Practice Report: OSU
BY JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
8/07/12 at 8:20 AM
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Related Story: Gundy, Reid make peace over 'man' rant
Position update: Defensive end
OSU lost defensive ends Richetti Jones and Jamie Blatnick, who started every game during a Big 12 championship season.
Bill Young described the task of replacing the ends as "very difficult." Said the defensive coordinator, "What you've got to do is replace them by committee. We have a great leader in Cooper Bassett. Nigel Nicholas is playing well, and Ryan Robinson is so improved that it's hard to describe. Tyler Johnson is coming. He's got to pick his assignments up a little bit better, but he's doing a good job. Victor Irokansi is really, really showing up."
Last season, Johnson was a backup linebacker and Nicholas was a starter at defensive tackle.
Irokansi is a freshman. Asked what has made Irokansi stand out, Young said, "He's just so quick off the football. The strength coaches say nobody outworked him during the summer program, and that's carried right over to the field."
News and notes
Reason to be distracted: Ask OSU sports information director Kevin Klintworth how he kept his mind on the business of conducting a media day and he'll say this: "It was hard."
Klintworth is from Mannford. While he and his staff were juggling myriad media day responsibilities Saturday, wildfires had caused evacuations to take place in his hometown. Klintworth - could you blame him if he had been tempted to leave media day and drive to Mannford? - had no way of knowing whether family members were OK or if his parents' home (his childhood home) had burned to the ground.
The weekend was devastating for residents of Mannford and other Oklahoma towns whose homes were engulfed by flames. Klintworth said Monday his parents' home survived, but he knows many from the area who weren't as fortunate.
Paying tribute: When OSU coach Mike Gundy found out his former coach, Pat Jones, was being inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, he of course made plans to attend.
Jones, who was inducted Monday night in Oklahoma City, said he wouldn't have expected Gundy to attend because of the timing of the ceremony (during preseason camp, when coaches are busy), but Gundy wanted to be present.
Gundy quarterbacked Jones-led teams from 1986-89 and, as soon as the Big Eight's all-time leading passer had heaved his last pass, he was asked by Jones to be an OSU assistant. Gundy replaced Houston Nutt on the Cowboy staff and a coaching career was launched. Gundy is expected to supplant Jones as OSU's all-time winningest coach during the 2012 season.
In the middle: Young was asked about the interior of his defensive line and said, "We're getting much better. (Junior college transfer) Calvin Barnett is so much improved from (the spring) and so much more confident in knowing his defenses and those kinds of things. We've got to pick up the tempo at the nose guard position and work a little harder."
Opponent watch: TCU
Coach Gary Patterson announced that starting quarterback Casey Pachall will not face discipline after admitting to police in February that he used marijuana and failed a drug test. According to an Associated Press story, the coach said Pachall completed drug and alcohol counseling mandated by the university and will not be suspended.
Key dates
Saturday: Scrimmage
Aug. 18: Scrimmage
Aug. 20: First day of class
Sept. 1: Season opener, Savannah State at OSU, 6 p.m.
Note: All practices and scrimmages are closed to the public.
2012 schedule
Sept. 1: vs. Savannah State 6 p.m.
Sept. 8: at Arizona 9:30 p.m.
Sept. 15: vs. La.-Lafayette 11 a.m.
Sept. 29: vs. Texas TBD
Oct. 13: at Kansas TBD
Oct. 20: vs. Iowa State TBD
Oct. 27: vs. TCU TBD
Nov. 3: at Kansas State TBD
Nov. 10: vs. West Virginia TBD
Nov. 17: vs. Texas Tech TBD
Nov. 24: at Oklahoma TBD
Dec. 1: at Baylor TBD
