Dawggone Wild
By John Helsley
What’s it worth to have your ailing quarterback quarantined, via airplane, yet available to play?
In the case of Georgia’s Joe Cox, $6,274.
Check it out here,where the Athens paper reveals the plan to deliver Cox to Stillwater for the OSU game separately from the team, so not to risk the spread of a virus he was battling.
That was the charge of a Georgia aviation company to fly Cox into Stillwater solo on the Friday night before kickoff. He had missed Thursday’s practice with a fever of more than 100 degrees.
Cox started the game and played the whole way, but was not all that impressive after an initial drive to a touchdown — the Dawgs’ lone TD drive.
So the return on the investment is questionable.
I guess it’s noble that Georgia didn’t just fly Cox commercial (at a far cheaper amount) and put other passengers at risk of getting sick. Still, this is another example of athletic departments run amok.
Employees at UGA — coaches included — are due to take forced work furloughs because of school-wide cuts. And over in athletics, the appearance is that they’re breaking out the checkbook with little regard for financial restraint.
This kind of free spending isn’t limited to Georgia. In the name of recruiting gains and competitive advantage, convenience is frequently the No. 1 factor in athletic travel among the powerhouse programs.
While the rest of us tighten our belts and skip trips to Starbuck’s, coaching salaries and the price of tickets and concessions and parking continue to soar.
I’m bothered and I’m a media freeloader, with free entry to games and privileged parking, except for the times when I pack up the car and the kids and head off to catch a Cardinals game in St. Louis.
Doesn’t it bother you, the fan, too?
OSU should sit Hunter until A&M
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
With Kendall Hunter doubtful for Saturday’s game with Rice, I figured I’d weigh in on the issue. Should Kendall Hunter return as soon as he can or should he sit out until the Cowboys travel to College Station for their Big 12 opener against Texas A&M on Oct. 10?
If I am Mike Gundy, I would sit Kendall until Big 12 play. What’s the point of bringing him back against Grambling? The Cowboys will be the heavy favorite and Keith Toston and Beau Johnson proved against Houston they can make plays in Hunter’s absence.
I am really interested to see what happens behind Toston and Johnson. If Hunter’s injury was more significant, I think OSU would consider taking the redshirt off Jeremy Smith. I’ve heard lots of good things about Smith but there’s really no point in playing him this season with the Cowboys’ depth at the position.
But I am interested to see Travis Miller get some carries. Miller is one of the fastest Cowboys on the roster so I want to see the redshirt freshman in game action. If the Cowboys get a big lead on Rice, it is likely Miller will see his first action of his collegiate career.
Helsley’s Back and Forth: Week 2
By John Helsley
My weekly look back and ahead at five key talking points for OSU sports:
Rewind
1) Quick Fall. OSU’s run with the big boys didn’t last long; about as long as that skinny, wobbling dude dodging horns at the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. The warnings were out there all week about the dangers of Week 2. Trap game. Houston’s offense. Even the SI jinx. No matter the denials, the Cowboys just didn’t look ready to go from the start against the Cougars. That doesn’t mean they overlooked or disrespected the Cougs. But isn’t it just inevitable that a letdown was to be expected after so much effort and attention went into the Georgia game? Too bad the Cowboys couldn’t have swapped Houston-based foes, playing Rice in Week 2 and the Cougs Week 3.
2) Driving Ford. Travis Ford’s big raise and extension was a shocker, coming after just one season. But know this, OSU athletic director Mike Holder truly believes Ford is the man to drive this program, pardon the pun, to the next level. The new deal gives stability to both coach and school and will make for a strong marriage. And the $3 million buyout ensures that only major fish will test the waters to lure Ford away.
3) Zac Slack. Zac Robinson hasn’t been the same and the proof is in the numbers – yards and points are down for the quarterback and the Cowboys. Rumors about possible hidden injuries are rampant. Anything’s possible, but this reminds me of what I saw with DeMarco Murray last year on the OU beat. Murray, while deemed 100 percent and cleared for action following offsesaon knee surgery, looked slow and indecisive through about half the Sooners season. Then on some run, he stuck his leg in the ground and pushed off hard and nothing bad happened. And his play took off. I think Zac may be similarly hesitant after suffering a second hamstring pull this preseason. And it’s affecting his play. Unlike with Murray, the Cowboys can’t afford to wait half a season for Robinson to regain his mojo.
4) In Defense. Will the real OSU defense please stand up? So good against Georgia, the Cowboys D dipped against Houston. I, however, don’t heap massive blame on the defense, at least not in the second half. The Cowboys played more aggressive, played more press coverage and got themselves off the field. The OSU offense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
5) Where’s Kendall? Cowboys running back Kendall Hunter went missing Saturday, hobbling off the field at halftime and then returning with a protective boot on his foot. Now Hunter is all but ruled out of Saturday’s game with an ankle sprain. How long will he be out? How much will he be missed? Only time will tell on the first question. Check out my story in Wednesday’s paper concerning the second.
Fast Forward
1) Zac’s Back? With Rice and Grambling State on the schedule, along with an open week, before the conference opener at Texas A&M, it’s time for Zac Robinson to re-establish himself as one of the league’s best QBs. Remove all doubts. Erase the rumors. Put the Cowboys offense on the fast track.
2) Being Beau. With Kendall Hunter charging through defenses on his way to the Big 12 rushing crown a year ago, Beau Johnson’s opportunities to carry the ball were limited. Thrown into the mix against Houston, he showed the kind of burst and skill that made him a prized Juco recruit a year ago. Now we’ll get an even better look at Johnson.
3) Dee-fense. Rice will bring an offensive approach identical to Houston to Stillwater, if not similarly talented players. Still, it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys defend the Owls for the adjustments they make, not just for this week, but those many weeks ahead when spread offenses line up on the other side.
4) Pack the Pickens. OK, so the official push for a sellout is set for next week, against Grambling State, with a number of promotions and presumably free tickets flowing to fans, I’m intrigued to see what kind of crowd shows up for Rice. Hopefully, we won’t be channeling Vance Bedford and his ship-jumping rant come Saturday night. There’s still much for OSU fans to get excited about. Let’s see if they realize it.
5) QB Watch. Once the Cowboys get Robinson going, they should get the backups — Alex Cate and Brandon Weeden — on the field to not only get them some game experience, but get a glance at what they may have for next season.
Transcript of Tuesday’s chat
OSU scouting report: Rice Owls
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
According to this story by Houston Chronicle’s Jeffery Martin, Rice is struggling to find a quarterback. But the Owls expect senior John Thomas Shepherd to get the start at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday.
CLICK HERE to watch highlights of the 2008 version of the Rice Owls. Keep in mind most of their offensive weapons have graduated but this gives you a feel for the type of system they run.
Scouting Report: Rice Owls
By Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Rice lost to Texas Tech 55-10 on Saturday. CLICK HERE for a story by Jeffery Martin of the Houston Chronicle about the loss.
Here’s a link to the BOX SCORE of the game.
Rice seems to still be looking for a quarterback, having started different QBs in its first two games. This game appears to be a game in which the Cowboys will need to focus on playing at a certain level, regardless of the score. They can’t let the fact Tech scored 55 against Rice change their approach. They need to concentrate on execution and playing at a high level.
Houston 45, OSU 35: Thoughts and impressions
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
--Turnovers make the difference. Houston capitalized on OSU’s, the Cowboys didn’t capitalize on Houston’s. Period, point blank. Not to mention Houston got their turnovers with the game on the line and OSU got their turnovers in the first half and didn’t take advantage.
–Some may look at this game and think OSU overlooked Houston. I disagree. Houston is a very good football team and they have a great offense with one of the best quarterbacks in the nation at the helm.
–This is going to sound crazy… but I don’t think the defense was horrible. I think they struggled early but Houston had a extremely creative offense and as the game went on, OSU’s defense started getting stops. The defense gave up about what I expected them to. One touchdown came right after a OSU turnover deep in Cowboys territory and another TD came directly off an OSU turnover. That’s 14 of Houston’s 45 points right there. I expected OSU to give up around 30 points and score 45 plus to win. Houston has a creative, explosive offense with a quarterback who runs it with confidence.
–OSU’s offense needs to play with more urgency. Seemed like Zac Robinson didn’t starting running the football until he needed to and they didn’t seem to really start trying to get the ball to Dez Bryant until they were behind. They should be trying to knock teams out right away. I think there’s a hesitation in using Zac to run the ball early in games for fear of injury but I don’t think you can play that way. If Zac gets hurt you have to deal with it but you can’t hold things back until you must make a play. Try to dominate from the opening snap and whatever happens, happens.
–OSU lost Hunter but Beau Johnson and Keith Toston filled in fairly well. Obviously you don’t just replace a Kendall Hunter but those two played well enough for OSU to pull it out.
–Josh Cooper and Justin Blackmon each made plays in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys needed them to. A great sign for the future, and even better, both players said it was good to make plays but they were both extremely disappointed it came in a loss, so it essentially meant nothing to them. It was clear both would rather have last week’s stats (zero catches) and a win than make some plays and take an L.
–The Cowboys pass rush still needs to improve. OSU was put in a position, especially early on, where they felt they had to blitz to get pressure, then Houston would hit them with a screen pass for big yardage. The solution to that problem… a better pass rush. Time for those D-ends to step up.
–OSU ran a 3-3-5 defense at times during the game and it seemed to help slow some of the Cougars’ big play guys.
–It also became clear why the Cowboys are hitting the recruiting trails hard for defensive backs with seven or eight committed right now. In order to stop some of these explosive spread offenses you need to be four or five deep at corner and I don’t think the Cowboys feel like they are. And Perrish Cox and Terrance Anderson are seniors.
–Dez is Dez. If you get him the ball, good things happen. GET HIM THE FOOTBALL! Even if you have to build the offense completely around getting him 15 touches a game. Do that! Go back to when Florida State had Peter Warrick, they built the offense around him. You won’t have Dez after this year, take advantage while you do.
–What happened to the tight ends? Wilson Youman looked a little hobbled and Justin Horton didn’t get many opportunities.
–Final thought: Clearly OSU still has work to do but its goals of a Big 12 title and Big 12 South title are still reachable. The offense needs to get the kinks out and return to its explosive ways… as of right now, I feel like the defense and special teams have held up their end of the bargain, the offense needs to find its rhythm and play to win at all times, not just when they need a play.
Ford Country?
By John Helsley, Staff Writer
OSU took a bold step in locking up basketball coach Travis Ford, signing the second-year coach to a rich extenstion that not only makes him one of the top 20 paid coaches in America, but makes him highly expensive to lure out of Stillwater.
His buyout: $3 million.
For more details on the deal, check out my story on Newsok.com.
Clearly, OSU athletic director Mike Holder thinks he’s got his man. And, hey, there’s reason to believe he may be right. Ford eventually galvanized his first squad a year ago, leading a late rally to the NCAA Tournament, then a win over Tennessee in the first round.
And he’s recruited well.
If Holder’s instincts are correct, Ford could become a hot commodity. He’s a young coach who plays a fast-tempo style that kids like.
There’s appeal in that.
So Holder played the aggressor here, boosting Ford’s salary to $1.8 million now (third in the Big 12 behind KU’s Self and UT’s Barnes) with escalators taking it to $2.8 million in the final years of a contract that now expires in 2019.
That’s a hefty price to beat, as is the $3 million side payment to take Ford away.
At last week’s basketball banquet, Ford worked the room hard, looking very much like a man happy in his surroundings.
Now we know OSU is happy to have him, too.
Download the OSU-Houston Pregame Package
Click the image to download your quick look at this weekend’s OSU football game from The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com — in printable and portable form. (Please note that it is in PDF form.)
Behind Enemy Lines: Houston Cougars
By Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Behind Enemy Lines: Q&A with Houston beat writer Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle
With Houston visiting Stillwater on Saturday, here’s a question and answer session with the Houston Chronicle’s Steve Campbell, the Cougars beat writer.
Brandon Chatmon: What makes Case Keenum so special?
Steve Campbell: Keenum didn’t blow people away with his raw ability in high school, which is why Houston was the only school that offered him a scholarship. He’s the typical coach’s kid in that he has an advanced understanding of the game and the kind of preparation it takes to excel. He has an unusually good feel in the pocket for pressure – and good enough feet to escape and make plays on the move. What the coaches think really sets him apart, though, is his composure. He doesn’t get giddy when things are going well or down when things are going bad. He keeps his calm, which is one big reason UH was 8-5 last season despite leading at halftime only five times.
BC: What is Houston’s biggest weakness/concern heading into this game?
SC: The Cougars were 90th or worse in every significant defensive category you want to name last season – rushing defense, passing defense, scoring defense, total defense. The coaches like the talent level much better, and the players feel like they have a much better understanding and are far less likely to bust assignments. Still, thinking those things and proving them to be true are two different things. UH forced three-and-outs in the first four possessions of their season-opener to take a 28-0 lead. The fine print: It was against Northwestern State, a Division I-AA (sorry, those fancy schmantzy titles they’ve come up with are too much more me). This week they’ll be going up against what was maybe the best-balanced offense in the nation last season.
The other big concern is the Oklahoma State return game. Some teams have one return threat. The Cowboys, as you well know, have two.
BC: Who is the most underrated player on the team?
SC: Chances are, the most underrated player on just about any team is an offensive lineman. In the Cougars’ case, that would be senior center Carl Barnett. He is on the Rimington watch list for the second consecutive year, but who in the heck follows that? UH coach Kevin Sumlin sums up Barnett this way: “The greatest compliment that a lineman can have is that nobody notices him. Rarely does he get noticed.”
On defense, the underrated tag would probably go to linebacker Matt Nicholson. A former walk-on, Nicholson has emerged as one of those blood-and-guts leader types that every defense needs. He had more than a 50-percent tear of an ACL last season and tried to tough it out the next week when doctors told him he’d have to have surgery no matter what anyway. The surgery was in November, and he rehabbed so quickly that he could have been available for spring practice if he and the coaches had deemed it necessary. He was leading the team in tackles last season before his injury.
BC: Who are a couple young guys you think can have a big impact on Saturday?
SC: Most of the Cougars’ key players are young guys. Running Bryce Beall, who scored the first of his 17 touchdowns last season against Oklahoma State, is a sophomore. His backup, freshman Charles Sims, caught six passes for 128 yards last week in his debut. The leading receiver from last season, Tyron Carrier, is a sophomore. Patrick Edwards, who had a 100-yard game against OSU, is a sophomore. The leading tackler from last season, linebacker Marcus McGraw, is a sophomore. Four of the top eight players on the defensive line two-deep are freshmen. A freshman linebacker, Phillip Steward, led the team with 13 tackles in the opener. The marquee player from their last signing class, Parade All-America receiver A.J. Dugat, gained 34 yards the first time he touched the ball in a game. Dugat began practicing with the team just nine days before the opener because the NCAA Clearinghouse was looking into his eligibility. Get the drift? Heck, Case Keenum still has another year of eligibility after this season. The Cougars have high hopes for this season, but 2010 is when things really should come together.
BC: What is the key to success against OSU?
SC: Assuming you’re looking for something besides the standard-issue stuff about turnovers, UH has the burden of proving it can slow down the Cowboys’ offense somewhat. OSU had 699 yards in last year’s game, with Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant all having ridiculous numbers. OSU is too versatile for the Cougars to build a game plan around taking Dez out of the game or simply shutting down Hunter. They’ve got to hope they can keep the Cowboys guessing just enough to take them out of sync.
BC: What kind of buzz is there in Houston about this game?
SC: UH fans are starved for some kind of signature victory, and this would be one. The Cougars haven’t beaten a top-10 team since 1988. Their last victory against a top-five team was in 1984 at Texas, back when UH was running Bill Yeoman’s Veer offense. The Cougars do have two victories against ranked teams since last year’s game in Stillwater. Those victories were against Conference USA teams ranked in the 20s (East Carolina, Tulsa), so they really didn’t make much of a ripple in Houston in anywhere else.
BC: What did the Cougars learn from last year’s loss that may help this year?
SC: What the Cougars came away with more than anything was the belief they belong on the same field as OSU. UH had a 16-14 halftime lead that could and probably should have been bigger. They got sloppy coming out in the second half, and it became an avalanche of mistakes and blown assignments.
BC: Do you think Houston’s defense has improved compared to last year’s unit?
SC: The Cougars are bigger, faster, more athletic than they were last year. They’re also younger. Over a full season, that should add up to better. Does that make them good enough to be a threat against the No. 5 team, on the road, just two games into the season? Their history says no, because they’ve lost 15 in a row against top 10 teams – allowing at least 38 points each time. But none of the current Cougars players were a part of any of those wipeout losses to top-10 teams.
