OOTBALL
[h=1]OU FOOTBALL HOLDS SECOND SCRIMMAGE
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By Mike Houck
Assistant A.D. / Strategic Communications
AUGUST 20, 2015
NORMAN — The Oklahoma football team held its second and final scrimmage of August camp Thursday morning under a sunny sky at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Just like they did five days ago, the Sooners scrimmaged for 90 minutes. And once again, head coach Bob Stoops said he was pleased.
"It was positive, it was good," commented Stoops, who has won eight Big 12 championships in his 16 years at OU. "The defense was much more consistent in alignments and communication and those kinds of things. Played pretty well. Offense, same thing. We've got a few penalties we've got to clean up, but I like what we're doing. Guys are doing a nice job of finishing here."
Unlike Saturday, the offense did not experience early success. That was largely due to flying flags.
"Penalties ate up about the first four drives," said offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Lincoln Riley. "We were moving the ball fine, but every one of them got called back by penalty. I thought some frustration set in and then we forced some balls, dropped some balls kind of in the middle. And then at the end we played pretty good.
"We got out of our tempo stuff today a little bit, tried slow it down and see some specific guys and some specific positions," continued Riley. "I thought we did a pretty good job of that and got to see those things."
The offense found the end zone twice, with both of those touchdowns occurring on the final two drives. Junior quarterback Trevor Knight connected with sophomore receiver Jeffery Mead on a seven-yard scoring play over the top of the defense. Junior signal caller Baker Mayfield then found freshman receiver Dahu Green on a similar play the next possession after a length-of-the-field drive.
Freshman receiver Dahu Green hauls in a touchdown grab during Saturday's scrimmage.
Defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Stoops was complimentary of his defense, and praised the progress of the secondary. Defensive backs recorded multiple interceptions on the morning.
"The secondary played well," said Mike Stoops. "Our No. 1's have been a really solid group for us throughout camp. Jordan Thomas and certainly Steven Parker, a year of experience has really paid off for them. Ahmad Thomas is getting better. So overall I feel good about our secondary. Coach (Kerry) Cooks has done a great job consolidating that group and getting them all on the same page. We still have some communication errors that we need to work out, but all in all I think we are moving in a positive direction."
Senior receiver Durron Neal, who had a catch in the neighborhood of 50 yards, spoke highly of the DBs, particularly the cornerbacks.
"All those guys are learning," said Neal. "They are hungry, and they are all out there competing. They all want that job. They all want that title of being a lock-down corner. That is their mentality and that is how they go out there and play."
Mike Stoops said the defense's success Thursday was also keyed by getting pressure on the quarterbacks.
"Anytime you can get (Eric) Striker, Obo (Ogbonnia Okoronkwo) and Devante (Bond) on the edge, you are going to have a good pass rush," he explained. "We have been pretty good at that. If we can't get there with four, we are trying to develop our blitz packages."
Okoronkwo, a sophomore linebacker who had multiple sacks in the scrimmage, thinks the defense is ahead of expectations.
"The defense looked really good today," he said. "The defense is set up where we can be very disruptive. A lot of us were in the backfield today. I think we're well ahead of where we thought we were going to be. I like our first team a lot. I like our rotation and we have a lot of depth. I'm expecting really big things."
The Sooners will hold their final practice of training camp on Friday. Classes begin on Monday.
[h=1]OU FOOTBALL HOLDS SECOND SCRIMMAGE
[/h]
By Mike Houck
Assistant A.D. / Strategic Communications
AUGUST 20, 2015
Just like they did five days ago, the Sooners scrimmaged for 90 minutes. And once again, head coach Bob Stoops said he was pleased.
"It was positive, it was good," commented Stoops, who has won eight Big 12 championships in his 16 years at OU. "The defense was much more consistent in alignments and communication and those kinds of things. Played pretty well. Offense, same thing. We've got a few penalties we've got to clean up, but I like what we're doing. Guys are doing a nice job of finishing here."
Unlike Saturday, the offense did not experience early success. That was largely due to flying flags.
"Penalties ate up about the first four drives," said offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Lincoln Riley. "We were moving the ball fine, but every one of them got called back by penalty. I thought some frustration set in and then we forced some balls, dropped some balls kind of in the middle. And then at the end we played pretty good.
"We got out of our tempo stuff today a little bit, tried slow it down and see some specific guys and some specific positions," continued Riley. "I thought we did a pretty good job of that and got to see those things."
The offense found the end zone twice, with both of those touchdowns occurring on the final two drives. Junior quarterback Trevor Knight connected with sophomore receiver Jeffery Mead on a seven-yard scoring play over the top of the defense. Junior signal caller Baker Mayfield then found freshman receiver Dahu Green on a similar play the next possession after a length-of-the-field drive.
Freshman receiver Dahu Green hauls in a touchdown grab during Saturday's scrimmage.
Defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Stoops was complimentary of his defense, and praised the progress of the secondary. Defensive backs recorded multiple interceptions on the morning.
"The secondary played well," said Mike Stoops. "Our No. 1's have been a really solid group for us throughout camp. Jordan Thomas and certainly Steven Parker, a year of experience has really paid off for them. Ahmad Thomas is getting better. So overall I feel good about our secondary. Coach (Kerry) Cooks has done a great job consolidating that group and getting them all on the same page. We still have some communication errors that we need to work out, but all in all I think we are moving in a positive direction."
Senior receiver Durron Neal, who had a catch in the neighborhood of 50 yards, spoke highly of the DBs, particularly the cornerbacks.
"All those guys are learning," said Neal. "They are hungry, and they are all out there competing. They all want that job. They all want that title of being a lock-down corner. That is their mentality and that is how they go out there and play."
Mike Stoops said the defense's success Thursday was also keyed by getting pressure on the quarterbacks.
"Anytime you can get (Eric) Striker, Obo (Ogbonnia Okoronkwo) and Devante (Bond) on the edge, you are going to have a good pass rush," he explained. "We have been pretty good at that. If we can't get there with four, we are trying to develop our blitz packages."
Okoronkwo, a sophomore linebacker who had multiple sacks in the scrimmage, thinks the defense is ahead of expectations.
"The defense looked really good today," he said. "The defense is set up where we can be very disruptive. A lot of us were in the backfield today. I think we're well ahead of where we thought we were going to be. I like our first team a lot. I like our rotation and we have a lot of depth. I'm expecting really big things."
The Sooners will hold their final practice of training camp on Friday. Classes begin on Monday.
There was an article in the local newpaper that made a good point about the OU pass defense. The fact that they are going up against new OC Riley's up tempo offense in practive every day may pay dividends once the season starts. The old OU offense was a little slow and even in practice the defense had time to think a little more and make adjustments. There is no time to think now. So their instincts and their conditioning should both benefit also. In addition they are practicing against two of the best RB's in the country. I see this defense improving and this all makes sense to be a step in the right direction.
Russ, I ended up getting Georgia and Stanford in the pool. USC was off the board by the time I picked. I had a tough decision for pick #14 b/w Stanford and LSU. Both are Steele's 1-2 surprise teams. I decided to go with Stanford as they're only dogs in one game (@ USC). LSU had a much tougher schedule.
I also wanted to pass this along. I found a great App called Fanly that I have been using to follow all the latest on a bunch of college teams. Fanly aggregates all the current articles about each team you add to your feed. It's quick and easy to follow the latest injury and position battles. I scroll through each teams feed a couple times a week. I can't recommend the app enough. Give it a download and check it out.
I also wanted to pass this along. I found a great App called Fanly that I have been using to follow all the latest on a bunch of college teams. Fanly aggregates all the current articles about each team you add to your feed. It's quick and easy to follow the latest injury and position battles. I scroll through each teams feed a couple times a week. I can't recommend the app enough. Give it a download and check it out.
[h=1]STOOPS NAMES MAYFIELD AS STARTING QB
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By Mike Houck
Assistant A.D. / Strategic Communications
AUGUST 24, 2015
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops announced Monday afternoon that junior Baker Mayfield will be the Sooners' starting quarterback for their season opener Sept. 5 against Akron.
Stoops also indicated that junior Trevor Knight will be Mayfield's backup and that sophomore Cody Thomas will be the team's No. 3 quarterback.
"It's been a very tight battle among those three guys," said Stoops, OU's all-time leader with 168 wins. "Baker, Trevor and Cody have all made substantial progress and I feel we can win with any of them."
Mayfield was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and earned multiple national-player-of-the-week honors after completing 43 of 60 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns (added another on the ground) in a season-opening win over SMU.
Monday evening following practice Stoops also named OU's 2015 captains. They are Knight and seniors Ty Darlington, Nila Kasitati, Eric Striker and Charles Tapper.
The Sooners' opener against Akron will kick off at 6 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
[/h]
By Mike Houck
Assistant A.D. / Strategic Communications
AUGUST 24, 2015
Stoops also indicated that junior Trevor Knight will be Mayfield's backup and that sophomore Cody Thomas will be the team's No. 3 quarterback.
"It's been a very tight battle among those three guys," said Stoops, OU's all-time leader with 168 wins. "Baker, Trevor and Cody have all made substantial progress and I feel we can win with any of them."
"Baker, Trevor and Cody have all made substantial progress and I feel we can win with any of them."
Head Coach Bob Stoops
Mayfield, a 6-1, 209-pounder, sat out last season after transferring from Texas Tech. As a freshman walk-on in 2013, the Austin, Texas, product was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and received freshman honorable mention All-America honors from College Football News after throwing for 2,315 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games (seven starts).Head Coach Bob Stoops
Mayfield was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and earned multiple national-player-of-the-week honors after completing 43 of 60 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns (added another on the ground) in a season-opening win over SMU.
Monday evening following practice Stoops also named OU's 2015 captains. They are Knight and seniors Ty Darlington, Nila Kasitati, Eric Striker and Charles Tapper.
The Sooners' opener against Akron will kick off at 6 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
(from vegasinsider.com) OU faces Tenn on week 2
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee has no time to celebrate its first Top 25 appearance in three years.
The 25th-ranked Volunteers are too busy adjusting their depth chart after three of their players suffered likely season-ending injuries in training camp.
Senior guard Marcus Jackson, the Vols' most experienced offensive lineman, likely will miss the entire season with a biceps injury. A similar injury has knocked out reserve guard Austin Sanders for the season.
Rashaan Gaulden, who had been working as Tennessee's first-team nickel back, also was lost for the season with a broken foot.
''It's unfortunate, but it's also a part of the game,'' said Tennessee coach Butch Jones, whose team is in the rankings for the first time since September 2012. ''It's (going on) across the country.''
Indeed, Tennessee isn't the only Top 25 program dealing with major injuries just before the start of the season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee has no time to celebrate its first Top 25 appearance in three years.
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Senior guard Marcus Jackson, the Vols' most experienced offensive lineman, likely will miss the entire season with a biceps injury. A similar injury has knocked out reserve guard Austin Sanders for the season.
Rashaan Gaulden, who had been working as Tennessee's first-team nickel back, also was lost for the season with a broken foot.
''It's unfortunate, but it's also a part of the game,'' said Tennessee coach Butch Jones, whose team is in the rankings for the first time since September 2012. ''It's (going on) across the country.''
Indeed, Tennessee isn't the only Top 25 program dealing with major injuries just before the start of the season.
Love the fact that Vol coach Jones is not making excuses for some bad luck. Jones reminds me of the old school coaches in a way. He tries to be modern day but deep down he's a product of his father who was a coach. I like this guy and looking forward to the game against Oklahoma.
Rocky Top will be rocken' for sure. I wouldn't touch this game but looking forward to watching it!
Rocky Top will be rocken' for sure. I wouldn't touch this game but looking forward to watching it!
I played in some exhibition slow pitch softball games in Knoxville when they held the World Fair. They were considering slow pitch as an Olympic sport but it was a no go. What impressed me most about Knoxville was Neyland Stadium. I felt like I was entering a cathedral when I visited it. Awesome field. Their game is a make or break it for both teams although even the loser could benefit from the contest as the season progresses. Got to think that home field advantage will be a factor.
Kirk Herbstreit @KirkHerbstreit 7h7 hours agoWith Final 4..Believe it's a year you'll see teams come off the radar. 1. Ohio State 2. LSU 3. OU 4. ASU #Herbies #OutOnALimb
One of the fun/great things about RX CFB is learning some past history about longtime posters. Enjoyed Russ' story because I learned something about one of the best posters here over the years. Neyland Stadium is a special place for a football game...especially against a team like Alabama. Hell, the seats are about 10 inches wide...so if you have a big butt...you will get to know your neighbor in a hurry.
Let's see if the Vols can get back to those glory days.
That was quite an experience. I think they invited 16 teams from around the country and they used a live ball. I saw someone hit a softball over the light poles in the minor league park we were playing in. How would you have liked to have been a pitcher in a sutuation like that, very dangerous to say the least.
As far as the stadium goes I think it symbolizes what college football is all about. I did not sit in a seat like you described but I guess the fans are used to it by now. If OU gets a win there lookout. I keep trying to tell people how deep OU is this year and all everyone can focus on is the losses especially the ones to K St, Baylor, and OSU. Herbstreet is the one guy I listen to on ESPN when it comes to college football. I am proud to see that he has done his homework and came to the same conclusion I did. It is all about potential at this point and time and there are many obstacles between now and the end of the season.
I found another article in our local newspaper that makes a good point. Not many are aware that new OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been around the Air Raid offense since it's inception and has ties with Mike Leach just like new OC Riley. And Riley has expressed confidence in Bedenbaugh even though OU is basically replacing the entire OL save Center Ty Darlington. Bedenbaugh has worked under Leach and Dana Holgerson. So he has the track record just like Riley to be able to install and develop the Air Raid. Again I don't think either Bedenbaugh or Riley have ever had the depth and quality at RB that they have now at OU. You probably could not pick a better combination to do what those two guys have to do now that they are at OU. I still can't forgive Stoops for his bad decision that cost them the Okie St game but I do have to acknowledge his ability to put together a proven combination of asst coaches that have the ability to expand and to improve the offense this season. Throw in starting QB Baker Mayfield and you have the benefit of have an experienced QB who already knows the system. I simply cannot ignore these factors all of which give me confidence that the OU offense will be much improved in 2015. And their most difficult matchups are their final 3 games which means that if they get by Tennessee the offense will have time to mature and be in an ideal position for those final 3 games.
