The next look at the Sooners might not come until Sept. 2, when OU opens the season at home against UAB.
Advertisement
Barring a change, all practices and scrimmages will be closed to fans and media from now through the season.
Wednesday scrimmage: The Sooners scrimmaged to finish Wednesday’s practice, going at it the final 45 minutes.
“It went well,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “Guys still have some polishing to do, but we’re making progress.”
Always a hot topic, the play of quarterback Paul Thompson: “I’m really pleased with the progress Paul is making. He’s getting more and more comfortable and familiar with what he’s seeing and where he’s going with the football.
“He’s just got to keep getting snaps.”
Oregon Okie: Oregon defensive tackle Jeremy Gibbs, a Northeastern A&M Junior College transfer once on OU’s recruiting radar, created a stir before the Ducks’ first scrimmage last Friday.
Gibbs and offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz engaged in a pre-scrimmage shoving match that escalated to involve several linemen firing punches at one another.
“Hey, it was the first day in pads,” Gibbs told The Oregonian. “Everybody’s just excited, and tempers fly sometimes.”
OU plays at Oregon on Sept. 16.
Mentor Messner: As the lone senior, Chris Messner might feel out of place among OU’s offensive linemen.
Instead, he’s been as much a mentor as a teammate, providing guidance to anyone willing to listen.
“Chris helps all the young guys,” sophomore center Jon Cooper said. “He was helping me last year. He was playing tackle, and I was playing center and he was still helping me.
“He’s working on his off plays, showing younger guys what to do.”
Spotlight savvy: Anytime players are made available to the media, Thompson draws a crowd, for obvious reasons.
It’s far different - and more demanding - than when Thompson was at wide receiver.
Still, he’s more than accommodating. And he’s been in focus before, during quarterback battles through his years at OU.
“I’ve always felt comfortable talking to you guys,” Thompson told a gathering when asked about the increased attention. “Going back to when it was me, Jason (White), Brent (Rawls) and Noah (Allen), with that battle, there was a lot of media.
“It seems like it’s been every year where there’s been something about Paul that you want to know about. So it’s definitely something I’m used to.”
By John Helsley
Prev
