Sooner News

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No. 4 OU Building for Stretch Run

Sooners host Baylor Saturday at Owen Field at 5:30 p.m.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- The timing of Oklahoma's bye week gave the Sooners seven extra days to hear about how badly they played in closer-than-expected win at Iowa State, and enough time to fix it too.

After their first four conference games were all decided in the fourth quarter, the No. 4 Sooners (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) returned to the form that had them blowing out opponents early in the season.

"Just everything we did, I thought was real solid," coach Bob Stoops said after Oklahoma's 42-14 rout of Texas A&M on Saturday night.

Sam Bradford was back on his game after a wind-affected performance in a 17-7 win against the last-place Cyclones, tying the school record with five touchdown passes for the second time in nine career starts. The Sooners also neutralized the Aggies' triple-option attack that helped A&M become the ninth-best rushing offense in the country.

But for a few pre-snap mistakes and some after-the-whistle confrontations, the Sooners appeared to be back on their game for a stretch drive toward the Big 12 title game.

"I don't have much to pick at," Stoops said. "I was displeased with some of the penalties. We got a few procedures, which we haven't been having lately, and a couple of the personal fouls. All of that Mickey Mouse stuff after the play I don't like. Hopefully we can grow out of that a little bit and be a little better than that."

After outscoring its nonconference opponents 246-47, Oklahoma had been tied or trailed in the fourth quarter of each of its first four conference games, earning few style points among poll voters. Victory was never in doubt against the Aggies, as Oklahoma took a 35-0 lead after three quarters and then bullied its way down the field in an 8-minute drive to milk the clock.

"Before the game, that wasn't really something that we were focused on. We just wanted to make sure that we won. Everybody talks about the big picture, the BCS picture and all that stuff, but if we don't win the rest of our games then none of that really matters," receiver Malcolm Kelly said.
"Winning pretty, it kind of helps. After the game, you can kind of talk about it helped a little bit as far as the BCS picture."

The Sooners expected to moved up to fifth place in the BCS standings released Sunday.

"It's unfortunate that we've got that one loss under our belts and we've put ourselves in a position to wait around and wait, wait, wait," defensive end Alonzo Dotson said. "It's fortunate that (the upsets) did happen, so it puts us in a position where we hopefully can still be in the hunt for the national championship."

It will help if Oklahoma plays more like the team that easily handled the Aggies instead of the one that couldn't hold onto the ball against Iowa State.

"We're the same team," said tight end Jermaine Gresham, who tied a school record with four touchdown catches Saturday. "When we get our mind together and come together and play, we can play with the best of them."

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OU lovers, just relax about poll

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
11/5/2007

Kansas leapfrogged Sooners, but it may be a good thing.

So Kansas made a jump that would make Phog Allen proud. So the Jayhawks climbed four spots to fourth in the BCS standings. So KU leapfrogged No. 5 Oklahoma.

Seething Sooner fans need to take a deep breath. If anything, the ascension of unheralded Kansas is a good thing for OU's hopes of making it to the Bowl Championship Series title game.

"Kansas is a nonentity in a sense, because if they're still ahead of you at the end, it's because they beat you or somebody else did," BCS analyst Jerry Palm told the Tulsa World Sunday. "It doesn't really matter. You've got to take care of 'em yourself, or somebody else has to."

The Sooners (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) moved up a spot in this week's BCS standings, behind Ohio State, LSU, Oregon and KU. OU's best chance at a 1 versus 2 showdown on Jan. 7 in New Orleans is to play one of those teams. Ideally, that's Kansas in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 1.

"All that really matters," Palm said, "is that they're undefeated."
And Texas' last-second win over Oklahoma State? Palm says Sooner fans -- ardent opponents of all things orange -- needn't have had any rooting interest.

"When you have a game where two of your opponents are playing each other," Palm said, "that's pretty much always a wash."

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com

BCS top five

1. Ohio St. .9949

2. LSU .9411

3. Oregon .9180

4. Kansas .8431

5. OU .8393

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OU's English likely out for Baylor game

By John HelsleyStaff Writer

Oklahoma will miss sack leader Auston English, likely out for Saturday's game against Baylor after suffering a broken bone in his ankle in the win over Texas A&M.

At least for the Sooners, there was no missing out on English out of little Canadian, Texas.

"I don't know that he was widely recruited, other than us, but we loved the way he played and the athlete that he was,"? OU coach Bob Stoops said Monday during the Big 12 coaches teleconference. “That's the biggest factor with Auston, the way he changes direction, his toughness, he can run, all of it."?
English has been a force at defensive end for the Sooners, piling up 9 1/2 sacks as part of his 34 tackles.

But Stoops said English's athleticism could have led him to play a number of positions.
"He could be a standup outside linebacker," Stoops said. "He could be an inside linebacker. He could be a tight end or fullback for us. The guy could do anything.

"When we recruited him, we saw all that. "Here's a guy who has a great motor that really is a good athlete and is going to fit in for us somewhere. And he's been that. A joy to coach every day."

After playing for the Sooners his first year on campus, English redshirted a year ago, building strength. Stoops said he never doubted English would make an impact.

"I said before the season, I told people, ?This is a guy you need to watch," Stoops said. "He played for us as a true freshman."

"He was in our rotation, our two deep. When you're playing for us as a true freshman, you're pretty good."

"He's had a year to lift, get stronger, get more physical, to add to what he already had. We anticipated him playing well."

More from Stoops and the teleconference:

On maintaining consistency as others 'like Nebraska' experience highs and lows:

"For us, we count on our structure throughout the year and how we go about our business. Structuring our staff, structuring the way you work your players. And then recruiting is always a factor in it, too. And then the type of players you bring in in your recruiting and what you look for.
“I go back to the structure and the discipline throughout the year of what we're asking of our guys. That's what we rely on a lot as well."

On responding to the loss at Colorado to now win four straight:

"We told our guys, "There's a good part of that game where we really played well. Here's the things that hurt us, primarily turnovers. What can we do different? Understanding that and keep working. We've been doing this a long time, trust what we're doing and just keep working hard."

"That wasn't a hard sell. Our players understand. It's not always perfect, we weren't far off and they understood what we could do better."

On if Mark Mangino tipped his hand on how good Kansas might be during the offseason:

"Mark and I talk all the time. We keep up, out of season, in season. He felt that he would have a good team. I don't know that nay of us in the out of season are sitting there bragging about our teams."

"You want to see how they work and how they come together. And you've got to get on the field to know that. I think everybody's that way, we kind of wait to see how they show up in August and what kind of attitude they're going to have through the year."

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Bears can be spoilers

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
11/5/2007

Don't sell Baylor short.

Yes, the Bears are struggling.

They're 0-6 in Big 12 play this season, 3-7 overall, and are once more stumbling toward the finish line of a dismal season…quot;their 12th consecutive losing record. In 12 seasons in the Big 12, the Bears are 11-83 in league play.

The 8-1 Sooners, ranked fourth by the Associated Press and fifth in the Bowl Championship Series standings, are favored.

But OU coaches have learned not to discount Baylor. They'll try this week to ensure their players don't.

"You're quick to note a variety of things that have transpired,"? Sooner defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "Playing them into overtime a couple years ago. Even the game the time before when we were at Baylor. It's a dogfight the last three times we've played them."

"So we'll be quick to point that out."?

OU won last year 36-10, but led
just 13-3 at halftime. In 2005, the Sooners needed a game-winning throw from Rhett Bomar to Juaquin Iglesias to win in double-overtime at home. OU prevailed 35-0 in 2004, but led just 14-0 at halftime.

And recall the 2003 game, won 41-3 by OU. The Sooners, coming off a 77-0 win over Texas A&M, were being called perhaps the greatest college football team ever. But the Bears sacked Jason White five times and hit him again and again. Three weeks later, with Kansas State following much the same defensive game plan, the greatest team ever was embarrassed 35-7 in the Big 12 championship game.

"The things we were trying to execute (against Baylor in '03), we didn't," said offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "It ended up being an ugly game. . . . Jason was getting hit a lot and we didn't block real good, we didn't execute, we were a little sloppy."
"The reason for playing well down the stretch is you want to keep your momentum, you want to show you don't have chinks in your armor, you're weaknesses are minimal. To me that will be the some of the direction we talk about."

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Winning out isn't enough for OU

By Jake Trotter Staff Writer

Oklahoma's quest for a BCS national championship berth comes down to the fate of four other teams: Ohio State, LSU, Oregon and West Virginia.

No other school can finish ahead of the Sooners in the BCS standings if OU wins out, especially considering for OU to run the table they would have to knock out the winner of No. 4 Kansas and No. 6 Missouri in the Big 12 championship.

But the Sooners don't control their own destiny. Instead, they'll likely need two of the teams above them ? Ohio State, LSU and Oregon ? to lose.

Here's a look at the BCS standings and OU's chances of getting to the national championship game:

1. Ohio State (10-0, .995 BCS rating)

Why ahead of OU: The Buckeyes are one of two unbeaten teams left from BCS conferences (Kansas is the other). And lately, Ohio State has been dominant, blasting No. 23 Penn State 37-17 on the road two weeks ago before hammering Wisconsin at home 38-17 last Saturday. The Buckeyes are No. 1 in all three components of the BCS ? the Harris poll, the coaches poll and the computers.

The Buckeyes also have the top scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 9.7 points per game.

Remaining schedule:
Nov. 10: Illinois
Nov. 17: at Michigan

Best chance for a loss: at Michigan. The Wolverines have rebounded from a horrible two-loss start that included losing to Division I-AA opponent Appalachian State followed by a 32-point loss to Oregon at home. Since, Michigan has rattled off eight straight wins to stay undefeated in the Big 10.

The Wolverines, however, are 1-5 against Ohio State since Jim Tressel arrived in Columbus in 2001.

If Michigan is to completely salvage its season by finally beating the Buckeyes, running back Mike Hart must find running lanes against OSU's stout defensive front.

2. LSU (8-1, .941)

Why ahead of OU: Like the Sooners, LSU has a loss. But its lone defeat came in overtime at No. 25 Kentucky, which was ranked in the top 10 when the two met. OU's loss at Colorado keeps looking worse as the Buffaloes have lost three of their last four games.

LSU also has several impressive wins, including against No. 11 Virginia Tech, No. 15 Florida, No. 18 Auburn and No. 22 Alabama, the latter three all coming in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion.
Despite the loss, the Tigers are second in all three BCS components.

Remaining schedule:
Nov. 10: Louisiana Tech
Nov. 17: at Mississippi
Nov. 23: Arkansas
Dec. 1: SEC championship, TBD

Best chance for a loss: SEC championship. The worst of LSU's schedule is over. The Tigers shouldn't be challenged until the SEC championship against an opponent that's yet to be determined. LSU should dodge having to face defending national champion Florida again, since the Gators now have three league losses.

Instead LSU most likely will face either Tennessee or Georgia, with the Volunteers holding the tiebreaker with a head-to-head victory if the two should tie.

That's bad news for the Sooners, but good news for LSU.
The Volunteers are ranked the lowest of those three SEC East schools ? Tennessee is No. 24 ? and lost at Alabama two-and-a-half weeks ago by 27 points.

Tennessee, however, can score and would have to in order to defeat LSU. The Vols have the nation's 75th-ranked scoring defense, allowing more than four touchdowns per game.

3. Oregon (8-1, .918)
Why ahead of OU: The last two weeks, Oregon has convincing victories over opponents that were ranked inside the BCS top 10 in Southern California and Arizona State.

Not only that, Oregon's blasting of Michigan earlier in the season keeps looking more impressive with the Wolverines not having lost since.

Like LSU and OU, the Ducks have a loss. But it came against California, which was ranked in the top 10 at the time, and came early enough in the season for Oregon to mount its comeback in the polls.

With their prolific wide-open offense, the Ducks have scored style points, too, in the eyes of the voters, proving to be one of the most entertaining teams in the nation to watch on TV.

Remaining schedule:
Nov. 15: at Arizona
Nov. 24: at UCLA
Dec. 1: Oregon State

Best chance for a loss: at UCLA. Unlike Ohio State or LSU, the Ducks don't have a marquee opponent left on their schedule, in part because the Pac-10 doesn't have a championship game.

But UCLA, despite its horrible losses this year, does have the same talent that warranted a top 25 preseason ranking.
The Bruins are down to their third-string quarterback and running back, but they might have enough around them to challenge the Ducks.
UCLA also will have an open week before it plays Oregon, which will give the Bruins an extra week to prepare and to heal.

7. West Virginia (7-1, .742)
Why not ahead of OU: West Virginia is below the Sooners in the BCS standings, but has an outside shot of leapfrogging OU if all goes the Mountaineers' way.

West Virginia doesn't have a win over a team ranked in the BCS standings, but that could change when the Mountaineers host No. 13 Connecticut on Thanksgiving weekend.

Remaining schedule:
Nov. 8: Louisville
Nov. 17: at Cincinnati
Nov. 24: Connecticut
Dec. 1: Pittsburgh

Best chance for a loss: Connecticut. Don't count out high-powered Louisville or surprising Cincinnati as teams that could thwart West Virginia's title aspirations. But UConn likely will be the Mountaineers' toughest test.
If not for a one-point loss at Virginia, the No. 13-ranked Huskies would be unbeaten.

Connecticut quietly has put together three consecutive quality victories with wins over Louisville, South Florida and Rutgers.

The Huskies have the nation's 30th-ranked rush defense, which could give West Virginia's triple-options problems.

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OU Notebook: English 101

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
11/6/2007

Coach Bob Stoops said Monday after practice that defensive end Auston English's leg injury is improving, although there was no prognosis yet on his return.

"He said just personally it already feels a ton better from just yesterday morning," Stoops said. "Again, the fact that he doesn't have any sprain around it is real encouraging."

Smith a Thorpe semifinalist: Junior cornerback Reggie Smith is among 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given each year to the nation's best defensive back.

Smith and Kansas corner Aqib Talib are the only Thorpe semifinalists from the Big 12 Conference.

The list will be narrowed to three finalists on Nov. 19, and the award will be presented on Dec. 6 during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN. The award will be formally presented at a banquet in Oklahoma City on Feb. 12.

Big man: Jermaine Gresham is 6-foot-6, weighs 266 pounds and runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. Fans have been pining for offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson get Gresham the football more.

Saturday's four-touchdown performance satisfied that hunger. Gresham now leads the team with 10 TD catches, taking over the team lead that Malcolm Kelly has had since Week 1.

"We get down there in that red zone and we run and pound and pound and pound so much, and he did such a great job of blocking his dude, his defender all game long." Kelly said. "So every time he got ready to come out for the play-action (pass), they just came down like he was going to block them. So he was wide open a lot of times.

"Not too many linebackers are going to cover him one-on-one anyway. Even if they know it's going to come, they can't jump with him, and half of them can't run with him."

Hair free: The other full-time tight end, Joe Jon Finley, has sported a mop-top since he arrived, with his long brown locks often flowing down into his eyes. But against A&M, he had a buzz cut. Some who have known Finley for five years didn't recognize him at first.

"Just kind of a spur of the moment deal," Finley said. "I've been thinking about it for a while. Friday I just said, 'Let's go ahead and do it.'

"I had my hair short all the way until I got here to college. It's nothing new for me. It's just new for everyone around here."

Peterson chat: Adrian Peterson's NFL record 296 rushing yards Sunday was still being celebrated Monday in Norman.

"Happy for him. Just really excited for him," coach Bob Stoops said. "It doesn't surprise me. He looked fabulous the other night. It just looks like he's just getting better and better, maturing and getting stronger. What you'd ex pect. He's still just a young guy. He's going to physically continue to get better, I would expect, too, and stronger, as he matures."

Said Kelly, "If anybody asks me who my favorite player is, I say Adrian Peterson. Best running back in the NFL, man. I don't know who can really argue with that."

Kelly has said he told Peterson he'd be rookie of the year, and said he always suspected that when Peterson got to run behind an NFL line, he'd succeed. But isn't he also going against NFL linebackers and safeties and tackles?
"Oh, he can deal with them," Kelly said.

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His focus is on OU, not gossip
??
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
11/6/2007

Morriss says it's for others to map his fate; he's just the coach.

NORMAN -- A caller greeted Baylor coach Guy Morriss on Monday morning with the prerequisite "How ya doing?"

"Oh," Morriss replied, "I'm hanging in there."

Barely, it seems.

For as much heat as Bill Callahan and Dennis Franchione are catching, the one Big 12 Conference coach asked about job security over the weekend was Morriss. It happened after the Bears fell to 0-6 in the Big 12 Saturday with a 38-7 thud at the hands of Texas Tech.

"I can't answer that," Morriss, now 18-38 in his fifth year at Baylor, told reporters. "I'm focused on trying to get these kids ready to play."

The issue came up again Monday.

"That's some stuff that I can't control and don't know anything about," Morriss said. "I'm not going to try and worry on that."

Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw has said no decision will be made until after the season. Many believe that decision will be a formality. It's why names like 49ers assistant and former Baylor All-American Mike Singletary are all over columns, talk radio and message boards.

Morriss himself dropped a hint about his fate Monday when asked if there were enough fringe factors, like facilities and administrative support, in place for a coach to succeed at Baylor.

"I'm going to duck that question," he said. "I'm sorry. I don't really want to go there right now."

On the field, the situation is even grimmer.

Baylor, assured a 12th straight losing season and 13th straight without a bowl, comes to Oklahoma Saturday night either last or next-to-last in 20 league statistical categories. You name it, from scoring points to forcing turnovers to recovering onside kicks, the Bears can't execute it.

Morriss tried five different quarterbacks over a recent two-week stretch against Kansas and Texas. He lost two different safeties to broken legs against Texas Tech, Dwain Crawford in warmups.

"Just took a bad step, I guess, would be the best way to put it," Morriss said.

The Bears have taken several this season, and it has worn on the coach and his players, who are being asked about Morriss' future as well. All any of the Bears can do, players and head coach included, is finish out with pride.
"You're representing yourself number one, and your teammates and this university," Morriss said. "Hopefully we'll have enough character to go play hard."

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Running skills

John Shinn
The Norman Transcript

Offensive lineman Duke Robinson has been catching some grief this week over his 8-yard reception against Texas A&M.

He caught a deflected pass, but seemed more interested in finding someone to run over than pick up yards.

"He could've had a first down if he'd had just run straight ahead," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "He turns around and looks for the nearest guy to run into. That's O-linemen for you."

Robinson said he might do things a little different if it ever happens again.

"First thing I looked to my right and to my left, then to my right again and saw these two guys," Robinson recalled from the first-half play. "I was like I really want to take these guys out. I mean it would have been great to get a first down or run it for 25 yards or something like that, but I wanted to run somebody over.

"My O-line guys said that they (the receivers) were running behind me telling me where to go but I was zoned out. I could have taken it to the house if I wanted to. I'm just going to stick with blocking, but if it happens again, it happens."

English improving

Defensive end Auston English missed Monday's and Tuesday's practices due to the broken bone in his right leg. But the coaches said his status continues to improve.

"Just talking to him yesterday he goes, 'Coach, you can't believe how better I feel from Sunday to Monday,'" Stoops said of his conversation with English. "I believe the biggest factor in just the bruise from being hit as that heals, and it's healed significantly in one day. So we're optimistic. I'm not going to say anything, a timetable, but we're fairly optimistic it won't be too long."

The Sooners lost defensive end John Williams for the season in the Tulsa game and English very likely won't play Saturday against Baylor.
Alan Davis will likely get his first career start alongside Alonzo Dotson. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Beal will also see significant playing time.

"It is a great opportunity," Beal said. "It's unfortunate that Auston and even John are out, but other players like me, Alan (Davis) have to step up and take advantage of the opportunity. It's good to have it and now we have to make to most of it."

A little help

OU trails Ohio State, LSU, Oregon and Kansas in the latest BCS standings. OU would have a chance to move ahead of the Jayhawks if they both win out and meet in the Big 12 championship game.
Stoops said he had talked to his brother, Arizona coach Mike Stoops, about getting some aid in moving up further.

Arizona plays Oregon Nov. 15. Stoops pointed out that the Wildcats did beat the Ducks last season and could pull off another upset despite being just 4-6.

"I'm sure they realize that," he said. "I do believe overall they're a better team this year. Though their record may not show it, I think the way they've been playing there's always that chance for sure."

Food drive sets record

This year's 14 Foundation Holiday Food Drive netted a record $25,079.11 in donations. The fund-raising portion of the drive was conducted prior to last Saturday's OU-Texas A&M.

More than 1,000 families in eight Oklahoma communities will receive meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas thanks to the donations. The first distribution will take place Monday and will reach out to families in Norman. Subsequent distributions will occur between Nov. 13-19.

The 14 Foundation was founded by former Sooner quarterback and current OU assistant coach Josh Heupel. Donations for this year's drive were collected by members of the Oklahoma baseball and softball teams.

The 2007 total exceeded the previous record donation by nearly $7,000.

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Defense going the distance

OU Football Notepad

By John Shinn
The Norman Transcript

With three games left in the regular season and Oklahoma fighting to stay in the national championship race, winning big is almost as important as winning.

The Sooners trail Ohio State, LSU, Oregon and Kansas in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings. Only three regular season games remain to make a favorable impression.

OU coach Bob Stoops said this week the conditions will not change the outlook on the remaining games.
"You just do the best you can to play as well as you can and win," Stoops said. "That's all we can do."

The Sooners are a 37-point favorite against Baylor and will be a favorite in their remaining games against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

Running up the score is tempting late in the season. But Stoops doesn't envision seeing many offensive starters playing late into the game if blowouts occur.

Defense is different, however.

"You do what you feel you need to do to be ready for the next week or to make sure you have the rhythm you want," he said. "I think we have always, defensively, kept our guys in longer because on defense you can't punt the ball. If you're not doing real well, they score."

Stoops on list

OU coach Bob Stoops is among 16 coaches to have been named to the watch list for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award. The announcement was made by the awards committee of the American Heart Association.

The fourth-ranked Sooners are currently 8-1 with a 4-1 mark in the Big 12. Stoops' teams have been ranked 127 straight weeks and have played for the national championship three times.

Stoops has been named consensus Big 12 Coach of the Year three times and has won a total of 10 national coach of the year honors, including the Bryant Award in 2000.

The Bryant Watch List will be narrowed to between five and 10 finalists Dec. 12. The finalists will attend an awards dinner on Jan. 17, 2008, where the winner will be announced.

Gresham receives Mackey honor

OU tight end Jermaine Gresham was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The sophomore recorded five receptions for 80 yards and four touchdowns in the Sooners' 42-14 victory over Texas A&M.

The four TDs matched Trent Smith's OU record, and with eight for the season the Ardmore product now has more touchdown receptions than any Sooner tight end in a single season

Tickets available

A limited number of tickets are available for this Saturday's game between Oklahoma and Baylor.

Tickets are $67 and will be on sale today beginning at 8 a.m. These tickets became available when they were not claimed by OU students.

The game begins at 5:30 p.m.
Call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 325-2424 or log on to www.soonersports.com for more information.

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Oklahoma Hosts Bears at Owen Field

Sooners kick off against Bears at 5:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Net.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma plays back-to-back home games for the first time since September when the Sooners host Baylor at Owen Field on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The visiting Bears hope to pick up their first Big 12 win of the season and end a six-game skid. FSN has the national broadcast.

The Series

Oklahoma leads it 16-0 with a 9-0 advantage in Norman. Last season, the Sooners posted a 36-10 victory at Waco, Texas. Baylor's last visit to Owen Field (2005) resulted in a 37-30 OT win for OU.

The Coaches

Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa '83) is 94-20 in his ninth season with the Sooners. He is 4-4 in bowls, 3-3 in January Bowls, 2-3 in BCS games, 60-12 vs. the Big 12, 33-8 vs. the Big 12 South, 27-4 vs. the Big 12 North, 4-1 in the Big 12 title game, 33-8 vs. non-conference opponents, 52-2 at home, 27-10 on the road, 14-8 on neutral fields and 27-10 vs. ranked foes. He is 8-0 vs. Baylor.

Baylor: Guy Morriss (TCU '73) is 18-38 in his fifth year at Baylor, 27-52 in his seventh season overall. He is 0-4 vs. Oklahoma.

The Program

? Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 776-293-53.
? The Sooners own seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).
? OU has 40 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 24 victories (No. 3 nationally).
? Oklahoma has won 40 conference titles.
? Since WWII, Oklahoma is the most success college football program with 532 victories.
? Some 142 All-Americans and four Heisman Trophy winners have come from the Oklahoma program.
? Oklahoma Football History & Tradition

Last Year's Game

Oklahoma committed a season-high five turnovers, yet still pulled out a 36-10 win at Baylor ...

The Sooner defense stymied the Bears, holding them to -48 yards on the ground, mostly due to five sacks that forced 61 yards in losses.

Chris Brown, making his first career start, logged the first 100-yard game of his career with 24 attempts for 169 yards. OU was playing without running backs Adrian Peterson and Allen Patrick, both of whom were out with injuries. Despite that, the Sooners rushed 41 times for 236 yards.

The defense and special teams got into the scoring act. DB Reggie Smith had a 42-yard interception return for a TD, DE Alonzo Dotson got a sack for a safety and Juaquin Iglesias added an 88-yard kickoff return for six.

BU's lone touchdown came on a 56-yard fumble return by Braelon Davis.

Oklahoma's Most Recent Game

Oklahoma dispatched Texas A&M, 42-14, last Saturday at Norman ...

QB Sam Bradford tied a school record with five touchdown passes, four of which went to TE Jermaine Gresham, who tied Trent Smith's OU mark for TD receptions in a game.

Bradford had five touchdown passes and no interceptions for the second time this season. He also accomplished the feat against Miami.

Allen Patrick and DeMarco Murray both had 15 rushes for 70 yards. For the first time this season, a back, Murray, took direct snaps. Murray scored on a two-yard hand-off while a third running back, Chris Brown, got a touchdown on a 14-yard reception.

The Sooners won comfortably. For the second straight home game, a visiting team punched in a meaningless touchdown with less than one minute remaining.

SS D.J. Wolfe equaled his career high with 12 tackles and also had one fumble recovery.

Texas A&M's offense went three and out four times and had two other five-play, non-scoring drives. Three Aggie possessions netted negative yardage.

A crowd of 85,044, the third-largest in school history, witnessed the game.

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Game Notes: Oklahoma 52, Baylor 21

The Sooners and Bears combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense Saturday.

??OKLAHOMA GAME NOTES
?
? Oklahoma and Baylor combined for 983 total offensive yards, the eighth-highest combined total in OU history. The school record was set in 1971 when OU put up 785 yards and Kansas State gained 562.
?
? Freshman DL Adrian Taylor picked off Baylor Blake Szymanski in the third quarter to record his first career interception. Taylor's INT was the first for an OU interior lineman since Dusty Dvoracek picked off a Nebraska pass in 2005.
?
? With 46 yards against Baylor, senior RB Allen Patrick surpassed the 1,500 yard mark for his career (1,525). He becomes the fifth Sooner to hit the 1,500 yard threshold under Bob Stoops. The others are Adrian Peterson (4,045), Quentin Griffin (3,938), Kejuan Jones (2,331) and Renaldo Works (1,558).
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? Junior DB Reggie Smith's first quarter interception in the end zone was his third pick this season and the eighth of his career.
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? With 11 tackles against the Baylor, junior LB Curtis Lofton tied the OU single season record for games with double-digit tackles (7). Lofton shares the mark with Jackie Shipp (1981) and Daryl Hunt (1977).
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??INDIVIDUAL NOTES
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DEMARCO MURRAY

? Freshman RB DeMarco Murray's four touchdowns give him 15 on the season. That total ties the OU freshman record set by Adrian Peterson, who scored 15 in 2004.

? Murray's second quarter kickoff return touchdown was his second of this season. Only one other OU player has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in a season -- Jerome Ledbetter in 1980.

? Murray is the first player in OU history to record three plays of 80 or more yards in a season. Including Murray, only four Sooners have three 80-plus yard plays in their careers.

? Murray's 91-yard kickoff return was the eighth-longest in OU history. It was also his third play of 80 or more yards this season. In addition to the kickoff return against the Bears, Murray has a 92-yard rush against Utah State and an 81-yard kickoff return against Tulsa.

? Murray is the first freshman in Sooner history to score three touchdowns in a game on three separate occasions.

? With 243 all-purpose yards against Baylor, Murray finished with the fourth-best total for an OU freshman. De'Mond Parker owns the record with 272 yards against San Diego State in 1996.

MALCOLM KELLY

? Junior WR Malcolm Kelly's 51-yard first quarter TD grab was the third-longest scoring play of his career. He had a 66-yard reception against Nebraska in the 2006 and a 65-yard grab versus North Texas earlier this season.

? Kelly's 51-yard reception was the 12th play of his career to cover 40 or more yards.

MANUEL JOHNSON

? Junior WR Manuel Johnson's 60-yard third quarter TD reception was the longest scoring play of his career. His previous best was a 55-yard catch against Oklahoma State in 2005.

? Johnson added a 13-yard TD grab in the third quarter to record his first career multi-touchdown game.

? Johnson finished with a career-high 126 yards and two TDs on only four catches. His previous career best was 87 yards on six grabs against Texas Tech last season.

? In his last three games, Johnson has caught 12 passes for 228 yards. In the first seven games of the season, Johnson had just 10 grabs for 84 yards.
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??BY THE NUMBERS

84,450 - Saturday night's attendance at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It marked the 55th consecutive home sellout under Bob Stoops.

353 - Passing yards for QB Sam Bradford, just 11 yards shy of his career best set against North Texas in the season opener. Bradford's 353 yards against the Bears is tied for the 11th highest total in OU history.

53 - Bob Stoops recorded his 53rd home win as the Sooners' head coach. Stoops owns a career record of 53-2 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, a winning percentage of .964.

28:5 - Sam Bradford's touchdown to interception ratio through 10 games.

17 - With Saturday's win, OU extended its home winning streak to 17 straight, the eighth-longest in school history. The Sooners have won 55 of their last 57 contests at Owen Field.

8 - With 353 yards against the Bears, QB Sam Bradford notched his eighth game this season with more than 200 passing yards. That total places Bradford fifth in the OU record books.

6 - Oklahoma has scored at least 41 points in each of its six home games this season. The Sooners have outscored their opponents 319-92 in those games.
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??BAYLOR GAME NOTES
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? Baylor has lost seven consecutive road games in Big 12 play.

? Baylor snapped a streak of seven consecutive games without a first-quarter touchdown.

? Baylor has been out-scored 67-10 in the first quarter in seven Big 12 games.

? Baylor has lost 12 consecutive games when trailing at halftime.

? Baylor scored first in a Big 12 game for the first time since last season's game against Kansas, snapping a 10-game streak.

? Most total yards Baylor has ever produced against Oklahoma.

? Most points Oklahoma has scored against Baylor since the Sooners' 56-7 victory in 2000.

? Most total points scored (73) in a Baylor-Oklahoma game.

? Baylor has forced at least one turnover in 30 of the last 34 games, including 10 of 11 games this season.

[10killer]

Four questions: English should be back against Texas TechBy Jake Trotter
Staff Writer
Does Sam Bradford deserve to be first-team All-Big 12?
Why not?

Bradford leads the nation again in passing efficiency and likely next week will break the national freshman record for touchdown passes in a season.





Bradford doesn't have as many yards as Kansas' Todd Reesing or Missouri's Chase Daniel. But he has more touchdowns (28) and a better completion percentage (70.1 percent) than both.

But Bradford has two strikes against him with the media. He's just a freshman. And Reesing and Daniel probably have been more integral to the success of their teams, making both of them the favorites to earn All-Big 12 honors.

Don't worry, though. If Bradford continues to play this well, he'll earn many postseason honors in his career, including perhaps a shot at the Heisman Trophy.

How does the Big 12 South race look after Saturday?

Much needs to happen for the Sooners not to win the South.

More than likely, if OU at least splits the next two games with Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, the Sooners should win the division and advance to the Big 12 championship.

The Sooners hold a tiebreaker over two-loss Texas, meaning one-loss OU would have to lose out and the Longhorns would have to win their last remaining game in two weeks against Texas A&M for Texas to win the South.

What's the status of injured defensive end Auston English?

English missed Saturday's game against Baylor with a hairline fracture on his right ankle. English probably could've played if OU needed him, but because the Sooners were playing the last-place Bears, the coaches held him out.

OU sorely missed English's relentless pass rush and nearly failed to register a sack for the first time this year, until Cory Bennett came up with one in the fourth quarter.

English should be back this weekend at Texas Tech.

Will Texas Tech coach Mike Leach be reprimanded following his postgame rant about the officiating in Saturday's 59-43 loss at Texas?

The question isn't if, but how Leach will be punished.

In case you missed it, Leach ripped the officials, suggesting the crew favored Texas. Leach was upset officials negated two Tech touchdowns in the third quarter. The first was overturned when replay showed the receiver let the ball hit the ground. On the next play, a touchdown pass was called back because of a holding penalty.

At best, Leach will pay a fine. At worst, the Big 12 will suspend him for Saturday's game against the Sooners.

[10killer]

OU Notebook: DeMarco deluxe

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
11/14/2007

Freshman DeMarco Murray has served as an I-formation tailback, a shotgun setback, a slot receiver, a kickoff return man and, in five snaps against Texas A&M Nov. 3, a quarterback.

That may not be enough for a player whose 1,096 all-purpose yards is second on the Sooners only to Juaquin Iglesias' 1,228.

"Shoot, I'd love to see him return punts," OU coach Bob Stoops said on Tuesday.

Why not? Murray has shown gamebreaking ability from every position but quarterback. The Sooners, meanwhile, average just 7.5 yards per punt return, eighth in the Big 12 Conference.

There is a catch, however. It's something that made Stoops hesitate before giving the job to Reggie Smith last year.

"He needs to catch it," Stoops said of Murray, "and we see in practice there's a time or two where he's still not totally comfortable doing that. I feel through another year of doing it, through the spring, getting more sure of himself and more confidence in it, I hope that'll be the case."

English will play: Stoops confirmed Tuesday that starting defensive end Auston English will return from a one-game absence Saturday night at Tex as Tech.

"He practiced (Monday) and took 50 percent of the snaps," Stoops said. "He looked good and felt good."

English was having a monstrous sophomore season -- his 1.06 per-game sack average is sixth in the nation -- when he suffered a hairline fracture of his foot against Texas A&M. Without him the following week against Baylor, the Sooners failed to record a sack for the first time this year.

"It's important this week that we, whether it's four-man pressure or we blitz, get pressure," Stoops said. "I do believe having Auston back will help that. He's a key part."

Tortilla soup: It may not be the same as playing Texas or Oklahoma State, but OU's visit to Texas Tech includes its own unique danger. Red Raider students have in the past hurled tortillas onto the field, or into the opposing team's bench.

"I've never been hit with a tortilla," Stoops laughed Tuesday. "I'm not asking for one, either.

"I know they have a great heckler there when you first walk in. He was a professor there. I don't know that he's there anymore.

"I used to get the biggest kick out of him. It was before the game, and we're still in our suits just coming in and he always had a lot of good choice things to say, and we'd all chuckled about him."

[10killer]

Run-down Tech is in danger
By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

While most teams in the Big 12 Conference fill the airways with footballs, Texas Tech opponents have discovered the best way to beat the Red Raiders is by running the ball.

In each of Tech's four losses this season, opponents have rushed for at least 212 yards. That includes 366 yards rushing by Oklahoma State, 212 by Missouri, 217 by Colorado and 283 yards by Texas during Saturday's 59-43 loss to the Longhorns.

Against the Longhorns, Tech's defense suffered a complete collapse. In addition to allowing a season-high in points, the Red Raiders allowed UT to put together four drives of 10 or more plays that covered at least 69 yards, including a 17-play, 86-yard drive.

The Longhorns also were 12-of-18 on third-down plays and converted all four attempts on fourth down.

Most of UT's destruction of the Red Raiders came on the ground. It also kept Tech's defense on the field for an enormous amount of time as Texas enjoyed a 40:12 to 19:48 time of possession advantage.

"Time like that takes its toll on the defense -- on any defense," Tech linebacker Brian Duncan said. "I can say we were just a tad bit tired.

"The time we were on the field you tend to get tired. If we're going to be on the field for a long time, it's going to hurt our offense."

If the Red Raiders allowed 551 yards and 59 points to Texas, what's going to happen when they face the more potent half of the Big 12 South's two-headed monster? They'll find out Saturday at 7 p.m. when Tech ends the regular season at home against the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

"I think that is one of the strengths of Oklahoma is they are not one of those teams that tries to be everything to everybody," Tech coach Mike Leach said. "Oklahoma's identity is their run game.

"They're committed to it, they stay with it and do it over and over. It's going to be run, run play-action, and they do it very effectively."

Last week, Texas' Jamaal Charles rushed for 174 yards against Tech. This week, OU's Allen Patrick and DeMarco Murray and a Sooners offense that averages 191.4 yards rushing will get their turn to test the Red Raiders defense.

Is Leach overly concerned?

"Anytime a team has a clear sense, clear vision and clear focus on what they're going to do and what they want to accomplish on any side of the ball, you have some concerns," he said. "You know they're focused, you know they've made decisions, you know they've prioritized things and you know you're going to go against a unit that is well-coached."

Leach said whatever ails Tech's run defense needs to get fixed before they run into the Sooners.

"There's not some veil that comes down, and stuff happens," Leach said. "There are ups and downs, there are improvements and there are shortfalls. You just keep plugging away.

"[The Sooners] are good with the run, and we're going to have to be good at stopping it."