Tulsa World: OU Notebook

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OU Notebook

By GUERIN EMIG, World sports writer
Published: 10/20/2008 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 10/20/2008 4:53 AM

Middle linebacker revisited: Oklahoma played possum with Kansas all the way through pregame warm-ups Saturday, when Austin Box was seen drilling at middle linebacker between starters Keenan Clayton and Travis Lewis. Then the game started; free safety Nic Harris went in at middle linebacker (replacing the injured Ryan Reynolds), and Box never saw the field.

Now that the secret is out, just how permanent is OU's personnel move?

"I think we'll use (Harris) as an option and a linebacker as an option," defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Sunday, "depending on what (opponents) are giving us on the field personnel-wise."

After OU's 45-31 victory over Kansas Saturday, Venables mentioned the more traditional two-back groupings used by future foes Kansas State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Asked if formations like that are more befitting a linebacker like Box, Venables said: "Yes."

Survive and advance: Both Venables and head coach Bob Stoops lauded Harris for his debut. But that didn't make it any less stressful for Harris or Lewis, the weakside linebacker who also had to make a lot of the defensive calls that Reynolds used to.

"Oh yeah, we're definitely going to have some laughs in film review," Lewis said. "But we can only get better from here. It was a good learning experience, and we'll move on."

"Some parts were good. Some parts still need polish," Stoops said. "I kind of expected that. It's good to have the experience in doing it. Everyone will learn from doing it and make some adjustments and get better at it."

To serve and protect: OU's offensive line put forth a more decisive effort in the running game Saturday, and with regard to pass protection as well.

Sam Bradford, who was sacked three times in the Sooners' loss to Texas on Oct. 11, was not dropped once by Kansas despite throwing 53 times. And it was not just linemen protecting him.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson credited running back DeMarco Murray and tight end Jermaine Gresham with blitz pick-ups that allowed Bradford to hit Quentin Chaney on a 38-yard, play-action post, launching a third-quarter scoring drive that kept OU comfortably ahead, 38-24. By GUERIN EMIG, World sports writer

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