Oct. 13-19, 2020 (OU-TEXAS)

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 13 -19, 2 0 2 0 | O U D A I LY. C O M

OU DAILY

STILL FROM FOX BROADCAST

Texas fans watch in disappointment as Oklahoma wins the 2020 Red River Showdown on Oct. 10.

HORNS DOWN, BIRDS UP

OU WINS QUADRUPLE OVERTIME THRILLER CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

DALLAS — Mike Giovando likes to send a text message to his former pupil, Spencer Rattler, right after he finishes a game so it’ll be waiting for him when he gets to the locker room. After the Oklahoma quarterback completed a 53-45 quadruple-overtime win against No. 22 Texas on Saturday, the longtime quarterback coach sent

Rattler just four words.

“Mental toughness over everything.”

Rattler, in one of the most grueling venues for a young player in college football, went from committing two early turnovers and having to sit out almost all of the second quarter, to commanding a better second half and a rollercoaster four-overtime victory that automatically became a classic in Sooner lore. Giovando, who was watching from his home in Arizona, let Rattler know how legendary of an overtime performance Rattler put on. “ I s a i d t hat ’s w hat I s aw ,”

Giovando told The Daily after the game. “You could’ve got down on yourself. A couple turnovers and I’m sure things are going through your head. … He’s not like that.

He’s not wired like that. He’s never gonna quit or give up. That’s not his deal.”

After Rattler threw an interception and committed a fumble, Oklahoma (2-2, 1-2, Big 12) head coach Lincoln Riley told Rattler, in his first OU-Texas start, that he needed to take a breather. Those errors led to 10 Texas points to tie the game, 10-10, at the beginning of the second quarter. The two turnovers marked his fifth and

sixth turnovers of the season.

Rattler had trainers looking at his arm while he was on the sideline, and redshirt sophomore quarterback Tanner Mordecai entered the game. Rattler stayed on the bench for the rest of the second quarter not because of his arm, which Rattler said postgame was bothering him, but because Riley told him to take a break.

“I was kind of surprised when I came out at first,” Rattler said after the game, “then coach Riley told me, ‘Just take a breather. You’re gonna get back in there.’”

Indeed he did, as Rattler returned and ended up finishing the

day with 209 passing yards and three touchdowns, along with one rushing touchdown.

Giovando, who’s known and coached Rattler ever since he was going into middle school in Arizona, had wanted to talk to Rattler about adversity over the last few weeks, with upset losses to Kansas State and Iowa State.

In his first Big 12 start Sept. 26, Rattler struggled against the Kansas State defense at home, throwing three picks — something no Sooner quarterback had done since 2014, when Trevor Knight see TEXAS page 6 TEXAS

Quarterback brings ‘mental toughness’ to legendary rivalry game

Students, faculty press for grade flexibility Importance of assessment leniency stressed amid virus JANA HAYES @janarhayes

As universities across the nation battle with making the best decisions for students, OU faculty and students wonder: How do we grade in the middle of a pandemic?

When students and professors were forced to transition to online-only instruction in March, institutions across the country were in agreement that life had been completely disrupted. Some moved to more lenient grading policies, with schools like MIT and Duke leading the charge early on.

OU was among these schools in the spring, giving Norman campus students the option of opting for a pass/no pass once final grades came in, but it has no plans to move away from its normal grading policy this fall, according to university spokesperson Kesha Keith.

However, students, faculty and researchers alike — in Norman and nationally — agree that this semester is anything but normal.

An OU student-led petition for a fall P/NP option has garnered over 2,800 signatures, and places like the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment encourage universities to consider continuing P/NP and other forms of leniency.

The NILOA conducted a survey of higher education institutions in June generating 813 responses, finding that 97 percent of institutions made an assessment-related change in response to COVID-19 during the spring 2020 semester, and 66 percent of respondents made more than one.

Of those 97 percent, 52 percent reported modifications to assignments or assessments, 48 percent reported flexibility in assignment deadlines and 36 percent reported shifting to pass/no pass policies for the spring.

Of the 26,165 Norman campus students, 9,354 used the P/NP

RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

A student attends Zoom class Oct. 9. As classes adjust amid the pandemic, some students and instructors are pushing for adjusted grading policies.

policy as of Sept. 14, Keith said in an email. All grades of D or better in an undergraduate course could be converted to a P, as well as all graduate grades of C or better in a graduate course.

“Last spring’s decision to implement a pass/no pass policy was due to OU’s sudden shift from in-person to fully online instruction, when the initial effects of COVID-19 hit our nation,” Keith said in the email. “The university opened this fall with approximately 68 percent of classes being held in-person or hybrid and with a better understanding of online learning capabilities.”

Laura Gibbs, online instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences and advocate for the P/NP grading system, said giving students the option was important not only because of the unexpected shift to online instruction but also because of the pandemic’s inequitable effects on students.

In addition, because a student’s GPA is used as a reflection of their

academic performance when applying for further education or even keeping current scholarships, Gibbs said the P/NP policy protected the integrity of the GPA. “If you had to quarantine in the spring,” Gibbs said, “or you suddenly got kicked out of your house, or you didn’t have an internet connection, or your classes really didn’t work very well online … the grade you got is not going to be an accurate reflection.”

Gibbs already practices what she calls “ungrading” in her online classes, in which students receive full credit for each assignment they turn in. The class can then be completely focused on learning from feedback rather than a grade that might negatively affect them.

Natasha Jankowski, executive director of NILOA, said one thing that troubled her following the NILOA survey was the tension between universities coming to an understanding of students as a “whole person,” while also still holding close to their policies.

“Somehow they would forget that whole-person view of the students, as an actor in a community during a global pandemic, and an uncertain election and racial reckoning,” Jankowski said. “All of those layers of stressors, in a classroom assessment setting were remembered, but in a policy moment weren’t.”

While it is difficult for university administrators to make decisions on how and if to hold class, how to grade and how to be flexible, Jankowski — who is also a research associate professor at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign — said the uncertainty of being a student is even worse.

Some are without jobs, many are unsure if they will have to move back home in the middle of the semester, and mental health concerns are elevated. In addition, some international students have been unable to return to the U.S. due to travel restrictions, left to take online classes from another country and feeling unsupported

by OU administration.

Students’ well-being, along with student input, should be at the forefront of decision making, Jankowski said.

“Don’t forget we’re still in a pandemic … that has to be our North Star in this work,” Jankowski said.

“The ripple effects from March are many and they (will) last a while. … That should be guiding our approach to our work, and our thinking, and our rules and (the) policy that we’re putting in place.”

Because of the continued inequities in how students are affected by the pandemic, Gibbs said the P/ NP is an option students should be given again this fall.

“That’s an option that we should make available to students, especially if we want them to go along with the quarantine rule,” Gibbs said. “If you’re sitting there thinking, ‘Should I quarantine and possibly not do as well in the class?’ or ‘Should I just go to class and, you know, pretend I’m not quarantining?’ We should take the grade factor out of the equation there if we can.”

Of the 813 institutions that took the NILOA survey, 358 responded to an open-ended question about changes they wanted to see beyond spring 2020. Those responses fell into five different categories: increased flexibility, empathy and use of student voice, alternative measures, addressing inequities and planning for the future.

Even if OU and other universities don’t include the P/NP option for the fall, steering clear of “normal” grading practices is paramount, Jankowski said.

“Our reasons for doing things then should very much be similar (now),” Jankowski said. “And to sort of say, ‘Buck up, figure it out,’ in a pandemic is too ivory tower-esque for me. If we really want to line up our espoused values with what we care about and what our role is in society in educating our students, then we are halls of compassion at this time.” see P/NP page 3

2

NEWS

• Oct. 13-19, 2020

Bratzler warns flu poses risks Many factors influence move to online classes MARIEN LÓPEZ-MEDINA @Ailime_Neiram

During his weekly update, OU’s Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler s a i d O U ’s t r a n s i t i o n to online classes after Thanksgiving is meant to reduce the concerns of the OU community on COVID19 transmission.

According to an OU Medicine live stream, Bratzler said OU does not wa nt t o p o t e nt i a l l y i n crease the risk of COVID19 from bringing OU students back to campus after Thanksgiving, especially those who are traveling to other states with higher incidences of COVID-19 and fewer mask mandates or masking enforcement than in Norman.

Bratzler said he would not be surprised if the OU community sees an “uptick” in the number of COVID-19 cases a couple of weeks after Thanksgiving.

“We actually see very low transmission of the virus in Norman at this time since Norman has had a mask mandate for a long time,” Bratzler said. “All of us expect family gatherings that (might) actually result in an increased number of cases.”

Bratzler said he encourages OU students who are returning home for Thanksgiving to get a free COVID-19 test before traveling in order to avoid the exposure to their families.

“We’ve encouraged our students who are going home for Thanksgiving to come and get a free test before they go and not to take COVID-19 home to their families,” Bratzler said.

Bratzler said Oklahoma has recorded 95,000 COVID-19 cases since testing began, with an average of 1,000 cases per day. During the last week, Oklahoma confirmed 7,000 new cases and 44 deaths.

According to Bratzler, COVID-19 is cur rently moving into the rural Oklahoma communities, although Tulsa County, Cleveland County and Oklahoma County continue reporting the majority of COVID-19 cases every day.

Bratzler said COVID19 is mostly spreading in young people from 15 to 24 and from 25 to 38 in Oklahoma, yet patients over 55 are suffering the consequences — the group makes up 93 percent of the deaths in the state.

“It ’s really impor tant that we continue to inspire young people to wear masks and to practice social distancing, even though they don’t get as ill,” Bratzler said. “They’re the

GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY OU MEDICINE

A graphic from OU Medicine showing many Oklahoma counties are seeing more than 24 positive COVID-19 cases a day per 100,000 residents.

ones who eventually are likely to be spreading this disease to the older population who’s dying from the disease.”

Bratzler said Oklahoma still has hospital bed capacity, yet there are nurse staffing limitations. If there is an early flu season this year, hospitals will need to come up with contingency plans for surge capacity, although that might result in patient care delays.

“Typically if (patients) a re n o t v e r y i l l , ( t h e y ) have an average hospital

length-of-stay of about four days according to the health department, but that ranges anywhere from one to 15 days per person,” Bratzler said. “It’s important to recognize if you’re sick enough to end up in a hospital, mostly if you have complications and a higher risk of death from the disease.”

According to Bratzler, preventing hospital shutdowns during COVID19 and influenza season means finding additional health care workers to

attend to patients in need of additional surge capacity. Bratzler said wearing a mask to “slow the spread of (COVID-19) and of influenza” and getting a flu shot would ease pressure on hospitals. “ There’s bed capacity in Oklahoma, but it may mean if we get more cases, the patients may even get moved out of (their) own community,” Bratzler said.

“COVID-19 patients are not going to be moved out into smaller regional facilities in case of capacity issues.”

Lastly, Bratzler said the university uses the data c o l l e c t e d f ro m t h e O U Student Health Center and from how much COVID-19 is found in wastewater from the buildings to inform the number of COVID-19 cases in Cleveland County. He said that “although there were some increasing cases (in Cleveland County), that has been steadily coming down.”

Marien López-Medina ailimelmarien@ou.edu

OU COVID-19 TESTS AND POSITIVES

NEW OU, NORMAN AND COUNTY CASES

OU releases Harroz employment contract President promised $500,000 annually, paid sabbatical ARI FIFE @arriifife

O U P re s i d e n t Jo s e p h Harroz entered an employment agreement with the Board of Regents effective Sept. 1, which was released to The OU Daily on Oct. 7.

Harroz was appointed university president May 9, and his contract was requested by The Daily on May 14. Read more about the details of the agreement below: SALARY AND BONUS According to the contract, Harroz will be paid $500,000 annually, to be p a i d i n “a p p r o x i m a t e ly equal installments” in line with the university’s usual payroll processes.

This is the same yearly sum as outlined in former OU President James Gallogly’s contract. Harroz’s salary and performance will be subject to review by the regents every summer, with a focus on implementation of OU’s strategic plan approved by the regents in July 2020, including the OU-Tulsa campus and the Health Sciences Center.

Harroz’s annual salary will not be decreased without a written agreement between him and the regents, according to the contract, and any increase

OU President Joseph Harroz during the OU Board of Regents meeting May 9.

will be decided on solely following: by the regents. The regents • Institutional, student, faculty, athletics and may also “periodically reeducational leadership view” and pay bonus comand management pensation to Harroz, and any bonus compensation • Bu dg e t c reat i o n a n d long-term strategic will be at the sole discreplanning tion of the regents, in such amounts and at such times • Maintenance of university leadership’s reas they decide. lationship with local, state and federal POSITION AND DUTIES governments He will be able to manAccording to the contract, Harroz will report di- age his own personal, firectly to the board and its nancial and legal affairs, chair. His duties include, serve on “civic or charibut are not limited to, the table committees,” or the

board of directors or any similar governing body of any corporation, as long as such activities don’t interfere with his duties as president/CEO. TERM The contract is set to expire Sept. 1, 2025, as Article X, Section 23 of the Oklahoma Constitution limits the regents’ ability to make a contract that provides state-funded pay for more than one fiscal year. The contract will be

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

automatically extended for a one-year period annually, according to its text, unless the regents provide a written notice to the contrary.

The written notice must be provided 30 days prior to the contract’s anniversary date in any given year.

“ re a s o n a b l y i t e m i z e d ” statements of those expenses are presented, in line with OU’s and the regents’ policies. According to the contract, Harroz and his fiancee/spouse will fly coach class for domestic flights and business class for international flights.

Harroz and his spouse and dependents, as defined by the relevant policy, will be entitled to any benefit plans or programs offered by OU for its employees, according to the contract. He will be eligible to participate in any pension, retirement, savings and other employee benefit plans and programs offered by the university. He will also be entitled to all employment benefits as outlined in the faculty and staff handbooks, and other plans the regents or university may create, like any supplemental retirement plans.

POST-EMPLOYMENT

Upon the ending of Harroz’s employment as university president/CEO by the regents for any reason other than termination, Harroz will remain a tenured member of the OU College of Law and will take an initial one-year paid EXPENSES AND sabbatical. His annual salaBENEFITS ry will be equal to the highHa r ro z w i l l b e re i m - est-paid College of Law facbursed for “all reasonable ulty base salary at the time. employment-related expenses” for himself and Ari Fife his fiancee/spouse after ariani.s.fife-1@ou.edu

NEWS

Oct. 13-19, 2020 •

3

Hybrid classes see limitations Students, professors discuss reality of class compromises SILAS BALES @Sibales1

Traditionally, a college class features students sitting together in a crowded classroom, taking notes and having face-to-face discussions together, and listening intently to the professor’s lecture.

Because of COVID-19, students are now asked to remain at least six feet from each other, wear masks and limit close interactions, if they even get to go to an in-person lecture. Other students are calling from their dorm rooms, apartments and parents’ houses to hear the same lecture, unable to have the face-to-face dynamic.

Hybrid classes are intended to allow students who are in self-isolation, quarantine or are otherwise unable to attend class to participate in their courses and get an education, but in reality, many students — including those who do not have the virus — have had to partake in these classes in order to accommodate their at-risk or ill classmates.

Some students said they struggle with hybrid classes because the relationship between the student and teacher isn’t tangible.

“Getting in contact with the

PHOTO ILLUATRATION BY MEGAN FOISY/THE DAILY

professor is somewhat difficult,” said Daylen Kilgallon, a computer engineering sophomore. “If you are on Zoom, you might not get to talk to him till way later in the class, and you only have one chance a week to see him, if you’re in-person at all. If you email the professor, they will reply, but asking personal questions is a bit more difficult than it usually is.”

However, other students said they feel this style of teaching provides a comfortable compromise between safety from the coronavirus and effective teaching.

“I know there is a lot of criticism with the way the administration is handling things, but personally, I think they are giving us a good mix of face-to-face in-person classes and online classes,” said Jacob

Morrison, a first-year student at the OU College of Law. “I think that the majority of people know that online and hybrid classes kind of suck, but right now it’s the best we can do, and overall we are still getting a pretty good education.”

While all hybrid classes serve a similar function, some of them look very different, partially due to the different approaches instructors take

to deliver their material in two formats.

“My hybrid class meets two times a week, once in-person and once on Zoom, with different instructors for each one, because some would prefer to teach online,” Morrison said.

Students aren’t the only ones still adjusting to the dual format. Stephen Ellis, an associate professor of philosophy, said teaching in this style

of course comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to interacting with students.

“It’s slower. Slower for them to get to know me, and certainly harder for me to get to know them,” Ellis said.

“However, students have been really good about coming into virtual office hours, but it is definitely harder. There is no real way to replace that faceto-face component.”

Ellis also said he has to work harder with students for what he feels creates less results.

“I think I am probably spending 120 to 150 percent of the time that I would with maybe 80 to 85 percent of the results,” Ellis said. “It’s a little hard to measure, but I get the sense that I am getting close to results and I am putting a lot more effort in.”

Ellis said he wants students to know that even on Zoom, professors are still looking for interaction with their students and want to hear from them.

“For any students who might be reading this article, if you are doing a Zoom lecture, the professor is looking for feedback,” Ellis said.

“However they allow that feedback, throw them a thumbs up, a hand clap, let them know that you’re getting it as things go on.”

Silas Bales

silasbales@ou.edu

‘I feel I have a responsibility to speak out’ Former state health official balances duty with restraint ARI FIFE @arriifife

Even though OU Hudson College of Public Health associate professor Aaron Wendelboe was trained in infectious disease epidemiology, interacting with a changing disease in real time during a pandemic was a challenge.

Wendelboe, who previously served as interim Oklahoma state epidemiologist, said holding the position was a “very demanding job,” and the work continued even after he left the office for the evening.

“That’s actually what’s interesting about working as the state epidemiologist is each day is different,” Wendelboe said. “Particularly in a time of a (COVID-19) pandemic, it seems like each day you’re presented with five to 10 new urgent things that demand your attention.”

We n d e l b o e s a i d h e was asked to work for the Oklahoma State Department of Health by Gary Cox, previous interim state health commissioner and current Hudson College associate dean, who felt having more people involved in state epidemiology efforts would be helpful. A few other Hudson College faculty went to work for the health department with Wendelboe, where he originally worked as a consultant.

After a few days of work, Cox told Wendelboe he appreciated the work he was doing and thought it would be helpful if Wendelboe became the state’s interim epidemiologist, and Wendelboe accepted.

There were a few different parts to his new position, Wendelboe said. One of his

P/NP: continued from page 1

OU introductory psychology coordinator Jenel Cavazos said while she agreed with the shift to P/NP in the spring and wouldn’t oppose its return this fall, she also will not be advocating for it.

Cavazos said her worry, when the policy was announced in the spring, was some students who used P/ NP in sequential major classes

responsibilities was sitting on a planning committee, which he said was with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s task force.

In that role, Wendelboe said he had daily briefings with Stitt and provided information about how the pandemic was proceeding in other countries and states. He also said he developed transmission dynamic models to help inform leaders when infections would peak, how to maximize use of ICU beds and ventilators and also monitored the effectiveness of the state Safer at Home initiative.

Wendelboe said another aspect of his job was participating in the state’s general COVID-19 response, including organizing testing. He said at the beginning of the pandemic, state leaders were focused on PCR testing, but by April, they began also looking for an antibody testing plan and trying to coordinate contact tracing and case investigations. He also said one of his main projects was creating a 24-hour contact tracing and case investigation call center for the health department.

Wendleboe said he worked with 77 counties, 68 local health departments and nine regional administrations throughout Oklahoma to try to make their COVID19 response as cohesive as possible.

OU’s Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler said, as the university’s top epidemiologist, he’s also worked closely with Wendelboe throughout the pandemic.

“I don’t make any decisions for the University of Oklahoma without a team of us working through any issues and thinking about the best thing to do,” Bratzler said.

Bratzler said when he arrived at the Hudson College in 2011, Wendelboe was already

there as a junior faculty member, and the two started working together fairly quickly on a joint project investigating how common blood clots are in Oklahomans.

Bratzler said he and Wendelboe also have a common interest: Bratzler has an extensive background in infection prevention and research, and Wendelboe is a “true infectious disease epidemiologist,” trained through the epidemic intelligence service program at the Centers for Disease Control.

“He’s a good guy,” Bratzler said. “He’s really smart, obviously a good epidemiologist, but he’s just a nice guy too, he’s really easy to work with.”

Wendelboe said his relationship with Stitt during his time in his administration was always “very professional,” and he realized all state officials were working toward the same goal — protecting the health of Oklahomans.

Although Stitt has repeatedly said he will not instate a statewide mask mandate, even after contracting COVID19, Wendelboe said he remains staunchly in support of mask use.

“I think that it‘s as easy of something to do as wearing pants,” Wendelboe said. “I don’t think that many people complain that wearing pants is an infringement upon their rights, or wearing underwear, and so I think that wearing masks is no more of an infringement upon anyone’s rights than any other article of clothing and can definitely do more to protect the public health.”

Before President Donald Trump’s Tulsa rally in June, Wendelboe warned Tulsa Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart of the predicted consequences of holding a mass gathering, according

may not be adequately prepared to move onto the next required class.

“I was concerned that it would set them up for failure in those later classes, because they wouldn’t be ready,” Cavasos said. “There’s no way to know what you don’t know.”

Others have expressed worry that using P/NP will negatively affect students when applying to graduate programs down the line.

OU psychology and premed senior Kassandra Selena said she had this concern, but after contacting several

medical schools she hoped to apply to, she was reassured.

“They changed their policies once the whole pass/no pass option became a thing,” Selena said. “I think that they would have preferred letter grades, but if pass/no pass was something we had to do, they would not count that against us.”

Cavazos also said she thinks this shouldn’t be a major concern for students.

“I think basically, there’s a giant asterisk on that semester for the entire country,” Cavazos said.

PROVIDED BY AARON WENDELBOE

OU Hudson College of Public Health associate professor Aaron Wendelboe served as interim state epidemiologist during the COVID-19 pandemic.

to documents released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and first reported

by The Hill. In an email to two colleagues at OU, Wendelboe said he was unsure how forcefully he should share his concerns.

“As the state epidemiologist, I feel I have a responsibility to speak out and warn of the estimated risk,” Wendelboe wrote in a June 15 email, according to the Associated Press.

“However, that responsibility also lies with the health commissioner and the secretary of health; both with whom I have shared my concerns. I am acutely aware that Stitt has

invited President Trump to the state.”

Wendelboe said when it comes to trying to sway Stitt’s views on mask mandates, though, it was important to know his role.

“My role is to give the public health advice, but I’m not the one making the decision,” Wendelboe said. “And so, I respect that each person has their own role to play. …

There’s enough challenges and enough politics and whatnot, but I just tried to give the best advice that I knew, but allow other people to play their role as well.”

Wendelboe said he knew

being state epidemiologist wouldn’t be a permanent job, but serving in the position was humbling, as he knew the decisions he helped make were “affecting the health and prosperity of Oklahoma.”

“We were at state leadership, trying to deal with a big problem that manifested in many different ways,” Wendelboe said. “So of course, it was exhausting. But it was also helpful to know that the decisions that we were making were impacting people’s lives at the moment.”

Having the option to use P/ NP in the spring was helpful, Selena said, to avoid ruining the GPA she had worked hard for.

“I think that (OU) definitely should (give the option of P/ NP again),” Selena said, “just because … you can’t cater to everyone who would prefer (all in-person or all-online classes). I think having the pass fail option (would) bring peace of mind to people who can’t do online classes and are forced to do it right now.”

While many classes are either online or in-person, some

students are in hybrid classes that meet partly in-person and partly online. These have been a cause of complaint for some students who feel the dual format is an additional stressor.

Becoming more aware of all the things that affect a student’s learning and using that to influence assessment is something that should continue even after the pandemic is over, Jankowski said.

“One of the biggest issues that we hear from students about assessment is that they never get credit for effort, that ‘people don’t understand

what I had to do to get this assignment done,’” Jankowski said. “Assessment is not a measurement act and grading shouldn’t be a check mark, it should be a growth process.”

Editor’s note: The Daily reached out to interim Provost and Senior Vice President Jill Irvine and Vice Provost for Instruction and Student Success Mark Morvant to comment on this story. Both declined..

Ari Fife

ariani.s.fife-1@ou.edu

Jana Hayes

jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu

4

NEWS

• Oct. 13-19, 2020

Lucid Bean caffeinates campus Former health care worker tries hand in coffee business HOGAN GORE

Contributing Writer

Coffee and conversation define the day for Shanah Cureton, who now serves up both from her trailer, Lucid Bean Coffee, located outside the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Some mornings are better than others as restocking products and getting ice for the copious smoothies and iced coffees soon to be made can slow the arrival of one of the only java huts on campus. “It always makes me feel a little rushed to get set up when I see a line waiting, but seeing people waiting for my coffee makes the job all the more worth it,� said Shanah, owner and operator of Lucid Bean Coffee.

Sha na h’s l ov e o f c o ff e e i s g ro u n d e d i n h e r upbringing in the Pacific Northwest, and it provided the motivation for her and her husband, Sean, to invest in and remodel an onthe-go coffee trailer. “I couldn’t find any coffee I really enjoyed so we decided to do some research on local roasters, different flavors (and) different equipment and went for it,� Shanah said. “I come from Washington state and we have really good coffee.

In Oklahoma you see snow cone stands everywhere; in Washington, it’s coffee shops.�

The search for good coffee beans led the Curetons to local roasters and other small businesses making it in the beverage game. “ We s u p p o r t a l o t o f local people where I came from. They deserve to be supported just like me, a small business supporting another small business,�

Shanah said.

Before the dream of star ting a business b ecame a realit y, Shanah spent time at her office job.

While working at Accel at Crystal Park — a nursing and rehabilitation health care home in Oklahoma City — provided a steady

Jordan Miller Editor in Chief Blake Douglas News Editor Caleb McCourry Sports Editor Trey Young Visual Editor Makenna Buckskin Engagement Editor Will Conover Video Editor

contact us

To advertise in The Daily, contact the advertising manager by calling 405-325-2521 or emailing dailyads@ou.edu.

Enterprise Editor Culture Editor Copy Chief Art Director Staff Adviser

Bailey Lewis Sam Tonkins Donna Edwards Megan Foisy Seth Prince

email:

405-325-3666

The Editorial Board, which consists of student editors, meets Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 160. The newsroom is open to the public.

paycheck, it did not provide fulfillment and it was beginning to feel like time for a change. “I sat at a desk, so I had a lot of time to think. I just wanted something more,�

Shanah said. “If it makes you both scared and excited, you should go for it.�

Soon thereafter, the couple bought a used food trailer and got to work. It took about a year for Sean — an engineer serving in the Navy who doubles as business partner and fellow barista — to get the trailer transitioned from gr ill station to a coffee haven. “The wiring in it was really bad, none of the water system was set up to do anything we needed,� Sean said. “Rewiring, replumbing, adding shelves, redoing a gas line; pretty much reworked everything.

We’ve got it set up for coffee and it works great now.�

After the hard work and renovation, Lucid Bean Coffee’s wheels began to roll part time in 2019. The idea was to start finding locations to set up and hopefully serve up a cup of coffee good enough to get a return customer or two.

phone:

The OU Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.

Shanah Cureton working inside the Lucid Bean Coffee trailer during the first day of classes Aug. 24.

dailynewsou.edu

One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business ofďŹ ce at 405-325-2521.

Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you ďŹ nd an error in a story, email dailynews@ou.edu or visit oudaily.com/site/corrections. html to submit a correction form.

VOL. 105, NO. 18 Copyright 2020 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25 cents

Previous Solution

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

“(When) it started off we didn’t know what we would be doing, where we would go or how we would set up at places. It was very much trial and error and at first it was slow,� Sean said.

But that doubt wouldn’t last. Sean remembered one of the first successful days of setting up, operating and making praiseworthy coffee in the trailer. “S ciss or tail Park. It ’s downtown where all the people are, and we kept getting compliments after compliments,� Sean said. “Our kids were out running around the park and it was just an awesome day.�

For Shanah, the compliments and success boils down to the coffee. “I’m trying to pull the right shot every time, so our coffee is consistent, sweeter and not so bitter.

There’s a science to coffee,� Shanah said. “And I think we’ve done a good job with it because people keep coming back and some of our very first customers have become some of our great friends.�

As time passed and business continued to grow for Lucid Bean, the allure of making it a full-time operation was there. But the

pandemic changed things.

With an offer from OU to park the trailer on campus during the week, the c h a n c e t o l e av e a t i re some job and start a new full-time venture revealed itself. “My wife wanted to do it full time since we opened,� says Sean. “It was scary at first, but we had the opportunity to make the jump and she has really enjoyed it. She loves serving coffee and talking to people.�

It was a big decision for the Curetons when Shanah left her job — and steady paycheck — to focus on the coffee trailer. It was also a relief for her to get out of an increasingly difficult environment, a home for recuperating elderly patients.

As the pandemic continued to gain speed through the spring and into the summer, Accel at Crystal Park was no exception as cases started to pop up around the facility. “ I t w a s t e r r i f y i n g ,�

Shanah said. “We didn’t have cases for a long time, and we stopped taking visitors. But then it was two cases, then it was seven, then 11.�

Shanah bounced

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2020, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Tie up loose ends. Get rid of clutter and prepare for new beginnings. A change of scenery will spark your creative imagination.

Think big, but don’t exceed your budget. Hesitation will lead to regret and uncertainty. A financial gain looks promising.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Frustration and anger won’t help you solve problems or get ahead.

Expand your mind, restructure your plans and distance yourself from situations that are holding you back.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- A last-minute change will favor you.

Your patience, consistency and honesty will encourage others to support your efforts. Don’t give up or give in. Clear up an emotional situation with an honest discussion.

Romance is favored.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Keep your thoughts to yourself and focus on your responsibilities.

Leave nothing to chance or in someone else’s hands. A moderate approach and a tight budget will help you stay on track.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Discuss your intentions before you take action. The suggestions you receive will affect the way you proceed. A joint venture and a financial gain look promising. Aim to make personal improvements.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Keep your money and possessions out of sight. An intelligent approach will be more effective than getting into a dispute over something that has already happened. Choose your words wisely.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Stand your ground and get things done. The changes you suggest will draw attention as well as encourage exciting offers. Expect a financial change, gift or proposal to come your way.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- The better prepared you are, the less aggravated you will become.

Stay calm, and focus on what you want to accomplish. Don’t take offense if someone is difficult.

Keep the peace, and go about your business.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Make a change that will give you the boost you need to try something new. Discuss your intentions with someone close to you for an insightful exchange.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Think twice before you get involved in someone’s business.

Protect your reputation, stick to your principles and avoid compromising situations. Avoid gossip.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Make fitness and health priorities.

Fix up your space to fit your current lifestyle. Let others know your intentions and share your thoughts and feelings. Spend quality time with someone special.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Take time to do your own thing. You cannot buy love, respect or loyalty.

If someone tries to manipulate you, know enough to walk away.

Concentrate on self-improvement and personal gains.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Embrace change and what life has to offer. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Set high standards and express your opinions. Follow your heart, and don’t back down from adversity.

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

between office manager and social services positions before eventually being tasked with hiring a n d s t a f f i ng t h e bu i l d ing. The nursing staff she had helped put together and worked alongside were fighting a worsening pandemic.

A s p a t i e n t s w e re u p rooted from their rooms and placed in quarantine, Shanah helped. “I remember I helped a lady move back onto the bed after she had fallen,�

Shanah said. “I didn’t have a mask on. She didn’t have a mask on. Thankfully I tested negative. I was shaking. I was terrified, but as time went on we got used to it.�

Shanah and one of her co-workers, Malachi Smith, both recounted the emotional toll of being the only conduit between patients and their families as in-person communication became more and more impossible. “ The worst is that the people in there, and especially (in) the long-term care, don’t get to see or touch their family. We’re all they have,� Shanah said. “Watching people talk to

each other through the window was absolutely heartbreaking.�

Smith, an administrator and admissions director at Accel Crystal Park, said it was helpful to have a strong work family there through the daily struggle. “I would say it was trying, even as far as depressing, just because we see the patients every day and they can’t see their families,�

Smith said. “It was a tearjerker. If it wasn’t for our work family, we wouldn’t make it through all this.�

Like so many others in the medical field, the strain started getting to Shanah and her mental health. She said she needed some semblance of normalc y in a world where even entering her home or going to the grocery store was a hassle. “We told the kids they couldn’t hug or kiss me for a while,� Shanah said.

Now, Shanah says she loves the work she does as she searches for just the right teaspoon to make the trailer’s specialty drink, a Lucid Latte. “It’s a lot to keep up with, we might work there 6–8 hours,� Sean said, “but it takes both of us managing it, ordering, restocking and there’s always equipment maintenance.�

But for now, the idea is to strike while the iron — or coffee pot — is hot and take advantage of a good location and good customers. “We don’t know what will happen when Starbucks comes back, but we knew going in this wasn’t going to be a permanent gig, and it has been so good, really amazing for us,� Shanah said.

The constant flow of coffee and conversation has made the uncertainty a little less relevant. “People keep coming in and it’s a steady flow. It’s really awesome, I really appreciate it,� Shanah said. “Seeing the same people every day, it’s a compliment because it makes me feel like I’m doing something right.�

Hogan Gore

hogangore@ou.edu

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg October 13, 2020

ACROSS 1 About 5 DEA agents 10 Fairy-tale word after “once�

14 Bridge measurement 15 Eyeball benders 16 La ___ (weather phenomenon) 17 “Excellent, NHL legend Lemieux!�

19 What one can’t sing?

20 Swaps 21 Strong Starbucks order 23 Infatuated 25 Former Russian ruler 26 Earthy pigment 29 “Well done, country musician Hill!�

34 Mortgage org.

35 Came in first 36 “Santa Baby� singer Kitt 37 DVR choice 39 “___ Kick Out of You�

41 Gas station shop 42 Emulated running mates?

44 “___ be my pleasure�

45 “Malcolm X� director Spike

10/13

46 “I like it, pop star Furtado!�

48 Cake section 50 Final Four org.

51 Full-circle air show maneuver 53 Popular coffee flavoring 57 Like the population of Siberia 61 Big name in skin care 62 “Outstanding, skater Hamilton!�

64 Sole 65 Bequeath 66 Tools for weeding 67 Boardwalk or Park Place 68 Bugs bugs him 69 Jodie Comer won one for “Killing Eve�

DOWN 1 ___ prof.

2 Cowboy boot attachment 3 Spanish appetizer 4 Antsy 5 Takeout order at a restaurant?

6 Shrinks’ org.

7 Pink, as a steak 8 “The Count of Monte ___�

9 Comes to a complete halt

10 Softball pitching style 11 Name of 12 popes 12 Aces, sometimes 13 Western alliance acronym 18 Back 22 Tennis star Nadal, informally 24 All excited 26 A lot 27 ___ dog (food with a meaty sauce) 28 Devastation 30 Buck in baseball history 31 Europe’s “boot�

32 Midafternoon hour 33 Inapt anagram of “heart�

35 Kind of lens 38 Alert 40 Texter’s “Ta-ta!�

43 Abbr. at the bottom of a business letter 47 Victory symbol 48 Cuts off 49 Cochise’s Southwestern tribe 52 Blender brand 53 Grasp 54 Burn balm 55 Author Grey 56 Mets, Jets or Nets 58 Study or library 59 ___ the tide 60 Site with handmade masks 63 Fifth, e.g., in NYC

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER PREVIOUS ANSWER

10/12 10/6

Š 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal Š 2020www.upuzzles.com Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com

Comma Bond by Paul Coulter

CULTURE

Oct. 13-19, 2020 •

Kody Haskins’ “Bottled Up” as part of the Norman Arts Council “Artful Inlets” exhibit along Main Street on Oct. 7.

5

PHOTOS BY CLARE COLLUM/THE DAILY

Public art promotes clean H2O New storm drain paintings unveiled at Norman art walk JILLIAN TAYLOR @jilliantaylor_

The Norman Arts Council enlisted the help of local artists to educate and raise awareness for storm drain pollution through the transformation of storm drains on Main Street into art.

The second annual “Artful Inlets” installation featured at the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk was inspired by Norman’s stormwater division and mayor Breea Clark, Norman Arts Council public art manager Debby Williams said. She said the council requests and invites Norman artists to create works emphasizing the importance of clean water. “(This is) in an attempt to help educate the public about

the importance of clean water going down the drain, because it feeds into our lakes, rivers and water sources,” Williams said. “To do it in an artful way seemed like a really good way to get the message across.”

The theme for this year’s installation is “H2Only,” meaning only water and eco-friendly substances should go into storm drains, Williams said. This is a slogan she hopes will exemplify the consequences of things like grass clippings and bottles entering the drain systems — including clogged pipes, water fermentation and pollution.

This year, the council will feature the works of six local artists who have transferred their designs from paper to the canvas of five Norman storm drains.

Laura Nelsen, a visual artist and librarian in Norman, said her piece “Down the Drain”

employs the visual technique of trompe l’oeil, meaning trick of the eye, to reproduce realistic water droplets on a gray-scale background. She said the subtle inclusion of the phrase “H2Only” will force passersby to stop and decipher the text — allowing its message to further sink in.

Nelsen participated in Artful Inlets last year and said this year’s public art installation serves an even more important purpose — making local artists’ work accessible to the public in pandemic times.

“What I love about public art is that it is for the public and anyone can interact with it,” Nelsen said. “You don’t have to be confined into a gallery space where you are required to wear a mask in the building — people can literally walk across and engage with it rather than just approaching it in a gallery setting.”

Williams said the council worked to make the installation accessible to all Norman residents by hiring two videographers and photographers to capture the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. This installation will be available, among others, on the council’s website.

“Traffic and audience participation is good for the artist as well as the public, (because) it gets them interested and curious about local art,” Williams said. “(This year), it will be available online … so people can experience it second-handed if they cannot physically be there.”

Last year, artists had the opportunity to transform their storm drains in an open Main Street, allowing people to interact with them while they worked. This year, however, local visual artist and Artful Inlets participant Kody Haskins said Main Street was shut down as they painted.

Haskins said it was disappointing to be denied this interaction with Norman residents by the pandemic.

“I love talking to people … (so) it is definitely unfortunate that people didn’t get to experience the art being made in front of them,” Haskins said. “I think that was one of the cool aspects of doing the Artful Inlets the year before — people just kind of stop by and ask questions,” Haskins said.

Haskins said “H2Only” made him think about how water pollution can affect animals. He decided to paint goldfish inside water bottles in his piece “Bottled Up” to emphasize how animals can be placed in an unnatural place when people add things into storm drain systems. “(Water pollution) has a lot of bad effects, but it kind of rubs me the wrong way that we make animals live among our trash — it seems kind of

rude to me,” Haskins said. “So my idea was to put them in water bottles so they’re isolated — it’s kind of a cute but bad deal that balances out in a way that people hopefully get what I am trying to say.”

Public art, Williams said, is always available — pandemic or not. She said she hopes Artful Inlets can help artists build their resumes and Norman residents can enjoy their hard work.

“I think these kinds of projects are a win for everybody, and maybe even more so in these times of a pandemic,” Williams said. “Public art is free, accessible and something people can enjoy (while being) completely healthy and safe.”

“Artful Inlets” can be viewed on Main Street between Crawford and Webster Avenues.

Jillian Taylor

jillian.g.taylor-2@ou.edu

Michael Wilson and Bonnie Amspacheras’ “Mermaids” in the Norman Arts Council’s “Artful Inlets” exhibit along Main Street on Oct. 7.

Derrick Adams’ “Every Drop Counts” as part of the Norman Arts Council Artful Inlets exhibit along Main Street on Oct. 7.

Ken Hall’s “Ribbit” as part of the Norman Arts Council Artful Inlets exhibit along Main Street on Oct. 7.

Laura Nelson’s “Down The Drain” as part of the Norman Arts Council Artful Inlets exhibit along Main Street on Oct. 7.

Ginna Dowling’s “Runoff Pollutes” Artful Inlet as part of the Norman Arts Council Artful Inlets exhibit along Main Street on Oct. 7.

6

SPORTS

• Oct. 13-19, 2020

Rushing revives season hopes Saturday’s offense proves progress still being made MASON YOUNG @Mason_Young_0

DALLAS — Junior running back T.J. Pledger bounced toward OU’s sideline, where a host of teammates and the coach in the white ball cap waited.

Reaching the end of the line of supporters, Pledger collided with the coach in midair, celebrating the Sooner starter’s second touchdown of the day in a game he finished with 131 yards rushing.

Pledger’s partner in the bump?

Oklahoma running backs coach and former OU running back DeMarco Murray, who ran over the Longhorns for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the same game 10 years ago.

In a contest where freshman Seth McGowan was absent and senior Rhamondre Stevenson remained suspended, Oklahoma (2-2, 1-2 Big 12) desperately needed a rushing explosion after struggling on the ground through its first three games.

O n O U ’s d a y o f d i r e need, Pledger and redshirt freshman Marcus Major delivered.

Improvement didn’t require much after Oklahoma’s f i r s t t h r e e g a m e s. T h e Sooners never collected more than 130 yards on the ground in any of those contests.

Ever ything changed Saturday, as Pledger used 22

TY RUSSELL/OU ATHLETICS/POOL PHOTO

Sooner running back Marcus Major runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the 2020 Red River Showdown on Oct. 10 in Dallas.

carries to top OU’s previous 2020 rushing limit and pick up his pair of scores, while Major turned 12 carries into 43 yards and another touchdown — the first of his career.

Collectively, they accounted for just under 40 percent of OU’s points in the contest, helping the Sooners narrowly edge the Longhorns (2-2, 1-2 Big 12), 53-45, in four overtimes.

As former Sooner running back Renaldo Works watched the game he used to play yearly on television, he was elated about what he saw.

“I think they complemented each other well,” Works said after the game. “I was excited about it. I was excited to see those guys win and to just hand Texas the loss one more time, and (I was) happy for those running backs to see them getting the ball.”

After averaging 122.6 rushing yards per game to start the season — good for No. 58 in the nation and No. 8 in the Big 12 — the Sooners shot up to 199 yards per game after Saturday’s performance.

OU owed its outburst to the efforts of Pledger, who

had only 47 yards in a loss to Iowa State last weekend, and Major, who didn’t even register a carry in that game.

“They got better, which we’re gonna have to continue to do in that room and every room,” OU head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game. “(They) had some really tough runs.”

But the benefit of the duo’s success went beyond jumpstarting OU’s ground game.

They provided more balance to an offense that had been incredibly lopsided through its first outings.

The team that threw for at

least 300 yards in an air raid through each of its first three games scrambled for 208 yards Saturday, while cutting its passing gains down to a still-healthy 261 yards.

The Red River Showdown is no stranger to exciting running back play. There’s the contest Murray took over in 2010 and Damien Williams’ 95-yard scoring trot in 2012.

There’s Quentin Griffin’s six touchdowns in the 2000 massacre, freshman Adrian Peterson’s 225 yard game in 2004 and Joe Washington’s touchdown pass to Tinker Owens in 1973.

Much like Pledger and Maj o r batt l e d to g e t h e r Saturday, Works was tasked with spelling Griffin during that 2000 blowout. He compiled 14 carries for 50 yards as OU’s second-leading rusher in a rout that saw the Sooners balance 265 rushing and 289 receiving yards.

While the sun beat down on the Cotton Bowl once again — though it held a masked and socially distanced 25 percent capacity crowd because of COVID-19 — Pledger and Major joined Oklahoma’s anti-Texas tailback lore. Neither team was playing for rights to one of the top spots in the Big 12 as in 2000 on Saturday, but Works still saw the historic value of the outcome.

“The ranking and positions may be different this year but definitely it will go down as a heck of a game as far as running and how they did,” Works said. “I would put it up there as well.”

And if Oklahoma hopes to win out while steering itself back into the conference championship conversation, it’ll need more running performances like Saturday’s from the dynamic duo.

“They’re two young guys that are gonna continue to grow and get better and better, but obviously we took some big steps in the run game and still felt like we left a little bit out there,” Riley said. “But I’m proud of their fight. It was a little bit of a light room this week but they attacked it and made some big time plays.”

Mason Young

mason.e.young-1@ou.edu

Brown’s interception seals win over Texas Sooner takeaways keep team from falling to Texas CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

A play needed to be made.

That’s all senior cornerback Tre Brown could tell himself during the fourth overtime of the Sooners’ 53-45 win over Texas (2-2, 1-2 Big 12) on Saturday.

“I wanted to be the one to do it,” Brown said of finishing off a chief rival who entered the game averaging a nation-leading 51 points per game. “This was my last (Red River Showdown) ... I was like, ‘I gotta make this play.’”

And he did exactly that.

To seal Oklahoma’s first conference win of the regular season, Brown jumped in front of Texas wide receiver Joshua Moore to come down with a game-ending interception in the end zone on the final play of the game.

“I got in front of my guy and got my head turned around to look for the play, because you never know what’s going to come,” he said. “As soon as I got my head around, I saw the ball coming. It wasn’t coming to my guy … but I was like, ‘I’m gonna go make this play’ and I ran in front of it.

TEXAS:

TEXAS

continued from page 1

threw three picks against Clemson. Rattler improved a lot against Iowa State, throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns along with a rushing touchdown.

But Giovando and Rattler still talked about the hurdles he’d have to face and how to move on from them.

“I think coach Riley’s obviously doing a great job

“I just jumped in front of him and made the catch.”

B ro w n ’s p l ay c a p p e d a ro l l e rc o a s t e r p e r f o rmance from the Sooner defense. After holding the Longhorns’ scoreless in the third quarter, Oklahoma (2-2, 1-2 Big 12) allowed 14 unanswered points in the last 3:28 of regulation, forcing the first overtime in the Red River Showdown since 1996. “(I’m) proud of their effort and so proud that they can enjoy a win based on that effort, but we have to do a better job executing for four quarters,” defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said. “And there’s no scenario that that’s not the case moving forward.”

The sudden shift of momentum came as a big — and familiar — hit to the Sooners. In the second half in its previous two games, Oklahoma gave up 24 unanswered points to Kansas State and 14 unanswered to Iowa State. Those experiences, though trying for fans and players alike, prepared the Sooners to weather an overtime storm that was historic.

“Throughout the game, we knew we were going to (face) adversities,” redshirt freshman safety Woodi Wa s h i n g t o n s a i d . “ It ’s something we talked about all week. All year, really. We stuck to the bottom line … we just kept fighting.”

Before Texas managed to

Sooners defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas tackles Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger at the 2020 Red River Showdown on Oct. 10 in Dallas.

force overtime, Washington came down with what appeared to be a game-clinching interception in the fourth quarter before the Longhorns rallied. Though Washington’s didn’t end up having the same impact that Brown’s interception did, both players believed Oklahoma wouldn’t have won without the aggressiveness they demonstrated.

“We preach turnovers, (they) were something we needed,” Washington said.

“It’s part of the game. It was part of our execution.”

The Sooners finished with three forced turnove rs o n t h e day , t h e i r best against an FBS

opponent since 2017 against Oklahoma State.

O U ’s o t h e r t a k e aw a y came off a force d fumble from redshirt sophomore linebacker Brian Asamoah. On top of that, s o p h o m o re l i n e b a c k e r David Ugwoegbu blocked a punt and junior defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey blocked a field goal.

“We have great coaches who make an emphasis on not just playing two sides o f t h e b a l l ,” Ug w o e gbu said. “(We) incorporate special teams as being just as important as offense or defense.

“We’ve seen other teams (making plays on special

teams) to us. We practiced and put so much time into it that it was to the point of (frustration) ... but today, we were able to come out o n t hat s i d e a n d i t f e l t great.”

Oklahoma also sacked Longhorn quarterback Sam Ehlinger six times, a year after recording nine sacks against the Longhorns.

Still, Ehlinger did his damage. He had 287 passing yards and two touchdowns on 30-of-53 passing attempts. He also added 112 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

“We did a little bit of a better job corralling Sam at the end,” head coach

with how he does with quarterbacks, with all of them,” Giovando said. “Coach Riley told him, ‘Hey, just forget the last play and reset your mind and get to the next play. Get to the next play. Get to the next play. Don’t let the play before slow you down or hold you back or frustrate you.’ You gotta always think about the next play.”

When he came back to start the third quarter, the Sooners let running backs T.J. Pledger and redshirt freshman Marcus Major chew up the clock, with Pledger scoring two

touchdowns in the second half. The Sooners had a 31-17 lead in the fourth quarter, because Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger orchestrated two consecutive fourth-quarter scoring drives, tying the game at 31-31 going into overtime.

Texas got the ball first in overtime and quickly clocked a 3-yard touchdown run from Ehlinger. In response, Rattler threw an 11-yard touchdown to sophomore H-back Austin Stogner to tie the game at 3838. In triple overtime, when Ehlinger ran for a 25-yard touchdown, Rattler answered

with one of his own, a 1-yard keeper to put the score at 45-45.

Getting the ball back in the last overtime, the biggest plays of the day came when Rattler connected with wide receiver Drake Stoops for a 25-yard touchdown, and converted a 2-point conversion with a pass to sophomore Theo Wease. Both plays, in his high school offensive coordinator Mike Brown’s opinion, looked familiar.

“That’s vintage Spencer, man,” Brown told The Daily.

“On the out route on that two

pointer, just to put it where nobody else can get to it ... it’s just a laser. That’s his kind of accuracy on the run.”

That’s exactly what the Sooners needed on Saturday.

When the Longhorns were goring the Sooners’ defense, Rattler came out to lead threestraight scoring drives. When his defense was on the field, he was cheering them on and encouraging younger players all the way to the game-sealing interception from cornerback Tre Brown. With a defense that’s struggled the past two weeks and a depleted running

JOSHUA R. GATELEY/OU ATHLETICS/POOL PHOTO

Lincoln Riley said. “He’s tough, man. The thing that really hurt us there in the fourth quarter was obviously his scrambles. And that’s the toughest thing in football to defend. … It took a lot of guts to do what we did. We made some really competitive plays on the ball.

“We had a lot of guys that were hurting, a lot of guys that were just absolutely gassed and everybody was just begging to go back in the game. I just think that says a lot about our culture and toughness, and just how much the (players) were ready to fight tonight.”

Though the win saw Oklahoma surrender its most allowed points in a single game this season — and the most p oints ever scored in a Red River Showdown — Grinch is adamant this game will serve as a learning curve for the Sooners.

“I hope (this helps) our guys to realize that at no moment the game (is) over. You’re never winning, you’re never losing, it’s you win ultimately (when) the scoreboard goes to zeros. …

That’s what you’re in it for.

“I’m not sure I can give you a completely accurate description of what this (win) means. (But), obviously, it’s huge.”

Chandler Engelbrecht

chandler.engelbrecht@ou.edu

back core, Rattler needs to be a playmaker to make up for that.

OU-Texas is a pretty good game to do something that made this rivalry game a vintage classic.

“I thought his mentality and mindset and confidence was really good,” Riley said. “He’s a guy that’s gonna take any setbacks or any failures, and he’s going to learn from them. He’s not going to let them discourage him. He just has that way about him.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu