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OU's kicking quandary
Sooners uncertain who will kick Saturday.

IN OR OUT?
Tress Way: After missing three field goals last week, Way may get replaced this week.
 
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 11/13/2009  2:21 AM
Last Modified: 11/13/2009  5:55 AM

 NORMAN — Since the start of the 2008 season, a span of 23 games, three Oklahoma kickers have attempted a total of 10 field goals of 40 yards or longer. They have made one, Jimmy Stevens' 42-yarder at Texas A&M. That was one year and five days ago. That's a sign of crisis.

So is this: Last Saturday night at Nebraska, after Tress Way had missed three of his four field goal tries, coach Bob Stoops would have gone for two had his team scored a late touchdown to pull within 10-9.

"Sometimes you get in those overtime games, the way defenses, both of us, were playing, you would think you're going to force a bunch of field goals," he explained, "and I didn't, at that point, probably justifiably, feel great about getting in a field goal contest."

So is this: Despite the fact he already has four kickers (Stevens, Way and walk-ons Matt Moreland and Bryce Easley) in his program, Stoops is open to recruiting a fifth.

And finally: Stoops, who went from Stevens to Moreland back to Stevens while Way redshirted last year, and has switched from Stevens to Way this season, has no idea who he'll use Saturday night against Texas A&M.

"We'll just see how I feel through the week and who I think deserves it," Stoops said after practice Wednesday night.

It is a problem the Sooners just about overcame last year thanks to a record-setting offense that settled for touchdowns, not field goals. It finally bit them in the national championship, when Stevens' 49-yarder was blocked with OU trailing Florida, 14-7, in the third quarter.

The Sooners haven't been as lucky this season. Way missed a 54-yarder that could have won the opener against BYU. Stevens, who made two shorter field goals earlier that night, then settled into a monthlong groove and went into the Texas game 9-for-10 on the year.

But he pushed a 45-yarder wide right in the first quarter against the Longhorns, and OU went on to lose, 16-13. The following week at Kansas, Way was kicking. He didn't try a field goal in Lawrence or the next week against Kansas State, before missing from 46, 45 and 42 yards out at Nebraska.

Now everyone's back to the drawing board. And the film room.

"We have close-up cameras on them every day," Stoops said. "And they study them."

The head coach sits in, occasionally. Though it is ultimately the kickers' responsibility to make corrections.

"I don't have a swing coach, you know what I mean?" Stoops said. "They understand, I believe, more than anybody does when they turn one over and it hooks too much, or when they leave one out there and they push it, or if their plant foot's too far ahead."

There was no progress report from the kickers themselves this week, as Way and Stevens did not appear for interviews the two days they were requested. Questions will remain unanswered until OU's first field goal opportunity Saturday night.

Assuming, that is, Stoops elects to try one.

Special player: Another special teams factor in Saturday night's game will be OU's coverage of Cyrus Gray. The A&M kickoff returner ran one back 98 yards for a score against the Sooners last year and went 99 for a touchdown at Colorado last week. Gray averages 28 yards this season, fourth in the Big 12 Conference.

"He's got great speed and explosiveness," Stoops said. "We've got to do a great job of being in the spaces you're supposed to and tackle well when you have the opportunity."

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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8 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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5055567475852000, Euless (11/13/2009 5:57:37 AM)
Punting is fine, kickoffs decent, but neither FG guy is worth anything...kicking quandry should have had a different title for this fine piece of work.
Report Comment
Sooner270, Moore (11/13/2009 6:33:33 AM)
They need to try Bryce Easley. In high school he was making FG's from 50 yards out. But the decision is up to stoops and not the fans unfortunately.
Report Comment
The Masked Assassin, Parts Unknown (11/13/2009 7:06:37 AM)
If the offense was better there wouldn't be so much pressure on the kickers. Ten turnovers in the Tex. and Neb. games were not the kickers fault. Tress should have probably made the 2 he got off, but even if he did we still lose. Unless you think he was responsible for the line not blocking better on the one that was blocked.
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Sooner transplant, Marion (11/13/2009 8:41:03 AM)
I thought Cameron Kenney or Jaz Reynolds also kicked in high school? Perhaps that was punting.
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PhoenixIX, Jenks (11/13/2009 10:06:47 AM)
What a Coach ! One year and 5 days this problem has been evident.

I'm glad Stoops sits in "occasionally".
Report Comment
cowboyneok, Tulsa (11/13/2009 5:36:58 PM)
You can have the greatest leg and mechanics in the world but all great field goal kickers have one thing you can't teach..... A set of BALLS under pressure.
Report Comment
The Masked Assassin, Parts Unknown (11/14/2009 9:29:41 AM)
I'm sure yours are big and brass, cowboy.
Report Comment
Bunchofnumbers , Jenks (11/14/2009 9:14:19 PM)
Jimmy Steven is 11 for 13 in 2009 why the he'll Is he not kicking
 

 
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