By John Shinn
OU has allowed only two passing touchdowns through three games and it’s come to the point in the season when inexperience is no longer mentioned. That’s the way OU coach Bob Stoops looks at his two first-year starters at cornerback: Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson.
“It’s only three games, but what I’ve seen from them through spring, through summer and through three games, they’ve been very consistent and very good. I’ve got great confidence in them: as much as I’ve had with anybody,” Stoops said.
Both have had their hands in turnovers, but the Sooner coach also said they haven’t quite reached the benchmark in terms of confidence.
“Maybe take out Derrick Straight, he’s one of my all time favorites. Very few people have made as many plays as he has,” Stoops said. “But they’re playing really well. Again it’s only been three games, but I’ve been very pleased with the way they’ve practiced … the way they’ve been concentrating and the way they’ve executed.”
Washington debut?
Defensive end R.J. Washington was one of the most highly touted members of OU’s 2008 recruiting class. Thus far, he hasn’t played. But with Frank Alexander still mending from an arm injury, he could be forced into action.
Stoops said Washington is ready physically, but it’s a complicated defense and the ends are asked to do a lot more than rush the passer.
“If we just played a straight 4-3 and let those guys get wide and go, then he’d be in there. But, there’s so much when you zone blitz; who’s dropping, who’s blitzing and is he twisting around somebody or is he going straight?” Stoops said. “And R.J. is a bright young guy who’s doing great. But we’re probably a little too complex in all that we ask these guys to do. We just fear that if we play him, then all through the whole year it’s not going to be enough to warrant giving up his redshirt year. We’re practicing him with the ones and twos, getting him some snaps. We just don’t want to burn his year and not play him very much.”
A ways to go
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson cautioned the cart might be getting ahead of the horse this season. The Sooners are off to a 3-0 start and have been impressive in all three wins. But it’s three games into what OU hopes is a 14-game season.
“We’ve started pretty fast. We thought we had a great offseason, a great preseason and a great first three weeks, but we can’t lose that sense of urgency,” Wilson said. “In our game, there’s one shot, one kill. There’s no doubleheaders, no conference tournaments. Everyone talks about a playoff, we’re in one.
“We work awfully hard for only a few chances. You hope that you are mature enough not to waste a chance.”
Rankings rumblings
Stoops didn’t want to get into a debate about the rankings Tuesday. The Sooners remain No. 2 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, behind USC and ahead of Georgia and Florida. There’s already plenty of chatter about which team would be left out if more than two teams finish the regular season undefeated.
“I’m not going there,” he said, laughing. “Don’t start that now, it’s like three weeks earlier every year.”
Fuente’s return
Former OU quarterback Justin Fuente will be back at Owen Field Saturday. He’s TCU’s quarterback’s coach. Fuente was the Sooners’ starting quarterback off and on during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He transferred to Murray State in 1997.
He came to TCU last season after spending the previous six as an offensive assistant at Illinois State.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
