Tulsa World: OU Football Notebook

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OU Football Notebook

By GUERIN EMIG World sports writer
Published: 10/17/2008 2:08 AM
Last Modified: 10/17/2008 3:12 AM

Starters on special teams: Oklahoma used three starters to cover kickoffs in a 45-35 loss to Texas last week — cornerbacks Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks as well as safety Lendy Holmes. Expect that number to increase Saturday against Kansas.

"Sometimes you've just got to go back and put your best players on that team. That's something that we're looking at this week," assistant coach Bobby Jack Wright said. "I can remember years ago when we had Roy Williams on our kickoff cover team. He was far and away our best defensive player. Maybe we've gotten away from that a little bit for a couple reasons, trying to give other guys an opportunity to make plays. You also sometimes are selfish and say, 'I can give some of these first-line players a little break.'

"But when you continue to have the problems we've been having, you've got to make some personnel changes. You're not mad at anybody. It's not personal. You just say, 'Hey, we've got to be better than this.' So you start putting your better players out there."

Asked how many personnel changes he had made this week, OU coach Bob Stoops said: "About four of them." He did not specify.

Nickels and dimes: Texas made a killing last week with short passes to slot receiver Jordan Shipley over the middle.

"They pretty much nickel-and-dime'd us down the field," OU free safety Nic Harris said. "They'd get 3 and 4 yards here and there."

So is that the blueprint teams are going to use against OU now?

"I doubt it," Harris said. "We're going to try to take away that aspect of the game. We've got to get turnovers. The past couple games, we haven't had any turnovers. We have to start disrupting the quarterback."

Short stuff: Speaking of the quarterback, Kansas' Todd Reesing stands just 5-foot-11.

"You seen it bother him?" Stoops asked. "I haven't."

Reesing ranks fifth in the nation in both passing yards per game and total offense.

English and Robinson among semifinalists: Defensive end Auston English and offensive lineman Duke Robinson were named semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, given annually to the nation's top lineman or linebacker. The winner will be announced Dec. 10.

OU up next

Vs. Kansas • 2:30 p.m Saturday

TV: KTUL-8

Radio: KMOD fm97.5 and KTBZ am1430

By GUERIN EMIG World sports writer

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