Tulsa World: QBs in spotlight

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QBs in spotlight

OSU quarterback Brandon Weeden scores a touchdown as teammate Kenny Alexander loses his helmet during Saturday's scrimmage. Co-offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer said Weeden and Alex Cate are neck and neck for the backup QB position. STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World

By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 8/10/2008 2:08 AM
Last Modified: 8/10/2008 2:55 AM

Backups, defense sharp in Cowboys' scrimmage

STILLWATER Three storylines were prominent during Oklahoma State's Saturday scrimmage at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Defensively, OSU seems to have more speed and punch than in recent seasons. Senior cornerback Jacob Lacey scored on a 39-yard interception return. Tackle Jeray Chatham smothered freshman running back Travis Miller for a safety. Linebacker Donald Booker and safety Lucien Antoine blistered offensive teammates with big hits.

Starter Zac Robinson did not play at all, so the backup quarterbacks redshirt freshman Brandon Weeden and sophomore Alex Cate were given ample opportunities to make a positive impression on their coaches and the 2,000 fans who attended.

Rain and lightning resulted in a 53-minute interruption.

"I felt bad for the fans," Cowboy coach Mike Gundy said. "We had a nice crowd, and they had to make the decision whether to leave or not. The players actually performed better after the rain delay than I thought they would. Traditionally, it's not been very good after you've been inside for 45 minutes, and then you go back out."

With OSU striving to improve on last year's national standing of No. 101 in total defense, Gundy said he liked the physical nature with which his defense performed on Saturday.

"I'm certainly rooting for the defense. I can promise you that," he said. "I thought there were more collisions in the first 20 plays than we've had out here in a long time."

Robinson

is a proven commodity, Gundy explained, so he was held out of the scrimmage. All-Big 12 tight end Brandon Pettigrew also did not play.

"There's just really no reason to put them out there," Gundy explained. "I just wanted to see the other two (quarterbacks) play more."

After an off day on Sunday, the Cowboys resume practice on Monday. OSU opens the 2008 season on Aug. 30 against Washington State in Seattle.

In their competition for the No. 2 job, both Weeden and Cate had highlights on Saturday.

Preceding freshman running back Kye Staley's 3-yard touchdown run was Weeden's 58-yard throw to Hubert Anyiam. Weeden also connected with Dez Bryant for a 20-yard TD.

Cate's best pass resulted in a 25-yard touchdown by slot receiver Bo Bowling, who was well-covered by cornerback Perrish Cox.

Weeden was sharp on short and mid-range passes. His deep pass to Anyiam was underthrown, but the redshirt freshman wide receiver adjusted, collected the ball and rambled downfield for the 58-yard gain.

"Once the ball left my hand, it looked like I punted it out there," Weeden said of the pass to Anyiam. "But overall, I felt pretty good. I thought we had a good day."

During one series with the first-team offense, Weeden ran for 11 yards on a bootleg play, passed to Bryant for 13 yards and passed to running back Kendall Hunter for 8. On a fourth-down play, Weeden scored from 3 yards.

Early in the scrimmage, Weeden launched a pass in the direction of sophomore wide receiver William Cole. The throw was mishandled by Cole, who a split-second later was crushed by Booker. It was the biggest hit of the afternoon.

Referring to Booker and Antoine, Cowboy junior safety-linebacker Andre Sexton said, "They bring that intimidation factor where they say, 'I'm going to hit you in the mouth right now. You better watch out.' Lucien is willing to hit anyone anywhere on the field. Booker is the same way. You can see that Booker is going to be good."

Antoine was one of five junior-college defensive transfers who were involved in spring drills. The 232-pound Booker did not arrive in Stillwater until this summer. He transferred from Navarro (Texas) Junior College, and played in high school at Klein Forest in the Houston area.

"He's a young man that can run and hit," Cowboy defensive coordinator Tim Beckman said. "He was an All-American in junior college. The question is how fast he can (learn the Cowboy defense)."

Bill Haisten 581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

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