Notebook: October, 2011

Monday, October 31

Josh Heupel's 14 Foundation will hold its annual Holiday Food Drive this Saturday prior to the OU vs. Texas A&M game. Cash donations will be accepted at the stadium gates. For those not attending the game who still have an interest in contributing, donations can be sent to: 14 Foundation, PO Box 1613, Norman, OK, 73070.

This marks the 11th year for the drive, which began while Heupel was a quarterback at Oklahoma in 2000. More than 100,000 meals have been served since the drive's inception. This year, it is anticipated the 15,000 meals will be served in at least 10 different Oklahoma communities. Other organizations that play an active role in the project include OU's football program, the Oklahoma Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

Josh Heupel's 14 Foundation | Sooner Gameday Central

BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Landry Jones has been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week following his record-performance Saturday at Kansas State. Jones completed 35-of-47 passes for a school-record 505 yards and five touchdowns. OU finished with 690 yards of total offense.

Jones Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

Sunday, October 30

Bob Barry, Sr., the "Voice of the Sooners" from 1961-1972 and 1991-2011, has passed away at the age of 80. View official statements released by the University of Oklahoma, photos from Barry's legendary 50 years in broadcasting and more:

OU Mourns the Loss of Bob Barry | Photo Gallery | Facebook

OU-A&M SET FOR 2:30
ABC has announced that Saturday's game between Oklahoma and Texas A&M in Norman will kick off at 2:30 p.m. (CT).

OU Football Schedule | Printable Schedule | Downloadable

Wednesday, October 19

Quarterback Landry Jones is among the 10 finalists for the 2011 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The other finalists are Nick Foles (Arizona), Robert Griffin III (Baylor), Case Keenum (Houston), Andrew Luck (Stanford), Kellen Moore (Boise State), Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M), Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State), Russell Wilson (Wisconsin) and Tyler Wilson (Arkansas). OU's Jason White won the award in 2004.

Golden Arm Award | OU's National Award Winners | History

Monday, October 17

Ryan Broyles has been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Oklahoma's 47-17 win at Kansas. Broyles had 13 catches for a school-record 217 yards while also setting the NCAA career receptions record and Big 12 career TD receptions record during the game. Broyles also had 84 punt return yards to give him an all-purpose total of 301.

Broyles Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

K-STATE SET FOR 2:30
The time for OU's game at Kansas State on Oct. 29 has been set for 2:30 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on ESPN.

OU Football Schedule | Printable Schedule | Downloadable

Wednesday, October 12

Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman: "Bob Stoops had a subliminal message for college football during his press conference Tuesday. Watch out for the Sooners in 2012. Maybe it was because the Texas spin, after a 55-17 Sooner romp last Saturday, was that the Longhorns are young. Maybe it was because Stoops wants..."

Young Sooners Look Loaded for 2012 - The Oklahoman

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Keys to the Game: Kansas vs. Oklahoma - CBS Sports

Heisman Help for Landry Jones? - Norman Transcript

Receptions Record Will be in Good Hands - Tulsa World

Jones Not Worried About NFL Right Now - The Oklahoman

OU Shows Texas There's Something Missing - FS Southwest

OU's Defensive TDs Making a Statements - The Oklahoman

Stoops' Loyalty to Brent Venables - Tulsa World

Not OK With Sooners' Fall in Polls - Washington Examiner

Jones Will Wait on NFL Decision - Norman Transcript

Stoops Doesn't Feel Sorry for Texas - Dallas Morning News

OU-Texas Telecast Produces Huge Rating - The Oklahoman

No. 3 Sooners Trying to Avoid Letdown - Associated Press

Landry Jones, Sooners Awarded, Movies - Tulsa World

Sooners Forcing Voters to Look Again - Sports Illustrated

OU-OSU One of Three Biggest Games Left - Yahoo Sports

First Half Video Review | Second Half - The Oklahoman

Video: Is There a Bias Against Oklahoma? - ESPN

Emig: Missing Mark Mangino - Tulsa World

How Did Sooners Treat Texas in Dallas? - Yahoo Sports

Defense Adds New Look in Texas Rout - The OU Daily

Sooners Yielding Kickoff Return TDs - Tulsa World

Video: Jones Shreds Texas, Solidifies Status - CBS Sports

Tuesday, October 11

After a career-high 13 tackles and a fumble return for a TD, Jamell Fleming has been named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week. Fleming is the third Sooner and second different defensive player to earn a national weekly honor following OU's win over Texas. Frank Alexander collected the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Landry Jones the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week.

Fleming is also the second Sooner to collect the Nagurski weekly award this season after Javon Harris won it for his two-interception outing at Florida State. Both Fleming and Harris are now on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Year.

Fleming Earns Nagurski National Player of the Week

BROYLES NEARS RECORD
Ryan Broyles needs just four catches to break the NCAA record for career receptions. He currently has 313. The mark is held by Taylor Stubblefield, who caught 316 passes for Purdue from 2001-2004. So far this season, Broyles has 47 grabs for 598 yards (119.6 per game, 12.7 per catch) and seven touchdowns.

For his career, Broyles has 313 catches for 4,027 yards and 42 TDs. Already the Big 12's all-time leader in receptions, he needs one more touchdown catch to set the league mark in that category.

LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN
Opportunities to see the Sooners at home in 2011 are dwindling. The OU Athletics Ticket Office announced today it has a limited number of tickets remaining for the Iowa State (Nov. 26) and only singles left for Texas Tech (Oct. 22). Both games kick off at 7 p.m.

Order Tickets Online | (405) 325-2424 or (800) 456-GoOU

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES
Sooner Defensive Line Quieting Doubters - Tulsa World
Whaley's Numbers Similar to Peterson's- The Oklahoman
Sooners Determined Not to Lose Focus - Norman Transcript
Staples: Oklahoma is Truly Wonderful - Sports Illustrated
Midseason Report: 5-0 Oklahoma Sooners - ESPN
Awards Week for the Sooners After UT Win - Tulsa World
Bring on Huskers, Alexander, Jones, Fleming - The Oklahoman
Stoops Not Satisfied With Rout of Texas - Tulsa World
Gap Exists Between Oklahoma, Oklahoma State - ESPN
Jamell Fleming, Landry Jones Honored -Norman Transcript
Oklahoma Poised for Offensive Explosion - The Oklahoman
Klein's Big 12 Conference Football Rankings- Tulsa World
Sooners Sweep Big 12 Weekend Rewind - ESPN
BCS National Title Game? Still OU vs. Alabama - CBS Sports
Variations of Same Theme: OU Owned Texas - Tulsa World

Monday, October 10

Following OU's commanding 55-17 victory over Texas, Landry Jones has been named the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week. Jones completed 31-of-50 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns. In Oklahoma's past three games, Jones has collected 1,240 passing yards and 11 TDs. He currently ranks second in the nation in total offense, averaging 363.2 yards per game.

Jones Quarterback of the Week | Davey O'Brien Award

BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Landry Jones and Jamell Fleming swept the Big 12's Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards following OU's 55-17 win over Texas. Jones threw for 367 yards while Fleming had a career-high 13 tackles and returned a fumble 56 yards for a touchdown as OU's defense held the Longhorns to just 259 total yards.

Jones, Fleming Named Big 12 Players of the Week

BEDNARIK WATCH LIST
The Maxwell Foundation announced today that Oklahoma defensive ends Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis have been added to the watch list for the 2011 Bednarik Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in college football.

Maxwell Football Foundation | OU National Award Winners

TEXAS TECH TIME ANNOUNCED
The game time for OU's game against Texas Tech on Oct. 22 in Norman has been set for 7 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on ABC.

OU Football Schedule | Printable Schedule | Downloadable

From ESPN: "Defensive ends Frank Alexander, who is having an All-Big 12-caliber season, and Ronnell Lewis were relentless off the edge, combining for five sacks and seven tackles for loss against the Longhorns. David King and R.J. Washington also had success rushing the passer, each recording a quarterback pressure..."

OU Defensive Line Takes Over With Eight Sacks - ESPN

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Oklahoma Has the Talent Here and Now - NBC Sports

Sooners Just Focused on Getting Better - Norman Transcript

Sooners Give Texas Much-Needed Beating - FS Southwest

Notice to College Football World: OU - New York Daily News

OU Sends Message With Rout of Texas - New York Post

Oklahoma Puts Texas In Its Place, 55-17 - Yahoo Sports

OU-Texas Video Breakdown: First Half - The Oklahoman

Sooner Defense Declares Shark Week at OU - Yahoo Sports

Landry Jones Continues to Develop, Improve - Tulsa World

Day-After Blog: Texas Takedown - The Oklahoman

Defensive End Frank Alexander Honored - Norman Transcript

Winners and Losers: Easy, Oklahoma Winner - CBS Sports

Oklahoma's Air Game Knows No Bounds - ESPN

All That Jaz, Fleming Plays With Fury, History - Tulsa World

Sooners: No Weak Links on Defense - The Oklahoman

OU Just as Good as LSU, Bama - Austin American-Statesman

Beating Texas Satisfying to Brent Venables - Tulsa World

Oklahoma's Sharks Feast on Young Longhorns - ESPN

On Day of Defenses, Sooners Stand Out - CBS Sports

UT Not Much Better Than 2010 Disaster - The Oklahoman

Passing Game, Defense Carries Sooners - The OU Daily

Despite Crushing Texas, Sooners Stay Put in Poll - Forbes

Sooners Had Coaching Edge, Big-Time - Tulsa World

Oklahoma, Oklahoma State on Collision Course - USA Today

Up Next for the Sooners: Scouting Kansas - The Oklahoman

Humiliating the Longhorns an Excellent Day - Boston Herald

Jones, Defense Shine in Thrashing of Texas - Tulsa World

Emotion There for OU's Defensive Coordinator - ESPN

Sooner Defense Sets the Tone in Dallas - Norman Transcript

Oklahoma Made a Case for No. 1 Ranking - Tulsa World

Video: OU-Texas Report Card - KOTV 6 Tulsa

Ikard Didn't See Himself Blocking Texas - The Oklahoman

Sunday, October 9

Oklahoma senior DE Frank Alexander has been named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in OU's 55-17 win over Texas. Alexander posted six tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry as Oklahoma gave up just 259 yards of total offense.

Alexander is the second Sooner to earn a national weekly honor this season, following Javon Harris, who earned the Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week award after his two-interception outing at Florida State on Sept. 17.

Alexander Named National Defensive Player of the Week

Friday, October 7

John Shinn of the Norman Transcript: "It's why the difference in the Red River Rivalry typically comes down to poise. Year after year, one team handles the wild and crazy atmosphere and the often violent momentum swings better than the other. Here are five reasons why poise rules OU-Texas games on an annual basis..."

Can't Overlook Importance of Poise - Norman Transcript

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Dominique Whaley Stayed Persistent to Play - Tulsa World

Sooners, Longhorns Put Seasons on Line - Yahoo Sports

Tom Wort Playing Lights Out for OU - San Antonio Express

Lewis OU's Version of Pocket Rockets - The Oklahoman

Our Pick: Sooners Unrivaled Against Texas - Boston Herald

Ten Seasons Ago, Superman Took Flight - ESPN

Travis Lewis Not Playing for Revenge - San Antonio Express

Broyles' Last Chance, Number Game, Freshmen - Tulsa World

Landry Jones Feels More Prepared - Dallas Morning News

Red River Rivalry Whets Football Appetite - Seattle Times

Could Finch, Whittaker Provide Tricks? - The Oklahoman

Stoops Can't Deny Exhilaration - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Game of the Week: It's OU-Texas - Sports Illustrated

Tom Wort Could Make Ultimate Difference - Tulsa World

Austin Box Remains on Sooners' Minds - ESPN

Three Factors That Could Shape OU-Texas - The Oklahoman

Scouting Out 2011 OU-Texas Game - Dallas Morning News

Maturing Broyles Nears NCAA Record - Associated Press

Travis Lewis, By the Numbers - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

The Pick: Oklahoma Beats Texas , 34-20 - NBC Sports

Surprise: Turnovers Key to OU-Texas Game - The Oklahoman

Ball Security Key in OU-Texas Showdown - ESPN

OU-Texas Offers Intrigue On, Off Field - Seattle Times

Protecting Landry Jones a Team Effort - The Oklahoman

Thursday, October 6

Mike Baldwin of the Oklahoman: "Because he's had so much success, defensive coordinators game plan to minimize Broyles' impact. "He's had to learn how to work against double coverage, bump-and-run coverage and Buffalo coverage, where they're playing outside and deep," Norvell said. "He's also had patience..."

Broyles Missing Big Game Against Texas - The Oklahoman

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Healthy Alexander Ready for OU-Texas - Norman Transcript

QB Experience, Realign This, Surprise - Tulsa World

OU's California Duo Making Waves - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

All Lanes Open for Fans Heading South I-35 - The Oklahoman

OU-Texas Games Means a Lot to Stephen Good - Tulsa World

Horns to Alternate Covering Ryan Broyles - Dallas Morning News

Red River QB Paths Diverged After Classic - ESPN

OU-Texas: Bob Stoops vs. Mack Brown - The Oklahoman

Impact, Making a Statement, Texas Tricks - The OU Daily

McCoy-Shipley 2, Rotating QBs, Trey Millard - Tulsa World

Sooners, Longhorns Take Center Stage - Kansas City Star

Griffin Celebrity Picker, Deflected Passes - The Oklahoman

Sooners' Defense Could be Tough to Crack - ESPN

Looking Back at Ranked Rivalry - Tulsa World

Stoops Hints at Future of OU-Texas - Dallas Morning News

OU, Texas Are Good for Each Other - The Oklahoman

Wednesday, October 5

Clay Horning of the Norman Transcript: "People forget, but the most telling factor in Red River Rivalry success tends to be Red River Rivalry success. If you won last year, you'll probably win this year. It's just the nature of the rivalry. So, there's that. Then there's the fact OU's just plain better, pretty much across the..."

Waiting for Next Big OU-Texas Memory - Norman Transcript

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

OU Already Has Plenty of Motivation vs. Texas - Tulsa World

Oklahoma's Bob Stoops in Good Spirits Monday - ESPN

Stoops Confident OU Can Handle Atmosphere - Norman Transcript

Hurst, Nelson Excited to Play in Dallas - ESPN

Stoops on Texas Fans, O-Line Adjusts, Poll - The Oklahoman

Wort Takes Warrior's Words to Heart - Yahoo Sports

Stoops Addresses OU-Texas Partnership - Tulsa World

Keys to Victory for Sooners, Longhorns - The OU Daily

OU's Jefferson Emerging in Superman's Spot - Associated Press

One Tackle Lewis Glad He Didn't Make - Tulsa World

Stoops, Brown Have "Respectful" Relationship - USA Today

Brandon Williams Patiently Awaits Turn - The Oklahoman

Life Without Texas, Nike Makes It, Jones - Norman Transcript

Viewer's Guide: All Eyes on Dallas for OU-Texas - Yahoo Sports

Brandon Williams Will Likely Sit This One Out - Tulsa World

Sooners Still Looking for Respect - Wall Street Journal

New-Look Texas Offense Warrants Attention - The Oklahoman

Video: Sooners, Horns Renew Red River Rivalry - NBC Sports

First-Time QBs Typically Don't Fare Well - Tulsa World

Conference Dispute Reignites Red River Rivalry - FS Southwest

Palm: OU, Alabama Still Projected to Meet - CBS Sports

Sooner Special Teams Focus on Improving - The OU Daily

Living With 11 a.m. Kickoff at Cotton Bowl - The Oklahoman

Sooners Must Keep Jones' Pants Clean - Shawnee News-Star

Rushing Yards Key to OU-Texas Victory - The OU Daily

Sooners Playing Texas With Box on Mind - KTUL Tulsa

Tuesday, October 4

Jake Trotter of ESPN: "Now, probably more than ever, Oklahoma needs to defeat the Longhorns. Needs to pummel them into oblivion. Needs to humble college football's biggest diva. Yes, the game has Big 12 championship implications, although Oklahoma State seems to be OU's top competitor for the conference..."

Oklahoma or Texas? Who Needs This Win More? - ESPN

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Sooners Must Prepare for Two Texas QBs - Norman Transcript

Everyone Healthy, Hunnicutt, Experience - The Oklahoman

Landry Jones Overcame Tough Start - San Antonio Express

Freshman Kicker Goes From Fan to Starter - Tulsa World

Oklahoma's Broyles, Stills Form Dynamic Duo - ESPN

Landry Jones Ranks With OU's Best - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Texas on Rise Just in Time for Sooners - Sporting News

Sooners No. 3 in the Polls? No Problem - Norman Transcript

Travis Lewis Gets Box's No. 12 for Texas? - The Oklahoman

Franks, Injuries, We're No. 3, Late in Lawrence - Tulsa World

OU, Texas Unbeaten Ahead of Red River Rivalry - ESPN

Franks Rejoins Sooners Ahead of Texas Game - The OU Daily

Mack Brown Praises OU QB Landry Jones - The Oklahoman

Forget Realignment, It's OU-Texas - Tulsa World

Where Were You When Superman Flew? - The Oklahoman

Football Ranking Not Worth Worrying About - The OU Daily

OU-Texas a Top-10 Affair Again - KTUL Tulsa

Oklahoma and SEC. Why Not, Again? - The Oklahoman

OU, Texas Unbeaten Ahead of Red River Rivalry - ESPN

Bob Stoops Does the Texas State Fair - The Oklahoman

Monday, October 3

John Shinn of the Norman Transcript: "Oklahoma turned to Texas late Saturday night. It didn't take very long to figure out after the 62-6 victory over Ball State at Owen Field. "I'm extremely excited," Sooner quarterback Landry Jones said. "This is one of the bigger games of the season. Obviously, it's a fun week for us..."

Focused Practices Lead to Improvement - Norman Transcript

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Don't Throw Out the Rankings for OU-Texas - The Oklahoman

Focused Sooners Rolled Ball State Ahead of UT - Tulsa World

Red River Rivalry Again Appointment Viewing - Sports Illustrated

Landry Stays Hot, Big Plays, Topping Chart - Norman Transcript

Sooners Must Prep for New UT Offense - The Oklahoman

Power Ratings: Big 12 Conference Football - Athlon Sports

Tony's Game? Insane, Crazy, Amazing - Tulsa World

OU-Texas Quote Board: Fabulous Stage - The Oklahoman

Effort Good, But Was It Texas Good? - Muskogee Phoenix

Dom Whaley Proves He's OU's Best RB - The Oklahoman

First Look at Texas, Fowler Factor, Real treat - Tulsa World

Sooners Enter RRR on a Roll - Dallas Morning News

Landry Huge as Sooners Smother Ball State - CBS Sports

Red River Rivalry: Bob Stoops vs. Mack Brown - The Oklahoman

Morning After: Reviewing OU's Big Win - The Oklahoman

OU, Texas Set Up Big Game Again - Tulsa World

Bowl Projections: OU vs. Alabama or LSU? - ESPN

Video: Report Card on OU's 62-6 Win - KOTV 6 Tulsa

Big 12 Conference Football Power Ratings - ESPN

Video Review: 62-6 Win Against Ball State - The Oklahoman

Saturday, October 1

John Shinn of the Norman Transcript: "The Sooners are heavy favorites, but the Cardinals present offensive problems. They run the same up-tempo offense Missouri did. Ball State put up 48 points last week against Army. "We can't allow big plays," cornerback Demontre Hurst said. "Each time we've played had..."

Big Plays Have Been a Big Issue for D - Norman Transcript

OU FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Whaley Opens Window to Life of Walk-On - The Oklahoman

1956 Sooners Gather, Enjoy Again Rout of Irish - Tulsa World

OU Faces Familiar Offense Scheme - Muskogee Phoenix

Which Unit Needs to Improve the Most? - The Oklahoman

More of Millard, Clay and Stills, Defensive Ends - Tulsa World

All Eyes on Bigger, Better Lineman Ikard - The Oklahoman

Storylines: Have a Ball, Finding Stills, Just D It - Tulsa World

Sooners Face Ball State in Final Tuneup - Associated Press

Clay Doesn't Feel Pressure With Playmakers - The Oklahoman