OU football notebook

With John Williams out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, Oklahoma's backup defensive ends — especially junior Alan Davis — will be brought into a more prominent role this Saturday at Colorado.

"I'm ready to step into it,” Davis said Tuesday during OU's weekly press luncheon. "It's unfortunate about John going down, but we're brothers, so I'm gonna have to pick up the slack.”

Davis has played in every game, making five tackles and one sack. But he says preparation took a turn this week.

"I know that I'm gonna have to live up to some standards that people may have for me, the defensive ends,” he said. "I've got to live up to my own standards and goals.

"I'm gonna have to step up and play more of a major role than what I've been playing in a backup role. More film study. Coaches are gonna be on me more, which is alright. I always need that criticism.”

Williams underwent successful surgery on his torn Achilles on Tuesday.

•Brown improving: OU coach Bob Stoops said he does not know if Chris Brown will play Saturday, but said the sophomore running back has improved since taking a hard hit to the head last Friday against Tulsa.

"His check-ups Sunday and Monday were really good,” Stoops said. "We expect him to be able to play. Now, I'm not saying he is yet. That's something they'll check by the end of the week.

"There aren't any lingering signs that there's anything going on there.”

•Going home: For two OU players, Saturday's trip to Boulder, Colo., is like going home. Linemen Jon Cooper and Phil Loadholt each grew up in Colorado — Cooper in Fort Collins and Loadholt in Fountain.

"It's gonna be fun,” Cooper said. "It's an away game, but it's going home for me. I wish I could stay up there all weekend, but I can't. It's not a big deal. But it'll be fun to see some people I haven't seen in a long time.”

Both said they've received countless ticket requests from old friends in Colorado.

"I've heard from people I maybe haven't seen since prom night,” Loadholt said.

•Player criticism: In the aftermath of OSU coach Mike Gundy's recent rant about the criticism of amateur athletes, Stoops was asked if he thought criticism of college players sometimes got out of hand.

"I think we all have