Wolfe’s job in jeopardyThe Oklahoma defense has plenty to work on from Saturday night’s 24-17 season-opening win over Alabama-Birmingham, but a starter or two could be playing for their jobs.
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Head coach Bob Stoops pointed to junior cornerback D.J. Wolfe.
“He needs to play better,” Stoops said Sunday. “Otherwise, we need to work Lendy (Holmes) more.”
After Saturday night’s game, tackling was an area of concern for the coaches, and it remained as such after viewing game tape.
“We tallied up 115 yards after missed tackles,” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “It’s discouraging, it’s disappointing, but at the same time, I think some of our over-aggressiveness hurt us.
“One thing that jumped off the screen to all of us as a staff was how hard we played from the first snap to the very end.”
Stoops said the defensive ends struggled reading run plays out of the one-back, shotgun set.
“Our defensive ends were very poor in their discipline in when they’re chasing the ball and when they sit and play the quarterback,” Stoops said. “That isn’t hard to correct if they’ll have some discipline,” Stoops said.
It might take some quick work with a more athletic running quarterback coming to Norman. Isaiah Stanback rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in Washington’s opening win.
Bomar fix: Rhett Bomar keeps costing the Sooners.
OU’s media relations department wiped Bomar from its media guide, issuing updated books that don’t include the former QB.
Some cost was avoided since many of the books were not yet bound, meaning only select pages needed replacing. Bomar was featured on the back cover and pictured prominently on eight inside pages.
Still, while the cost of the initial guide was $80,000, the corrections to 13,400 guides ran roughly $40,000.
Injury report: Fullback Matt Clapp missed time in the fourth quarter with an ankle sprain that coaches do not expect to be serious. Junior Ian Pleasant, who shifted from linebacker in two-a-day practices, played well in his place.
Senior linebacker Zach Latimer missed a few plays during the first half with a stinger in his neck, but there’s no lingering effect.
After an ongoing battle with a knee injury, sophomore receiver Manuel Johnson did not play, but offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson expects Johnson to be “full go” this week.
By Scott Wright and John Helsley
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