Sooners Strike A Balance In First Spring Scrimmage

April 5, 2002

Norman, Okla. - Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops has made no secret of the fact that he hopes his Sooners will improve on their running game and perhaps yield more balance during the current spring session. The numbers had to be pleasing to the OU boss following the team's first major scrimmage, Friday.

Oklahoma rushed 42 times for 163 yards and one touchdown and threw 47 passes for 340 yards and a pair of TDs.

"I'm awfully excited about the scrimmage," said Stoops. "I'm really excited about our running game and what's happening there."

Quentin Griffin got the bulk of the rushing work early and was crisp with six carries for 49 yards and a 17-yard touchdown run. Kejuan Jones topped all rushers with 10 carries for 71 yards and he had the longest rush of the scrimmage, a 36-yarder on the final play. A total of nine players, including quarterbacks Nate Hybl and Brent Rawls, logged rushing attempts.

Hybl completed 14-of-21 passes for 159 yards and a 22-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Fagan. Rawls was 16-of-26 for 181 yards and a 12-yard TD strike to Trent Smith. Jason White, who has participated in most spring drills while recuperating from knee surgery, did not play in the scrimmage.

"I'm impressed with the development of our quarterbacks," Stoops said. "Jason (White) has looked real good in practice and I thought Nate and Brent looked good today.

"For as early as it is and for as much as we're throwing at our offense, and we're throwing a lot at them, I thought the protection was good."

Fagan was the top pass catcher with five for 97 yards. John Connor also had five grabs for 39 yards and Smith caught four for 51.

The offensive numbers hardly came at the expense of a sagging defense, though. The Sooner defense broke up eight passes, racked up four sacks, including two by transfer Lynn McGruder, and recovered one fumble.

Linebacker Clint Ingram was the leading tackler with 13, while fellow linebacker Teddy Lehman had seven.

Several players, including FS Brandon Everage, P Blake Ferguson, DT Tommie Harris, OL Bret Rayl, WR Antwone Savage sat out the scrimmage with minor injuries.

OU returns to the spring practice field Monday afternoon.

Scrimmage Statistics

Passing:
Nate Hybl 14-21-0, 159 yards, 1 TD
Brent Rawls 16-26-0, 181 yards, 1 TD

Rushing:
Kejuan Jones 10-71
Quentin Griffin 6-49 (1 TD)
Jerad Estus 5-17
Renaldo Works 4-11
Brian Odom 3-11
Nate Hybl 6-7
Brent Rawls 5-(-9)
Donta Hickson 2-1
John Connor 1-5

Receiving:
Curtis Fagan 5-97 (1TD)
John Connor 5-39
Trent Smith 4-51
Chris Chester 2-42
Mark Clayton 2-33
James Moses 2-22
Ryan Staley 2-18
Quentin Griffin 2-17
Will Peoples 1-7
Renaldo Works 1-6
Lance Donley 1-5
Luke Landers 1-5
Ataleo Ford 1-2
Jerad Estus 1-(-4)

Tackles:
Clint Ingram 13
Teddy Lehman 7
Brandon Shelby 6
Eric Bassey 6
Russell Dennison 5
Lance Mitchell 5
Michael Thompson 5
Bobby Klinck 5
Pasha Jackson 4
Matt McCoy 4
Darren Stephens 4
Avery Shine 4
Jimmy Wilkerson 3
Claude Clayborne 2
Jacob Hager 2
Derrick Hurst 2
Lynn McGruder 2
Juan Prishker 2
Kory Klein 2
Andre Woolfolk 2
Dan Cody 1
Eric Hilaire 1
Jonathan Jackson 1
Ronbrose Jones 1
Antonio Perkins 1
Jowahn Poteat 1
Sadiki Wilson 1
Justin Williams 1.

Scoring Plays (in chronological order)
Quentin Griffin 17-yard run
Trent Smith 12-yard pass from Brent Rawls
Curtis Fagan 22-yard pass from Nate Hybl

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Strike A Balance In First Spring Scrimmage

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