Q&A: Will Peterson, Patrick be ready to go

Published: November 20, 2006

1. Will Adrian Peterson or Allen Patrick play next Saturday at Oklahoma State?

Coach Bob Stoops said Sunday he didn't plan to speak to doctors about the condition of Peterson's collarbone until sometime today.

Stoops would not speculate on Peterson's possible return.

Patrick was close to being able to play Saturday at Baylor, but Stoops still wouldn't say if he expected him to play at OSU.

If available, will Peterson and Patrick be protected from contact in practice?

The Sooners try not to tackle their running backs to the ground during practice, so there shouldn't be a need for any extra protection.

If they feel they need to, the coaches will be cautious with Peterson and Patrick. But both players need the practice to get used to playing again and to get prepared for OSU.

2. Are recent turnover problems becoming a significant issue?

OU has nine turnovers in its last two games, and Stoops has expressed his frustration.

But he says he puts his team through every fumble-prevention drill he knows.

"Maybe we just quit doing them all, that might help," Stoops said sarcastically. "You talk about (a problem) so much, you create it, so I'm not gonna talk about it all week."

3. What has generated OU's surging pass rush in recent weeks?

Part of it is the offenses the Sooners have faced. Texas Tech and Baylor have larger gaps between their offensive linemen, which at times, allowed OU easy sacks.

Blitzing is often the best method of attack against those offenses and it has produced quarterback pressure as well.

Lastly, the OU defensive linemen are playing better and playing more consistently than they were early in the season.

4. Will the Sooners be keeping an eye on the Texas-Texas A&M game Friday, knowing that an A&M win puts them in position to play for the Big 12 Championship?

They'll be paying more attention than they're letting on.

The coaches and players are saying all the right things about how they are only worried about what they can control, and they're focused on preparing for Oklahoma State.

But Stoops has always said that the goal for his team is to win championships. Getting a shot at the Big 12 title — even if they got in through the backdoor — would make for some happy Sooners.

By Scott Wright