Cameron Kenney could be just what Sooners need
OU Football Receiver a playmaker
BY JAKE TROTTER
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53
Published: October 8, 2009
NORMAN — One of the main reasons wide receiver Cameron Kenney signed with Oklahoma over Georgia was the opportunity to catch passes from a Heisman Trophy winner.
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Baylor at OU
→When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
→Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
→TV: ABC (Cox 8)
→Radio: KRXO-FM 107.7
Four games into the season, Kenney is yet to catch a pass from
Sam Bradford, who has missed the last 3½ games with a shoulder injury.
But whether Bradford comes back this week for
Baylor or backup
Landry Jones makes his fourth start at quarterback, the
Sooners need Kenney to build off his breakout performance at Miami
In the worst way.
With tight end
Jermaine Gresham out for the year and slot receiver
Ryan Broyles sidelined for at least this week with a fractured shoulder blade, the Sooners are desperately searching for playmakers at receiver.
Kenney showed he’s capable of filling that role, after snagging six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown against the Hurricanes.
"I thought Cameron Kenney really showed some signs that are really positive for us,” coach
Bob Stoops said. "It was really exciting to see him make some plays when we needed him to. You hope it will continue. It needs to.”
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Kenney, who transferred to OU from
Garden City (
Kan.) Community College, turned heads during fall camp with his quickness and strength.
"He’s explosive, strong, likes to compete,” said wide receivers coach
Jay Norvell. "That’s what we liked about him when we recruited him.”
With OU trying to rely on its veterans, Kenney didn’t play in the opener against
Brigham Young. But since, he has started the last three games.
After catching three passes for 38 yards combined in wins over
Idaho State and
Tulsa, Kenney finally emerged in
Miami.
Following Broyles’ injury on the Sooners’ second play from scrimmage, Kenney became Jones’ top target.
"The opportunity, I’ve been waiting for it for a long time,” he said. "I was fortunate enough to make the plays.”
His biggest play was his first.
On the final play of OU’s opening drive, Jones rolled right and tossed a pass Kenney caught over the outstretched hands of two Hurricane defenders to put the Sooners up, 7-0.
"Everything happened so fast, I really couldn’t tell you what happened,” Kenney recalled. "I looked up, saw I was open. Out of nowhere, here comes the ball. I just jumped up and — I didn’t even catch it that well — but I grabbed onto it like a loaf of bread.
"I didn’t really know what happened until I got to the sidelines and saw it up on the
Jumbotron.”
After the touchdown, Kenney admitted he played with more confidence as the game went along, coming up with a pair of huge catches in the second half.
He snagged a 12-yard grab on an out-route that converted a third-and-long into a first down. Later, Kenney reeled in a pass on a hook pattern, broke a tackle and turned upfield.
The 26-yard gain set up OU’s only other touchdown.
"I had a real good feeling he was going to play good; you knew it was a matter of time,” Norvell said. "In fact, before the game, I told (graduate assistant)
Joey Halzle, that kid is going to play his tail off tonight.
"He’s learning, he’s still got to get a lot better. But he took a big step on Saturday night.”
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57-4 since 1998 at home .934 percentage #1 in the nation
6 Big 12 conference titles
7 big 12 South Division Titles
BCS National Championship Appearances = 4 , 1 title"----Yeah, and look back at the Buffalo Bills..went to the big game 4 years running and got beat every time...difference is, they don't talk about that, cause when it comes to winning games, what happened in the past don't mean squat. You gooner fans ought to take note of that.
Do we want to win all the games, you bet your butt we do. Will we take a loss sitting down, heck no. but believe you me, the coaches feel the same way. These guys know what they are doing, they wouldn't be in the position they are in if they didn't.
Look back over the past 10 years -
57-4 since 1998 at home .934 percentage #1 in the nation
6 Big 12 conference titles
7 big 12 South Division Titles
BCS National Championship Appearances = 4 , 1 title
All of these times we won the titles the other years we were there competing for it. So I would say Sooner nation is in good shape.
Anyone want to go back to the Blake years, I think not
welcome to the big league. Now you get it.
The headline of Tramels latest blog entry:
"College Football Week 5: Train wreck in Oklahoma" "Nuff said, gooner fans.
A small slice of Tramels "10 biggest LOSERS of the week":
"4. Bob Stoops: First, Stoops couldn’t win the big one. Now he can’t win the close one, after Miami’s 21-20 victory over Oklahoma pinned the Sooners with their second one-point defeat this season."
Yeah ! Now THIS is the kind of reporting I want to see about the gooners season !!
(Tramel must have another job lined up, cuz it's fer sure the gooner fans and the Gaylord Mafia will be after him now)....