SB Nation - Frank Alexander

Q & A with Crimson and Cream Machine

Seth C — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:04:23 -0000

Much thanks to ccmachine at Crimson and Cream Machine for taking the time to answer a few questions for DTN. Updates on the OU injury front, how to get to QB Landry Jones, why the offense struggles to run, etc.

The Sooners have been severely bitten by the injury bug this year, can you give us a quick run down of the injured starters we can expect to see out against Texas Tech and how have their replacements fared thus far?

QB Sam Bradford – Landry Jones has been solid but not spectacular in replacing Bradford. To be honest he looks a bit like Bradford did in `07 with the exception of not reading through his progressions as well as he should. Every young quarterback makes mistakes and bad throws it’s just that Jones has made some really, really bad ones. A lot of Sooner fans aren’t over the 5 interceptions he threw against Nebraska yet. A good performance on the road could help out a lot with that.
TE Jermaine Gresham – Oklahoma still hasn’t found a replacement for him which is natural when you lose the best tight end in the nation. However, you’d think that they would have someone at capable of getting regular reps. Walk on Trent Ratterree leads all tight ends with 6 catches for 51 yards. It should go without saying that we (the fans) expected a lot more from that position than anyone else.

OL Brody Eldridge – Brody is quite possibly the best player on Oklahoma’s roster. He’s started at center, tight end and right guard. He regularly graded out as Oklahoma’s best offensive lineman and wasn’t too shabby at the tight end position either.

OL Brian Simmons – Simmons actually returned to practice this week and while its unclear if he’ll play or not it certainly is clear that the Sooners need him.

OL Jarvis Jones – He’s out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury.

Oklahoma’s offensive line has been a hodge-podge of personnel this season anyway but now depth is a real concern. There have been so many different lineups on the line that I’ve really lost count. The one silver lining in the lack of depth is that the guys who are in there now have the ability to build some continuity.

DE Auston English – At one time in his career English was the Big 12 sack leader but he’s been hampered by injuries every since. The good news here is that Oklahoma is very deep in talent at the defensive end spot and Frank Alexander was able to fill the role very well last week.

More after the jump.

Is QB Landry Jones still trying to find his way as a quarterback and if so, what does he do well and what still needs work?

I think that it’s still a learning process for Landry. He had to battle freshman Drew Allen for the backup position but in reality this was supposed to be Sam Bradford’s farewell tour as a Sooner and Jones had to be thrust into battle in game one. He’s getting a better grasp on the offense but still struggles under pressure, gets rattled easy, doesn’t go through his progressions and looks very uncomfortable in the pocket. Basically all the things that make us OU fans very uncomfortable just about on every pass play.

The OU defense, especially the pass rush has been outstanding this year. I haven't seen a ton of Sooner football this year, how have the Sooners been getting to the quarterback? Simple 4-man rush, blitzes, stunts, etc.?

Oklahoma’s front four have been extremely successful at getting to the quarterback without the need for blitzing but their success as also made blitzing that much more difficult to pick up. Brent Venables has done an outstanding job most of the season at bringing a linebacker or defensive back on the blitz and even dropping defensive ends back into coverage. It’s a variety of schemes that are used to pressure the backfield but it all starts with the success of the tackles and ends.

The rushing offense has been tremendous in wins for the Sooners, but relatively poor in losses. Is it the opponents that were causing those tough rushing efforts or was it a symptom of the beat-up offensive line?

I think that it’s a little bit of both but mostly the offensive line. DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown were both 1,000 yard backs last season and they have 592 and 608 yards respectfully this season through 10 games. This line is doing an okay job at pass blocking but I’d still give them a big FAIL when it comes to run blocking. I’d even go so far as to say that the success in running the ball this year has come more on the talent of Murray and Brown than the blocking of the line.

Complete the following: "The Sooners will win if __________ happens and the Sooners will lose if __________ happens."

The Sooners will win if they can run their offense. Defensively this is one of the best teams of the Bob Stoops era but offensively its one of the worst. In Oklahoma’s four losses they’ve only averaged 12.25 points which we both know won’t be enough to beat Tech this Saturday.

They’ll lose if something crazy happens again. Seriously, going to Lubbock is like entering the Twilight Zone for the Sooners, something strange always happens. In 2005 it was the phantom first down and the iffy touchdown that gave the Red Raiders a win. I know, I know, you say he was in and I say he wasn’t so let’s just leave it at that. In 2007 Sam Bradford gets a concussion and Joey Halzle gets pressed into service but is unable to pull off a comeback. If none of those type things happen and Oklahoma is able to run their offense then I like their chances.

Where Does Les Miles Stand?

Richard Pittman — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:56:51 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

What is this man's future? (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)

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Let's get one thing out of the way first. I have never seen a coach criticized as much without losing a game as Les Miles has been criticized this season. Let me quote part of a message that appeared on a prominent LSU website yesterday:

With the press and fans on Miles like they are at this point in the season, there is no way he can come back. There is nothing he can do IMO to win back the needed support.

It is just gotten to an unacceptable level. Media allies have turned and will not go down with him.

It's a harsh and dismal assessment. We see this sort of thing a lot on message boards, but this one is different. This is not coming from a yahoo, but rather from one of the more respected posters around. One who, honestly, I would consider to be an asset to any website he frequents.

This particular poster goes on to specifically criticize Miles for allegedly not always playing the best players, instead opting to reward seniority. In particular, he is critical of the offensive line personnel and the infrequency of Russell Shepard's appearances on the field.

I don't agree with his assessment, especially the "there is no way he can come back" conclusion. There's a very easy way for Miles to re-earn the esteem of LSU fans. Just win. If LSU wins next week against Georgia, ugly or pretty, personnel changes or no personnel changes, blowout or tight win, pure luck or inevitability, the troubles of the previous 4 weeks will be virtually forgotten. At least for one week, and probably until the Auburn game.

Before this season, I would have said that winning cures a lot of ills. And while that hasn't exactly been true this season so far, we always looked at the Georgia game as one of those season markers. It's a game we would have cautiously said before the season was a 50-50 game (at best). After four Saturdays, I see no reason to change that assessment.

This is not to say that Les Miles is above criticism until he loses. Far from it. In fact, there are numerous criticisms that I have. I agree with the above poster who says that it appears Miles favors seniority over talent. 2006's heavy reliance on an apparently completely washed-up Justin Vincent was Exhibit A. Last year's continued reliance on Danny McCray as a nickel back was Exhibit B.

I will also criticize some of Miles' decisions in recruiting. We had Frank Alexander in our back yard and let him go without ever seriously recruiting him. Now he's a highly regarded starting defensive end for Oklahoma, and we're struggling to get consistent production from the position except for Rahim Alem. And it's not like he was a late bloomer. OKLAHOMA wanted him. He refused to seriously recruit Dez Bryant, and let Darrington Sentimore go to Alabama almost without a fight. Bryant's an All-American, and while the jury is still out on Sentimore, LSU is facing a depth crisis at defensive tackle after this season and there appears to be no immediate help coming in the 2010 class. The defensive tackle situation has been exacerbated by recruiting a glut of offensive linemen and moving defensive tackles to the other side of the line to make their numbers even bigger.

The 2006 class is its own subject. Not a single offensive lineman from that class ever played a snap for LSU. The decision (or perhaps simply the eventuality) not to sign a quarterback to hedge our bets with Ryan Perrilloux arguably destroyed the 2008 season (along with the decision to promote from within to the vacated defensive coordinator job). The wide receiver corps from that recruiting class (Chris Mitchell, Jared Mitchell, and Ricky Dixon) is devoid of impact players. The linebackers appear to only now be emerging as good players.

I'm also not pleased that he couldn't reel in a good player like Janzen Jackson. That loss will hurt bad, as Jackson is on his way to being an impact player for Tennessee in the future. I will give him a pass for the McKnight situation, because it appears that McKnight was dead set on leaving the state from the beginning, and was only giving us lip service.

As for the specific suggestion that Miles is leaving one or more of his best 5 offensive linemen on the bench, I have no idea, but the experiences we've had with Justin Vincent and Danny McCray certainly lead us to believe it's possible. As an aside, it appears that now that McCray's role has changed, he's doing quite well, but that doesn't change the fact that he was ill-suited for his previous role.

Les Miles' tenure at LSU has not been above criticism, but again, football is about winning, and except for last year, Miles has done that with an admirable frequency. And so far this year he continues to win games. And everyone seems to forget Les's outstanding coaching job in 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and a devastating pre-season injury to our best running back. We also tend to forget that Miles is only two seasons removed from winning a national championship. I don't care whose recruits you're playing with. You can't win the national championship if you can't coach, even if you have superior talent (which is debatable).

In short, I think there's something to the criticism Miles is receiving. It's not all false. It's just a little overwrought under the circumstances. Miles has made mistakes, and the problems this team is facing this year won't go away on their own, but they also haven't cost us anything yet. Nothing is irretrievable yet, but things must be retrieved.

I'm a pragmatist at heart, and when something doesn't work I think the best thing to do is to try something, and if that doesn't work try something else. Whatever you do, don't let a problem sit around festering without trying to do something about it. It's better to try something and be wrong than to try nothing. Heck at least you tried.

So let's see what happens in the next 7 days before we start really speculating about Miles' future.

Idaho State Game Position Grades

ccmachine — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:38:32 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

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Oklahoma bounced back, as expected, against Idaho State with a dominating defensive performance and offensive speed. However, even against an FCS team the grades weren't perfect as the Sooners showed that they've still got some work to do.

Quarterback B+

At times Landry Jones was exceptional (18/32, 286 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) and yet at other times he struggled in reading through his progressions which led to one interception and should have been more. Still, Jones managed the game well and showed that OU can continue to run their offense with him under center.

Running Backs A+

DeMarco Murray was his old self, rushing for 101 yards on 12 carries (8.4 ypc), and Chris Brown provided workman like 5.9 yards per carry going for 65 yards. In garbage time the young backs ran hard as well. Jonathan Miller carried the ball 9 times for 88 yards and, to my surprised, looked stronger and faster than Jermie Calhoun who rushed for 26 yards on 7 carries. All four of the running backs scored at least once with Murray crossing the goal line twice.

Receivers/Tight Ends C+

DeMarco Murray said that having Brody Eldridge out on the edge made a huge difference in the running game. I'd still like to see OU develop a passing game that includes the tight end because dropped passes by Brandon Caleb, Cameron Kenny and Dejuan Miller along with Adron Tennell last week are becoming too common. Ryan Broyles had 155 yards on 7 receptions with 3 touchdowns but unfortunately we have to grade the unit as a whole.

Offensive Line B-

Oklahoma's offensive line held up fairly well against a lesser Idaho State defense but my chief complaint against them is not being able to punch it in from inside the 1. That obviously is an issue with the line and running up the middle clearly shouldn't be an option for this team in those situations anymore. Regardless they line helped lead the team to a rushing average of 6.3 yards per carry.

Defensive Line A

Due to limited defensive snaps (Idaho State punted 12 times) and the rotation of younger players there weren't a lot of stats to be passed around. Gerald McCoy accounted for one of Oklahoma's two sacks and the Sooner defensive line stopped the Bengal offense at the point of attack all night. Frank Alexander recovered a Kyle Blum fumble and returned it for a touchdown.

Linebackers A+

The telling stat for Oklahoma's linebackers is 32/-22. That's how many rushes and rushing yards the Bengals had against the OU defense. Travis Lewis and Austin Box led the team with a combined 9 tackles each. Ronnell Lewis tackled Clint Knickrehm for a safety.

Secondary A

Like the other spots of the defense Oklahoma's secondary saw a lot of new faces on Saturday night and no one disappointed. ISU's only positive yardage came on passing plays but the Sooner secondary was more than stout and laid the wood of Bengal receivers and running backs all night. Dominique Franks and Jamell Flemming led the secondary with a combined 4 tackles each.

Special Teams B+

Maybe it was just me but it seemed that if Idaho State had more team speed they would have been able to exploit some of the seams in Oklahoma's kickoff team. Maybe I'm just nitpicking because the Bengals only averaged 14 yards a return. In the punting game Tress Way averaged 42.8 yards per kick while Idaho State had -2 yards per return. OU did have a missed extra point but I'm choosing to blame that on the weather.

'The Sooners Go to the Hospital': a dramatic re-enactment

ghtd36 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:28 -0000

This is the fourth installment of the "Sooner Disrespect Chronicles." For background, please read the previous installments:

PART ONE: ‘The Sooners Have a Gift Exchange’

PART TWO: ‘The Sooners Ride an Airplane’

PART THREE: ‘The Sooners Have a Chat’

SCENE: The Sooners, fresh off their 14-13 season-opening loss to BYU, sit in a room at Norman Regional Hospital.

SAM BRADFORD: Con sarn-it! Dang it all to heck! Crap, crap, crap!

JERMAINE GRESHAM: (lying in a hospital bed) Whoa, Sam, take it easy! You never swear like this!

BRADFORD: I know, but I’m just so tooting mad that we lost and that I got hurt! Now I’m not going to be able to play for at least three weeks, and it could be as many as six! Stinkin’ sassafras!

GRESHAM: (sitting up) Trust me, I know how you feel. My knee is killing me, but what hurts even more is that I’m out for the season! This really is the pits.

BRADFORD: And now that we lost to BYU fair and square, I’m not sure we’ll get a chance to get back to the national championship game. Geez Louise, that’s the worst!

GRESHAM: Now, we don’t know that, Sam. You could come back healthy, and who knows? Maybe our backups can...

/door flies open

BOB STOOPS: (limping in on crutch, meekly) Hi guys.

BRADFORD: C-Coach Stoops? Oh my heavens, what happened?

/team gathers around Stoops

STOOPS: It was terrible. One minute, I’m writing prayer notes to cloister nuns, and the next… (swallows hard)…the next minute, I’m…I’m lying face down on the floor, with my ankle injured beyond belief.

FRANK ALEXANDER: (looking up from playing a far-too-violent rendition of the "stop hitting yourself" game with a helpless 8-year-old leukemia patient) WHAAAAAAAT? WHO DID THIS TO YOU, COACH?!? WHO DISRESPECTED YOU LIKE THIS?!?

STOOPS: I really have no idea, Franklin my son. Well…except for…

ALEXANDER: (still yelling for some reason) EXCEPT FOR WHAT?!?

STOOPS: Well…as you know, I have a lot of security cameras in my house. And…well, I think I captured the assailants on camera. Here…(pulls photo out of pocket)…take a look.

BRADFORD: (sighs) Coach, stop it. That photo is clearly pho…

ALEXANDER: Z-O-M-G THATZ TEBOW AND COLT MCCOY! THEY’RE THE ONES WHO DISRESPECTED YOU!

STOOPS: Is it them? But why would they do such a thing?

ALEXANDER: RAAWWWWWWWWWRRR! DISRESPECT!

/goes "One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest" on the leukemia kid, whose name is Steven, still isn’t ejected

GRESHAM: Coach S, I’m not sure that’s a real photo.

STOOPS: (dropping crutch, walking normally over to Gresham) Are you calling me a liar, Jordache?

GRESHAM: It’s Jermaine, coach. And no, I’m not calling you a liar…I just…I just think…

STOOPS: THAT IS REAL! I don’t even own Microsoft Paint! How could I do such a thing? That’s a little ridiculous, don’t you think, Johnson & Johnson?

GRESHAM: But coach…

ALEXANDER: (unusually calm) Jermaine, I think what coach is trying to say is that no longer will he (voice raises to full throat) TOLERATE YOUR DISRESPECT!!!

/pokes Gresham in the bad knee

/Gresham weeps silently

BRADFORD: But now you’re walking, coach…how are you…

STOOPS: Listen boys. We’ve sustained some serious injuries over the past week. Sad Sammy Brads over here is out for God-knows-how-long. Our tight end Jennifer Grabass is completely useless to us. And now I’ve been struck by a devastating injury to my ankle.

/skips over to the doorway

STOOPS: But luckily, we’ve got backups. Great backups. Guys that can lead the way.

BRADFORD: (suddenly feeling better about the situation) Yeah, that’s right! We do have great backups! They can lead the way!

STOOPS: That’s right, Navajo Joe!

LANDRY JONES: (standing up) Well, coach, Sam’s got big shoes to fill, and I’m at a distinct disadvantage because…well…I’m devastatingly white. But I’m going to do my best!

TRENT RATTERREE: (standing up) And now that Locks of Love finally took my donation, I feel like I can definitely help out in place of Jermaine!

BRADFORD: Yeah! You guys can do it!

STOOPS: What? No. What are you guys even still doing here? I thought I cut you. Go play with Billy Sims.

RATTEREE AND JONES: Aw man

/both sulk outside, with "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMER" echoing through the hospital halls

/team looks around, confused

STOOPS: No, guys, I’ve gone out and recruited the best backup players that…um…savvy recruiting can…um…what’s another word besides "buy", Frankie?

ALEXANDER: (skimming through thesaurus) OBTAIN?!?

/eats thesaurus whole

STOOPS: Yeah, that’s it. Obtain. Boys…meet your new quarterback.

/door flies open

TOM BRADY: Hey guys. I’m taking time out of my busy schedule of playing for the Patriots and knocking up models before leaving them for even more beautiful models, so let’s hurry up and win this championship or whatever.

/pounds a Samuel Adams

BRADFORD: Coach, I’m pretty sure Tom Brady is totally and completely ineligible to…

STOOPS: And meet your new tight end.

/door flies open

KIMBO SLICE: Kimbo’s ready to roll, bitches.

BRADFORD: Now that’s just ridiculous. Coach, we can’t play with a mixed-martial artist. He doesn’t know anything about football!

/Slice pokes Bradford in the bad shoulder

/Bradford writhes in pain

/Slice and Alexander high-five

STOOPS: We can overcome this DISRESPECT, guys! BYU DISRESPECTED us in Arlington, and now it’s time to go beat Idaho State so we can get another shot at my assailants!

BRADFORD: (yelling) STOP IT!

/room, stunned by Bradford’s uncharacteristic outburst, falls silent

BRADFORD: Guys, c’mon! Injuries happen! It’s part of the game! But we can’t use that as an excuse to blame our coach’s fake injuries on Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow. And we can’t use that as an excuse to bring in the most bizarre ringers ever!

ALEXANDER: BUT…BUT…YOUR SHOULDER….HIS KNEE….DISRESPECT!!!

BRADFORD: It’s not disrespect, Frank. It’s football. Guys, we’re still a great team. We don’t need to constantly play the disrespect card! We’ve got great backups who can hold their own until we’re back at full strength. So what do you say? Can we end all this nonsense and just go play football?

/room, still silent, thinks

SLICE: (standing up, reading from script) I heard Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Bronco Mendenhall and that guy fromIdaho State all hate white people.

STOOPS: OMG HOW UNEXPECTED!

ALEXANDER: RAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRR!!! DISRESPECT!!!

/burns down every potato farm in Idaho

AUSTIN BOX: That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you guys!

TOM BRADY: Whatever.

/watches "Good Will Hunting" thee times, chugs thirty Samuel Adams

/door flies open

RATTEREE: Does this guy ever freakin’ stop?

BILLY SIMS: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMER!

BRADFORD: God, the Lions sound so good right now.

Sooner Game Day Links

ccmachine — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:11:15 -0000

SI.Com Saturday Morning Splurge – The 10 Storylines To Watch As College Football Arrives

• Have injuries leveled the field in Oklahoma-BYU? Don't expect the BYU game to mark the beginning of another Heisman-winning or 50-touchdown season from Sam Bradford. Not when he's playing behind a line featuring four new starters, and not with his favorite target, All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham nursing an injured knee. BYU, though, must contend with injury and o-line concerns of its own ... and the concern of facing a stout Sooners' D.

Fox Sports – BYU Football: Cougars Play Low-Key

To that end, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall, when addressing his team, has been trying to put this game in perspective. While Mendenhall and the Cougars are eager to make a splash nationally, the coach is preaching that regardless of what happens against the Sooners, this one game doesn't make or break the season.

The Salt Lake Tribunee – Is Oklahoma BYU’s Best Opponent Ever?

When BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae learned the Cougars would open the 2009 season against Oklahoma in Cowboys Stadium, his first thought wasn't about OU stars such as quarterback Sam Bradford, running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown or lineman Trent Williams.

Anae's mind quickly raced back to the days when he faced the Sooners as Texas Tech's offensive line coach from 2000-2004.

"The Oklahoma defense," Anae said. "Is second to none. It was like that then, and it is now. I view it as a great opportunity, and a great challenge, for any offense to start a season off against that defense."

Star-Telegram – Oklahoma Sooners’ Ryan Reynolds Back Again To Lead The Defense

Oklahoma defensive end Frank Alexander says middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds is the heart of the defense.

"He kind of gets everybody going," Alexander said. "Now he’s stronger than ever and that’s going to make our defense stronger than ever."

Weakside linebacker Travis Lewis said Reynolds is also the answer man.

"He knows the defenses almost as well as [coordinator Brent Venables]," Lewis said. "No matter the position, he can answer the question.

"He’s a big security blanket for everybody."

Philly.Com – Games Of The Week

No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 20 BYU, 7 p.m., ESPN: The Sooners and Sam Bradford help Jerry Jones welcome NCAA football to his new Dallas Cowboys playpen.

The Birmingham News – 5 Things To Watch In Football Nationally

4. BYU vs. Oklahoma. The Sooners will be without all-American tight end Jermaine Gresham (14 TD catches in 2008). If his knee injury causes him to sit out a while, it would be devastating to Oklahoma's offense. BYU always has an explosive passing offense. But I like the Sooners' defense to carry the offense for a little while this year and win 24-10.

Tulsa World – OU Notebook

Jermaine Gresham's absence from Saturday's Oklahoma-BYU game shouldn't have too big of an effect on the center position. Former tight end Brody Eldridge should start and snap the ball the majority of the time, leaving OU observers to continue to wonder whether the 265-pound Eldridge is heavy enough for his new spot.

Tulsa World – OU Aware Of ‘Wow’ Factor

NORMAN — Oklahoma assistant Jackie Shipp tells his defensive tackles, "No matter where you play, it's still a football game, playing in front of 10 people or 10,000 people. You've still got to go down there and handle your business."

Starting defensive tackle Adrian Taylor gets that. But he's also from Mansfield, Texas, and the home in which he grew up is 10 minutes from Cowboys Stadium, the $1.15 billion colossus that will host Saturday night's OU-BYU season opener.

Deseret News – Oklahoma Has Big Talent Edge

Game films don't lie.

They reaffirm and confirm but don't hide truth.

That's why, watching films of the Oklahoma football team this past offseason, veteran BYU linebacker coach Barry Lamb witnessed over and over again what NCAA statistics clearly show — the 2008 Sooners, led by Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford, were something special.

Asked about his Oklahoma film sessions, Lamb put it this way: "They don't make you laugh."

Denton Record Chronicle – Habern To Play On Big Stage With Sooners

When Oklahoma runs on to the field tonight to face BYU, a group of friends and family will look down and recognize a familiar frame -- Sooner offensive lineman Ben Habern.

But when Habern looks up into the stands just before the 6 p.m. kickoff at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the former Liberty Christian standout will see a whole different scene that he was used to while playing private school football.

Austin American Statesman – Around The Big 12

Notes: This will be first college game played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and the Sooners will be looking for a strong start against a quality foe after losing the national title game last season. The big question for Oklahoma is whether it can remain a steamroller on offense while replacing four starting offensive linemen. DT Gerald McCoy anchors a unit with nine returning starters. For BYU, this is the kind of game that could draw the respect coach Bronco Mendenhall has been seeking while winning at least 10 games three straight years. But the Cougars also are replacing most of their offensive line and QB Max Hall needs a new favorite target now that record-setting receiver Austin Collie is in the NFL.

Deseret News – Tonga Feeling Eager, Optimistic About Opener

The last time fullback Manase Tonga suited up for BYU was in December, 2007, in the Cougars' 17-16 victory over UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Tonga will take the field for the Cougars tonight against No. 3 Oklahoma, eager to make the most of his second chance.

"I'm anxious. I can't wait," said the senior from San Mateo, Calif., who was ruled academically ineligible and missed the 2008 season. "I don't know if excited is the right word because I've been out for so long. I'm ready to roll and it's going to be a lot of fun. It's a good way to come back, against one of the top teams in the nation. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Week 1 Saturday Schedule

Richard Pittman — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:54:03 -0000

Ed. Note: Feel free to use this as a non-LSU open thread.

Honestly, I'm not sure about this series anymore, where I blithely tell you what I'm going to be doing on game day. I'm not sure it fits well with the new ATVS, the one that has lots of people writing all the time. We'll see how it goes, though.

Today, as usual for a Saturday, I was awake at 5:30am. This is going to prove to be a problem when midnight rolls around and I'm still watching LSU play football. But anyway, here's the story for now:

7:00am - 10:00am: Clean the house while Little Miss ATVS either sleeps or watches TV. With friends coming over later, my normally "cozy, lived-in" house has to be substantially remodeled, by throwing things away and/or putting them where we would like people to believe we think they belong. When you have a 2-year-old, as any of you parents know, toys belong either scattered around the floor or piled into a corner. What are toy boxes?

10:00am - 11:00am: Ponder why on earth LSU did not recruit Damaris Johnson for the 2008 class. He may be little, but the dude is a playmaker, and he would easily be our best return man. And it's not like we didn't know about him. We signed two of his teammates. He might be Tulsa's best offensive player now. Also, go to Publix and Bruno's to get andouille sausage and ribs, potato salad, etc. ribs, potato salad, etc. makes our traditional opening-Saturday lunch. The sausage is for the gumbo I'm making tonight for friends. The wife of the couple wants me to teach her how to make cajun food, so I'm showing her a gumbo. I also need to break out my chicken squeezer.

11:00am - 2:30pm: I guess I'm going to watch Kentucky vs. Miami (OH), but I will have to keep an eye on Western Kentucky vs. Tennessee too. First, I want to see how the revamped Jefferson-Pilot thing with ESPN running it works. Second, almost despite myself I can't help but want to see Lane Kiffin actually coaching. God knows he didn't do any of that last year. But the Kentucky game should be more interesting, because the competition should be pretty even.

2:30pm - 4:00pm: Watch the first half of the Georgia vs. Oklahoma State game. With all the hype about Alabama and Virginia Tech, this is seemingly almost a forgotten game, but it's a real marquee matchup of two teams that can both be considered dark horse candidates for conference and/or national championship consideration. This is basically an elimination game for the national championship here in Week #1. I have a hard time seeing the loser's route to the game.

4:00pm - whenever: Make gumbo. I'm going with a store-bought stock this time because I lack a turkey carcass. I know it's cheating, but it'll work fine. The other advantage is that it won't take very long. I just have to get the chicken cooked and the roux made and the rest takes care of itself with a little cutlery. Also, continue watching Georgia and Oklahoma State.

6:00pm - 7:00pm: Watch La Tech vs. Auburn. Silently ponder why we did not recruit Phillip Livas, for the same reason I was earlier pondering why we didn't recruit Damaris Johnson. Try to think of other good players out of Louisiana who didn't get enough attention from LSU. Weep silently when I come to Frank Alexander. Also, eat gumbo.

7:00pm - 9:30pm: Watch Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta until LSU comes on. My friends actually went to school in Mississippi, but I think they've adopted Bama as their team since they came here. At 8:30, the Game Thread will appear on this website. Start monitoring and/or commenting at that time. Get Little Miss ATVS to bed.

9:30pm - whenever: Watch LSU play. I will probably have to also be fighting Little Miss ATVS because I'll be watching the game in her room until the Bama game is over, unless the Bama game is a blowout, in which case I'll be watching it in the living room.

That's it. That's my day. Game thread opens at 8:30pm

Sooner Quotes On The Cougars

ccmachine — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:44:39 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops met with the media on Tuesday afternoon to discuss being a Morman...errr...I mean beating the Mormans (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Ahhhh, the official sign of game week is Bob Stoops’ press Tuesday conference. With a Top 20 match up against the BYU Cougars just days away Coach Stoops and a few of his players met with the media to discuss Saturday night’s game and the 2009 quest for a BCS Championship.

The hot topic, since the depth chart released on Monday, is Brody Eldridge starting at center. Listening to the coach’s comments you get the impression that Eldridge earned the start but also that it may not be a permanent gig for him.

"You have heard me going on four years talking about Brody Eldridge being one of our best players on the team period. He just doesn't play a dynamic position that everybody loves to talk about. He has been one of our toughest, most consistent and best players for three years, going on four. We have a lot of confidence with him in there. But we feel like Ben (Habern) has really come on and is awfully close, we will just see how it goes. I'm sure there will be time when Ben will be in there some."

Other players that Coach Stoops took time to praise were Sam Bradford’s leadership and Jermaine Gresham’s work ethic.

On Sam Bradford's improved leadership:
"Overall, it's just natural as you become one of the older guys on the team. It's hard to say much when you're a freshman or a sophomore, not that you can't, because guys do. Now that he's been around four years, even though he's not a senior, he's one of the guys who has played a lot and it's easier to step in and say something because guys want to hear what he's thinking or what he thinks we need to do here in practice or in a game to win. They have so much respect for his competitiveness and how he plays."

On Jermaine Gresham's work ethic:
"Jermaine is one of the best workers we have on the team. He is a great competitor. I equate him in his mindset in games to very similar to Adrian (Peterson). He's a fierce competitor, loves it. He has improved his blocking. I'm not going to say he couldn't have improved his blocking, he could have. That's one of the reasons that he wanted to come back, to be a better blocker. As far as playing hard, and doing the things we ask him, he has been one of the best guys I've had in going on 11 years."

Of course Stoops didn’t just spend the time praising the offense. He’s expecting big things from the defense in 2009 as well.

"The potential is really high for this defense to be very good. It has a chance to be when you look at not only the skill that is back and the overall ability, but also the experience. Last year we started a little rough and as the year went, we really played pretty well. Hopefully we can start better, the defense has a chance to be really good."

As for the opponent, this is one of the better season openers since Bob Stoops came to Norman in 1999. Not only is he aware of it but his players are as well.

"Overall, we're looking forward to the challenge this weekend. We're starting against a really good BYU team, a team that has a great history of success and a great tradition. Our players and our program have been aware of that since we have had this game scheduled. The recent success under Coach (Bronco) Mendenhall and the success they have had over the last four or five years is really notable. They're an excellent team, winning conference championships, winning 10 or 11 games almost every year. We understand it's a big challenge, our players have known that all year.

"This week, game week, they are excited about the challenge and working to prepare to play a good football game. This Saturday, we really need to play a good game to give ourselves an opportunity to win. It's exciting just to be starting another year with our team. I feel really positive with the way our team has handled themselves through the entire camp. They have had a good mentality with working and have been very positive. It's been an exciting group to this point. Now comes judgment day, through the season we have to earn it every week. I feel like the guys have done the work to this point to get us in a good position here in game week."

"As much as anything, we're kind of anxious and tired of waiting for it. I just want it here, although I can take all the practice time I can get, I want it here tomorrow. In the end, you're excited to play and to see the personality of the team as you go. Every year the team is different, so you want to see your team out there in the middle of it and see how they react."

Player Quotes

"I feel like if we just have to go out there and believe in ourselves, read our keys and play hard every snap. You never know what the outcome is going to be in football so you just have to go your all for every play." – Defensive End Frank Alexander On Facing The BYU Offense

"I think he was one of the best blockers we had last year at tight end. To move him to center and to see the way he has been able to comprehend the things the coaches have asked him to do and see the way he has been able to play has been impressive.

"I never would have thought that Brody would be at center. I can imagine that Brody is probably even more surprised to be playing center than I am to have him at center. His size isn't a concern for me. The way he handled defensive linemen last year, he has proven that he can do it." – Quarterback Sam Bradford On Brody Eldridge Moving To Center

"These guys are such a great opponent and we're not taking them lightly by any stretch of imagination. We know we have our work cut out and we have to keep preparing this whole week. We know the task that lies ahead of us." – Running Back Chris Brown On The BYU Cougars

We're just going out there to play a game. You can't put a lot of emphasis on the opponent right now. I don't know too much about BYU. We've been watching the film and seeing the receivers and the offensive game but it's just like playing any other team. You have to go out there and prepare the same way." – Cornerback Brian Jackson On The BYU Cougars

Depth Chart For BYU Game Released - A Few Surprises

ccmachine — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:58:22 -0000

As Oklahoma is in full game week preparations for BYU, Bob Stoops has released the depth chart for game one. The biggest thing that stands out is that the rumors of Brody Eldridge actually starting at center are true. This really shouldn't be alarming to Sooner fans because we knew that he was working out at the position now as it turns out he's edged Ben Habern, at this point, to anchor the line. Eldridge gives up nothing to Habern in height as he stands two inches taller than the 6-3 Habern.

Experience also shouldn't be an issue with Eldridge either. Yes, I realize that he's never started a game at center but as a senior at Oklahoma he's had plenty of game experience. He's often been lauded as the team's best blocker, he's got size (6-5, 265) long arms and the versatility that allowed him to play tight end and fullback.

Another thing that caught my eye on the offensive depth chart is in the receiver position. For all that we've heard on Cameron Kenney and Mossis Madu, its actually Brandon Caleb who is on the first team while Kenney and Madu are second team. However, do expect to see all these guys on the field Saturday night.

Defensively there was nothing that surprised me other than the fact that neither DeMarcus Granger nor Jamarkus McFarland made the two deep. Frank Alexander is listed as a backup tight end but then again with all the talent at that position someone had to rotate in behind the starters. There are at least three guys on the two-deep at defensive end that could compete for All-Conference honors but only two of them can start. That’s not really a bad problem to have.

Finally, my assumption that the coaches don’t want DeMarco Murray returning kickoffs was correct. They need him to stay healthy and there is enough speed and talent on this team where it isn’t necessary for him to be out there. Good call by the coaching staff.

2009 OU Football Preview/Big 12 Predictions

ccmachine — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:29:36 -0000

We’ve put out individual position-by-position breakdowns for the 2009 Oklahoma football team but in an effort to collaborate with all the SBN Big 12 blogs we’re going to run one more overview of the team, make our conference predictions and then share a few thoughts on some questions being passed around to the Big 12 sites. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts.

Offense: The Sooners are loaded at every skill position and if the offensive line is just average then they shouldn’t be too far off from last year’s 51.1 point per game average. Quarterback Sam Bradford makes his bid for a second consecutive Heisman Trophy with two 1,000 yard rushers from last season in DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown to keep opposing defenses honest.

When it comes time to go to the air there may not be a more accurate passer in America than Bradford. He’s got college football’s best tight end in Jermaine Gresham and while Manny Johnson, Juaquin Iglesias and Quentin Chaney are all gone from last year’s squad a new crop of talented receivers has emerged. We saw in `08 what Ryan Broyles is capable of and Adron Tennell has stepped up in camp along with JUCO transfer Cameron Kenny to turn the heads of coaches and players by providing some of those coveted, "Wow!!!" moments.

Obviously the glaring concern for Oklahoma’s offense is along the line. While some are suggesting that four new starters equates to gloom and doom for OU’s high octane offense and others tend to be overly optimistic I think that the answer probably is somewhere in between. Led by returning starter Trent Williams, this new unit gives up a little size to last year’s line (averaging 305lbs) but should be quicker on their feet allowing offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson more freedom to pull from both sides and also move the pocket. Oklahoma doesn’t have to have the biggest line to repeat the success from `08, they just need a solid unit that can do their job. With OU’s quick strike offense an average line can take them a long way. Should they gel quickly and prove to be above average then records will fall in `09.

Defense: The greatest improvement we may see in `09 from any one unit is along the special teams but the second should be in the performance of the defense. In 2009 OU was #1 in the country in turnover margin (+23) and with 8 returning starters the potential is there to duplicate that performance.

Led by All-American Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma’s defensive line doesn’t look to be pushed around by anyone. One time All-Conference defensive end is healthy again and is looking to return to the form we saw in 2007. Also in the rotation at end are Jeremy Beal, who led the team in sacks last year, and Frank Alexander who may be having the best camp of all the defensive ends. How do you pick just two starters from that trio?

The linebacking corps returns intact in `09 as well. The same group that helped Oklahoma’s defense rank a respectable 20^th in the nation against the run in `08 will be another year experienced going into this season. Travis Lewis led the team in tackles last year as a freshman with 144 total tackles and could actually see those numbers grow this year with the defensive line clearing the way.

Like the line for the offensive unit the secondary is where we find the question marks on the defense. Corners Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson will match up well with any receiver in the conference but the safety spots could be a bit unproven. Quinton Carter started a couple of games last season but played in a total of twelve where he gained a reputation of being a hard hitter who thrives on dislodging the ball from the person carrying it. Sam Proctor is the new strong safety and has more special teams experience than anything else and will have to quickly learn on the job.

Special Teams – The return game (both punts and kickoffs) is set with a quartet of guys (Dominique Franks, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Broyles and Cameron Kenny) who have game breaking speed the Sooners should be every bit as dangerous in the return game as they were last season if not more so.

The problems with Oklahoma’s special teams last season came in the kicking game and defending the returns. Both of those seem to have changed in `09. Jimmy Stevens appears to have found a more powerful and accurate leg while also finding himself on the Groza watch list and the personnel changes last year on kickoff coverage sent a clear message as it also sent players to the bench.

Predicted Final Big 12 Standings

*North*	*South*
Kansas	Oklahoma
Nebraska	Texas
Missouri	Oklahoma State
Colorado	Texas Tech
Kansas State	Baylor
Iowa State	Texas A&M

Roundtable Questions

Who wins the Big 12 North? See Above

Who wins the Big 12 South? See Above

How many Big 12 teams will be bowl eligable? Nine – Baylor, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech

Which conference team do you think will show the most improvement from last season (in record only)? Baylor

Who is your Non-QB conference player of the year? Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe.

Do you believe any Big 12 coaches will be gone (fired or hired elsewhere) after this season? Colorado’s Dan Hawkins is the only coach who is on the hot seat in my opinion and I don’t see any of the other coaches moving on.

What would you prefer as the Big 12's 3rd "best" bowl game? The Holiday or Alamo? Definitely the Holiday Bowl by location only.

Better D-Lineman, Suh or McCoy? McCoy plays on the better defense but Suh is the better player.

Better Wide Receiver, Bryant or Briscoe? Both are extremely talented but Briscoe seems unstoppable at times.

Predict the worst non-conference loss (an upset) that the Big 12 will suffer. September 25^th – Missouri at Nevada

Predict the MNC participants and champion. Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech – Sooners win number 8

Football Season Quickly Approaching

dishingoutdimes — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:19:36 -0000

More photos » AP

4 months ago: In this photo taken in Norman, Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables is pictured during media day. Between 2000 and 2005, the Sooners were ranked among the top 13 defenses in the country every year. That slipped to 16th in 2006 and 26th in 2007 before last year's big drop-off to 68th. Now, players are talking about coming out with a new attitude, one that's mean, nasty and stingy. (AP Photo)

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Practice continues in Norman for the fast approaching football season. There has been a fair amount of information about these practices and the team, so I'll try and condense that in a short briefing here for you.

Stoops' Surprising Players (link)

Bob Stoops had high praise for Chris Brown, Frank Alexander, Auston English, Quinton Carter and Tom Wort, saying that all of these players are unheralded but have a big impact, or the potential to make a big impact. Apparently, Quinton Carter would have started last season had he not pulled a hamstring. And of Tom Wort, Stoops said:

"Tom Wort is going to be pretty special, if not this year, then awfully soon," Stoops said.

Wide Receiver Question Mark

It's hard to say who will be starting at wide receiver for the Sooners when they open up against BYU. It's pretty safe to say that Ryan Broyles has one of the spots locked up. The Sooners employ three wide receiver sets a lot, which leaves two more spots open. Junior college transfer Cameron Kenney has started with the first unit in both of the open practices in 11-on-11 drills. Apparently he has made quite a few plays. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a shot. The other front runners appear to be Adron Tennell and Mossis Madu, the latter of whom was converted from running back this summer.

The Center of the Problem

Center is obviously a position of concern with the top two people on the depth chart suffering injuries a couple of days into practice. The Sooners have been rotating a bunch of other people into the center position at practice in the meantime, in order to have "emergency plans". The list of emergency centers include Trent Williams, Stephen Good and even Brody Eldridge who has been commonly referred to as the "team's best blocker".

The good news is that it looks like the injured centers are on their way back. From the Oklahoman:

Habern, who has participated in some contact drills, has shown gradual improvement since sustaining the injury and doesn’t appear to be too far away from being cleared all the way for practice. When that happens, Patton said Eldridge will move back to tight end, where his blocking acumen is so valuable.

And from the Monday practice report from the Tulsa World:

Ben Habern, competing to replace Jon Cooper at center while battling a strained back, took part in a one-on-one blocking drill. He drove defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger several steps backward after one snap.

Defensive Depth Chart

Here is how the defensive depth chart is shaping up, according to Jake Trotter at the Oklahoman, who watched the open practices:

At the moment, the first-team defense looks like this:
DL: Jeremy Beal, Adrian Taylor, GK McCoy, Auston English
LB: Travis Lewis, Ryan Reynolds, Keenan Clayton
DB: Brian Jackson, Dom Franks, Sam Proctor, Quinton Carter

The second-team defense look like this
DL: RJ Washington, Casey Walker, Cordero Moore, Frank Alexander
LB: Daniel Franklin, Tom Wort, Austin Box
DB: Demontre Hurst, Marcus Trice, Emmanuel Jones, Lamar Harris

No real surprises on the first team. Daniel Franklin has edged out JR Bryant at linebacker, but no significant news on the second team either. The defense is projected to be improved from last year, and they have a ton of talent two-to-three deep on their depth chart.

Bradford Still Sharp

From all accounts, it seems like Sam Bradford has benefitted from another summer of conditioning, learning the system, and practicing. I haven't heard anything negative about Bradford, and most everything has been strongly positive.

BYU Injury Problems

The Sooners' first opponent - BYU Cougars - have had their share of injury problems. Starting QB, and one of the biggest stars on their football team, Max Hall dislocated his finger in a scrimmage on Monday. Max told reporters that his finger was fine, but it is still something to take note of.

Like the Sooners, BYU also only returns one starter on the offensive line. The only returning starter (LT Matt Reynolds) had to have surgery on his left hand and his status is questionable for the OU-BYU game. To top it off, BYU also lost the odds-on-favorite at their left guard spot for the season with a shoulder injury.

This means that BYU could be short handed on Max Hall's blindside for their season opener against OU.