OSU practice report
BY JIMMIE TRAMEL & BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writers
Thursday, August 26, 2010
8/26/10 at 6:00 AM
Position update: Backup quarterbacks
Former minor league baseball player Brandon Weeden will make his first collegiate start in the season opener against Washington State. How are the quarterbacks behind Weeden doing?
"It's too early to tell based on them being real young," offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said. "Johnny (Deaton) gets a lot of reps, but he's never had a rep in a game yet. The same thing with (Clint) Chelf. When Johnny is struggling out there to maneuver and have his eyes in the right place and make the right decisions, I put Chelf in there because he typically has his eyes in the right position. He can't always make the play, but he typically has his eyes in the right spot."
Deaton is a first-year freshman from Sand Springs who enrolled at OSU prior to spring drills. Chelf is a redshirt freshman from Enid.
"They just need a whole bunch of reps," Holgorsen said. "They will be around here the next four years. They will be a lot better in four years than they are now."
News and notes
Hunter on list: Senior Kendall Hunter is one of 49 candidates for the 2010 Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top college football running back. As a sophomore in 2008, Hunter was an All-American and All-Big 12 first-team selection. He led the conference in rushing with 1,555 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. During most of the 2009 season, Hunter was affected by a foot injury. The Doak Walker Award recipient will be announced on Dec. 9.
Paving the way: OSU led the Big 12 in rushing each of the last four seasons. Unsung heroes were receivers who took pride in downfield blocking.
The Cowboys have changed offensive systems, but assistant coach Gunter Brewer indicated during an interview for okstate.com (OSU's athletics website) that receivers will continue to do more than catch balls.
Said Brewer, "As coach Holgorsen will tell you, in the screen game, the perimeter is so big, and in this offense with guys getting the ball in space, guys have to match and block downfield also. So there's no difference between the two offenses as far as blocking. How we block won't be any different. Hopefully, between the inside and outside receivers, we'll be able to maintain that tradition that has been started here for the last four or five years and be a dominant blocking receiving corps."
Lost and found: Tight end Jamal Mosley, who left OSU for personal reasons following off-the-field problems last season, intends to continue his career at Mississippi. He recently committed to the school, according to recruiting services.
"I loved my time at Oklahoma State and don't regret going there at all," Mosley told Scout.com. "I just had a lot of growing up to do, and it was all on me."
Opponent watch: Troy
Quarterback Levi Brown was so good for Troy last year that it may take two players to replace him.
In Brown's farewell season with the Trojans, he threw for more yards than any player in Sun Belt Conference history. Troy coach Larry Blakeney hasn't settled on a successor and indicated he may use two quarterbacks.
"We have to figure out what is best for the team - which guy, and what role each guy will play," Blakeney said. "I am not afraid to play two; I have done it before. I would prefer to have one guy lead the way. They are a little different, with different situational skills, which will sometime dictate that we play different guys."
Redshirt freshman Corey Robinson had better passing numbers in a Saturday scrimmage. Junior Jamie Hampton is considered to be a better runner. He was a starter in 2008 before suffering a knee injury. The quarterbacks will work behind a line that has taken some lumps on the right side. The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser reported that projected right tackle Kyle Wilborn underwent knee surgery and projected right guard Jacob Creech sustained a shoulder injury.
Original Print Headline: Practice Report: Oklahoma State
