After a scuffling start, Sooners quarterback Paul Thompson finished Saturday’s scrimmage with a flurry, completing 11 of his final 13 passes and throwing for two touchdowns.
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The rally probably served Thompson well, although OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said he was never worried about his quarterback’s psyche.
“We all want to have success, but I don’t think Paul is a guy who lacks for confidence,” Wilson said. “We don’t need to walk around here and have scrimmages where it’s the Christians against the lions. We go 1s on 1s.”
Adrian speaks: Somewhat reserved in the past, Adrian Peterson said he realizes his leadership is now needed.“It’s a young offense,” Peterson said. “We’ve only got a couple juniors on the offensive side of the ball.
“It’s setting up to where I’m more of a vocal leader.”
Guilt free: While Thompson and his backup Joey Halzle combined to toss three interceptions in the scrimmage, Wilson said neither was to blame.
Thompson’s one interception came on a bootleg rollout right into the face of a blitz. Hurried, he lofted a pass for tight end Jermaine Gresham. But defensive end Alonzo Dotson, who had dropped deep into coverage, made a leaping grab for the takeaway.
“I thought Paul made a pretty nice play and Alonzo made a great play,” Wilson said.
Halzle was picked off twice. Once, Wilson said, when a freshman receiver broke off his route; the other time on a long throw when the receiver wasn’t aggressive enough in preventing cornerback Lendy Holmes from coming away with the ball.
“It’s either our ball or nobody’s ball,” Wilson said. “Our receiver couldn’t become a good enough DB to keep it away from Lendy.
“There were three picks, but they were not forced. That’s a good thing.”
By John Helsley
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