Oklahoma quarterback
Paul Thompson says he likes to throw deep passes, which is a good thing.
With defenses focusing on stopping
Adrian Peterson, the deep ball has been, and could continue to be, a weapon for the
Sooners.
"I've definitely got to be comfortable with throwing deep balls,"
Thompson said. "With the types of defenses we're getting, they're allowing us to take those shots.
"With the kind of receivers we have and the playmakers we have on the field, it makes my job easier and makes my job more fun."
Of his playmaking receivers, sophomore
Malcolm Kelly has shot to the top of the list.
Kelly had a school-record 134 receiving yards in the first quarter of OU's 59-0 win over
Middle Tennessee State last Saturday. The record was previously held by tight end
John Flynn, who had 128 yards on three receptions against Colorado in 1962.
Thompson says it isn't too difficult to throw to
Kelly, a lanky, athletic, 6-foot-4 wideout.
"A couple times, I see him open for a split second and I just throw it up there, and I know he's going to make a big play,"
Thompson said. "Any one of you (the media) could just throw it up to him, and he'll make the play."
Overlooking OU?: While the
Sooners are enjoying a bye the week before their yearly showdown with Texas in the
Cotton Bowl, the Longhorns must maintain focus on the task immediately ahead:
Sam Houston State.
The
Division I-AA Bearkats aren't considered to be of the caliber to upset the No. 7 Longhorns — they lost their only other game against a Division I-A opponent 45-14 to SMU — but Texas coach
Mack Brown doesn't want his players looking ahead to
Oklahoma.
"It is a regular Saturday," Brown told the
Austin American-Statesman. "Ask the teams that have lost to I-AA teams so far this year. The only way this one gets big is to not play well or to lose it."