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November 2, 2008

Johnson, Eldridge doing fine

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John Shinn

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said wide receiver Manny Johnson did not re-injure his right elbow against Nebraska. The senior played early, but was on the sideline for the last three quarters.

“Manny is fine, he just didn’t quite feel comfortable enough once he was out there,” Stoops said. “He hasn’t set himself back any.”

It was the same case for tight end Brody Eldridge. He played in the first quarter, but was in street clothes and wearing a medical boot on his right foot by the end of the game.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Eldridge’s removal was precautionary. The Sooners were up 35-0 by the end of the first quarter.

“Brody got kicked by one of our own guys and kind of aggravated his ankle,” he said. “I thought, well we’re doing good so If I don’t need him I’m going to hold him.”

Big opportunity

The status of defensive end Auston English hasn’t been updated since Saturday night. English suffered an injury to his left knee. Stoops said it has been diagnosed as a sprain.

English’s injury could mean an expanded role for defensive end Frank Alexander. The redshirt freshman had OU’s only sack against Nebraska and has two in the last two games. Alexander has only played in four games this season due to an arm injury.

“It was a setback for Frank with the injury and took him a while to get back to form and I really believe that Frank has a great future ahead of him,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said.

Turnovers flowing

The Sooners have forced nine turnovers in the last two games. Venables said the flood of game-changing plays comes from two things: preparation and luck.

“We’ve always said turnovers are the biggest difference between winning and losing, at all levels. If you can force them and cause them, it’s a game-changer and a momentum-changer that adds up to points, creates short fields and gets people on their heels,” Venables said. “I’m very pleased our guys are playing hard. Sometimes when you make mistakes, you can continue to play hard, good things will happen to you. But guys have prepared themselves well, too.”

The Sooners, who have scored 104 points in the first half of the last two games, have used the turnovers to turn their last two games in routs.

“We’ve scored with them. We’ve given our offense the ball back in great scoring position,” Stoops said. “The last two weeks, we’ve got 50 at halftime, or more. That’s a big deal to play that fast. If you want to continue to press, who knows what we could be scoring.”

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