Sooners hope Alabama can teach them a lesson
Published: 8/30/2010 9:31 AM
Last Modified: 8/30/2010 9:31 AM
Let's rewind to last year's Oklahoma season opener. It sounded something like this:
"Holding, offense! Number (take your pick)! Ten-yard penalty! Repeat (fill in the blank) down!"
The Sooners' offensive line set a dirty tone for 2009 against BYU. Cory Brandon, Brian Simmons and Jarvis Jones were all flagged in the first quarter. By game's end, the O-line had been hit for seven of OU's 13 penalties.
The Sooners must be cleaner Saturday night. There's no excuse for them not to be, really. They're playing Utah State. If you can't block Utah State without holding, you have issues beyond yellow flags.
Just in case, though, OU coaches spent preseason camp driving home a teaching point.
"We've been talking to our team that Alabama last got called for a holding penalty Oct. 3. On their offensive line, that's their last holding penalty," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "That was the week we played at Miami. Think of all the games we've played since then. That's just a commitment to keeping your hands inside and moving your feet.
"Our linemen have great feet, they can run. We're trying to get them to quit being lazy and grab guys when they come off and block."
Alabama's O-line comes into the season having gone over 560 minutes of football without a holding call.
OU's has gone just over 60. Tackle Eric Mensik got the last one late in the Sooners' shutout of Oklahoma State last Nov. 28.
Now, Mensik rattles off the Crimson Tide's amazing run and says: "That's what we're really focusing on, coming off hard, shooting hands inside and working on technique, the basics, and coming out better."
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
