Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
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3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Untitled Article
March 09, 2013 | Football
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 Bill Bedenbaugh (offensive line), Jerry Montgomery (defensive line) and Jay Boulware (tight ends/special teams coordinator) all made their official Oklahoma debuts on Saturday. No strangers to talented student-athletes and competitive conferences, this trio has brought a new perspective to the staff, which is a good thing according to both co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. "It's been a lot of fun getting some new energy, new ideas, guys that see things from a different perspective; seeing your program from a different perspective, too, looking from the outside in," observed Heupel. "We're excited about the things they bring to the table, respectively at their positions, in the meeting room; the toughness, the discipline, the accountability that I think they're going to help bring to this program." OU's defensive coordinator also appreciates the fresh viewpoint that Montgomery has brought to his side of the ball. Coming from Michigan squad that boasts its own traditional of stellar defensive play, Stoops and the defensive staff have been picking his brain for nuances that could be applied at OU. "Jerry brings a different vantage point than we've had before, and he also provides different ideas," Stoops indicated. "He brings certain newness to our guys and has been very well schooled in his development as a young coach. He may be young but he has a lot of experience and ideas. He understands that playing in the Big 12 is different than playing in the Big Ten. Our issues are a lot different; they see tight ends every week and here, we don't. He's a great person and a very good football coach." Perhaps Boulware summed it up best: "Let's get the job done and let's get this team back to a national championship game." And remember, Boulware has been to the BCS promised land, winning a national title with Auburn in 2011. That's what the Sooners are trying to do in 2013. The process started Saturday.
Head coach Bob Stoops indicated the first two practices were specifically scheduled for the weekend to give the club more flexibility in terms of meeting time as they kicked off spring drills. That flexibility also involved a move to the Everest Indoor Training Center due to rainy conditions in the Norman area on Saturday, Oklahoma's first of 15 practices this spring. After beginning the day with special teams and positional meetings at the Switzer Center, the club conducted a 35-minute walk through before officially starting the spring's initial practice around 10:15 a.m. at the Everest Center. Upon the conclusion of practice around 12:30 p.m. and lunch the Sooners headed back in the meeting rooms to review practice video with their position coaches. The Sooners are slated to be back in meetings on Sunday afternoon and will hit on the practice field around 3 p.m.
Hope springs eternal, and in the world of college football spring typically means an annual ritual of replacing departed personnel and waiting for the next crop of contributors to emerge. Offensively, the Sooners will be looking to replace three individuals who played key roles in 2012 - quarterback Landry Jones and wide receivers Kenny Stills and Justin Brown. Jones started 50 games during his record-setting OU career, while Stills and Brown combined for 155 catches for 1,838 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. According to co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, a great opportunity awaits for a number of players over the course of the spring. "The unique thing about college football is just the turnover that you always have," said Heupel. "Certainly we lost a lot of good football players, guys that played pivotal roles in our program for a long time here. But I'm really excited about the opportunity that some young guys are going to have, some guys that haven't had the opportunity to step up and be big contributors yet up until this point. But they have the opportunity right now for 15 days to go out and prove who they are and what they're about and how they're going to compete." No doubt, competition will be wide open at the receiver position and will continue deep into the summer and the fall. Head coach Bob Stoops is likewise anxious to see who emerges from a group of players of players who saw limited time in 2012. While wide receivers Jalen Saunders and Sterling Shepard both posted solid numbers a year ago, a number of players have a chance to join them on the field in 2013. "When Durron (Neal) was in games he did a great job," Stoops indicated. "He's a big play time guy and strong. Derrick (Woods) was great all year. He was one of our scouts and just an excellent player. Trey (Metoyer) is ready to come on, and he really gets it now, so I think all of those guys are going to be really solid and good for us." Spring is also a time when early enrollees can get a jump-start on their OU careers. According to the head coach, one of those individuals who has been impressive throughout off-season workouts has been Dannon Cavil, who joined the Sooners after a stellar prep career at James Madison High School in San Antonio, Texas. "Dannon Cavil, since he's been here, really is an impressive young man," Stoops said. "He is all of 6-3 maybe 6-4. He's already up to 215 pounds. He's handled the workouts. That's when you can really tell if a guys is ready for it, and he's gone through all the workouts like he's a junior, and that's really exciting, too." Cornerback Ahmad Thomas from Miami (Fla.) Central High School is also an early enrollee for the Sooners. Punter Jed Barnett, who transferred to OU at the semester break is also on campus and participating in spring football. Stoops is a fan of the early enrollment process that he feels gives student-athletes a chance to accelerate their development on a number of levels. "It sure helps them, first, start to mature physically meaning they're really working at a high level here during the winter," Stoops said. "Then they get the snaps and the experience on the field ahead of the summer, so they go into the summer already with a strong idea of what it takes to play." |
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Position: Offensive Line
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