OU football notebook: Special teams impress
BY DAVID UBBEN, Staff Writer, dubben@opubco.com
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Published: October 5, 2009
Although the offense sputtered for most of the game without its three best playmakers, the special teams units nearly proved the difference.
Kicker Jimmy Stevens was perfect on the evening, nailing a pair of field goals and a pair of extra points. Freshman punter Tress Way averaged more than 50 yards per punt. And junior Dominique Franks set up Oklahoma’s final scoring drive with a winding return after fielding the ball on his own 1-yard line. "There were a lot of areas that were very good,” said coach Bob Stoops.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
Sam Bradford can lead off the field, too. So can tight end Jermaine Gresham. It’s difficult with both off the field, then sophomore Ryan Broyles, the last productive player in the passing game, went down against the Hurricanes. Despite his unplanned absence, Stoops wasn’t resigning to a lack of offensive leadership as a factor in the loss. "If I say there’s a big one, then you’re making excuses,” Stoops said. "I feel we still have enough character and tough guys on our offense for that not to matter. Brody Eldridges, Matt Clapps, Trent Williams’. We got some guys that are capable of leading and are.”POLL WATCHING
On paper it might seem a bit unfair, but the Sooners sank 11 spots in the media poll with their second loss. Two losses, each by a point, away from their home stadium and played after losing their best offensive weapon during the game, might seem convincing enough to keep Oklahoma from falling out of the top 20. The Sooners fell 13 spots in the coaches poll to No. 21, and 11 spots in the media poll to No. 19.
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How is it that a premiere program has ZERO skilled WRs (Kenney and Caleb have some value at this point) after their number one goes down? How is it that we don't have a TE that can catch and run with it after the number one goes down? How is it we don't have a non-lazy o-lineman that can actually move his feet (what was with that "Sooner Speed" artcile, Berry?) and make a block?