì À > } -V >Ài }iÌÌ } L>V Ì L>à VÃÊÜ Ì ÊÌ i ÀÊVÕÀÀi ÌÊ«À `ÕVÌ v º/ i Õà V > °» -iÌ £ £Ó] Ì i «À `ÕVÌ vi> ÌÕÀiÃ Ü ià i] vii } ` Õà V >ÌV i` Ü Ì i `i>À } V >À>VÌiÀÃÊ> `Ê>Ê« ÌÊÌ >ÌÊÜ i>Ûi Þ Õ Ã } i>À Ì i>À° — norman etc.

U Performance canceled: V ià L> ` Ü Ì «iÀ v À Ê>ÃÊ«ÀiÛ Õà ÞÊÃV i`Õ i` Ì `>ÞÊ>ÌÊÌ iÊ L iÊ-i ÀÊ Ì âi à i ÌiÀ] L> ` i LiÀ ii

Ü>Þ Ã> `° º7i½`Ê iÊÌ ÊÌ > Êv> ÃÊv À Ì i À ÃÕ«« ÀÌ > ` Þ> ÌÞ]»

Ü>ÞÊÃ> `]ʺ `Ê `ÊL iÃÃÊÞ Õ > °» *iÀv À > Vià >Ûi Lii V> Vi i` Õ Ì vÕÀÌ iÀ Ì Vi° — Jocelyn Pedersen, For The Transcript U Homeless vet buried:

>À ià `Ü>À` 7Ài ] È{] Ü Li LÕÀ i` Ì `>Þ Ü Ì Ì i Ì>ÀÞ À Ìià v > iÀ V> ÛiÌiÀ> ° — Page A2

libelous (adj) li·bel·ous [lahy-buh-luhs] 1. the nature of, or involving, a damaging misrepresentation; 2. given to writing and publishing defamations;

normantranscript.com

50 cents

Stiles by a sliver Transcript Staff Writer

Dozens of volunteers and Cleveland County Election Board employees spent more than 10 hours tediously recounting by hand ballots cast in the State House District 45 election.

In the end, the recount narrowed the lead of Republican Aaron Stiles by only two votes.

Around 9:30 p.m., Stiles was certified by the Cleveland County Election Board with a 16-vote victory.

Prior to the recount, Stiles had unof-

ficially won by an 18-vote margin over Democratic challenger Paula Roberts.

The vote total was Roberts with 6,787 votes and Stiles with 6,803 votes.

However, the battle isn’t over.

Judge Tracy Schumacher will hear arguments from Roberts’ attorney, Greg Bledsoe, regarding alleged Joy Hampton / The Transcript irregularities at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Bledsoe will argue that these irreg- The Oklahoma House District 45 recount is under way Thursday in ularities are cause for a new elec- the courtroom of Judge Tracy Schumacher at the Cleveland County Courthouse. Schumacher ruled that a recount of 13,550 tion. ballots would proceed after both parties agreed all ballots had U -ii SLIVER Page A3 been secured and were not subject to tampering.

Turkey giveaway

Nov. 17, 2012

Road: Sooners relish chance

anytime...anywhere

Check it out ...

■

Balancing revenue Other revenue sources offsetting Norman’s low sales tax collections

By Joy Hampton Transcript Staff Writer

Despite a strong showing in July, Norman’s sales tax growth figures as compared to last year’s collections have run below budget predictions. On a more positive note, statewide sales tax collections for October were up 4 percent over 2011 collections, according to State Treasurer Ken Miller’s press release.

If Norman is lucky, its sales tax collections will echo the state’s numbers when those October collections are dispersed to the city in Decem-

subscribe | normantranscript.com | e-edition

The Norman Transcript

■

Nov. 17, 2012

Total Opp.

SCHEDULE Sept. 1 Marshall Sept. 15 at J. Madison Sept. 22 Maryland Sept. 29 Baylor Oct. 6 at Texas Oct. 13 at Texas Tech Oct. 20 Kansas State Nov. 3 TCU Nov. 10 at OSU Nov. 17 Oklahoma Nov. 23 at Iowa State Dec. 1 Kansas

W, 69-34 W, 42-12 W, 31-21 W, 70-63 W, 48-45 L, 49-14 L, 55-14 L, 39-28 L, 55-34 6 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

TBA

STATS (Nine games) Rushing Att Yds Y/C TD Buie 140 646 4.6 5 Alston 38 201 5.3 4 Garrison 38 166 4.4 1 Austin 14 103 7.4 0 Smith 53 83 1.6 2 Woods 1 16 16.0 0 Clarke 2 12 6.0 0 Thompson 2 1 0.5 0 Millard 2 -3 -1.5 0 Team 7 -31 -4.4 0

Lg 30 21 17 70 28 16 11 3 1 0

Y/G 71.8 40.2 23.7 11.4 9.2 1.8 1.5 0.1 -0.5 -4.4

297 1194 4.0 12 70 132.7 361 1211 3.4 19 53 134.6 Passing Eff C-A-I Pct Yds. TD Smith 159.19 285-400-3 71.2 3041 31 Millard 116.16 9-18-1 50.0 87 2 Total 157.33 294-418-4 70.3 3128 33 Opp. 174.07 207-312-7 66.3 3107 27 Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg A/G Austin 96 968 10.1 11 52 107.6 Bailey 75 1055 14.1 16 87 117.2 Woods 45 467 10.4 3 22 51.9 Buie 24 255 10.6 0 34 28.3 Thompson 12 74 6.2 0 15 8.2 Copeland 10 55 5.5 0 14 18.3 McCartney 9 112 12.4 0 52 14.0 Garrison 9 43 4.8 0 11 6.1 Nehlen 6 38 6.3 1 9 4.2 Arlia 4 39 9.8 0 14 7.8 Campbell 2 13 6.5 1 9 1.9 Myers 2 9 4.5 1 6 1.1 Total 294 3128 10.6 33 87 347.6 Opp. 207 3107 15.0 27 94 345.2 Tackles (leaders) S A T Loss Sack Bruce 47 33 80 6.0-18 4.0-1 Joseph 50 15 65 4.5-19 1.0-12 Garvin 28 24 52 6.0-33 4.0-27 Francis 32 11 43 15.0-53 4.5-33 Rigg 23 18 41 2.5-6 1.0-5 Miller 35 6 41 3.0-25 1.0-7 Cook 33 5 38 2.0-10 1.0-8 Jenkins 24 3 27 1.0-3 Petteway 17 10 27 4.0-16 1.5-14 Rowell 12 11 23 1.0-2 Wright 13 5 18 4.0-21 2.0-10 Rose 10 8 18 Dillon 12 5 17 Banks 15 2 17 Clarke 9 7 16 4.0-11 1.5-8

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

WVU 360 40.0 227 72 142 13 1194 1454 260 297 4.0 132.7 12

Opp. 373 41.4 209 78 122 9 1211 1462 251 361 3.4 134.6 19

PASSING YARDAGE 3128 3107 C-A-I 294-418-4 207-312-7 Average per pass 7.5 10.0 Average per catch 10.6 15.0 Average per game 347.6 345.2 TDs Passing 33 27 TOTAL OFFENSE 4322 4318 Total Plays 715 673 Average per play 6.0 6.4 Average per game 347.6 479.8 3rd-DOWN Conversions 59-135 60-128 Percentage 44% 47% 4th-DOWN Conversions 15-29 9-15 Percentage 52% 60%

GAMEDAY

11

Watch: Have to keep running • Continued from Page 5 the Sooners must do well to maintain their trend of playing well on the road.

Score on the opening drive: OU has been hit and miss in the category. It scored touchdowns against Texas Tech and Texas. It came away without points at UTEP and Iowa State. It isn’t a necessity to win the game. But if OU wants quiet the crowd, it’s a good idea.

Nothing sucks the air out of stadium like a touchdown for the road team.

Get some turnovers: OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops has been pounding this point home with everything but a jackhammer. The Sooners have created just one turnover in the last three games and have come up with just 16 this season. You could argue the lack of them has prevented the Sooners from truly being a dominant defense. It needs to change against the Mountaineers.

They put the ball in the air too many times for OU not snag at least a couple.

Continue running the ball:

OU running back Brennan Clay breaks through the line against Iowa State. If the Sooners can run the ball well today, it should help everything go better at West Virginia.

Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure

OU’s offense has made an evolution this season. It truly is a balanced offense and it’s on pace to average over 5 yards per carry for the first time in Bob Stoops’ coaching tenure. It’s a major reason the Sooners have been such a good road team this season.

They’re averaging 5.5 yards per carry in those games.

Tackle well: This was an issue last week against Baylor. The Sooners’

defensive scheme is predicated on linebackers and safeties making tackles in open space. It was the main reason the Bears rushed for over 200 yards.

West Virginia is a spread team that thrives on breaking tackles and picking up huge chunks of yards. If the Sooners don’t tackle better tonight, an upset will be brewing.

Keep Geno Smith in the pocket: The Sooner defensive line will be

gauged on whether it can force West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith to stay in thepocket and throw into cluttered passing lanes. If that’s the case it should be a good night for the Sooners. If he’s able to run around, OU’s going to give up some big plays and that’s a recipe for disaster.

John Shinn Follow me @john_shinn jshinn@normantranscript.com

12

GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

■

Nov. 17, 2012

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY

Call him Johnny Football Aggie QB makes the game exciting

By Kristie Rieken AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In his Hill Country hometown of Kerrville, Texas, Johnny Football never would have been known by such a specific nickname.

Johnny Manziel could have also been Johnny Baseball, maybe Johnny Golf.

After all, his high school coach, Mark Smith, says “he could have been anything he wanted to be.”

Well, at the moment, the dynamic quarterback for No. 9 Texas A&M is the toast of college football after leading his team to a road upset of then-No. 1 Alabama.

All Manziel has done this season is pass for 2,780 yards and 18 touchdowns and run for 1,014 yards and 15 more scores. His team is 8-2 in its first SEC season and, oh yes, Manziel is a freshman — just the second in Bowl Subdivi-

sion history with 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 passing in a season, and he’s got that even before Saturday’s game against Sam Houston State.

It’s been quite a whirlwind few months for the 19-yearold Manziel, who had to compete for the job in camp and wasn’t named A&M’s starter until Aug. 15.

His work at A&M is reminiscent of his performance at Kerrville Tivy high school. As a senior, he threw for 3,609 yards and 45 touchdowns, and added 30 more touchdowns on 1,674 yards rushing.

“It’s like watching him back in high school, to be quite honest with you,” Smith said, calling him a once-in-alifetime player. “The things he’s doing, they don’t amaze me. Maybe a little surprising it’s happening this fast against the SEC competition, but it’s some of the same things I’ve seen from him in his high

AP Photo

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel runs the ball against Alabama last week. school years.”

Smith and Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin both say that one of the best things about Manziel is that he’s unflappable. A perfect example of his poise came in the first quarter Saturday against Alabama. Manziel nearly fumbled the ball at the line and the defense was all over him.

He evaded the pressure and

found Ryan Swope uncovered in the back of the end zone with a 10-yard touchdown pass.

“He’s always in control,” Smith said. “He doesn’t panic and he doesn’t get frustrated.

He just continues to play.”

Sumlin recruited Manziel while he was the coach at Houston, sending current • See JOHNNY Page 13

Today’s Games EAST Temple (3-6) at Army (2-8), 11 a.m.

Yale (2-7) at Harvard (7-2), 11 a.m.

Towson (6-4) at New Hampshire (8-2), 11 a.m.

Indiana (4-6) at Penn St. (6-4), 11 a.m.

Maine (4-6) at Rhode Island (0-10), 11 a.m.

Monmouth (NJ) (4-5) at R. Morris (4-6), 11 a.m.

S. Heart (2-8) at St. Francis (Pa.) (4-6), 11 a.m.

Va. Tech (4-6) at B.C. (2-8), 11:30 a.m.

Columbia (3-6) at Brown (6-3), 11:30 a.m.

Penn (5-4) at Cornell (4-5), 11:30 a.m.

CCSU (2-7) at Albany (NY) (8-2), noon Bryant (4-6) at Bucknell (2-8), noon Colgate (7-3) at Fordham (6-4), noon Holy Cross (1-9) at Georgetown (5-5), noon Lehigh (9-1) at Lafayette (5-5), noon Dartmouth (5-4) at Princeton (5-4), noon Buffalo (3-7) at UMass (1-9), 2 p.m.

Villanova (7-3) at Delaware (5-5), 2:30 p.m.

Texas St. (3-6) at Navy (6-4), 2:30 p.m.

Oklahoma (7-2) at West Virginia (5-4), 6 p.m.

SOUTH Tenn. Tech (3-7) at Austin Peay (1-9), 11 a.m.

Houston (4-6) at Marshall (4-6), 11 a.m.

Florida St. (9-1) at Maryland (4-6), 11 a.m.

W. Carolina (1-9) at Alabama (9-1), 11:21 a.m.

Arkansas (4-6) at Miss. St. (7-3), 11:21 a.m.

Marist (3-6) at Campbell (1-9), noon San Diego (6-3) at Davidson (2-8), noon Jacksonville St. (6-4) at Florida (9-1), noon Delaware St. (6-4) at Howard (6-4), noon Drake (7-3) at Jacksonville (7-3), noon Valparaiso (1-9) at Morehead St. (3-7), noon Hampton (2-7) at Morgan St. (3-7), noon Wofford (8-2) at South Carolina (8-2), noon The Citadel (6-4) at Furman (3-7), 12:30 p.m.

Presbyterian (2-8) at G.-Webb (2-8), 12:30 p.m.

Georgia So. (8-2) at Georgia (9-1), 12:30 p.m.

Savannah St. (1-9) at SC State (4-6), 12:30 p.m.

Liberty (5-5) at VMI (2-8), 12:30 p.m.

Richmond (7-3) at W & M (2-8), 12:30 p.m.

Jackson St. (6-4) at Alcorn St. (4-6), 1 p.m.

Alabama A&M (7-3) at Auburn (2-8), 1 p.m.

Florida A&M (4-6) vs. B.-Cookman (8-2), 1 p.m.

Elon (3-7) at Chattanooga (5-5), 1 p.m.

SE Missouri (3-7) at Murray St. (4-6), 1 p.m.

NC A&T (6-4) at NC Central (6-4), 1 p.m.

Memphis (2-8) at UAB (3-7), 1 p.m.

South Florida (3-6) at Miami (5-5), 2 p.m.

Tennessee St. (8-2) at UT-Martin (7-3), 2 p.m.

NC State (6-4) at Clemson (9-1), 2:30 p.m.

Charleston So. (5-5) at C. Carolina (6-4), 2:30 p.m.

Duke (6-4) at Georgia Tech (5-5), 2:30 p.m.

Mississippi (5-5) at LSU (8-2), 2:30 p.m.

M. Tennessee (6-3) at S. Alabama (2-8), 2:30 p.m.

Arkansas St. (7-3) at Troy (5-5), 2:30 p.m.

East Carolina (6-4) at Tulane (2-8), 2:30 p.m.

Utah St. (8-2) at Louisiana Tech (9-1), 3 p.m.

North Texas (4-6) at La-Monroe (6-4), 3 p.m.

Old Dominion (9-1) at J. Madison (7-3), 6 p.m.

W. Kentucky (6-4) at La-Lafayette (5-4), 6 p.m.

Tennessee (4-6) at Vanderbilt (6-4), 6 p.m.

Samford (6-3) at Kentucky (1-9), 6:30 p.m.

Lamar (4-7) at McNeese St. (6-4), 7 p.m.

UTEP (2-8) at Southern Miss. (0-10), 7 p.m.

MIDWEST Kent St. (9-1) at Bowling Green (7-3), 11 a.m.

Rutgers (8-1) at Cincinnati (7-2), 11 a.m.

Iowa (4-6) at Michigan (7-3), 11 a.m.

Northwestern (7-3) at Michigan St. (5-5), 11 a.m.

Miami (Ohio) (4-6) at Cent. Michigan (4-6), noon N. Dakota St. (9-1) at Illinois St. (8-2), noon E. Michigan (1-9) at W. Michigan (4-7), 1 p.m.

Indiana St. (7-3) at Youngstown St. (6-4), 1 p.m.

S. Dakota (1-9) at S. Dakota St. (7-3), 2 p.m.

W. Illinois (3-7) at S. Illinois (5-5), 2 p.m.

Purdue (4-6) at Illinois (2-8), 2:30 p.m.

Minnesota (6-4) at Nebraska (8-2), 2:30 p.m.

W. Forest (5-5) at Notre Dame (10-0), 2:30 p.m.

Ohio St. (10-0) at Wisconsin (7-3), 2:30 p.m.

Missouri St. (3-7) at N. Iowa (4-6), 4 p.m.

Iowa St. (5-5) at Kansas (1-9), 6 p.m.

Syracuse (5-5) at Missouri (5-5), 6 p.m.

SOUTHWEST UCF (8-2) at Tulsa (8-2), 11 a.m.

MVSU (4-6) at Texas Southern (2-8), 1 p.m.

P. View (3-7) at Ark.-Pine Bluff (8-2), 2:30 p.m.

Texas Tech (7-3) at Oklahoma St. (6-3), 2:30 p.m.

SMU (5-5) at Rice (4-6), 2:30 p.m.

S.H. St. (8-2) at Texas A&M (8-2), 2:30 p.m.

E. Illinois (7-3) at Cent. Arkansas (8-2), 5 p.m.

Northwestern St. (4-6) at S.F. Austin (4-6), 6 p.m.

Kansas St. (10-0) at Baylor (4-5), 7 p.m.

FAR WEST Washington (6-4) at Colorado (1-9), 11:30 p.m.

N. Dakota (5-5) at N. Colorado (4-6), 1:05 p.m.

Washington St. (2-8) at Arizona St. (5-5), 2 p.m.

Southern Cal (7-3) at UCLA (8-2), 2:05 p.m.

Colorado St. (3-7) at Boise St. (8-2), 2:30 p.m.

Montana St. (9-1) at Montana (5-5), 2:30 p.m.

Nevada (6-4) at New Mexico (4-7), 2:30 p.m.

Wyoming (3-7) at UNLV (2-9), 3 p.m.

E. Washington (8-2) at Portland St. (3-7), 3:05 p.m.

UTSA (6-4) at Idaho (1-9), 4 p.m.

Weber St. (1-9) at Idaho St. (1-9), 5 p.m.

Sacramento St. (6-4) at UC Davis (3-7), 5 p.m.

Cal Poly (8-2) at N. Arizona (8-2), 5:05 p.m.

Stanford (8-2) at Oregon (10-0), 7 p.m.

Arizona (6-4) at Utah (4-6), 9 p.m.

California (3-8) at Oregon St. (7-2), 9:30 p.m.

BYU (6-4) at San Jose St. (8-2), 9:30 p.m.

The Norman Transcript

■

Nov. 17, 2012

GAMEDAY

Baylor hasn’t missed RG3 much Florence’s numbers a little better than Griffin’s at this point last season

By Stephen Hawkins AP Sports Writer

WACO, Texas — Take a glance at the total offense leaders in the Bowl Subdivision and there is a Baylor quarterback at the top.

Same for passing yards per game.

Without looking at names, it’d be easy to think those are leftover lists from last season, before Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy and left early for the NFL. Nope, those are the latest statistics.

While Nick Florence has never tried to be like RG3 — “I’m not 6-3, 6-4, and I don’t run a 4.3,” the 6-foot-1 senior

said — his numbers this season are very comparable to what Griffin did with the Bears.

“He’s been masterful quite honestly, and not surprisingly to us because of his personality and his demeanor and his mindset,” coach Art Briles said.

Through nine games, Florence has more yards passing (3,191 to 3,093), one more rushing touchdown (six to five) and has been sacked five times less than Griffin at the same point last season. The wins just haven’t come as frequently for the Bears (4-5, 1-5 Big 12), who are still trying to get bowl eligible.

They play Saturday night at home game against second-ranked Kansas State (100, 7-0), the No. 1 team in the BCS standings. It is a matchup of the quarterback who replaced the Heisman Trophy winner against Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein, this year’s Heisman front-runner.

Griffin, the Washington Redskins rookie starter, said he’s proud that Florence is having his chance this season as Baylor’s quarterback.

“He’s put in a lot of hours.

He was there just as long as I was, so it’s good to see that,” Griffin said. “They’ve got KState coming up, so it’ll be interesting. I look forward to

seeing him go and be successful.”

While Baylor has certainly made some changes in an offense that lost Griffin, along with the leading rusher and leading receiver from a 10win team that sent five offensive players into the NFL draft, the basis of Briles’ system stayed intact.

“It’s little things here and there that we’ve changed and morphed,” said Florence, who averages 395 total yards per game. “It’s not drastic, there’s all these little things that make other things better now. ... We still do a lot of the same stuff, but it’s just adding different wrinkles and shades to it.”

Big 12 Standings Con. Overall 7 0 1.000 10 0 1.000 5 1 .833 7 2 .778 5 2 .714 8 2 .800 4 2 .667 6 3 .667 4 3 .571 7 3 .700 3 4 .500 6 4 .600 2 4 .333 5 4 .556 2 5 .286 5 5 .500 1 5 .167 4 5 .444 0 7 .000 1 9 .100 Today Texas Tech at Oklahoma St., 2:30 p.m.

Oklahoma at West Virginia, 6 p.m.

Iowa State at Kansas, 6 p.m.

Kansas State at Baylor, 7 p.m.

Nov. 22 TCU at Texas, 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 23 West Virginia at Iowa State Nov. 24 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma Texas Tech vs. Baylor, at Arlington Dec. 1 Oklahoma State at Baylor Kansas at West Virginia Texas at Kansas State Oklahoma at TCU

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

13

On the air 11 a.m.

Arkansas at Mississippi St. (KSBI) Iowa at Michigan (ESPN) N’western at Michigan St. (ESPN2) Central Florida at Tulsa (FSN) Temple at Army (CBSSN) Yale at Harvard (NBCSN) Florida State at Maryland (ESPNU) 12:30 p.m.

Washington at Colorado (FX) 1 p.m.

FAMU vs. Be.-Cookman (ESPNCL) 2 p.m.

Southern Cal at UCLA (KOKH-25) South Florida at Miami (FSSW) 2:30 p.m.

Ohio State at Wisconsin (KOCO-5) Mississippi at LSU (KWTV-9) N.C. State at Clemson (ESPN2) Texas Tech at Oklahoma St. (FSN) W. Forest at Notre Dame (KFOR-4) Texas State at Navy (CBSSN) Colorado St. at Boise St. (NBCSN) 6 p.m.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt (ESPN2) Oklahoma at W. Virginia (KOKH-25) Iowa State at Kansas (FSN) O. Dominion at J. Madison (NBCSN) Syracuse at Missouri (ESPNU) 7 p.m.

Kansas State at Baylor (ESPN) UTEP at So. Mississippi (CBSSN) Stanford at Oregon (KOCO-8) 9:30 p.m.

BYU at San Jose State (ESPN2)

Runner: Texas A&M quarterback has become the toast of the college game • Continued from Page 12 A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury out to watch him play. When Kingsbury, a former standout QB at Texas Tech, brought Sumlin the video of his game, he wondered why he even bothered.

“I saw the video and it was just a highlight tape,” Sumlin said. “I didn’t have to watch very much of it. There’s a couple of guys that when coaches come back and say: ‘Coach, you need to see this, can we offer this guy?’ You

watch a few plays and ask: ‘Why did you even show that to me? Why didn’t (you) offer the guy when you were there?”’

Manziel passed on Houston and several other schools and verbally committed to

Oregon. He’d always loved the school and was a big fan of coach Chip Kelly. But as Manziel thought more about playing there, he realized he couldn’t be more than 2,000 miles away from his family, Smith said.

Smith helped him navigate that situation, and was impressed by the way he handled it. Manziel agonized over the decision to sign with A&M instead of Oregon, and Smith sat with him when he called Kelly to break the

news.

“In the end, the young man made a decision on the things that he valued most and that was his family,” Smith said.

“That says more about him than any play he could ever make on the football field.”

14

GAMEDAY

The Norman Transcript

memories, while others make him a scapegoat for any game that doesn’t finish lopsided. But the sound and the fury his play once created is mostly gone.

So Jones begins his last three regular-season games as a Sooner in a good place, and the way the Mountaineers have played defense this season, he should be in a good place heading into Bedlam, too.

He’ll be remembered as the Sooners’ most prolific quarterback, but there’s no value in that. Bill Russell was a prolific Dodger shortstop, but he wasn’t Garvey, Lopes or Cey. Like the 10,000 meters — sort of the race Jones has run at OU — the value is in finishing strong.

He’s rewritten the record book and been the constant Sooner for almost a third of the Stoops era. And he has three more Saturdays and a bowl game to go.

How will Jones be remembered? It’s a story he can start writing now.

Clay Horning Follow me @clayhorning cfhorning@normantranscript.com

Nov. 17, 2012

THE WAY WE SEE IT

Horning: Jones’ time • Continued from Page 3 conference titleholders?

Well, those teams are West Virginia, Oklahoma State and TCU, and that’s who OU has today, a week from today and two weeks from today.

It’s interesting how Jones says he’s playing his best football this season, because he’s unlikely to approach the yardage and touchdown totals of his last two seasons. Though’s he’s averaging 299 yards a game through the air, it wasn’t until the Texas game he finally threw for 300. But it’s so interesting because it’s true.

His I-can’t-believe-hemade-that-throw throws, in a bad way, are way down since Kansas State. I remember two. Against Texas, when it hardly mattered, and the one deep in Sooner territory against Notre Dame.

There was a time they seemed to happen three or four times a game even if only one was picked.

The point?

Jones isn’t nearly so polarizing any more. Some fans hold on to bad

■

Clay Horning

John Shinn

Corbin Hosler

Michael Kinney

Oklahoma (+11) at W. Virginia Pick: Oklahoma 42-20 Texas Tech (+10 1/2) at OSU Pick: OSU 35-24 Iowa State (-6) at Kansas Pick: Iowa State 24-17 Kansas State (-12) at Baylor Pick: Kansas State 35-27 W. Forest (+23 1/2) at N. Dame Pick: Notre Dame 31-10 USC (-3 1/2) at UCLA Pick: UCLA 27-24 Ohio St. (+2 1/2) at Wisconsin Pick: Wisconsin 17-14 Ole Miss (+18) at LSU Pick: LSU 28-6 Tennessee (+4) at Vanderbilt Pick: Vanderbilt 31-24 Arkansas (+6 1/2) at Miss. St. Pick: Mississippi St. 28-17 Central Florida (+3) at Tulsa Pick: Tulsa 42-24 Indiana (+18 1/2) at Penn State Pick: Penn State 35-19

Oklahoma (+11) at W. Virginia Pick: Oklahoma 38-28 Texas Tech (+10 1/2) at OSU Pick: OSU 34-31 Iowa State (-6) at Kansas Pick: Kansas 24-20 Kansas State (-12) at Baylor Pick: Kansas State 31-28 W. Forest (+23 1/2) at N. Dame Pick: Notre Dame 31-10 USC (-3 1/2) at UCLA Pick: UCLA 24-20 * Ohio St. (+2 1/2) at Wisconsin Pick: Wisconsin 21-20 Ole Miss (+18) at LSU Pick: LSU 24-10 Tennessee (+4) at Vanderbilt Pick: Tennessee 31-27 Arkansas (+6 1/2) at Miss. St. Pick: Mississippi St. 27-24 Central Florida (+3) at Tulsa Pick: Tulsa 31-30 Indiana (+18 1/2) at Penn State Pick: Penn State 31-17

Oklahoma (+11) at W. Virginia Pick: Oklahoma 38-21 Texas Tech (+10 1/2) at OSU Pick: OSU 42-28 Iowa State (-6) at Kansas Pick: Iowa State 24-14 Kansas State (-12) at Baylor Pick: Kansas State 34-21 W. Forest (+23 1/2) at N. Dame Pick: Notre Dame 34-21 USC (-3 1/2) at UCLA Pick: USC 42-31* Ohio St. (+2 1/2) at Wisconsin Pick: Ohio State 31-24 Ole Miss (+18) at LSU Pick: LSU 31-21 Tennessee (+4) at Vanderbilt Pick: Tennessee 31-24 Arkansas (+6 1/2) at Miss. St. Pick: Arkansas 31-28 Central Florida (+3) at Tulsa Pick: Tulsa 38-31 Indiana (+18 1/2) at Penn State Pick: Penn State 35-24

Oklahoma (+11) at W. Virginia Pick: OU 45-37 Texas Tech (+10 1/2) at OSU Pick: OSU 42-41 Iowa State (-6) at Kansas Pick: Iowa State 28-10 Kansas State (-12) at Baylor Pick: Baylor 45-40 W. Forest (+23 1/2) at N. Dame Pick: Notre Dame 34-10 USC (-3 1/2) at UCLA Pick: USC 28-24 Ohio St. (+2 1/2) at Wisconsin Pick: Wisconsin 38-31 Ole Miss (+18) at LSU Pick: LSU 31-10* Tennessee (+4) at Vanderbilt Pick: Tennessee 28-23 Arkansas (+6 1/2) at Miss. St. Pick: Arkansas 35-27 Central Florida (+3) at Tulsa Pick: Central Florida 48-46 Indiana (+18 1/2) at Penn State Pick: Penn State 24-7

Last week (overall) Straight up: 9-3 (82-26) Spread: 8-4 (61-47) * Lock: 1-0 (6-3)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 10-2 (79-29) Spread: 6-6 (50-58) * Lock: 1-0 (6-3)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 10-2 (77-31) Spread: 8-4 (57-51) * Lock: 0-1 (6-3)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 7-5 (73-35) Spread: 7-5 (53-55) * Lock: 1-0 (4-5)