OU football notebook: Final farewell
BY ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
Friday, January 04, 2013
1/04/13 at 5:35 AM
Kenny Stills has caught 197 passes during his Oklahoma career with the majority coming from quarterback Landry Jones.
Oklahoma's offensive 1-2 punch will play its final game in Friday night's Cotton Bowl matchup against Texas A&M.
"It was obviously a big part of me coming here, knowing that Landry was going to be here at least two years," Stills said. "I was thankful that Landry came back and played with us this year."
Shifting jobs: OU defensive tackle Stacy McGee did not make the trip following a Christmas Eve DUI arrest.
How does that change the defense against the Aggies?
"We moved David (King, from defensive end to defensive tackle)," OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. "We had planned to move him inside for this game anyhow because we need to put as much speed on the field as we can. That will offset that."
Slowing down Johnny Football: Mike Stoops was asked if Johnny Manziel was a better runner or passer.
The Heisman Trophy winner finished the regular season with 3,419 yards passing and 1,181 yards rushing.
"He's a better runner, but he's a better passer on the run than anybody we've seen," Mike Stoops said. "The dropback game will come as he finds space to throw, as he gets older and matures. They throw the ball to the perimeter, probably more than anyone else, because those are throws that he likes to throw and he can throw to spaces on the field.
"They do a nice job of setting their offense up. Any good offense is going to do what your quarterback does well, and that's how they scheme their offense to what he does well."
Big 12 vs. SEC: The OU-Texas A&M matchup is the only one pitting a Big 12 school against an SEC school.
"I think it's a big statement game, especially for our defense," OU defensive back Tony Jefferson said. "It's the number one offense in the SEC, and it's a huge opportunity for us to showcase our ability."
This is the 98th bowl game between the conferences. Current Big 12 schools hold a 48-46-3 advantage.
COTTON BOWL: OU VS. TEXAS A&M
7 p.m. Friday
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington,
Texas
TV crew: Gus Johnson,
Charles Davis and Julie Alexandria
(sidelines) on Fox
OU jersey color: The Sooners
are the designated home
team, so they’ll be in crimson
Access to Cowboys Stadium:
Outside open at 3 p.m., with
access to seats available at
5. OU sections of stadium
accessible through Gates E,
F and G
Parking: $35 around the
stadium
Tailgating: First-come, firstserved
basis in lots 4 and
10-15
