Sooners Scrimmage on Owen Field

NORMAN— The 10th day of training camp for the University of Oklahoma football team saw the Sooners hold their first controlled scrimmage on Saturday. The 90-minute session was held on Owen Field and included music blaring through the Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium speakers the entire time.

"I thought the guys did really well," said head coach Bob Stoops, the winningest coach in OU history with a 168-44 record. "A lot of game management issues, but it was a pretty good day.

"We've got a lot of work to continue to do, but guys have had a great attitude in how they're working. And we don't have any major injuries. So we've just got to keep bringing them along."

The offense got the best of the defense early in the scrimmage, with junior Trevor Knight hooking up with redshirt freshman Mark Andrews on a back-of-the-endzone touchdown play and junior running back Daniel Brooks going 75 yards for a score after a catch from junior Baker Mayfield.

Not long after, sophomore cornerback Jordan Thomas swung the momentum with a nice interception on a deep sideline ball while covering sophomore receiver Jeffery Mead, who is five inches taller.

"I kind of knew it was coming since it was third and 16," said Thomas. "They were going to go to the guy who is 6-6 and is longer than everybody else. It was single-side and it was just me and him. I had a lot of field to work with and I kind of knew the fade ball was coming. I'm a littler guy in respect to him, so once the ball went up there was a lot of separation between us. I kind of squeezed and cut him off so he couldn't get to it and it was just me and the ball at that point. I just stuck my hand out there, kind of closed my eyes a little bit, touched it and was like, 'Oh, there it is!' I really didn't get my eyes on it but was able to haul it in."

thomas fall camp

Sophomore cornerback Jordan Thomas celebrates after his interception.

Defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Stoops commented after the scrimmage that his defense is moving in the right direction.

"We've played pretty well throughout camp," he said. "We're installing the majority of our defense; we've got about 75 or 80 percent of it (in). There are some things we need to get better at, but I'm pleased with our overall play and we're staying relatively healthy.

"It's still about alignments and assignments, and then playing hard. Those are three elements of defense that have to be consistent."
D.C. Mike Stoops

"To me, it's still about alignments and assignments, and then playing hard," continued Mike Stoops. "Those are three elements of defense that have to be consistent if you want to be good. Understanding where you align, understanding your responsibility and then being able to play with technique and play hard. If you can do that, you can be a good defense."

Asked afterward about the quarterback race among Knight, Mayfield and sophomore Cody Thomas, first-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Lincoln Riley praised all three of them.

"All three played well," said Riley. "They had command, took care of the ball, made a lot of plays. It's a heck of a competition. It's been fun to watch them all get better. Where they were three months ago and where they are right now is a night-and-day difference. I wouldn't trade those three for anybody."

Riley added that the offensive players are starting to more fully grasp the principles associated with his high-octane system.

"We're improving," he said. "It's fun when they start to take ownership of it themselves and it doesn't become some outside offense that got brought in; it starts to become Oklahoma's offense, and the players' offense. Because that's what it is. It's not mine, it's not anybody else's. It's theirs. And so we're starting to see some of that ownership, they're starting to understand what we're doing and they're playing hard and having a great time. It was a fun day."

Players Mentioned

Mark Andrews

Daniel Brooks

Trevor Knight

Baker Mayfield

Jeffery Mead

Cody Thomas

Jordan Thomas

Jordan Thomas

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics