Tulsa World: OU's Stoops kicks up the confidence

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OU's Stoops kicks up the confidence

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 10/7/2008 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 10/7/2008 3:13 AM

Listen to Bob Stoops’ seven minute Q&A session Monday about the OU-Texas game and other subjects, including recruiting.
tulsaworld.com/ sportsextra

NORMAN — Say No. 1 Oklahoma needs a 47-yard field goal to beat Texas on Saturday afternoon in the Cotton Bowl. Coach Bob Stoops will have to summon freshman kicker Jimmy Stevens, with one field goal attempt over his five-game college career, to win it.

How confident can Stoops be that his rookie will deliver?

"Well, I've seen him do it all the time in practices and all, so I'd feel good about it," Stoops said. "I'd rather score a touchdown and win it and not have to . . . You're asking me about something I haven't experienced.

"But hey, he's a good kicker. Again, I've seen consistency with him in practice. We do it every single day, multiple times, and he's been very good."

If that addresses the issue regarding Stevens, there remain several others surrounding OU special teams heading into Saturday.

Matt Moreland, the Sooners' kickoff specialist, has earned but six touchbacks in 42 tries. Stoops insists there is strength in the freshman's right leg, says he has seen it plenty in practice. But he also recognizes it has not necessarily translated to games and continues to tinker with Moreland's technique.

The Sooners' kickoff coverage ranks 104th out of 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision teams. OU has made personnel changes since Cincinnati

piled up 265 returns yards Sept. 6 — Lendy Holmes, Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks, three-quarters of the Sooners' starting secondary, chased down kickoffs at Baylor last weekend — but it remains a concern.

OU's punt coverage is decent, ranking 53rd nationally. As for punt and kickoff returns?

"We can be better," Stoops said. "Our (kickoff return) average is probably up there with most people, but it's not where we were a year ago. We led the country a year ago and overall were more consistent with it. And then punt returns (where OU ranks 98th), same thing.

"Some of that, too, is what are your opportunities?"

The Sooners have brought back just 13 kickoffs. Prime return man DeMarco Murray has run back just five.

And while the Sooners have been punted to a lot more, they have played it cautiously in games more or less decided by halftime. OU has returned just 11 of the 36 punts it has forced.

Stoops' philosophy for the Aug. 30 opener against Chattanooga passes for much of the season: "I didn't want to have a big return and didn't want to get somebody hurt. We just practiced catching the ball and let our offense work."

The few times punt returners Dominique Franks and Ryan Broyles have taken off?

"We've been real close," Franks said. "It's just been one block that we've missed or a single guy leaps through, something like that."

Maybe they will get that block in the Cotton Bowl. Maybe Murray will get his hands on a kickoff. Maybe Moreland will reach the end zone.

Going in, however, the best OU fans can say about Saturday's special teams matchup is it usually doesn't amount to much.

The last time either team scored a special teams touchdown was 1999, when holder Patrick Fletcher flipped a 4-yard pass to kicker Tim Duncan out of the Sooners' field goal formation.

The last time there was a kick return of significance was 2002, when Antwone Savage's 81-yard kickoff runback helped OU pull within 14-11 right before halftime. That built momentum toward the Sooners' 35-24 victory.

The last time a kicker was called on to provide a game-winning field goal was 1995, when OU's Jeremy Alexander missed a 42-yard try with 31 seconds remaining to preserve a 24-24 tie.

If Stevens, who has more missed extra points (two) than field goal attempts, were asked to handle that kind of pressure?

"I plan on doing the same thing I always do and not rush it," he said. "Just my normal routine. Lately I've been pretty calm. Hopefully it continues into this week."

There will be ample hope when it comes to Sooner special teams this Saturday.

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com

OU-Texas: 11 a.m. Saturday, KTUL-8

RED RIVER MEMORIES: OU NO. 1 GOING IN

Saturday’s game against Texas is the eighth time Oklahoma has gone into the Red River Rivalry ranked No. 1. This week, the World looks back on the previous seven: 1954, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1978, 1987 and 2003:

Oct. 9, 1954

No. 1 Oklahoma 14, No. 15 Texas 7

The setup: OU came in having won 11 in a row on its way to a 47-game winning streak. The Sooners were 2-0 after winning 27-13 at Cal and beating No. 20 TCU 21-16 in Norman.

The game: Jimmy Harris made his first career start at quarterback a good one, scoring one of the Sooners’ two touchdowns in a defensive slugfest. Harris went 25-0 as the starter in his career. The Longhorns managed just 57 yards on the ground.

The implications: OU never lost that season, but the NCAA forbade consecutive bowl appearances. (OU beat Maryland in the 1953- 54 Orange Bowl.) So a 10-0, Big 7 Conference-winning campaign ended in November with a regular season win at Oklahoma State. But the winning streak continued and opened the door for national titles in 1955 and ’56.

By John E. Hoover, World sports writer

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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