OU football notebook: Trio of Sooners miss opener

Published: August 31, 2008

Three Sooners – Phil Loadholt, Ryan Broyles and John Williams – did not play and were not in uniform for the game against Chattanooga.

Loadholt's suspension may have stemmed from a June arrest for suspicion of DUI.

OU coach Bob Stoops said Loadholt and Broyles were suspended for one game for “team reasons” and would be available to play Saturday against Cincinnati.

Williams wasn't suspended, but he wasn't on the sideline as his status with the team is uncertain.

Defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger did not start but played in the first quarter. Granger was sent home from the Fiesta Bowl after being charged with misdemeanor theft.

Stoops, however, had said Granger's drop to No. 2 on the depth chart was related to a sore back that hampered him during August drills. Adrian Taylor started at tackle. Former-Sooner salute: In recognition of Stoops' 10 seasons at OU, many players from the Stoops era united this weekend and were introduced at halftime.

Among the prominent Sooners to attend: Jammal Brown, Vince Carter, Quentin Griffin, Jonathan Jackson, Frank Romero, Wes Sims, Trent Smith, Andre Woolfolk, Paul Thompson and Josh Norman.

Two-by-four: Something had to give in terms of jersey No. 4.

During the preseason, wide receivers Corey Wilson and Jameel Owens both sported the number, vacated by Malcolm Kelly's departure to the NFL.

Owens, the true freshman from Muskogee, wore No. 4 against the Mocs.

Wilson, a redshirt freshman, wore No. 11.

Lewis starts: Redshirt freshman Travis Lewis, listed along with Brandon Crow as the backup weak-side linebacker, started and played significantly in the first half. Mike Balogun was listed atop the depth chart but didn't enter until the fourth quarter.

Austin Box was the starter at the spot before undergoing minor knee surgery. He's expected back for Cincinnati. White space: An odd sight on Owen Field: no white. No white jerseys. No white horses.

That's right. The Sooners dressed in their traditional crimson home jerseys. The Mocs wore “old gold” (they were either navy or white jerseys for home games). And the ponies pulling the Sooner Schooner: gray. For as long as anyone could remember, white ponies have pulled the wagon – until now, with both new for this season. Fresh approach: Six true freshmen made their career debuts against Chattanooga.

Those who played: tight end James Hanna, running back Justin Johnson, guard Stephen Good, center Ben Habern, wide receivers Jameel Owens and Dejuan Miller.

Busy leg: Chattanooga's Jeff Lloyd was busy, punting 13 times for a 38.6-yard average.

“He may have wore his leg out,” said Mocs coach Rodney Allison.

Return specialist: OU's Juaquin Iglesias is one of the best kickoff returners in OU history, and he didn't disappoint Saturday. His 69-yard kickoff return after a safety set up an OU touchdown. Iglesias now has a career average of 29.0 yards per kick return. Among players with at least 20 returns, that ranks No. 1 in school history. Among players with at least 15 returns, Iglesias ranks No. 2, trailing only teammate DeMarco Murray.

By John Helsley, Berry Tramel and Jake Trotter

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