University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Head Northwest for Oregon

September 14, 2006 | Football

C.J. Ah You

Game Notes | Depth Chart2006 Sooner Gameday Central
 
Sooners Travel to Oregon

For the second straight week, Oklahoma plays a team from the Pacific-10 Conference.  Last week the Sooners vanquished the Washington Huskies in Norman, 37-20.  Saturday, the Sooners travel to Eugene to play the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium.
 
The game kicks at 2:30 pm. CT, 12:30 p.m. PT and will be televised regionally by ABC. This marks the third straight season that OU and Oregon have met on the gridiron.
 

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The Series
Oklahoma leads it 6-0 with victories in each of the last two seasons.  The Sooners prevailed in last year's Holiday Bowl over the then-No. 6-ranked Ducks, 17-14, and won in Norman in 2004, 31-7.  This will mark the first time that the two have played in Eugene.
 
The Coaches
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa 83) is 77-16 in his eighth season with the Sooners.  He is 4-3 in bowls, 3-2 in January Bowls, 2-2 in BCS games, 49-10 vs. the Big 12, 27-7 vs. the Big 12 South, 22-3 vs. the Big 12 North, 3-1 in the Big 12 title game, 28-6 vs. non-conference opponents, 43-2 at home, 21-8 on the road, 13-6 on neutral fields and 22-7 vs. ranked opponents.  He is 2-0 vs. Oregon.
 
Oregon: Mike Bellotti is 92-42-0 in his 12th season at Oregon, 113-67-2 in 17 years overall.

Oklahoma Football History & Tradition | OU Quick Facts

The Program
  Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 759-289-53. 
  The Sooners own seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000). 
  OU has 39 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 24 victories (No. 3 nationally). 
  Oklahoma has won 39 conference titles. 
  Since WWII, Oklahoma is the most success college football program with 514 victories. 
  Some 141 All-Americans and four Heisman Trophy winners have come from the Oklahoma program.

This Week's Opponent
  Oregon has a home win over Stanford (48-10) and a road triumph at Fresno State (31-24).
  Both of the quarterbacks that played against Oklahoma in last season's Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf, are back.  Leaf has not yet attempted a pass this season.  Leaf nearly led UO to a come-from-behind win in that bowl game.  He was intercepted at the OU 10 with 33 seconds remaining.  Clint Ingram, who is now on the roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars, made the pick that preserved the Sooners' 24th bowl victory.
  Oregon has lost two fumbles and committed 16 penalties, but has yet to throw an interception or give up a sack.
  Like Oklahoma, Oregon has a potent punt returner.  Jeremiah Johnson is averaging 15.5 yards on six attempts with a long of 27 yards. 
 
Ties with Oregon
  There are no Oregonians on the Sooner roster.  The only Oregon native ever to play at OU was Ivan Preston, a wingback from Milwaukie, Oregon's Mount Union High School.  He was on the 1944 squad.
  Oregon secondary coach John Neal and Oklahoma running backs coach Cale Gundy were on the UAB staff together from 1995-98.
  Oregon DE Micah Howeth is from Dallas, but played his junior college football at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.  Another NEO A&M transfer, DT Jeremy Gibbs, is a native of Stillwater.
  OU track and field and cross country head coach Martin Smith coached those same programs for Oregon's men from 1998-2003 before taking over the women's program as well through 2005.
 
Pac-10 Pact
Oklahoma is playing a Pacific-10 Conference team for a fifth consecutive season.  For the third straight year, OU plays two Pac-10 teams, although this is the first time during that span that the Sooners are playing two teams from that league during the regular season ...
  Three of Oklahoma's last four bowl opponents were from the Pac-10.  The Sooners defeated Washington State in the 2003 Rose Bowl and Oregon in the 2005 Holiday Bowl, while losing to USC in the 2004 Orange Bowl.
  Last season, OU dropped a 41-24 decision in week three at UCLA before knocking off then No. 6-ranked Oregon in the Holiday Bowl, 17-14.
  Oklahoma holds an all-time mark of 22-13-1 against the Pac-10 and has played at least one game against each of the 10 members.  Only Conference USA, with 43 games, exceeds the Pac-10's 36 for most non-conference games vs. Oklahoma.  The ACC is next at 32.
  Former OU defensive coordinator (1999-2003) Mike Stoops, the brother of Sooner head coach Bob Stoops, is in his third season as the head coach at Pac-10 member Arizona.
 
Trends
Through two games ...
  Oklahoma has achieved good balance in its play-calling -- 64 rushes, 57 passes.
  OU opponents have a 9:02 advantage in time of possession, but scored 24 fewer points and scored on just seven of 27 possessions.
  OU is minus-4 (6-2) in turnovers, but Sooner foes have scored just six points (two field goals) after those turnovers.  Conversely, the Sooners have seven points off their two takeaways.
  Sooner opponents have converted 8-of-27 third downs, but just 2-of-14 in the second half.
  Oklahoma has been penalized five fewer times than its opponents for 49 fewer yards.
 
Ironic Rematch
This is the first time since 1994 that Oklahoma has played a regular season game against a team it played in the previous year's bowl game. OU downed Texas Tech in the 1993 John Hancock Bowl (41-10), then defeated the Red Raiders in the third game of the 1994 season (17-11) in Norman.  Incidentally, those games took place before OU and TTU were in the same league.
  The only other rematch from a bowl to the following regular season was with Nebraska (1979 Orange Bowl, 1979 regular season).  Oklahoma won both those games.
 
The Sooners Briefly
  Oklahoma was tabbed to win the Big 12's South Division in a preseason polling of league media.  Sooner players Adrian Peterson, a running back, and Rufus Alexander, a linebacker, were selected as the league's preseason offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively.
  This Sooner team has just 11 seniors, the lowest number of Bob Stoops' tenure.  The previous low was 12 by the 2001 squad.
  There are 24 players on this team with previous experience as a starter for OU.  That's up from seven over the same time last season.
  Last season, OU was 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 South.  The Sooners played the most difficult schedule in NCAA Division I-A as the opponents were a combined 84-38.  The 2005 season culminated with OU's win over then-No. 6 Oregon in the Holiday Bowl, 17-14.
 
Oklahoma's Most Recent Game
Oklahoma knocked off Washington last Saturday in Norman.  A crowd of 84,577, the sixth largest in OU history, saw the game ...
  OU scored the first 24 points of the second half to break a 13-13 tie and take a 37-13 lead.
  Adrian Peterson carried 32 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns.  He also caught two passes for six yards to log 171 all purpose yards.
  Paul Thompson completed 21-of-33 passes for 272 yards with two TDs and one interception.
  Malcolm Kelly caught six passes for a career-high 121 yards and two TDs.
  FS Darien Williams topped the defense with 13 tackles.  LB Rufus Alexander had 11 tackles with one for loss and two pass deflections. 
  Washington rushed for 201 yards, but got 54 of those yards on its first scoring drive and another 36 on its final.
 
Crowded House
With 169,132 in attendance for the first two home games of 2006, Oklahoma has now drawn 3,475,940 for Bob Stoops' 45 home games (started in 1999). All 45 have been sold out. OU has exceeded its listed capacity of 82,112 in 19 consecutive games.
 
Since Stoops became the head coach, Oklahoma has increased the seating capacity of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium by 9,347 seats.
 
Taking a Different Position
During Bob Stoops' tenure 14 players have moved from one position to earn a starting job at another.  erhaps most notable of those was OT Jammal Brown who moved from the defensive line. He went on to win the 2004 Outland Trophy and was a first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints. 
 
Like Brown, eight of those who have moved went from one side of the ball to the other. This team includes 10 players who have switched positions since arriving at Oklahoma.
 
Stoops' Coaching Tree
There are four head coaches currently on the Division I-A level that were hired from Bob Stoops' Oklahoma staff -- Mike Leach at Texas Tech, Mark Mangino at Kansas, Mike Stoops at Arizona and Chuck Long at San Diego State.
 
Oklahoma Tackles Full Slate of 1-A Foes, Again
For the seventh consecutive season Oklahoma is playing a schedule comprised entirely of NCAA Division I-A opponents. The Sooners haven't played a lower division team since Bob Stoops' opener in 1999 (49-0 over I-AA Indiana State). This season, OU is the only program in the Big 12 to play a full I-A schedule. 
  Last season, Oklahoma played the most difficult schedule in Division I-A. The opponents were 84-38 (.689). Seven of the 11 regular season foes played in bowl games and all but one (Texas Tech, which lost to Alabama on a last-second FG) won in the post season.
 
About the Offense
  Under Stoops, OU has produced its career leader in passing and receiving, while producing the fourth-ranked rusher in school history and the record-holder for single season rushing.
  Oklahoma has scored at least one touchdown in every game dating back to Nov. 7, 1998.
  On Stoops' watch, OU has 27, 200-yard rushing games with 22 over the last four five years.
  Also under their current head coach, the Sooners have 95 touchdowns of 25-plus yards and 212 scoring drives that lasted less than two minutes.
 
Peterson Challenges Mark
RB Adrian Peterson is pursuing OU's career rushing mark. That honor now resides with Billy Sims, who ran for 4,118 yards from 1975-79. Peterson entered 2006 with 3,033 yards, the best two-year total in school history. He is 781 yards shy of Sims' mark. Through his first two seasons at OU, Peterson averaged 1,514 yards. His per game average is 128.3.
  Through two games this season, Peterson has 56 carries for 304 yards and three TD. This is the best start to a season for A.D., (short for “All Day,” the nickname given him by his father). Through two games in 2004 he had 217 yards and through two last season he had 283.
  Peterson set the Sooner single season record of 1,925 yards in his freshman year of 2004. He finished second (highest ever by a freshman) in the Heisman voting to USC's Matt Leinart. 
  Last season, he gained 1,104 yards despite missing all or parts of four games with an ankle injury. During that stretch, he got 16 carries for 57 yards. He still finished second in Big 12 rushing and was ahead of every other RB in the league (Missouri QB Brad Smith was the leader).
 
Thompson Back at QB
Paul Thompson, who moved to WR last season, did not return to the QB role until Aug. 3, but is off to a good start nevertheless. 
  He has completed 61% of his passes with four touchdowns and three interceptions. His average per completion is 14.3 yards.
  After starting last year's opener against TCU (11-of-26 for 109 yards with one interception) he moved to receiver where he made two starts and hauled in 11 receptions for 106 yards and no touchdowns. He was the back-up QB to Jason White in 2002 and 2003.
 
Super Sophs Catch On
Three sophomores are leading a solid receiving corps ...
  Malcolm Kelly topped the team in receptions (33), receiving yards (471) and TD (2, tied).  His receptions and yardage total ranked third-highest for an OU freshman. He went over 500 career receiving yards last Saturday with six grabs for a career-high 121 yards against Washington.
  Juaquin Iglesias caught the game-winning TD in OT against Baylor and was OU's leader in catches (5) and yards (85) in the Holiday Bowl. He has seven catches for 54 yards this season.
  Fred Strong is the surprise of the fall with seven catches for 72 yards. He had no career receptions entering this season.
 
The Return of the Tight End
OU's tight ends have seven receptions for 131 yards. Six of those grabs and 117 of those yards belong to junior Joe Jon Finley. He had 13 catches for 150 yards in 2005.
  Last season, the Sooner tight ends had 20 catches for 260 yards, an average 1.6 receptions for 21.7 yards per game. This year's per game averages are 3.5 for 65.5, respectively.
 
Trench Talk
Oklahoma lost four seniors (two were drafted) who gobbled up a 41 starts last season in the offensive line, but there are returnees who either started or saw extensive action ...
  Jon Cooper was the starting center for two games and would have continued in that role if not for an injury in game 10. He did not play in either the regular season finale or bowl game.
  Branndon Braxton drew four starts at right tackle.
  George “Duke” Robinson saw action in 10 of the 12 games last season.
  The Sooners added a pair of junior college transfers during the off-season -- Sherrone Moore (Butler Co. CC, Kan.) and Brandon Walker (Coffeyville CC, Kan.)
 
About the Defense
  Oklahoma has forced at least one turnover in 83 of Bob Stoops' 93 games and has at least one interception in 60 of the last 80. OU has multiple picks in 20 of its last 49 outings.
  Opponents completed 50 percent or more of their passes in less than half of their games against Stoops-coached teams -- 44 times in 93 games.
  Oklahoma has eight shutouts under its current head coach. During that time period, the opponents failed to score more than seven points 26 times.  Foes have scored less than 14 points 48 times against OU in the Stoops era.
  With 11 starters in 12 games last season there were 132 combined starting assignments. Ninety-six of those return among the personnel on hand for the 2006 season.
 
End All, Be All
It is possible that Oklahoma has the best collection of defensive ends in the country ...
  C.J. Ah You was the consensus Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2005. He also captured Defensive MVP honors at the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.
  Calvin Thibodeaux started every game last season and led the team with 10 sacks.
  Larry Birdine missed the first 11 games in '05 with a biceps injury, but is still on the Hendricks Watch List.  In 2004, he did not start a game while working behind Dan Cody and Jonathan Jackson, yet finished No. 3 in the Big 12 with seven sacks.
  John Williams is thought to have huge upside. After redshirting in 2004, he had four tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery before injuring a knee in the 2005 opener vs. TCU. He missed the rest of the season.
  Alonzo Dotson is the nephew of former Baylor and Green Bay Packers great Santana Dotson. He sat out last season but will see playing time in 2006.
 
Rip and Run
Last year, Oklahoma returned its 13 interceptions for 220 yards, an average of 16.9 yards per return. Three of the 13 went for touchdowns. The return average was the third-highest in the Stoops era. The 2003 team set the standard with a 21.5-yard average on 24 picks.
 
Among the Nation's Best
  Oklahoma's 2005 defense ranked No. 13 in total yards. The Sooners have been among the nation's top 20 in total defense in each of Bob Stoops' seven seasons in Norman.
  Last year's team was No. 4 nationally against the rush (90.6). That was the best ranking by a Sooner defense in Stoops' tenure. The 2005 team had four of the 12 best performances against the rush under Stoops. The best outing came against Kansas when the Jayhawks got just 11 yards. Oklahoma State got 13, Nebraska 16 and Kansas State 22.
 
Point(s) Well Taken
In the five years before Bob Stoops arrived, Oklahoma gave up an average of 27.08 points per game. Over the last five seasons, the Sooners have surrendered on average just 16.06.

About the Special Teams
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops ...
  There have been 22 special teams touchdowns, including 15 in the last 47 regular season games. Those 15 came via five different kinds of plays -- nine punt returns, two faked field goals, two blocked punts, a kickoff return and a faked punt. The special teams also own one safety in that span.
  In total, OU has returned five kickoffs and 13 punts for TD on Stoops's watch (since 1999).
  The Sooners have blocked 19 kicks.
  Last season OU ran a trick play, blocked a kick or tackled a punter in five of the 12 games.
 
Many Happy Returns
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
  Kickoff Returns -- 40 returns of 26 yards or more with five touchdowns.
  Punt Returns -- 42 returns of 15 or more yards with 13 touchdowns.
  Interceptions Returns -- 52 returns of 10 or more yards with 14 touchdowns.
  Fumble Returns -- Three returns of 15 or more yards with three touchdowns.
 
The 2006 Return Game
Oklahoma is averaging 27.8 yards on kickoff returns and 15.8 on punt returns. Last season, the Sooners averaged 18.2 yards on kickoff returns and 7.4 on punt returns.
  Reggie Smith has nine punt returns for a 15.8-yard average. In the Washington game, he picked up an 82-yard punt and returned it 62 yards.  He has two of 25 yards or longer.
  Juaquin Iglesias has been an effective kickoff returner with four for a 31.8-yard average. All four of his returns totaled between 31 and 33 yards.
 
The Long and Short of the Punting Game
Michael Cohen is handling the long punts for OU and Mike Knall the short. Both played in their first OU game in this year's opener. Cohen averaged 40.7 yards on three punts, while Knall got off one for 38 yards that went for a touchback.
  Cohen got all of the punts against Washington and has six of OU's seven on the season. He is averaging 42.5 yards with two downed inside the 20 (one at the 1).
 
McEachern Gets Grip
Back-up QB Hays McEachern, whose father played at Texas and whose mother was a cheerleader for the Longhorns, is the holder. He is the first QB to hold since Patrick Fletcher in 2000.
 
Crimson Snapper
OU lost Jacob Rice to graduation. He was the long snapper for all 52 games of his career. Derek Shaw has taken over the duties. The true freshman is perfect in 17 snaps this season.
 
Sooners Have Hart-ley
K Garrett Hartley is in his third season in the starter's role. He won the job in the regular season finale of his true freshman season (2004) ...
  Hartley is 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 7-of-7 on PATs this season. He has kicked off 13 times (one sky kick) with nine touchbacks. 
  Last season, Hartley had 67 kickoffs (including squibs) with 33 touchbacks for an average of 58.5 yards per kick. He had five touchbacks vs. Kansas State, three against Texas (on four kicks) and Texas A&M.
  His 52-yard FG at Texas last year was the longest ever by a Sooner against the Longhorns. It also was his career best.  He made 50-yarders against Nebraska and TCU.
  Hartley made all three field goal attempts against Baylor, including a 39-yarder at the end of the first overtime to force the decisive second extra period when OU got the win.
  Last season, Hartley made 14-of-22 field goals and 37-of-38 PATs.
 
Head Coach Bob Stoops
History is one tough customer at Oklahoma. The tradition, so rich and so long-standing, is as daunting as it is impressive. To be among the best at Oklahoma is to be among the best in college football.

Such dramatics are lost on Bob Stoops. The Sooner head coach befriended the would-be albatross of OU's successful past from his first day on campus and remains steadfastly focused on tomorrow and the championship it holds.

It falls then to the observers and experts of the game to define Stoops' impact. Rarely have the pundits had it so easy.

Under Stoops, Oklahoma has won 77 games (77-16), spent 69 consecutive weeks in the national rankings, played in seven bowl games, four of the BCS variety, and captured three Big 12 crowns.  His 2000 team won the national championship.  On a playing field leveled by scholarship limits and parity, this era stares down the Oklahoma standard and does not blink.

The achievement dulls the memory of what Stoops inherited. When he arrived in Norman, the proud Sooner program was five years removed from a winning record, four from bowl play. Those atypical days of angst are so forgotten now that they might as well be mentioned with the land rush and dust bowl.

Stoops has been characterized as a grounded family man, brilliant big-game coach, relentless recruiter, disciplined leader and a person with uncommon perspective. His success emanates from a disciplined style true to his roots in the Steel Valley of Ohio, but he is far from inflexible. The principles to which he holds are the tried and true axioms of the sport ... mixed with cutting edge strategy and an appreciation for the calculated risk.

During his time, OU has produced recordsetting passers and receivers, three 1,000-yard rushers, suffocating defense and special teams units that rank among the most dynamic in the land. Every facet has been impacted.

His players have snagged 16 national awards, including the 2003 Heisman Trophy won by Jason White.  There have been 54 academic honorees, 47 All-Big 12 players, 21 All-Americans and 29 NFL draft choices. 

Stoops has won a total of 10 national coach of the year awards and has been Big 12 Coach of the year in three of his six campaigns in Norman.

This is one of the finest coaches in the history of one of college football's most storied traditions.

The son of a coach, Stoops was a four-year starter at Iowa. He began his coaching career in 1983 as a volunteer in the Hawkeye program under Hayden Fry. He worked through the ranks until he became co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State (1991-95).

With the Wildcats, he played a key role in their impressive turnaround. During his final four seasons there, K-State was 35-12 with three bowl appearances. Eventually, he left for Florida and a three-year stint as Steve Spurrier's defensive coordinator. In 1996, he was part of a national championship team. It was with the Gators that the spotlight found Stoops and made him one of the hottest names in the profession.

Stoops, who was born Sept. 9, 1960, in Youngstown, Ohio, graduated from Iowa in 1983 with a degree in marketing.  He and his wife, Carol, have three children: daughter, Mackenzie, and twin sons, Drake and Isaac.
 
Individual Player Notes
DE C.J. Ah You: Consensus Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and Defensive MVP of the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl last season ... seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss last season ...
his family prepared a Hawaiian BBQ following the spring game.

LB Rufus Alexander: Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year ... tops Oklahoma with 21 total tackles and has been in double digits in each of the first two games.

LB Lewis Baker: Started seven games at SS in 05, then moved back to LB in the spring.

DT Cory Bennett: Started the UAB game and logged a career-high six tackles.

DE Larry Birdine: Missed the first 11 games last season with a torn left biceps muscle, but came back to play in the Holiday Bowl ... started the UAB game.

OT Branndon Braxton: The starter at right tackle, he started three games at that position last year ... from the same hometown as Bob Stoops -- Youngstown, Ohio.

DB Jason Carter: Got his second career blocked punt when he got one against Washington.

WR Quentin Chaney: Had two receptions for 26 yards while playing in six games last season.

FB Matt Clapp: OU opened in double TEs for the opener, but Clapp got most of the reps at FB ... missed the Washington game with an injury.

SS Keenan Clayton: First career start in the season opener against UAB. 

DT Steven Coleman: Stellar off-season vaulted him well into the four-man rotation.

C Jon Cooper: Missed the last two games last season after suffering an injury at Texas Tech ... had won the starting center job before going down.

TE Joe Jon Finley: Has added 41 pounds since coming to OU ... career-high four receptions and one touchdown against UAB.

DT DeMarcus Granger: Two stops in each of the first two games.

RB Jacob Gutierrez: Knee injury suffered in the Holiday Bowl kept him out of spring practice ... rushed for 173 yards against Baylor last season.

QB Joey Halzle: Mid-year transfer who has displayed an accurate throwing touch.

DB Nic Harris: Got two starts at FS last season ... plays as OU's nickel back.

K Garrett Hartley: See notes elsewhere in this release.

DB Lendy Holmes: Switched from WR to CB in the spring ... enjoyed a solid preseason and picked off two passes in the final public scrimmage.

WR Eric Huggins: Redshirted last season, but should see time at receiver.

WR Juaquin Iglesias: Five grabs against Washington for 44 yards ... averaged 33 yards on kickoff returns against UAB and caught two passes for 10 yards.

WR Manuel Johnson: Caught the longest pass thrown by OU last season, a 55-yarder vs. Oklahoma St. ... missed opener with an ankle injury, then had one grab for six yards vs. Washington.
WR Malcolm Kelly: Leads Oklahoma with nine receptions ... career-high 121 receiving yards against Washington on six receptions.

P Mike Knall: OU's punter in short field situations.

LB Zach Latimer: Back for a second straight year as the starter at middle linebacker ... second on the team with 19 tackles ... forced a fumble vs. Washington.

LB Curtis Lofton: Challenging on the strong side.

QB Hays McEachern: Holder on OU placements ... both parents attended Texas.

OL Chris Messner: Starter at left tackle ... he started at right tackle most of last season when he pulled down the line's highest grade.

OL Sherrone Moore: A guard who transferred at mid-year from Butler County (Kan.) CC.

RB Allen Patrick: Back-up at running back, who is a good receiver and elusive runner ... will likely see action in a kickoff return role ... has two tackles and one punt downed at the one yardline in special teams play..

DT Carl Pendleton: Appears entrenched as one of the starters at defensive tackle.

RB Adrian Peterson: See information listed earlier in the release.

LB Demarrio Pleasant: The starter at strong side linebacker ... made one start last season in which he registered 10 tackles at UCLA ... recovered a fumble against Washington.

FB Ian Pleasant: Not related to Demarrio Pleasant ... a native Virginian, his HS senior season was canceled after two games due to the DC sniper.

OL George Robinson: Versatile sophomore who could play guard or tackle ... got his first career start in the opener.

CB Reggie Smith: Starting at CB, PR and KR ... started 10 games at SS last season as a true freshman ... averaged 10.1 yards on six punt returns with a long of 27 in the opener ... had a 62-yard punt return against Washington on a punt that traveled 82 yards.

WR Fred Strong: Made the first three catches of his career in the opener ... came back with four more and his first career start against Washington.

DE Calvin Thibodeaux: Led OU with 10 sacks last season after posting just two in his previous three years of work ... received a hardship ruling to play in 2006.

QB Paul Thompson: See notes earlier in the release.

CB Marcus Walker: Has battled back from two shoulder surgeries and will be a factor at CB ... he has four career starts there.

FS Darien Williams: Career-high 13 tackles vs. Washington.

DE John Williams: Back after suffering a season-ending injury in last season's opener.

CB D.J. Wolfe: Had two interceptions last season, including one that he returned 65 yards for a touchdown against Kansas ... recovered a fumble vs. UAB.

Tuesday, August 04
Tuesday, August 04
Thursday, July 23
Tuesday, July 21