TCU’s 17-10 victory over Oklahoma in 2005 was one of the most shocking during Bob Stoops’ tenure. In the four years after that season-opening upset, TCU coach Gary Patterson doesn’t believe his team received enough credit for what happened that day.
Rumors have flown that insider information helped the Horned Frogs that afternoon. Several sources close to OU’s program have said the open practices that preseason benefited TCU.
“As far as us watching their practices, I took a little bit of offense that they would think that I would have someone go and spy on their practices, because, absolutely, that did not happen,” Patterson told the Dallas Morning News.
The following year, OU began the practice of closing most, if not all preseason practices. This year scrimmages were added to the behind-closed-doors list. Just two practices were open to fans and media.
Monday on the Big 12 coaches teleconference, Stoops said the loss to TCU or allegations of the Horned Frogs spying had nothing to do with the decision.
“The reason we closed our practices were for multiple reasons. I think it’s obvious to everybody just how much information is out there,” he said. “We just have far better work, communicate much better, everything when we have it closed. We just decided to do that. It has nothing to do with anybody in particular.”
Patterson admitted that he and his staff studied the tape of OU’s 2005 Red/White Game, which was televised.
“I watched it all summer,” he said.
The Sooners have played things much closer to the vest in the spring game since. The offense has been fairly vanilla in public situations since.
But Stoops isn’t worried about insider information when the second-ranked Sooners (3-0) face the 24th-ranked Horned Frogs (4-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Owen Field. He doesn’t believe it had much to do with the 2005 game.
“We’re four weeks into the season. They know what we’re going to do,” he said. “I don’t know where that would come from. They kicked our butt in 2005, plain and simple. They were more physical, more disciplined, executed better, all of that.”
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Stoops discounts spy rumors
- OU Sports
-
-
Schedule easing up for Sooners
For some time, the Oklahoma women have been done no favors by their schedule. That may still be the case, but not for much longer....
-
Sooners using roller-coaster season as motivation
Oklahoma’s women’s gymnastics team has been anything but consistent. After dominating its season opener, the Sooners fell to No. 7 Oregon State and No. 9 Nebraska before trouncing then-No. 2 Arkansas....
-
Sooners open season with World Series aspirations
The Sooners haven’t even taken the field yet, but there is already talk of a national championship floating around the Oklahoma locker room. The Sooners will take the first step toward that goal when they open the season at 1:15 p.m. ...
-
Sooners have to eliminate mistakes that are costing them wins
It was a typical practice for Oklahoma on Thursday. The long workout had a lot of energy and precision. It mirrored many it has had over the last three months....
-
Move to Big 12 is chance at stability
Maybe this Internet thing’s really going to make it after all. Maybe even as a news source....
-
Sooners struggling to make climb
Oklahoma left the Lloyd Noble Center floor feeling an emotion that has become far too common on Monday. The 71-68 loss to Missouri was another tough loss in a season that’s getting tougher every day....
-
Sooners quartet needs help from teammates
How well did Oklahoma play Monday night? So well, even after missing 14 of 23 free throws, Steven Pledger, one of the nation’s best sharpshooters, had an open 3 to send the Sooners into overtime against No. 4 Missouri....
-
Sooners good enough everywhere but the free throw line
Steven Pledger sank to the floor with his face in his hands as the buzzer sounded. He couldn’t believe the 3-pointer he took with about 1 second remaining didn’t go through the net. It wasn’t the only thing running through his mind after ...
-
Last season ended in first trip to College Word Series since 2004
Hunger. Passion. Those were the two words most often repeated at the Oklahoma softball squad’s Media Day on Monday. And it’s those two traits that the Sooners are bringing to the 2012 season, which kicks off on Friday....
-
Campbell has another big night when Sooners needed her to step up
Scoring Oklahoma’s last nine points in a narrow victory over Texas Tech, freshman Sharane Campbell had been instrumental in front of the home crowd in one victory already this season....
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Schedule easing up for Sooners
