3-2-1-30: Thirty last-minute notes and observations, 30 minutes before the opener

Coach Bob Stoops chuckled when a renamed "Bob Stoops Press Box" was suggested Monday. "That would be ironic, wouldn't it?" he replied. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE PHOTO

30. Sun Bowl Stadium is really cool. This is my first time here, and I’m really impressed with the overall scene here.

29. I’m thinking Brannon Green and Taylor McNamara will probably split time pretty evenly at tight end. Each have things they need to work on, and this is a good time to get better against real competition.

28. You think Austin Haywood is kicking himself right now? He would without question be the man at tight end if he could’ve gotten along with coaches.

27. What do you think it’d be like to live in that little community of houses just northeast of the stadium, in the mountains?

26. OU is 2-0 all-time against UTEP, beating the Miners 55-14 in 2000 to kickstart their national championship run, and then 68-0 in 2002.

25. It’ll be interesting to see how the punters do. UTEP’s Ian Campbell is among the best in the nation, but he also kicks in higher altitude for his home games. Wonder how Tress Way will do tonight?

24. But I doubt he has to punt much. I’ll be shocked if he punts more than two or three times all night.

23. It’s still really hot in El Paso, even at 8 p.m. local time.

22. That said, I bet the Pride of Oklahoma marching band is burning up in those uniforms.

21. Penn State transfer Justin Brown, a senior receiver, made a slick one-handed catch during warm-ups.

20. I bet Brown catches at least one touchdown tonight.

19. Do you think Bob Stoops has ever been more eager to reach a season-opening game? After the offseason they’ve had, I’m sure this game is a bigger relief than it usually is.

18. On second thought, I bet the 2006 opener (a few weeks after the Rhett Bomar saga) was a bigger relief.

17. I’ll be interested to see how often OU’s defense plays in any set other than a 4-2-5. I’ll bet it’s not much, if at all.