Stoops discusses OU's injuries, frustrations, staying motivated

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Jarvis Jones

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 11/10/2009 12:13 PM
Last Modified: 11/10/2009 5:36 PM

Related Story: OU loses two more starters

NORMAN — The injury bombshells keep rocking the Oklahoma football program.

On Tuesday, Bob Stoops announced that yet another starting offensive lineman, sophomore Jarvis Jones, is out for the season. Stoops said Jones had a fractured heel.

A day earlier, Stoops said senior Brody Eldridge, the starting left guard who had been an All-Big 12 performer at fullback and also was a key blocker at tight end, was out for the year with a shoulder injury (Stoops on Tuesday amended that to say it was Eldridge's neck).

Defensively, Stoops also said Monday that senior end Auston English was out for the year with a tendon injury in his left foot and was scheduled for Tuesday surgery.

Jones' injury is the fifth season-ending ailment to a starter — the fourth on offense — so far. Tight end Jermaine Gresham, quarterback Sam Bradford, Eldridge and Jones have all been taken out of action.

"That's hard, when you don't have those guys on the field that have been there, that have played it a bunch, who are ready for the situation," Stoops said. "Auston, I just feel horrible for those guys. And Brody Eldridge, gol-lee, he's just been an incredible guy, a leader, the toughness, sacrificing being a tight end to being on the

interior line, you just really hurt for those guys. The last thing he wants is to be sitting on the sideline. He wants to be playing. And both of 'em in their senior years, it's disappointing for them also."

Stoops said he didn't expect freshman Josh Aladenoye or junior college transfer Jeff Vinson to be used during the Sooners' last three games. Vinson is listed as the second-team left tackle on the depth chart released Tuesday. Stoops also said he expected tight end Eric Mensik to contribute at tackle.

The preseason began on a sour note when freshman linebacker Tom Wort went down with a torn knee ligament. Coaches said they expected Wort to be a regular contributor. Just days after that, senior linebacker Mike Balogun was declared ineligible. Gresham also went down with a knee injury in the preseason.

Starting wide receivers Ryan Broyles and Brandon Caleb, starting running back DeMarco Murray and starting left guard Brian Simmons also have missed a combined eight games with various injuries. Caleb is still nursing a sore ankle this week but hasn't been cleared to play, and Simmons, with a bad knee, is "still a couple weeks away," Stoops said. Freshman guard Tyler Evans has been hobbled by an ankle injury as well.

The Sooners, who host Texas A&M this week, are 5-4, unranked for the first time since 2005, then they finished 8-4. This year, Stoops said, is "obviously" more frustrating than that season.

"You're constantly moving parts," he said. "You've got more and more players that aren't able to play."

Other highlights from Stoops' press conference:

On if he ever gets so frustrated by the injuries, mental mistakes and close losses that he just wants to laugh it off and try to enjoy the team's last three games:

"In the end, no, I can't laugh it off. We've got to figure out ways to make it better, to improve it. That's what we're trying to do here this week."

On how he keeps the players motivated through such trying times:

"I think it just gets down to an individual's will and an individual's pride, how you want to play. And I think any way you look at it, motivation for other people or anything else, just your self-motivation is what matters most. In the end, how do you want to play? And represent yourself? I think our players, they won't succumb to it. They'll keep fighting hard, and hopefully we can play smarter and make some improvement."

On if the offensive coaching staff should be off limits to criticism because of their success in 2008:

"We're never off limits. Shoot, we all know that. So no, in the end, we'll all be criticized. You're only as good as your last game. that's how it goes. All of us in this profession are very aware of that. In the end, they've had a lot to juggle through the year. Defensively, we've had one injury. All the other ones have been to the offense. So they've had a lot to juggle, and certain parts of the year, they've managed it well, other times we haven't. I think as much of anything, some of the discipline issues when you look at penalties, to me, are issues with our players that need to make improvement there."

On the perception that when things go wrong, the players are blamed:

"Here's the problem with that: don't ask us questions, then. You want to ask me what went wrong, I'm supposed to say, 'Well, everything's our fault?' Then I can't answer the question if you want me to answer it truthfully. You know, if a guy can't go when (the snap count) is on 1, what am I to do? There are some things that are our fault, always. And there are some things that players gotta handle, too. Something you prepare for all week and you don't handle it, well, who's fault is that? And it's always gonna be both of us.

"So don't ask a question if you don't want the right answer. And don't go criticizing if we give you the right answer and it is on them. As you said, you're fair, criticize us. Because ultimately, we've got to get 'em to do it right. In the end, it's always the two of you. End of story, and it'll be that way — it'll be that way until they quit playing football."

Is it made more frustrating by the fact that each loss was within one score:

"Yeah, it makes it more aggravating. You see a little bit better play here or there and you have a chance to change the outcome. That's how it goes. We've got to find a way to do it."

On if he would have played for the extra point kick or gone for the 2-point conversion if the Sooners had scored a late touchdown at Nebraska:

"I was already thinking of going for 2. I just — two reasons. We hadn't kicked field goals real well and sometimes you get in those overtime games, the way (the) defenses, both of us, were playing, you would think you're gonna force a bunch of field goals, and I didn't, at that point — probably justifiably — I didn't feel great about getting in a field goal contest. I felt we've got a chance to win it on that play instead of kicking field goals back and forth."

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS

Reader comments for this page have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "OU football: Issue at depth," which was published on 11/11/2009. So far, 80 comments have been made.

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