Oklahoma Season Opener: Sooners vs. Mocs

The Sooners open their season Saturday night in what will be anything but a "game". More like a scrimmage. The opponent, Tennessee-Chattanooga, is a division I-AA school. It's a ding to the Sooners' strength of schedule, therefore Bob Stoops needs to win big. Of course OU should have no problem with the Mocs and are favored by 48.5 points. I'm sure that's what Michigan fans were saying one year ago! But Appalachian State was a division champion and a much better team than this Chattanooga team.


BOB STOOPS READY FOR 10th SEASON OPENER

For the fans, this game will be full of offensive highlights. Will Jermaine Gresham catch three TD passes? Why not? Will DeMarco Murray break his five-touchdown personal best? Possibly. Will Sam Bradford throw for over 400 yards? More than likely. All of these scenarios are possible Saturday night against the Mocs. The Sooners will be able to do what they want, whenever they want. And playing the Mocs is a perfect time for OU to practice their new offense, the no-huddle.


GET READY FOR A FEW END ZONE
CELEBRATIONS THIS SATURDAY

For the players, this game is the time to unleash all that preseason energy and finally hit somebody not wearing your same colors. I predict the players will come out fired up and quickly put points on the scoreboard.


THE TIME HAS ARRIVED, SOONER FANS

It should be fun to watch. Football is finally here, baby! Boomer Sooner!

Prediction: Oklahoma 63 - Chattanooga 7

OU Opens Season Saturday Night...soonersports.com

OU Gameday Information...scout.com

Mocs savoring their moment on the big stage...newsok.com

OU Notebook...tulsaworld.com

Sooner Linebackers

The Sooners' linebackers will be going through a crash course this fall. OU returns only one experienced linebacker in starter Ryan Reynolds. Barring injury, (we'll keep our fingers crossed) Reynolds should be the solid foundation and leader the Sooners desperately need in a very green unit. Austin Box, who will miss the season opener due to surgery, should contribute immediately. Box fits the mold of previous Sooner linebacker greats. After a few games under his belt, Box should be playing very well by mid-season.


RYAN REYNOLDS

A story I'm looking forward so watching develop at linebacker this year is the move of Keenan Clayton to outside linebacker. A converted safety, Clayton possesses the speed to cover receivers and tight ends, providing OU valuable pass coverage in a pass-dominated league. This switch reminds me of the move of Lewis Baker to linebacker a couple years ago.


AUSTIN BOX

Behind these three LBs, OU will rely on JUCO transfers Mike Balogun and J.R. Bryant for depth, as well as Travis Lewis, Brandon Crow and Lamont Robinson. I predict Sooner fans will see the full array of linebackers during the non-conference games until the coaching staff finds the right three guys.

OU Notebook...tulsaworld.com

Reynolds' knees a concern...tulsaworld.com

Sooners Defensive Secondary

The Sooners' preseason question marks on defense have been primarily focused on the linebackers. The linebackers are inexperienced, that's for sure. But more pressure will be on OU's defensive backs this year. Not only do the Sooners return just two DBs with significant playing time, but they are also in a conference of all-out air assaults. This is no time to be unstable in the defensive backfield.

The good news is that the coaching staff and practice reports indicate that the unit is playing well. It's easy to forget who's playing where during this preseason of "musical chairs" backfield. Lendy Holmes went from starting to backup, then back to starter in a matter of weeks. Holmes is now penciled in as starting free safety. He brings experience and leadership, along with four-year starter and Thorpe Award candidate Nic Harris at strong safety. Pushing for playing time is redshirt freshman Sam Proctor. Proctor was almost a starter and should get significant reps this season at safety. The Sooners may use Proctor in the nickel formation. Holmes and Harris have played as well as anyone the past two years and will be depended upon to play consistent while the new corners adjust.


NIC HARRIS

Oklahoma lost two key corners to graduation - Reggie Smith and Marcus Walker. Also gone is D.J. Wolfe. Replacing these three is not an easy thing to do. During the 'Fiasco Bowl', freshman Dominique Franks started in place of the injured Smith. Franks played well, but really developed into a solid player during the spring. Franks had three interceptions in the Spring Game and should continue to play well as a sophomore. On the other side is junior cornerback Brian Jackson. According to coaches, Jackson has been a ball hawk in practice, breaking up several passes and intercepting others. If Franks and Jackson develop, they have a chance to be as good as their predecessors. That would be a great asset in a league of gunslingers.

Sooner cornerbacks face challenging role filled with criticism...newsok.com

Sooners defense seeks redemption...iht.com

Old and new fill secondary...normantranscript.com

Sooners' Offensive Line and Tight Ends

There is probably not a better O-Line in the country than Oklahoma's line. With all five starters back, three of them 2007 all-Big 12 selections, the Sooners' line should be dominant in both pass protection and run blocking.



The headliner of the unit is left guard Duke Robinson, a 1st team All-American and a certain first-round NFL draft pick. Robinson, along with big left tackle Phil Loadholdt will anchor the left side of the line. Center Jon Cooper, a Remington list candidate this year, Brandon Walker and Branndon Braxton round out the other side of the trench.


DUKE ROBINSON

If this unit plays well, they should give all kinds of time for Bradford to throw, just as they did last year. In 2007, the running lanes weren't always there. I would definitely like to see this aspect improve. If it does, and DeMarco Murray gets a seam, it's lights out.

Moving on to the tight ends, OU returns two incredible players. Jermaine Gresham came to OU two years ago with mega-hype and has delivered. His 11 touchdown catches led the team and all TEs in the nation last year. He is a beast this year, bulking up even more to 260 pounds. There will be few defenders who will be able to cover him, if any. I foresee Gresham playing an even bigger role this year with the loss of Malcolm Kelly. If I was Sam Bradford, I'd be throwing his way every down.


JERMAINE GRESHAM

Brody Eldridge is the best blocker on the team. He lines up at fullback often and lays key blocks in running situations. Eldridge will no doubt dominate defenders again this year. He is an unsung hero and a favorite of Bob Stoops'.


BRODY ELDRIDGE


Being an offensive lineman 'all guts, no glory'... newsok.com

Loadholt big man for OU...enidnews.com

Duke Robinson and Ryan Stanchek: The Best of College Football's Big Uglies...bleacherreport.com

Gresham says he'll stay...tulsaworld.com

Gresham just getting better and better...ardmoreite.com

Oklahoma Sooners: Wide Recievers

If you had to pick a weakness on the offensive side of the ball for OU, it would have to be at wide receiver. The Sooners will certainly miss super-talented Malcom Kelly. But there are several capable replacements to shoulder the load. Sam Bradford will have the luxury of throwing to veteran senior wide receivers. The most notable pass-catcher in this unit is Juaquin Iglesias, OU's leading receiver from 2007. Iglesias will provide experience and leadership at the position and will probably be Bradford's #1 target.


JUAQUIN IGLESIAS

After Iglesias, OU has seniors Manny Johnson and Quentin Chaney. Johnson has been a consistent reciever for three years but the jury is still out on Chaney. He has only limited game experience in his career but had a breakout game in the Fiesta Bowl. The consensus in the Sooners' camp is that the best young receiver is redshirt freshman Ryan Broyles. Stoops has compared Broyles to Mark Clayton - wow! I will be interested to see how good this kid can be this year.

And don't forget about junior Adron Tennell. Tennell was a top 10 receiver out of Texas in 2006, but has been bitten by the injury bug. I'de love to see him reach his full potential and have a breakout season. Other newbies to look for include redshirt freshmen Tyler Stratford and Cory Wilson and true freshmen Jameel Owens and DeJuan Miller. As for the Josh Jarboe situation, I say good riddance and kudos to Bob Stoops for taking a stand.

Stoops: Freshmen receivers likely will play this season...tulsaworld.com

Oklahoma Sooners Offensive Backfield: QBs & RBs

No team in the nation could boast of having a more talented freshmen duo at quarterback and running back than the Sooners last year. Redshirt freshmen Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray provided an unforgettable season of highlight reel runs (Murray) and record-breaking TD passes (Bradford). The two are now seasoned sophomores and will no doubt contribute in a big way in 2008.


BRADFORD AND MURRAY MAKE UP A LETHAL SOONER BACKFIELD

Behind Bradford, the QB position is solid, with a more experienced Joey Halzle and talented true freshman Landry Jones. Halzle proved he could capably backup Bradford last year in Lubbock. Jones will probably get a redshirt this year.



Backing up Murray will be Chris "Touch-Down" Brown. Brown has been a reliable and consistent runner for OU the past two years now. He is probably good enough to start at most schools. With Murray and Brown sharing the load, the Sooners running game is in great shape. Mossis Madu is another consistent back. He will see PT and should give the Sooners good depth at a valuable position. Looking further down the line (and future seasons) OU has true freshmen Jermie Calhoun and Justin Johnson. I can't imagine either of these guys cracking through the depth chart, so I predict redshirts for both.


CHRIS BROWN

Other news:

Sam Bradford was recently named as a candidate for the Walter Camp Award.

Sooners land first QB of 2009 class: San Antonios's Allen...newsok.com

Sooners No. 4 in AP Preseason Poll...soonersports.com

OU's No-Huddle Offense Should Be Pretty Exciting

After last year's unexpected juggernaut offensive performance, Sooner fans know what to expect from this 2008 unit. Bradford. Murray. Gresham. Locked and loaded. Of course the new wrinkle this year is the "no-huddle" introduced by coach Bob Stoops and coordinator Kevin Wilson. This will undoubtedly be the most interesting aspect of the Sooners' offensive scheme. If effective, it could be crippling to opposing defenses. That's the point.



Yes, this OU offense is loaded and will light up Big 12 scoreboards all season long. I can hardly wait to see a new, faster offense. I can smell Bevo roastin' already.

Scrimmage Wraps Up Week One...soonersports.com

OU joins OSU on no-huddle bandwagon...newsok.com

Why the no-huddle?...newsok.com