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OU's Box invested in rivalry

HE'S BACK
Austin Box: OU linebacker sustained a season-ending knee injury against the Cowboys last season.
 
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 11/27/2009  2:21 AM
Last Modified: 11/27/2009  4:25 AM

 NORMAN — Oklahoma's Austin Box was talking about Bedlam the other day when he found the right five words: "I take it very personally."

Part of that attitude stems from the fact that Box is expected to start in place of the injured Ryan Reynolds at middle linebacker Saturday. If the 6-5 Sooners are to stop 9-2 Oklahoma State, Box must play well.

There is more to the story. Box is from Enid. He keeps in touch with high school teammates Casey LeBrue and Colton Chelf, who play at OSU. He grew up an OU fan, but one of his first scholarship offers arrived from Stillwater.

Like OU Oklahomans before him, he has invested in Bedlam.

"I think they really feel something, some obligation to play really well in this game," said OU linebacker coach/defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who has guided Oklahoma natives like Rocky Calmus, Teddy Lehman and Curtis Lofton against OSU in the past. "A lot of them know each other, have competed against each other before they got here. They don't want to hear the negative things. This is one way to keep it the way you want."

Finally, there is the matter of Box's 2008 Bedlam experience. It wasn't pretty.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, OSU's Kendall Hunter rushed for 3 yards. Away from the action, Cowboys wide receiver Damian Davis cut-block Box, who was starting for Reynolds once again at middle linebacker.

Box's left knee ligaments were sprained. His game was over. So was his season; he would miss the Big 12 and national championship games.

"I felt terrible for him," Venables reflected this week. "He was really kind of coming into his own going into that game. He had played outstanding against Texas Tech (the previous week, when three of his nine tackles went for lost yardage) and was playing well in that game. You hate that for a kid."

Venables stopped short of finger-pointing. So did OU coach Bob Stoops when asked about it last year. He called Davis' block "illegal," but also said: "I'm sure the young guy wasn't trying maliciously to hurt anybody."

At the BCS championship media day last January, Box acknowledged he had heard talk that he'd been victimized by a cheap shot.

"But I mean, that's football. Stuff like that happens," he said. "You've just got to stay positive and look toward the future."

One year into that future, Box hasn't changed his stance.

"As a player and as much as we invest, you never want to get hurt, especially like that," he said. "But I don't necessarily hold a grudge. He's out there trying to make plays the same way I am. It's unfortunate that it happened, but I'm back this year and ready to take another shot at them."

When he gets that shot Saturday afternoon, Box will be carrying some weight around Owen Field. Reynolds is a fifth-year captain who was the Sooners' third-leading tackler when he injured his hamstring at Texas Tech last week.

Box will be motivated to uphold Reynolds' standard, for the sake of home-state bragging rights, and because of what happened in this game one year ago.

"When you play a game like this, you try to fuel the fire as much as possible," Box said. "It's definitely something in the back of my mind."

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (11/27/2009 12:29:21 PM)
I am hoping he will have a Box Lunch come Saturday, at the expense of the Cowboys.

BOOMER SOONER!!!

Eat them up Austin!
Report Comment
C SQUARED , MANNFORD (11/27/2009 4:33:19 PM)
Im Hoping Its full of crow! GO POKES
Report Comment
The Masked Assassin, Parts Unknown (11/27/2009 6:05:23 PM)
Pistols Misfiring! The Jokes are gonna choke!
Report Comment
Kilgore.Trout, Tulsa (11/27/2009 11:51:48 PM)
Austin should have played baseball than got on that merry-go-round that has become OU football.

Don'tknow why any rational young guy would sign up for 4 years of grief with S&C Coach Schmidt at OU ? Oh, that's right, the better athletes arn't! Join the marines, you will get paid, probably have the same amount of time to study, and may come out more injury free than being under that nut job!
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (11/29/2009 4:46:09 PM)
27-0. NUFF SAID!!!!

BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!
 

 
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