Sooners Complete Saturday Scrimmage

NORMAN, Okla. -- Early morning showers and some lingering sprinkles couldn't deter Oklahoma from finishing its second scrimmage of the 2005 preseason. The Sooners were on Owen Field for nearly two and one-half hours Saturday and managed 104 snaps plus kicking game work.

Head coach Bob Stoops liked the competitiveness of the workout but said a more thorough evaluation would come later.

“I liked the way they competed,” he said. “I thought they all competed well and played well, for the most part. We'll look at the tape and know more later. There were some sloppy penalties we've got to clean up. It's hard, I think, offensively without A.D. (Adrian Peterson) and some of what we do, of course, with the run game with him. He changes the whole picture. So that makes it a little more difficult for them.”

August 13 Scrimmage Photos | 2005 OU Preseason Central

Peterson could have played but was held out by the coaches. His running mate, Kejuan Jones, also sat out with a sprained foot.

Again most of the focus was on quarterbacks Paul Thompson and Rhett Bomar. Bomar tossed a pair of touchdown passes, one in red zone work, while Thompson threw one.

Bomar led the offense on a 10-play 75 yard march during its second possession. The final four yards were covered when he connected with tight end Willie Roberts. That same pair hooked up in red zone action on a 15-yard play.

Thompson directed an 11-play drive, 66-yard drive that stalled at the nine-yard line before leading the offense on an eight-play, 70-yard possession. He eventually threw a two-yard touchdown to tight end Joe Jon Finley.

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Thompson hit on 17-fo-28 passes for 192 yards with the one score and no interceptions. Bomar was 16-of-36 for 151 yards with two TD and two interceptions, one of which resulted from his arm being hit on release.

Sixteen different players had receptions. Roberts had five for 32 yards and true freshman Juaquin Iglesias hauled in five for 63 yards.

The rushing leader was Donta Hickson with nine attempts for 39 yards.

Top tackle honors went to true freshman middle linebacker Curtis Lofton with nine plus an interception. Rufus Alexander had eight plus an interception.

In addition to the two picks, the Sooner defense deflected 11 other passes.

“There were definitely some balls that were dropped that should have been intercepted,” Stoops said. “We did get a few interceptions. A couple, though, that were intercepted came when the quarterback was getting hit, another ricocheted off shoulder pads and into another guy's hand. Sometimes it's not always a quarterback's fault. But a few of the ones that could have been picked off, sure, I thought they were thrown into some tough positions.”

Kicker Garrett Harltey made 9-of-15 field goals. All six of his misses were from 47 yards or longer, including one attempt from 62 yards. He also made kicks from 52 mad 57 yards.

Punters Cody Freeby and Mike Knall both saw action. Freeby had seven kicks for an average of 41.4 yards with one downed at the four. Knall had four attempts for an average of 41.3 yards with one downed at the four and another at the three.

Head Coach Bob Stoops Quotes
On the scrimmage
I liked the way they competed. I thought they all competed well and played well, for the most part. There were some sloppy penalties they've got to clean up. It's hard, I think, offensively without A.D. (Adrian Peterson) and some of what we do, of course, with the run game with him. He changes the whole picture. So that makes it a little more difficult for them.

On sitting Adrian Peterson
He could have went, but why take a chance. His leg feels good but we're going to make sure it's 100 percent.

On the defense
I thought defensively the tackling was better, which you expect, our positioning on routes it all looks better.

There were definitely some balls that were dropped that should have been intercepted. We did get a few interceptions. A couple, though, that were intercepted...quarterback getting hit, another ricocheted off shoulder pads and into another guy's hand. Sometimes it's not always a quarterback's fault. But a few of the ones that could have been picked off, sure, I thought they were thrown into some tough positions.

On who stood out at individual positions
I'm not going to say that here. We'll evaluate it and watch it this afternoon, see what we think and say something after that.

On Reggie Smith playing primarily safety
A lot has to do with the play of Reggie (Smith). He gives you a lot of options at safety his ability to play man and other things. It gives you a lot of options. It's more because of the diversity he gives you in there.

On Juaquin Iglesias and if he'll be redshirted
Juaquin's (Iglesias) making excellent improvement. He's a good player. He just showed up more and he had more opportunities the way it all unfolded. But he's doing good.

Special teams will matter with all those guys (freshman). But he has that ability. He has size, he's got speed, and he's a tough guy. So he could definitely help on special teams.

On Cordero Moore's injury
The early report is that he may have just bruised his sternum. Hopefully, that's all it is. I believe that was the only injury we had, which is great. Again, I'm hopeful that (Moore's injury) isn't too much.

On waiting until the end of the preseason to name a quarterback
That's more our style than having every single day hang in the balance that's not it. It's the overall play and who, overall, made the best plays, the most plays and avoided the bad ones.

On perceptions that Rhett Bomar is the play-maker and Paul Thompson is the steady guy
I don't know where that would come from. I'm not being critical. I'm just saying that's a lot of people speculating. These guys haven't been on the field long enough for anyone to know that. They're both pretty calm; they're both competitive. So, I wouldn't label them that way.

On Stoops' comfort level with the wide receivers
All those young guys are getting good. Malcolm Kelly's been out, but his early practices before he got hurt looked really, really good. I think when it's all said and done, with Jejuan (Rankins) and Travis (Wilson) are out there rested up with a couple of those other guys we'll be fine.

SCORING PLAYS
Willie Roberts 4 yards from Rhett Bomar
Joe Jon Finley 2 yards from Paul Thompson
Willie Roberts 15 yards from Rhett Bomar

RUSHING
J. Guitierrez 9/39
P. Thompson 3/12
L. Gibbs 3/10
D. Hickson 6/8
R. Bomar 3/7
J. Snell 5/-4

PASSING
P. Thompson: 17-28-192, 1 TD
R. Bomar: 16-36-151, 2 TD, 2 INT
H. McEachern: 3-4-17

RECEIVING
J. Iglesias: 5-63
W. Roberts: 5-32 (2 TD)
J. Rankins: 4-39
Q. Chaney: 3-57
T. Wilson: 3-42
J. Hardison: 3-39
J. Gutierrez: 2-25
L. Holmes: 2-4
D. Hickson: 2-1
M. Johnson: 1-38
J. Greene: 1-7
J. Chilcutt: 1-5
R. English: 1-5
M. Clapp: 1-3
J. Finley: 1-2 (TD)
D. Robinson: 1-(-2)

RUSHING
D. Hickson 6/8
J. Guitierrez 9/39
L. Gibbs 3/10
R. Bomar 3/7
P. Thompson 3/12
J. Snell 5/-4
Team 29/64

TACKLES
C. Lofton: 9
R. Alexander: 8
C. Ingram: 7
Z. Latimer: 6
J. Carter: 6
D. Wolfe: 5
L. Baker: 4
R. Reynolds: 4
N. Harris: 4
B. Simmons: 4
R. Smith: 3
B. Jackson: 3
E. Bassey: 3
C. Onyenegecha: 3
L. Robinson: 3
D. Williams: 3
C. Ah You: 3
C. Bennett: 3
K. Clayton: 2
T. Cade: 2
I. Pleasant: 2
A. Davis: 2
J. Williams: 2
J. Poteat: 1
A. Patrick: 1
C. Thibodeaux: 1
C. Pendleton: 1
B. Blackard: 1
L. Nixon: 1
B. Eldridge: 1
A. English: 1