Following a spectacular 13-0 season in 2000 that culminated with a 13-2 victory over Florida State for the national title, Oklahoma ran off seven straight wins to open the 2001 season, before dropping two of its final six games to finish 11-2.
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| Jason White, who started three games last season, completed nearly 65 percent of his passes. |
Can the Sooners move back atop the college football world and capture their second national championship in three years? Sure they can, but this will only happen if they compensate for the loss of defensive stalwarts like linebacker Rocky Calmus and safety Roy Williams while hoping that junior quarterback Jason White can provide the consistency and leadership evident during the Josh Heupel era in Norman.
OFFENSE
The Sooners' offense was held to 14 points or less against Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. Yet there is hope for improvement, even with coordinator Mark Mangino moving on to become head coach at Kansas.
The reason for such optimism begins with White. After suffering a major knee injury (torn ACL) against Nebraska last season, the word from spring practice was that he was back at full strength and stronger then ever after spending countless hours in the weight room. While he didn't play in the spring game, White participated in the practice sessions, re-establishing himself as the Sooners' undisputed No. 1 signal-caller.
Behind White, the Sooners have a competitive situation developing. Senior Nate Hybl is locked in a battle with talented 6-foot-5, 205-pound redshirt freshman Brent Rawls. The situation is too close to call entering preseason practice. In the future, another name to remember is highly regarded freshman Paul Thompson. An athletically gifted 6-4, 185-pounder who can run and throw, Thompson appears to have a bright future in the Big 12.
Another key to the anticipated improvement of the OU offense will be the slight alterations being implemented by new coordinator Chuck Long and former Northwestern offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, who was brought in by head coach Bob Stoops to handle the running game and coach the offensive line.
Word is that Long and Wilson are looking for more versatility from the OU attack. With this in mind, you'll likely see more two-back sets and much more of an emphasis on stretching the field with deeper aerials.
White has the weapons and depth at wide receiver to attack more aggressively through the air. In fact, for the first time in OU history, the Sooners have four players entering a season with more than 100 career receptions: running back Quentin Griffin, wideouts Antwone Savage and Curtis Fagan and tight end Trent Smith.
Smith's 61 catches last year, most in the country among tight ends, set a school record for receptions by a tight end. Miami's Jeremy Shockey, the first-round pick of the New York Giants, had 40 receptions; Colorado's Daniel Graham, who was selected in round one by the New England Patriots, totaled 51.
Another key option at receiver is sophomore Mark Clayton. Last year, he hauled in 45 receptions. By the way, in three-receiver sets, Savage will line up in the slot. Quality depth is provided by physically talented sophomore Brandon Jones, a 6-3, 210-pounder who can accelerate past unsuspecting cornerbacks on go routes.
Griffin opens at RB, but he'll be spelled a great deal by junior Renaldo Works and intriguing redshirt freshman Kejuan Jones. An electrifying 5-9, 187-pounder, Jones was reportedly the attention-getter of the spring game with several long runs.
The Sooner offensive line will be young, with three sophomores and a redshirt freshman joining senior guard Mike Skinner in the starting lineup. But this group has a chance to be more than adequate. Sophomore left tackle Wes Sims is battle-tested, while another sophomore, center Vince Carter, could be in line for All-American recognition in the not-too-distant future.
DEFENSE
When a defense loses players like Calmus and Williams, you would expect a decline. After all, Calmus was a tackling machine for the Sooners and Williams ranked as one of the most destructive, difference-making safeties the college game has ever seen.
However, this is the Bob Stoops era in Norman, where reloading is the mode of operation. Sure, they've had to shift junior Teddy Lehman to Calmus' weak-side spot and have yet to solidify Williams' strong-safety position. But the Sooners have a host of quality performers who should be able to compensate for the loss of big-timers like Calmus and Williams.
On the defensive line, sophomore DT Tommie Harris is a tremendously disruptive force, while overachieving junior DT Kory Klein has established himself as a top-notch Big 12 performer. There's solid depth on the interior with Lynn McGruder taking the field after sitting out the 2001 season following his transfer from Tennessee.
On the outside, the Sooners have a cat-quick pass rusher in junior Jimmy Wilkerson, who recorded 18 tackles for loss last season while leading the OU defense with five sacks. On the other side, sophomore Jonathan Jackson appears ready to make a name for himself as a harassing DE off the edge. Last year, he registered just seven tackles, but two were sacks and another was also behind the line of scrimmage.
Joining Lehman on the Sooners second line of defense are a pair of junior-college transfers, Lance Mitchell and Pasha Jackson. Mitchell, who was generally regarded as the No. 1 juco LB in the nation, participated in spring practice with the Sooners and earned the starting middle-linebacker job. Jackson, who also participated in spring practices, won the starting spot on the strong side.
Despite the loss of Williams to the NFL, the secondary still figures to be the strength of the Sooner defense, showing the level of talent Stoops and his staff have recruited. Keep in mind, Stoops and his brother, Mike, who operates as OU's co-defensive coordinator with Brent Venables, were both defensive backs under Hayden Fry at Iowa. So fielding a top-level deep patrol is obviously a Sooner priority.
Providing the necessary star power is super blue-chip senior CB Andre Woolfolk. During the 2000 season, he became the first Sooner to see action on both sides of the ball since Steve Zabel in 1969. After working primarily at WR his first two years in Norman, Woolfolk made the switch last season to CB and now is ready to establish himself as an All-American-caliber corner.
Opposite Woolfolk is experienced junior Derrick Strait, arguably the top junior CB in the nation. Sophomore Antonio Perkins provides quality depth. Perkins is the fastest player on the team and is a skilled nickel back.
The third standout in the deep patrol is junior FS Brandon Everage. What stands out about Everage is his striking ability. A devastating hitter, Everage finished fourth on the Sooner defense last season with 76 tackles while forcing three fumbles. As mentioned, the heir apparent to Williams' safety spot is still to be determined. In the mix are junior Michael Thompson, redshirt freshman Eric Bassey and junior Matt McCoy.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Last year, the kicking game was set, with proven veterans returning in kicker Tim Duncan and punter Jeff Ferguson. This season, however, it's a different story. Highly regarded freshman Josh Roberts will be battling junior-college transfer Steven Sarubbi for the kicking job, while Blake Ferguson, Jeff's younger brother, is in line to take over the punting duties. Ferguson, who sat out last year after transferring from North Carolina, averaged just 36.9 yards per punt with the Tar Heels in 2000. The Sooners also will be breaking in a new deep snapper.
OVERVIEW
Stoops has seen two of his former offensive coordinators, Mike Leach and Mark Mangino, move on to become head coaches at Texas Tech and Kansas, respectively. However, the continuity remains, with Long being elevated to the offensive-coordinator post. And Wilson has added juice to the offense. He will assist Long as the Sooners' running-game coordinator and O-line coach. The OU attack will be modified, causing some problems for opponents in their preparation.
White is the unquestioned leader at QB and appears 100 percent recovered from last season's knee injury. It will be interesting to see if strides are made in the passing game, especially with the emphasis now on getting the ball downfield more frequently. The future looks bright at QB with Rawls and Thompson.
White has plenty of proven targets at WR and the top pass-catching TE in the country in Smith, who also splits out wide and sometimes lines up in the slot. Griffin, Works and exciting youngster Jones key the running game. Up front, the Sooners will be young, but expect a solid performance from this group. Sims is a fine left tackle while Carter is a rising standout.
Defensively, the Sooners lost Calmus and Williams, a pair of dynamic performers, and now must get by without their leadership and enthusiasm. But there's plenty of returning talent on hand, with the Sooners fielding a defense that could be one of their fastest ever.
Wilkerson and Jackson figure to generate relentless outside pressure, with Harris a big-time stud at DT. At the other DT spot, don't underestimate Klein's value. He's an all-out hustler who brings a high intensity level. He's also taking over long-snapping duties on special teams. Lehman, a quality performer, takes over Calmus' spot on the weak side, while Mitchell could be one of the top newcomers in the Big 12 after transferring from the juco ranks.
The secondary has a pair of skilled cover men in Woolfolk and Strait, while FS Everage is one of the top enforcers in college football. He is a lights-out hitter. The big question remains at SS, which in the Sooners scheme is basically a combination linebacker and rover. At least adequate play must be provided by a group that includes Thompson, Bassey and McCoy.
By the way, look for Woolfolk to see little, if any, action at WR. The Sooners are talented and deep at receiver. Plus, Woolfolk suffered a minor knee injury last year at WR, and the injury caused him to miss three games later in the season.
In close games, Stoops has to hope the new-look kicking game doesn't let him down. Roberts is highly regarded, but he's a true freshman, and Sarubbi is transitioning from Hancock Community College in California. Keep in mind, after an OU score last season, Duncan limited the opponent's average starting field position to just the 21-yard line. One-third of his kickoffs were not returned. As for the punting situation, Jeff Ferguson averaged 44 yards last season and could boom the Sooners out of trouble. Can his younger brother, Blake, improve on his average of just 36.9 yards (at North Carolina in 2000)? Special teams could hold the key to the outcome of close, nail-biter games.
As for the schedule, Alabama, Colorado and Texas Tech must come to Norman, but it boils down to what transpires at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 12 when the Sooners square off against Texas. It figures to be one of the games of the year in college football.
After that, a dangerous spot comes in early November when the Sooners come off a home date with Colorado and then have to travel to Texas A&M the following week. Remember, during the Sooners' national championship run two years ago, it took a Torrance Marshall interception return for a TD to turn the tide in a 35-31 comeback victory over the Aggies.
In the end, though, the Sooners' present and future are extremely bright. They have the right coach in Stoops, excellent direction on offense with Long and Wilson, and a solid defensive brain-trust with Mike Stoops and Venables. The Sooners are a fast, talented squad that's built for both this season and beyond. Stoops has only one senior starter on defense (Woolfolk).
With all this in mind, there's no question that Stoops has built the Sooner program back to where Oklahoma can be marked down as a perennial national championship contender.
