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Is it enough?
Title IX Office makes new hires, but some say OU needs to do more JANA ALLEN @jana_allen21
Amid recent criticism of OU’s Title IX reporting systems, the university’s Institutional Equity Office has announced new hires and increased training with the aim of restor ing community trust. But some say this won’t be nearly enough to fix the extensive problems within the office. The new hires include an intake coordinator, who would be the first contact a sexual misconduct victim has with the office, and a new equal opportunity investigator. Faith Ferber, a campus organizer with Know Your IX, said ideally OU should hire another Title IX coordinator to help oversee the office. The Institutional Equity Office received more than 300 reports in the past 12 months, according to an August press release, and the number increases every year. OU employs Bobby Mason as both its equal opportunity officer and Title IX coordinator, and Larry Naifeh as both associate athletic director and associate Title IX coordinator. Ferber said Naifeh’s positions with both the university’s athletics department and Title IX could be a potential conflict of interest. She also said having another Title IX coordinator could help make the entire process go more smoothly. While the Department of Education only requires universities to employ one Title IX coordinator, Ferber said some student activists have proposed having one Title IX coordinator per 2,000 students. “Now, that doesn’t happen,” Ferber said. “ That would be
a lot of Title IX coordinators. Most schools have one, maybe two. But it also depends on the demand.” Another common concern with Title IX offices across the nation arises when a Title IX coordinator is not in possession of a law degree, Ferber said. “If your Title IX coordinators or your sexual misconduct officers don’t have those degrees, I would definitely want to find out more about what kind of training and expertise they have to be handling those kinds of cases,” Ferber said. Mason spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, received a bachelor’s in human resources from S outhwestern College and a master’s in management from Webster University, according to his LinkedIn profile. Of those credentials, Ferber said she sees an extensive military background as a red flag. The militar y has a histor y of “sweeping sexual violence under the rug,” Ferber said, and that she would worry someone coming from that background may not be completely unbiased. “My other concern is, when y o u h av e s o m e o n e w h o’s i n charge of Title IX who is focusing on HR, that means that their primary concern is avoiding bad press for the school — it doesn’t mean that their primary concern is keeping students safe,” Ferber said. In an interview with The Daily Aug. 8, Mason said the office is always trying to improve. “We are constantly monitoring our policies and procedures for best practices and areas of i m p rov e m e n t ,” Ma s o n s a i d . “We monitor everything we do, we track things that we do and
work with an outside consultant. We’ll continue to work with the administration to address any issues.” The Daily reached out to Mason and the university for more details on Friday evening, but OU Public Affairs said they could not comment by the time of publication due to Labor Day on Monday.
“Because of this legacy of controversy and distrust plaguing Title IX, a huge number of students, faculty and staff don’t feel safe, and aren’t safe, to report things to Title IX.” JESS EDDY, FORMER OU STUDENT
Jess Eddy, a previous OU student who accused former OU President David Boren of sexual misconduct, said he believes the announcement of the new hires was “tone deaf and not responsive to the concerns of victims.”
Victims have not asked for more employees but instead want policy reform, Eddy said. One instance in which Eddy, who is also an Oklahoma City University law student, feels the office is making a mistake is the close relationship between i t a n d t h e O f f i c e o f G e n e ra l Counsel, two offices with inherently different goals. One office is in place to protect students, faculty and staff from discrimination; the other to protect the university from risk of litigation. Eddy said Mason told him he “works very closely” with OU’s General Counsel Anil Gollahalli. This hinders the office’s ability to remain an unbiased third party, Eddy said. Title IX should conduct its investigation, and only when finished should it go to general counsel, human resources, student affairs or the provost’s office, Eddy said. “Those entities are all being brought in from the get-go ... and that has resulted in this sense of betrayal of trust among the university community,” Eddy said. “Because of this legacy of controversy and distrust plaguing Title IX, a huge number of students, faculty and staff don’t feel safe, and aren’t safe, to report things to Title IX.” In the Obama administration’s Title IX Resource Guide, working closely with legal counsel and administrators was encouraged. “Because Title IX prohibits discrimination in all aspects of a recipient’s education programs and activities, the Title IX coordinator should work closely with many different members of the school community, such as administrators, counselors, athletic directors, non-professional
counselors or advocates, and legal counsel,” the April 2015 guide reads. The Trump administration has rendered any Obama-era Title IX guidance void, but it is unclear what the Department of Education under Trump has to say about Title IX and legal counsel. Levi Hilliard, a university employee who accused former vice president of university development Tripp Hall of sexual misconduct, said he believes the Title IX office is “built to fail” due to its structure as an outlet of the university it is meant to investigate. However, that is the precise requirement for universities from the Department of Education — to employ a Title IX coordinator to keep the institution in line with the Title IX law. Hilliard said he would like to see something different, perhaps an office through the state or federal government, to eliminate the possible conflict of interest that exists now. “I think there should be a complete divorce between Title IX and the University of Oklahoma,” Hilliard said. “I think that would be a good starting point in re-establishing confidence from the OU community that this is a body that they can go to ... to be able to hold individuals on the university campus accountable.” I n t e r i m O U P re s i d e n t Jo e Harroz told The Daily June 27 that the Title IX office was under review. It’s not clear if the review is over or if the new hires and suggested training were the only
see TITLE IX page 2
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• Sept. 3-8, 2019
NEWS
Jordan Miller, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Cherokee Nation seeks visibility Tribal liaison says 1835 right to House delegate still valid JAKE LAUBACH @Jake_Laubach
OU’s tribal liaison shared his thoughts on the Cherokee Nation’s pursuit of a congressional representative. The Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation announced Aug. 22 it would appoint a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. As reported by CNN, this right was guaranteed to them by the 1835 Treaty of New Echota, which resulted in the eviction of the Cherokee people from their ancestral homeland. Warren Queton, OU ’s tribal liaison in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said the specific right to a delegate established in Article 7 of the treaty is still valid. Queton questioned what this would mean for the other federally recognized Cherokee tribal nations. “A big question to consider is who represents the two other federally recognized
Cherokee tribal nations whose citizens were affected by the same treaty,” Queton said. This is the first time the Cherokee Nation is asserting its right to a delegate, Queton said. Queton said he was unsure whether the delegate would have voting privileges, but even a non-voting delegate would still be a major advancement for sovereign tribes. Queton compared the representation to that of U.S. territories, whose singular delegates are also non-voting. “The delegate could then vote in committees that they are on, introduce legislation and engage in debate,” Queton said. “Cherokee Nation’s delegate then could help advance the interests of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and, more broadly, all American Indian people.” Jake Laubach
jlaubach@ou.edu SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
OU’s tribal liaison Warren Queton speaks on campus Feb. 9, 2017.
Faculty member sues Board of Regents OU professor alleges employment contract breach PARKER PRIMROSE @parker_primrose
An OU professor is suing the OU Board of Regents for more than $75,000 for an alleged employment contract breach. According to court documents, Honors College adjunct David A. Long has alleged that the university breached his contract of employment in one of two ways: either by prematurely ending his contract that ran from 2010 to 2015 in order to start his next five-year contract, or by misdating his second contract to run from 2014 to 2019 when
TITLE IX: continued from page 1
results of that review. When asked if the hires were the result of the review, Mason said Title IX is constantly evaluating its processes to improve. “It’s an ongoing evaluation,” Mason said. “I think a lot of what we saw this summer did result in these additional resources.” Mason also said there has been “discussion” and “confusion” in the past
it was reasonably understood to run from 2015 to 2020. The court filing states that the issue arose when Long’s supervisor informed him of the termination of his position in February 2019, which Long believed stipulated financial payout of the remainder of his five-year contract through 2020. But after seeking proper recourse, Long claims in the documents to have been presented with a contract dated June 2014 that provided for a five-year renewable term contract from August 2014 to May 2019. Long alleges in the documents that he had never seen the contract before February 2019 and that the document did not bear his signature. Long alleges that the breach year around Title IX’s processes, and he hopes to improve awareness about how the office works and what resources are available to students through the office. B u t Hi l l i a rd s a i d t h e hires are “a complete joke” and have failed to address the systemic issues in OU’s Title IX office. “In ter ms of this new hiring, it’s part of the sales pitch, to make it look like (Harroz) is really caring, and that he’s actually trying to address these issues,” Hilliard said. “It’s a bandage that doesn’t
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of contract resulted in the loss of one year of salary, wages and benefits that he is contractually entitled to. Long has worked at OU since 2004 and served as a lecturer for the Expository Writing Program at OU from 2010 to 2019. He is represented in the case by the Eddy Law Firm of attorney Rand C. Eddy, who also is representing current professor and former Dean of the College of International Studies Suzette Grillot in her lawsuit against the university for wage discrimination. Parker Primrose
parker.m.primrose-1@ ou.edu KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
The OU Board of Regents meets June 27.
actually cover a wound. It just puts a pretty little sticker on it.” When looking at OU’s Title IX investigative process, Ferber said she found a concerning policy in the appeals process. According to the policy, if the sexual misconduct officer finds that the accused did not commit a sexual misconduct violation, the complainant can appeal that finding within five university business days of the dismissal. Ho w e v e r, i f t h e Ti t l e IX officer or coordinator does not act on the appeal
within five university business days, the case is considered closed. “That’s a huge red flag,” Ferber said. “Because that means they’re not giving people an appeals process, because they could just run out the clock. Someone could have really strong grounds for appeal, but if the Title IX coordinator just doesn’t respond, then they lose that opportunity.” Eddy also said he believes the office is breaking the law by discouraging complainants from g o i n g t h ro u g h w i t h a n investigation.
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From his experience and the experiences of others he’s aware of, Eddy said Title IX employees will often tell a complainant early on that they can’t do anything about the situation, or that the dean of their college would be able to do more. “ W h a t ’s t r a g i c a b o u t discouraging investigations is that these are kids most frequently, who don’t know anything about the law and don’t know anything about institutional governance and how Title IX is supposed to operate,” Eddy said. “And in
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it, they’re bumping into a very complex legal system that is not necessarily — because of legal counsel’s influence on it — set up to help them.” With an increasing number of students questioning the Title IX process at OU and feeling unsafe, Eddy said OU must do more to address community concerns and policy reform. He said if the university does not, it is maintaining a policy of discrimination.
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NEWS
Sept. 3-8, 2019 •
3
Cory Booker comes to Norman Senator speaks with OU student leaders, addresses public
JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker spoke with OU student leaders before his event began on Thursday, thanking them for their political participation. Booker only met with them at Volare Pizzeria Bar + Lounge for a few minutes, but he introduced himself and shook hands with members of the Student Government Association, Voto Latino, the Gender + Equality Center, the Black Student Association and the OU College Democrats, as well as the College Democrats of Oklahoma. S GA President Adran Gibbs said the experience was “pretty surreal.” “He said a few words, mainly about activism and engagement, thanking us for participating in political discourse, for getting involved and for essentially fighting the good fight,” Gibbs said. Gibbs said he was
following Booker’s career since the 2016 Democratic National Convention, where he spoke and Gibbs was “inspired by his words.” When they shook hands, he chatted with Booker for a few moments. “I thanked him for his willingness to get up on the big stage and represent people of color,” Gibbs said. “It gives myself and others a platform and an opportunity to feel empowered, like they can do the same thing and accomplish the same goals.” Hav i n g No r m a n h o s t presidential candidates and being able to meet with Booker has been a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity, Gibbs said. “It’s incredibly important for people who feel underrepresented by the current leadership, whether it’s at the state or the federal level, just to have a different group of people come through,” Gibbs said. “It’s just good to see some people — knowing they might not fare well in Oklahoma — just to still make their way here and listen to us.” Jordan Miller
jordan.r.miller-1@ou.edu
COOPER LEE/THE DAILY
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker prepares to speak to a crowd on Campus Corner on Aug. 29.
Senator denounces partisan political divide Booker views state as important stop despite ‘red’ history BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918
Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker held a rally outside of Volare Pizzeria Bar + Lounge on Thursday — the second candidate in as many weeks to visit Norman. And he may not be the last. F o l l o w i n g B o o k e r ’s speech, which focused on “reviving” the culture of unity and activism Booker said has defined the
United States in the past, Booker said people should not be surprised to see more Democrats visiting Oklahoma, and he would be returning to Oklahoma in the future. “I’m going to tell people that you are going to see me here in the primary, you’re going to see me here in the general election, because I think this ‘red state, blue state’ thing is getting kind of ridiculous,” Booker said. “We are one nation and if there’s anything in this campaign that we need to start driving home, it’s that we are one people ... and we need to begin to see each other again.” Booker said partisan
divisions caused by labeling states as red or blue “drive a wedge” between people in the U.S., and that Oklahoma was “important for him” to take a step toward ending that division, though the state has not been won by a Democrat in a presidential election since 1964. “Enough is enough. Oklahomans deser ve to have a president who has their back and will fight for them. ... This is a vital state,” Booker said. “I don’t care what party you’re in, I don’t care what your ethnicity, your race (is). We are all Americans, and I’m fighting for our country to make this nation about us.”
Taz Al-Michael, College Democrats of Oklahoma president, said that Beto O’Rourke and Booker were just the first of many Democratic candidates interested in visiting Oklahoma, including California Sen. Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “We’ve reached out to a couple of presidential candidates,” Al-Michael said. “From our own state we have Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and of course the big anticipation is when she’s going to come, but I can tell you we’re working on it.” Al-Michael said there is enough political activism
in Oklahoma to make ignoring the state a mistake for all candidates, not just Democrats. “Historically, we have ( b e e n i g n o r e d ) ,” A l Michael said. “And in terms of these candidates, there’s a reason why so many peop l e c o m e t o O k l a h o ma right now, because they realize that we have voters that are going to be voting for them, we have folks that are going to be donating to them, we have folks that are going to be working for them.” The state has made its mark nationally, Al-Michael said, with Oklahomans holding several important positions.
“Oklahoma has made it onto the map. ... I was for mer field director for Congresswoman Ke n d ra Ho r n , t h e o n l y Democratic woman to be elected to Congress (from Oklahoma,)” Al-Michael said. “ The president of the Young Democrats of America is from Oklahoma ... also the chair of the national Young Democrats of America Black Caucus and the Native Caucus is from Oklahoma. (Oklahoma) c a n ’ t b e i g n o re d — w e won’t be ignored.” Blake Douglas
bdoug99@ou.edu
Candidate speech resonates with audience Democrat is second presidential hopeful to visit EMMA DAVIS
@emmarileydavis
With two visits by Democratic presidential candidates in two weeks, some students said they feel empowered by the attention these national candidates are paying to the Norman community and younger voters. Besides his discussion of the issues, Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s Campus Corner speech called on Americans to engage with politics and work together toward a better future. Booker’s message on race touched on an issue close to the OU community following numerous racist incidents that took place in the spring. “We deal with issues every single day about racism on campus,” said community health senior Ashley Wade, who listened to Booker’s remarks. Multiple students who listened to Booker said they feel passionate about addressing climate change, among other issues. “All of (the issues) need our intense focus,” said language arts education senior Maddie Diring in response to Booker’s speech. “I think a lot of times it’s hard to go
KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker walks on to the stage to speak at the Campus Corner Community Block Party Aug. 29.
against the denial aspect of climate change, and it’s actually more of a climate crisis when you think about it now.” One of Booker’s main themes during his speech was unity across the country, and he encouraged attendees to get past the mentality of “red states v. blue states” when approaching certain
policies. Environmental sustainability sophomore Jenna Randall said she hopes bipartisanship can help in the fight against climate change in the future. “I think it’s important that politicians focus on climate change as a platform issue,” Randall said. “(It) needs to be focused more on economics, so that people from both
sides of the aisle can focus more on profits and a sustainable future.” Political science freshman Brayden Love said the speech reminded him of the power young people have to make change. “I think there’s a whole group that has the power to change that don’t necessarily realize it,” Love said.
“(Booker) coming to a campus like OU, where the young people are, is really a sign that that’s where the next generation of leaders and the next generation of progress-makers are going to come from.” Randall said Booker’s visit showed how easy it can be to get engaged in politics. “It’s exciting to see how involved you can be, and how
easy it is to be, especially with something that involves the whole country,” Randall said. “It sometimes feels hard to feel like you matter in an election like this, but it definitely does matter.” Emma Davis
emma.r.davis-1@ou.edu
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• Sept. 3-8, 2019
CULTURE
Abigail Hall, culture editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/culture • Twitter: @OUDaily
PHOTO VIA SARAH CERMAK
Ballet majors Allie Smith, Caroline Young, Elena Damiani and Katie Wolfe. The four OU students have been selected to join the Oklahoma City Ballet company as studio members of a joint trainee program.
OKC Ballet selects 4 students OU dancers to gain experience through trainee program ROSS JOHNSON @roslam5
The OU School of Dance has par tnere d w ith the Oklahoma City Ballet for the second year in a row to provide professional opportunities to its students.
This year, four students will join the Oklahoma City Ballet company as studio members of a joint trainee program. The program helps bridge the gap between student and working professional, according to a press release. Ballet majors Caroline Young, E lena Damiani, Katie Wolfe and Allie Smith will take part in Oklahoma City Ballet’s performances
while simultaneously finishing their degrees. L a s t y e a r, O U s t u dents Micah Bullard and Caroline Young were selected for the experience, and Bullard was offered an apprenticeship with the company after graduating in May. This will be Young’s second year with the program. “The joint trainee program with OKC Ballet has
helped me begin to transition from being a student into the w ork and mentality of the professional world,� Young said in the press release. “I feel much more equipped to begin my career with the e x p e r i e n c e I’ve ga i n e d through working with the company.� The program was started by the Oklahoma City Ballet’s artistic director,
Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg September 3, 2019
my friend’s got mental illness
To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information. Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.
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.
ACROSS 1 Sweetie pie 5 Outlets outing, perhaps 10 Big Blue computers 14 Choose not to mention 15 Sometimestherapeutic smell 16 Wordsmith Webster 17 American Olympian’s quest 18 *Coat room? 20 Spanish Olympian’s quest 21 Quattro automaker 22 Brit’s baby buggy 23 *Place where cabs line up 26 Tip-tops 29 Group that aptly includes Amy Adams 30 Period when the ocean recedes 32 Select buyers’ event 36 Op. ___ 37 *McDonaldland politico 41 Walk softly 42 Helped with homework 43 Harmful helper 46 Skin care company 50 Copy, for short 51 *Arizona Snowbowl’s city
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55 Poi root 57 “It’s ___!� (birth announcement) 58 Wee, informally 59 Annual ballpark occurrence, or a hint to the first few letters of each starred entry 62 Farmer’s storage space 63 Cross, as a river 64 European island country 65 On the Mediterranean 66 Own (up) 67 Fencing blades 68 ___ kitchen (place to develop dishes) DOWN 1 Colombia’s capital 2 Unconcerned with ethics 3 Mississippi setting of a Neil Simon play 4 ORD posting 5 French toast 6 Gucci rival 7 Batman’s sidekick 8 Brooding rock genre 9 Tombstone lawman Wyatt
10 Whole 11 Film crew gear 12 Vandalize, maybe 13 Withdrawn 19 The “A� of UAE 21 Houston MLB player 24 Kid’s game with a rhyming name 25 AC___ 27 “What I Am� singer Brickell 28 Establish, as boundaries 31 House paint maker 33 Art Deco artist 34 Blue toon 35 “___ your age!� 37 Zebra hair 38 Travelers’ electrical gadgets 39 Itsy-bitsy
40 Correct typos, e.g. 41 “___ my last email ...� 44 Trade names 45 Chicago’s Lightfoot 47 Piece of luggage 48 Uses TurboTax, say 49 Financially solvent 52 Stock holder? 53 Lessen 54 Artist Francisco’s paintings 56 Treater’s words 59 Wide of the mark 60 Edgar Allan ___ 61 Word after “gender� or “generation� 62 Was in session
PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER
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Š 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal Š 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com
Start Date by Gary Larson
Robert Mills, and the OU School of Dance director, Michael Bearden. “Oklahoma City Ballet’s partnership with the S ch o o l o f Da n c e at t h e University of Oklahoma is a natural progression for both of our organizations,� Mills said in the press release. “Now entering our second year, I look forward to working with the four young artists selected for
our 2019-2020 season as they gain experience working with the professional dancers of Oklahoma City Ballet.�
Ross Johnson
rossamjohnson@gmail.com
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Revisit dreams you put by the wayside. Make a list of priorities and put together a plan that will encourage you to get things done. Spend more time networking, learning and making positive changes that will prompt you to embrace new adventures. If you mix the old and the new, progress will take place.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Impulse purchases should be nipped in the bud. Think about every cent you spend. You cannot buy love or respect. The more you save, the better you will feel. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- If you keep moving forward, inch by inch, you will get good results. You can count on loyal friends to help if you ask them. Don’t be shy. Call in favors.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Follow the path that excites you the most. Getting involved in something new will lead to interesting encounters with people who motivate you to follow your heart.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Think big, but stick to what’s reasonable. If you are practical but also imaginative, you will come up with a plan that will help expand your interests.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Buy only what you can afford. Living beyond your means will get you in trouble with someone who shares expenses with you. Do your best to keep the peace.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -You’ve got what it takes to close a deal, finish what you start, attract support and motivate and inspire others. Don’t waste time procrastinating; take action.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- If you share your feelings and desires with someone special, you’ll find out where you stand and how best to move forward. Personal improvements at home and work will pay off.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Someone will mislead you. Ask questions and distance yourself from anyone who is being pushy or trying to force you in a direction you shouldn’t go. Keep your life simple.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Talks will be misleading. Listen carefully and decipher the meaning behind the words. Don’t let gullibility cost you mentally, physically or financially. Moderation is encouraged.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Positive changes at home or work will lead to better relationships with the people you deal with daily. Love and romance are on the rise and will improve your personal life.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- A change at home or work looks promising. Financial gain, greater responsibility and a higher title, along with some perks that will raise your self-esteem, are heading in your direction.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Get busy. The less time you have to get involved in what everyone else is doing or saying, the better. Selfhelp, healthy living and personal growth are favored.
Sept. 3-8, 2019 • 5
SPORTS
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Senior quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the ball as OU coach Lincoln Riley watches during warmups before the game against Houston on Sept. 1.
JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY
‘Back where he belongs’ Jalen Hurts breaks records, steps into starting role at OU GEORGE STOIA @georgestoia
Dressed in a navy vest and a blue and white checkered tie, Jalen Hurts strolled into Gaylord-Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium with an intense look on his face, his eyes focused ahead. He was focus e d on the game in front of him — Houston — but also the season that’ll likely define his college football career — one he’ll play in the crimson and cream, rather than the crimson and white. This is a day the former Alabama quarterback had been waiting for, a day he’s dreamed of. And, on a national stage as the only game on television, he didn’t disappoint. Instead, he made a statement — not about what might have been in Tuscaloosa, but what might be in Norman. “I can’t sit here and say I ain’t done it before because it ain’t like I ... maybe a little
rust. I don’t know,” Hurts said. “But being out there back with this team, with this group, it was very exciting and I enjoyed it a lot.” He went 20-of-23, threw for 332 yards, three touchdowns and also ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns — a new single game school record in a debut — in Oklahoma’s 49-31 win over Houston. Welcome to the Jalen Hurts revenge tour, Sooner Nation. “I think the reality is I’m not the same player I was as an 18-year old freshman, a 19-year old sophomore and last year,” Hurts said. “I’d say I was in a situation or a position where I’m back where I’m supposed to be.” Sunday night was the accumulation of ever ything he’s worked on during the last eight months and all the things he’s been criticized for. He showed he could throw the long ball, hitting junior wide receiver CeeDee Lamb o n a 4 7 - y a rd t o u c h d o w n pass. He stood in the pocket, completing most of his passes over the middle and in between the hashes. And he showed patience, using his legs only when he had to.
“He’s a smart kid, coach’s kid,” Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said. “He’s got, what, 30 games under his belt? You could tell he was seeing the field and knew where to go with the ball.” Following in the footsteps of Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray wasn’t, and still isn’t, going to be an easy task. But what did he do in his first starts in a Sooners’ uniform? He beat Mayfield’s single game total yardage record in a debut and joined Murray as the only player in Oklahoma history to throw for over 300 yards and run for over 100 yards in a game. All while Murray himself, now in the NFL, watched from the sideline. “ I’ m s u re h e h a d s o m e ner ves. But he did a good job managing them,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “He made good, sound decisions and managed the game well... I thought he was efficient and it was a good starting point. He has to continue to get better.” It can’t go unsaid how integral Riley is to Hurts’ success. If the last four years didn’t show the true quarterback whisperer Riley is, Sunday
certainly helped his case. Riley has molded his offense around Hurts, just like he did with Mayfield and Murray. He made him a part of the running attack, turning Hurts into another tailback. He set Hurts up with easy throws early, helping him settle into the game. And, most importantly, he let him loose, giving him the ability to check down plays and make his own calls. Hurts didn’t have all that at Alabama. In 2017, Hurts’ last season as a starter at Alabama, he threw the ball m o re t h a n 2 3 t i m e s o n l y twice. Sunday night, he threw it exactly 23 times and barely played in the fourth quarter. He also far surpassed his total yardage from 2017 by 151 yards. “Coach Riley said it,” Hurts’ dad, Averion, said in a live-TV interview Sunday night with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “They kind of unleashed him. It’s a good thing. “It’s kind of like he’s back where he was and where, you could say, he belongs.” Hurts still has a ways to go, and many more people to prove wrong.
But he’s determined to do so. From the moment Tua Ta g ov a i l o a re p l a c e d h i m during the 2017 national title game, he’s prepared for this moment. And Sunday night he showed he’s ready to seize it. “I wouldn’t speak to know much about Alabama. Here, he’s worked his tail off,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “He’s extremely eager... He is very patient, as you can tell, he is really appreciative of it all. We talked some today and last night. I think there were some emotions for him. There was probably a quick reminisce with all he’s been through, to be our quarterback. He’s handled it well. “Describing his journey? It’s hard. It probably will be a pretty good movie someday. It’s pretty remarkable, especially in this day and age. Hopefully there’s a lot yet to be written.” As for Hurts, the script of his movie is still being written. “The story isn’t over,” he said. “It’s never over.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
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SPORTS
• Sept. 3-8, 2019
Grinch craves improvement Under ‘Speed D,’ Sunday game’s one turnover falls short CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21
I n A l e x G r i n c h’s Oklahoma debut, his defense started the game forcing four consecutive punts from Houston. Sooner fans can’t remember the last time that happened. In Oklahoma’s 49-31 win over the Cougars, it’s difficult for any storyline to trump Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts’ monster six-touchdown game. But Sooner fans witnessed a culture change in the Sooner defense, and first-year Sooner defensive coordinator Grinch still isn’t satisfied. Despite the defense holding Houston quarterback D’Eriq King and the Cougars to just 408 total yards of offense, tallying three sacks and forcing seven punts, Grinch didn’t get to a number that represents invaluable meaning to him and his philosophy of defense. His defense only forced one turnover — a turnover on downs with under five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Grinch said in August he wants at least two every single game, and that it was “inexcusable” to do otherwise. “It rips your heart out,” Grinch said. “It’d be the equivalent of asking an offensive coach how you feel about scoring touchdowns — that’s your purpose of being on the field.” T h a t ’s n o t t o s a y t h e physicality wasn’t present. It was, and it was an obvious step forward from last season. Junior linebacker Ke n n e t h Mu r r a y m a d e the crowd “ooh” on just the third play of the game by clotheslining Houston w ide re ceiver Marquez Stevenson. On the next play, Murray and junior linebacker Jon-Michael Terry shared a sack on King to force a punt. Sophomore defensive end Ronnie Perkins and s enior defensive lineman Neville Gallimore each had a sack on top of suffocating King with pressure for the entire game. King was held to just 167 passing yards. “It was a whole different vibe out there,” said sophomore nickelback Brendan Radley-Hiles, who racked up five tackles. “We were just flying downhill. It was more simple.” Grinch’s criticism didn’t stop at the lack of turnovers. Safety Pat Fields received two penalties — one for pass interference and the other for a personal foul — on the same drive. In between those two flags was a roughing the passer call on OU’s pass rushers. It resulted in 30 yards of penalties and a Houston touchdown.
OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch yells at the defense during the game against Houston on Sept. 1.
“Some lulls on execution obviously,” Grinch said. “On one particular drive, we got three big penalties that kind of negates some of what could be a good night for some certain guys on defense.” Grinch also noticed the Sooners could’ve had their s e cond turnover in the fourth quarter. King was able to complete a 4-yard
touchdown pass on fourth and goal right over the head of Sooners corner Jordan Parker after the Oklahoma defense was able to hold off three rushing attempts right before. “Certainly had an opportunity for a (stop) in a goal line situation on fourth down,” Grinch said. “Had a chance to make a play when the y made it. We
didn’t.” Gr inch’s defens e w ill never be perfect in his eyes, but his players have bought into what he’s bringing to the program. There are a lot of positives and a good amount of negatives in what he saw Sunday night, but the only direction the defense seems to be going is up. “We definitely know that
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we haven’t played up to the I’m proud to have the win. “We just got to continue potential of the Oklahoma defense and what the stan- to get better.” dard of Oklahoma is,” said Murray, who finished the match with 13 tackles and a Caleb McCourry caleb.a.mcourry-1@ou.edu quarterback hurry. “We’re trying to get back to that. Tonight was a pretty good start. It wasn’t great. We definitely got a lot of things to work on and a lot of things to improve on. But
Takeaways from Sooners’ debut game Hurts poised to lead Sooners with Heisman quality VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds
No. 4 Oklahoma started its 2019 season with an impressive 49-31 win over Houston Sunday night. The victory showed Sooner fans some of what they may be able to expect going forward in the 2019 season. Here are three takeaways from the game:
JALEN HURTS READY TO FILL ROLE AT QUARTERBACK
Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts had one of the most widely talked about storylines in all of college football this offseason. Hu r t s t r a n s f e r r e d t o Oklahoma in January, and after having two consecutive Heisman Trophy winners at quarterback in Norman, expectations were high for Hurts. It didn’t take long for Hurts to show that he’s fully equipped to carry the offense like Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray did in years past. The 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year showed his ability to both throw and run at a high level. He finished the game throwing for 332 yards and
three touchdowns, along It appeared Grinch was with 176 rushing yards and well on his way to being able three touchdowns on the to return Oklahoma to its ground. former defensive glory. To start the game, the Sooners DEFENSE SHOWS forced Houston to consecuIMPROVEMENTS tive three and outs, and the Cougars weren’t able to get Outside of Hurts, the other any points on the board until most notable addition to the late in the second quarter. Sooners was defensive coorJunior linebacker Kenneth dinator Alex Grinch. Murray seemed to be the Grinch, who came to OU b i g g e s t b e n e f i c i a r y o f from Ohio State, has been Grinch’s new scheme. The charged with the task of re- Preseason Big 12 Defensive building one of the nation’s Player of the Year racked up worst defenses from a year 13 total tackles. ago. Throughout the offseaThe Sooners didn’t son, Grinch has preached achieve Grinch’s goal of a defensive style that is forcing two turnovers per predicated on playing with game, but there were clear high-level speed and a men- improvements to the 2018 tality of forcing turnovers. squad.
QUESTION MARKS AT SPECIAL TEAMS Among the many players that Oklahoma lost to the NFL Draft, the one that seems to hurt the most is kicker Austin Seibert. Seibert was one of the Sooners’ most reliable players from 2015 to 2018, nailing 79.7 percent of field goals and 98.4 percent of extra points, as well as handling punting and kickoff duties. In 2019, it appears Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley is splitting special teams duties with Gabe Brkic handling kickoffs, Calum Sutherland handling field goals and Reeves
Mundschau punting. Brkic didn’t kick touchbacks with the same frequenc y as Seibert often did, and Sutherland went seven-for-seven on extra points but struggled with regular field goals, going 0-for-2. He missed shots from 49 and 36 yards. Mundschau only punted once for 41 yards After an overall impressive game from Riley’s squad, special teams will be the biggest concern going forward in the 2019 season. Vic Reynolds
victor.reynolds@ou.edu
SPORTS
Sept. 3-8, 2019 •
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Junior linebacker Kenneth Murray sacks the quarterback during the game against Houston on Sept. 1.
Murray shines in season opener Linebacker plays with speed, ferocity against Houston VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds
D’Eriq King could have gotten a first down. It was third and five, and the Houston quarterback was looking at a 14-0 deficit early in the second quarter. After taking the snap and rolling to the right, he saw some room to run, and it looked like he had a good chance to make the play. Kenneth Murray had a different plan. Right as King crossed the line of scrimmage, Murray chased him down, wrapped
him up and brought him to the ground to end the Cougars’ drive before they could cross midfield. The play wasn’t just Murray forcing Houston to punt for the fourth consecutive time. It was representative of a game where the junior was finally able to showcase the potential fans have seen for his two seasons as a starter. “I feel like it’s just preparation paying off to be honest,” Murray said. “I put all that preparation into coming into this game. We really didn’t know what they were gonna do, obviously with (new Houston coach Dana Holgorsen). We didn’t have a lot of tape, so it was about studying the rules of
the defense and playing fast, and I think it paid off.” Murray was all over the field Sunday night — disrupting plays in the backfield, rushing the quarterback and seemingly being involved in every tackle, as he finished the game with 13 total tackles, four of them for a loss of yards. Seeing Murray racking up a high number of tackles isn’t new for Sooner fans. He started as a true freshman in 2017 and was tied for second in the nation in total tackles with 155 in 2018. But it wasn’t just that Murray was putting a lot of numbers in a stat sheet. The speed and ferocity he played with electrified not only the sold-out stadium, but also
his teammates. “Wow, that boy is fast,” sophomore defensive end Ronnie Perkins said. “The way he showed his speed and his burst by running King down a few times. I’ve seen it in practice, but for him to go out there and do it in front of 88,000 people, it’s still mind-blowing to me how big he is and how fast he is on the field.” His newfound speed and intensity can likely be attributed to first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Since Grinch’s hire in January, he has preached his new system of “Speed D,” which emphasizes playing with speed and focusing on forcing turnovers. One way Grinch said he
often helps his players play at their top speed is by keeping the schematics of his defense simple. He and the players have stressed that a large part of trying to improve Oklahoma’s defense is about a change in mentality. “I think our guys are playing fast. ‘Speed D’ is not just about running fast 40 (yard dash) times, it’s about playing fast,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “And a lot of that is about mentally getting these guys to a place where they understand adjustments and scheme and all that, but not so much that it bogs them down and they can’t just go.” Mur ray displayed his proficiency in playing in Grinch’s system throughout
the Sooners’ 49-31 victory. The Missouri City, Texas, native was named Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and if Sunday’s game is how he plays for the rest of the season, he just might have a shot to win the award. “(The new defensive scheme) is a lot different than what we’ve done in the past,” Murray said. “Coach Grinch prides himself on being simple and keeping consistent... It’s not like we’re coming in every week and installing new stuff. All we have to do is focus on the rules and play fast.” Vic Reynolds
victor.reynolds@ou.edu
Lincoln Riley reflects on Sunday’s game Coach talks Hurts’ debut, OU defense, special teams GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
No. 4 Oklahoma (1-0) beat Houston (0-1) 49-31 Sunday night to secure its first victory of the season. H e r e ’s w h a t c o a c h Lincoln Riley had to say after the game: ON JALEN HURTS: “He played good. Several things he can do better. Thought he handled the moment better — you could tell out there he had been in it, certainly. I’m sure he had some nerves, but he did a good job managing that. I thought he made good sound decisions, managed t h e ga m e w e l l — o t h e r than the fumble, and honestly, really I think the second fumble was probably a combination of him and Rhamondre, too. Other than that, I thought he was efficient. It was a good starting point. We’re going to have to continue to get better.” ON SPECIAL TEAMS: “I kind of hated that I put Calum (Sutherland) in that spot. I almost called a timeout. I really botched that entire thing offensively. To put a guy (in and have) his first kick be a 50-yarder is pretty stupid on my part. He hit that one great, too. He flushed it, 50-yarders, you live with those. He didn’t hit the other one as good. (He) did a great job on the extra points all night. I think he’ll be just fine.
“Gabe (Brkic) I thought settled in on kickoffs, had some butterflies early — and then really star ted showing off his leg late there in the game.” ON ALEX GRINCH’S ‘SPEED D’: “I wouldn’t say (anything) surprised (me) because that’s what we look like a lot. I was excited about how sharp we were early in the game. They threw a lot at us, different motions, a lot of different checks and gave us a lot to handle. You look back at their group — I know it’s a new coach — but that entire offense is littered with juniors and seniors that are good players. They threw a lot at us, and we handled it extremely well. We flew around and were pretty sharp for what I feel like (was) the majority of the game.” ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE: “Pretty good. I thought we protected pretty well. I thought Creed (Humphrey) d i d a g o o d j o b ma nag ing up front. I thought we played pretty physical. We had the one penalty. We just blocked the guy out of bounds, similar to what happened, ironically, in the West Virginia game against us last year. Other than that ... that’s one of the hardest positions to evaluate until you see the tape. We were pretty productive, and that normally means we did a good job.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
OU coach Lincoln Riley on the field during the game against Houston on Sept. 1.
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