UC wideouts good test
In the first half alone of Saturday’s game, Cincinnati wideout Mardy Gilyard had 119 yards receiving. In the second half, it was a different story. Even though Gilyard had a kickoff return for a touchdown, he was held in check at receiver, as OU held the Bearcat offense scoreless until the final play of the game.Venables was pleased with how his defense responded and glad that inexperienced cornerbacks Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson had the opportunity to see a receiver like Gilyard before Big 12 play begins.
“Great teaching tool, no doubt,” Venables said. “We knew going in we’d get our mettle tested. Our guys didn’t get rattled. We knew they were going to make some plays. We really made some good adjustments and guys handled things well at halftime and came out and played. The other team was good and they had good players and a good system.”It won’t be the last time OU faces a big-time wideout.
In fact last weekend, Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant (nine catches, 236 yards, 3 TDs), Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree (seven catches, 158 yards, 1 TD) and Texas’ Quan Cosby (eight catches, 154 yards, 1 TD) all had big outings.
Said coach Bob Stoops, “In the end, it was a good test. I’ve got great respect for (UC’s receivers) and how they play. I thought our guys played well and challenged them well.”
By Jake Trotter
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