OU notebook

Published: October 14, 2007

A week after being exploited by Texas tight end Jermichael Finley, Reynolds found himself on the sideline watching Nic Harris and Lewis Baker chase Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman all over the field.

"I thought it worked out really well,” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "There were some issues in regards to matchups. We wanted to put guys in who could handle those matchups. Ryan understood.”

Reynolds, the Sooners' second-leading tackler, is the weakest of the OU linebackers in pass coverage. Venables told Reynolds last Sunday his role would be reduced.

"There are some things he needs to get better at, and he will,” Venables said. "But he also watches tape and that's where they attack you — where he was going to be at.”

Venables estimated Reynolds saw the field for 30 of Missouri's 79 offensive snaps. He finished the game with four tackles.

Coffman and Rucker combined for 137 yards and a touchdown on 16 catches.

• Return of the Mac: Missouri wideout Jeremy Maclin continued his reign as the NCAA leader in all-purpose yardage, rushing four times for 32 yards and two touchdowns, catching five passes for 53 yards and amassing 104 yards on three kick returns.

Sooner fans might remember Maclin as a former OU commit. The redshirt freshman originally picked Oklahoma in early 2005, but wavered on his commitment after a December visit to Columbia.

"He's very fast, very explosive,” said Venables, who earlier in the week predicted Maclin would end up an NFL first-round draft pick. "But we got plenty of good players, trust me. He's not the first guy to de-commit.”

• Perfect timing: Mother Nature played 12th Man for the Sooners late in the first quarter.

With 24-mph wind gusts at his back, Bob Stoops called a timeout to keep possession in the north end zone for Garrett Hartley's 28-yard field goal attempt. Hartley boomed it through with four seconds remaining.

"(The wind) was a big factor as far as kickoffs and punts,” Stoops said. "We scored with the wind and were able to kick a good number of (kickoffs) out.”

The thrifty use of game stoppage also allowed OU to kick off with the wind before the quarter expired.

"The only one we didn't kick out going that way was that one, so we wasted a timeout,” Stoops said. "Of course, they don't give you any points at the end of the game for having (timeouts left).”

• What might've been: Oklahoma went 0-for-3 on booth reviews, and each call proved costly for the Sooners.

Chris Brown had a first-quarter touchdown catch overturned after replay officials determined Brown's knee touched the ground at the Missouri 19-yard line.

In the second quarter, video review showed Malcolm Kelly bobbling a 17-yard reception as he fell out of bounds. OU also lost a challenge when replay confirmed Juaquin Iglesias fumbled as he was being tackled on a kick return late in the third quarter.

"I thought I still had the ball, and then when I got up I didn't have it,” Iglesias said.

• No Tony the Tiger: The Tigers were without tailback Tony Temple, their leading rusher (70.2 yards per game), who stayed in Columbia with an ankle injury.

• Possible rematch: Half the season remains before the Big 12 championship game in San Antonio, but a rematch between the Sooners and Tigers definitely is possible.

There's work to be done before then, however. The Tigers (5-1) have a huge contest at home against Texas Tech (6-1) next Saturday.

• Brahaney honored: Oklahoma honored former All-American center Tom Brahaney at halftime. Brahaney will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 4.

Brahaney anchored the OU offensive line during the heyday of the wishbone. He becomes the 18th Sooner enshrined in the hall. Oklahoma's last inductee was Joe Washington in 2005.

Other notable 2007 inductees include Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie, Oregon wide receiver Ahmad Rashad and Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

By Blake Jackson, John Rohde

and Scott Wright

Toolbar sponsored by: David Stanley Ford

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