NORMAN — All spring, the Oklahoma coaches have insisted they weren't missing a beat in the defensive backfield, despite losing both starting cornerbacks in Reggie Smith and Marcus Walker.
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Turns out, they weren't kidding.
The cornerback trio of Dominique Franks, Brian Jackson and Jonathan Nelson put on a show Saturday for the 23,306 fans who came to Owen Field for the Red-White spring game as the squad comprised of the first-team offense and second-team defense won 69-40 in a scoring system that awarded points for offensive and defensive accomplishments.
"If you're going to be any good at all defensively, you better be good in this situation and I thought we were,” coach Bob Stoops said, referring to the 30-mile-per-hour wind that plagued the passing game. "I was really pleased with the play of our secondary. I thought their position all day was great. I thought the corners were excellent.”
Franks alone intercepted three passes, including a tipped ball he returned 57 yards for a touchdown in the game's first minute.
After diving for a second interception, he later returned a third pick 35 yards to set up a 27-yard field goal by Jimmy Stevens.
"(Secondary coach Bobby Jack) Wright tells us every day that when the ball goes up, we have to play like a receiver. And when we catch it, go score,” Franks said. "We're getting a little bit more comfortable as we've gone along.
"We've had a great spring and we need to carry that on into the summer.”
While Jackson didn't have an interception, he did cause one.
In the first half off a cornerback blitz, Jackson deflected quarterback Sam Bradford's pass into the air before defensive end Alan Davis made the interception.
Nelson picked off a quick pass in the first half, as well, and raced 81 yards for a score.
"All of the corners, we wanted to come out here and compete,” Jackson said. "I felt like Dom and Jon handled their business.
"As a unit, I feel like we have a chance to be real good.”
Defensive end Frank Alexander returned an interception 31 yards for a third defensive touchdown.
In all, the defense combined for six interceptions and the three touchdowns, dominating an offense that, until the final four minutes of the game, managed to score just one touchdown, in large part due to the gusty weather.
"The offense was at a bad disadvantage with the wind conditions being so horrible,” Stoops said. "Fortunately, we don't have the season in the spring or we'd have to go back to the wishbone.”
Ironically, the first offensive touchdown came on a call made by Shae Farmer of Carrollton, Ga., who, for $2,900, won an online auction to call four offensive plays.
One of those calls resulted in a 51-yard touchdown strike from Bradford to tight end Jermaine Gresham on a play-action post pattern.
Farmer, a lifelong Sooner fan making his first visit to Oklahoma, had told Wilson he wanted Bradford to throw a deep pass to Gresham.
"I was joking in the booth with him, like, hey, you're going to take my job,” Wilson said. "That was a pretty neat deal.”
Fullback Matt Clapp and wide receiver Rashad Hutchins scored on back-to-back touchdown receptions in the game's final two possessions. But before then, the offense struggled for most of the afternoon as it continued to implement a no-huddle scheme.
In the two scrimmages leading up to the Red-White Game, the offense scored just two touchdowns in more than 170 plays.
Bradford finished 12 of 25 passing for 191 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
Backup quarterbacks Joey Halzle, Keith Nichol and Landry Jones didn't fare any better in the wind.
They combined to complete just nine of 33 passes for 112 yards, two touchdowns and three picks.
"Obviously the corners made some plays today and we didn't take care of the ball,” Bradford said. "I think they showed up and played very well.”
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OSU should be a lock or, at least be a favorite for the big12 south this year.No way O-who will even come close to winning the south since,the Gooners have lost alot of there talent in the draft and,due to graduation so,we should take them out at Boon pickens stadium no problem.....I think Texass will be our biggest challenge so,I give my pokes a 50/50 shot on winning in austin....Zac Robinson and,Dez Bryant are going to own all big12 defenses this year.Plus,,Our defense will be be much improved with all the redshirts and,the top quality depth coming in from the JUCO ranks ...Buy your tickets now Pokes fans,we will be in KC for the BIG12 CG....Go Pokes,Big 12 champs 2008
Michael,you are comparing Gary Gibbs to Bob Stoops? Are you serious? UMMM Gary never won a Big 8 Championship and,he beat Texas only 1 time in his stint as an OU coach...I will admit there is work to be done in norman but,do your homework before you make an a@# out of yourself.
Sorry Steve but,when your coach makes 3 million dollars + You should not lose 3 games or more a year for the last 3 years.....Im not saying Stoops is a bad coach or should he be fired but,Gibbs lost 3 or more games a year in 90,91,92,93,94 and he was not considered a big time coach nor was he making as much as Stoops is today.All Im saying is,if you make that kind of money,then you better produce on the field.Its like that in every other job in the U.S. and football should not be otherwise.
Sorry Steve but,when your coach makes 3 million dollars + You should not lose 3 games or more a year for the last 3 years.....Im not saying Stoops is a bad coach or should he be fired but,Gibbs lost 3 or more games a year in 90,91,92,93,94 and he was not considered a big time coach,nor was he making as much as Stoops is today.All Im saying is,if you make that kind of money,then you better produce on the field.Its like that in every other job in the U.S. and, an Oklahoma football coach should not be no different...He needs to quit living off the 2000 team and (which were not his players) and start getting on the ball,and find out why we cant win a bowl game.
Michael, how about you shut up and jump off the bandwagon for good. If you don't believe in Sooner Magic, then you are not a true fan and the rest of us are better without you spouting off like a jerk
Michael, how about you shut up and jump off the bandwagon for good. If you don't believe in Sooner Magic, then you are not a true fan and the rest of us are better without you spouting off like a jerk
You friggen fair weather fans make me sick. So we lost a game or two. Have you never lost at anything? Where are all your NC rings? Its a fan that still wears his OU shirt after the losses. OU is a dang good team and if things work out we will be fine. If there are problems and we lose, so be it. You can't win them all. Grow a sack or find another team.
Roger: "Sooner Magic and win at the end"
Oh yes,like they did against Colorado,Texas Tech,WV,Boise State,USC,LSU,and,on and on.....Nope,im not falling for it this year either.Time for them to put up or shut up.
"We'll come out with all the hand wringing" Jeff? We?
You have a turd in your pocket? I'm not saying to drink the Stoopstown Kool-Aid but stop the effing whining about a scrimmage. Change your allegiance to oswho if you're going to expect shoddy playing and coaching without trying at any level to be a fan.You people are P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C Suck it up and be a Sooner why dontcha!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
M from OKC and I will be the real fans. You other posers be the whiney beaches leaving the game before we pull some Sooner Magic and win at the end.
Wow, the only offensive TD came off a play-action pass play called by a fan. That's not surprising considering that Coach Wilson doesn't seem to know what "play-action" is. It's using deception to fool the opposing defense. Coach Kevin Wilson could learn a lot from Mr. Farmer.
"I was joking in the booth with him, like, hey, you're going to take my job,” Wilson said. Hey Kevin, that's not a bad idea. This was an embarrasment for the program. A fan calls a play that results in a touchdown, something the OC with all his experience can't seem to accomplish. I miss the days when the Sooners had a pair and called some gutsy plays to win games.
i'm looking forward to another great season. we should easily cut through the non-conference schedule, the patsy conference play and then lose in a BCS game to someone from the mountain west. then we'll come out with all the hand-wringing, finger pointing and excuses. I'm already looking forward to January.
Anyway, I think the headline is misrepresentative of the article.
The headline says defense, but the article talks about the defensive backs, even in the first sentence.
Thank you posters for the brilliant analysis. It's not that easy to win conference championships (5 in 10 years)and BCS bowl bids. Much less beat what amounts to one of the best 4 or 5 teams in the nation when you get to the bowl. Has Coach Stoops lost some perceived invincibility? Maybe, but he's firing out a team that has a realistic chance at the NC every year. You people have no clue what it takes to do that. Give yourselves a break and enjoy a football season that probably won't be perfect for the Sooners.
The point totals in the last 3 BCS games are inexcusable but there have been plenty of good defensive performances in the Venables era. OU shut out Texas in 2004 - the first time Texas had been held scoreless in 20+ years. Vince Young was the QB that day. OU's defense is the only one in the conference that has slowed down Texas Tech's offense. ('07 was a departure from previous dominance but the entire team mentally fell apart for a 10 min stretch after Sam went down). The Sooners played solid to outstanding defense against a potent Missouri offense in their last three meetings. While the defense didn't play great in OU's losses, the primary cause was the disappearance of the OU offense. Poor offense can put defenses in tough positions. I'm not worried about this area or that area - my concern is more consistency and then motivation in the post-season.
I can only speak for myself but, my sentiments are the same as the first two posters. If being a loyal fan means that you have to swallow everything you hear from an adoring media then I will probably fail the test. I think the coacing staff is very good. My problem is that the players are not as good or as fast as we are led to believe. This last NFL Combine and the Fiesta Bowl were a wake up call for me. I don't see USC getting blown out or even losing bowl games.
"Defense didn't miss a beat" Im not getting my hopes up this year...Your talking about a defense who is going up against an offense that was dominated by WV....I have fallen for this line once before.....Our defense has not done squat since Mike Stoops left and,im not looking for that to change at all this year.
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OU cornerback Dominique Franks runs back one of his three interceptions during Saturday's spring game in Norman. by STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
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Oh yes,like they did against Colorado,Texas Tech,WV,Boise State,USC,LSU,and,on and on.....Nope,im not falling for it this year either.Time for them to put up or shut up.
"We'll come out with all the hand wringing" Jeff? We?
You have a turd in your pocket? I'm not saying to drink the Stoopstown Kool-Aid but stop the effing whining about a scrimmage. Change your allegiance to oswho if you're going to expect shoddy playing and coaching without trying at any level to be a fan.You people are P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C Suck it up and be a Sooner why dontcha!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
M from OKC and I will be the real fans. You other posers be the whiney beaches leaving the game before we pull some Sooner Magic and win at the end.
The headline says defense, but the article talks about the defensive backs, even in the first sentence.