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OU Notebook: Difference maker

OU's Joseph Ibiloye (5) and Dominique Franks (1), along with a host of other OU defenders, tackle Nebraska's Brandon Kinnie. Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World
 
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 11/8/2009  2:26 AM
Last Modified: 11/8/2009  6:00 AM

 Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh may not have helped his Heisman Trophy chances Saturday night against Oklahoma, but he made a hefty difference nonetheless.

He blocked Tress Way's second field goal attempt midway through the first quarter to keep the game scoreless. He leaped in the air to tip away Landry Jones' middle screen pass to Chris Brown. He beat OU guards several times to pressure Jones into incompletions. And he came off guards' blocks to make tackles of OU running backs from behind. And he drew a post-play personal foul on Sooners lineman Jarvis Jones.

Caught off guard: OU's wide receiving corps endured a rough night in Lincoln.

Second-leading receiver Brandon Caleb had hopes of playing through an ankle injury. He suited up, but never stepped on the field.

Adron Tennell, who had rebounded after a miserable September, struggled again. He dropped a tipped pass to end the Sooners' first drive, then a 30-yard floater from Landry Jones in the second quarter. Tennell was clocked by Nebraska safety Larry Asante after the second drop, got up woozily after five minutes and left until the start of the third quarter.

Cameron Kenney, a former starter who was benched with Tennell's and Dejuan Miller's emergence, replaced Tennell and made two catches for 33 yards over his first three drives.

The line shuffle continues: OU's offensive line stability crumbled Saturday. Trent Williams, Brody Eldridge, Ben Habern, Stephen Good and Cory Brandon started for the
third straight game.

Brandon's early problems, however, included reporting late for a field goal attempt, forcing his team to call time out. So Jarvis Jones replaced Brandon at right tackle, and was penalized for a false start on his own 2-yard line.

Early in the second quarter, left guard Eldridge was injured. Junior Brian Lepak replaced Eldridge, his first appearance out of mop-up duty late in games.

Lepak finished the drive in which Eldridge was hurt, then position coach James Patton rotated everyone again. Good moved from right to left guard, Jones shuffled to right guard and Brandon manned left tackle.

English injured: Defensive end Frank Alexander saw his most extensive action of the season after starter Auston English appeared to injure an ankle midway through the first quarter. Alexander did particularly well against Nebraska's option, stopping Cody Green for a loss at one point, and later stalking Green replacement Zac Lee as Lee pitched wide of running back Roy Helu.

Alexander nearly recovered the loose football at the OU 20-yard line before teammate Gerald McCoy did, and the only sign of life from the Huskers' offense in the first half was snuffed out.

Alexander did make a critical mistake in the third quarter, committing a post-play personal foul to save the Huskers from a third-and-9. Nebraska went on to kick a field goal later in the drive to make it 10-3.

Trojan uprising: Former Jenks linebacker Phillip Dillard made his final game against the Sooners one to remember.

In the first half alone, a blitzing Dillard sacked Jones for a loss of 13 on third-and-8 sniffed out a shovel pass to Brown for no gain and solo-tackled a DeMarco Murray swing-pass reception for a loss of five.

Bradford back on the field: Sam Bradford will never play on the Huskers' field, but at least he got out there long enough to be recognized.

The injured quarterback was one of eight OU "award winners" announced at halftime to commemorate the Sooners-Huskers rivalry. Also recognized were Steve Owens, Greg Pruitt, Tom Brahaney, Joe Washington, Billy Sims, Jason White and Barry Switzer.

Bradford, appearing with his surgically-repaired shoulder in a sling, drew the loudest cheer from the second-largest crowd to see a Nebraska home game. Until, that is, Switzer, standing next to Bradford, was given a standing ovation.
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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2 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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justanotherokie, (11/8/2009 9:26:16 AM)
I don't see how 'The Boy Named SUH' hurt his Heisman chances. He dominated. Maybe on the surface his stats weren't high but nobody could miss the fact he's a man among boys.
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zach, (11/8/2009 12:22:16 PM)
Suh had an awesome game against high school linemen. He is a bad man, but OU's line is horrible. Can they say "double team?"
 

 
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