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Sun April 13, 2008
OU notebook: Wind affects game
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Mossis Madu, center, cuts between Sam Proctor, left, and Keenan Clayton during Saturday's game. By STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
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Clayton pulls double duty at linebacker
Keenan Clayton knew what to expect on Saturday. He'd been doing it all spring.
The junior linebacker would play nearly every defensive snap, switching back and forth between the first and second-team defense to make up for the loss of redshirt freshman Austin Box.
Still, Clayton wasn't sure what toll the workload might take in a full-game setting.
"At first I was like, ‘Man I don't know how I'm going to be able to handle this,' ” he said. "But we've been going three hours in practice — just as many snaps as we are out here in the scrimmage.”
Clayton, who gradually transitioned from safety to linebacker over the course of his redshirt sophomore season in 2007, logged four tackles, including a sack in the Red-White Game.
He only left the field when the Oklahoma defense switched into its "22-personnel” set.
"I'd say I had an alright day,” Clayton said. "I had a couple of mental busts. Those are plays I have to make. I believe I can do a whole lot better.”
Clayton might have been his biggest critic. Both head coach Bob Stoops and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Brent Venables praised Clayton at length after the scrimmage.
•Windy woes: Wind gusts upwards of 30 mph met the Sooners as they took the field.
And while one could blame Mother Nature for struggles in the passing game throughout the afternoon, no one had more excuse than the OU kickers.
"The wind was absolutely crazy,” said redshirt freshman Jimmy Stevens, who converted three field goal attempts and four extra points despite the elements. "It was swirling so much we had to squib it on kickoffs. I was even worried about the short field goals.”
Stevens was supposed to begin the game kicking off for the first team, but was replaced by Matthew Moreland on the opening kickoff at Stoops behest. Moreland has exhibited a stronger boot on kickoff duty this spri