NORMAN — Oklahoma’s injury situation appears to be getting better in the days leading to Saturday’s showdown with Texas.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said freshman running back Brennan Clay has started practicing again after missing the last two weeks due to a concussion he suffered in the Florida State game.
“He practiced yesterday (Monday) and I’m assuming, unless there’s any hiccups as we go through the week, we’ll see what his situation is, but I would assume (he’d play) unless there’s a problem,” Wilson said of Clay.
OU coach Bob Stoops said starting cornerback Jamell Fleming also returned to practice Tuesday and his status for the Texas game is “probable.”
Fleming missed the second half of the Cincinnati game with an ankle injury and was held out of Monday’s practice.
No percentage
Defensive tackle Adrian Taylor still walks with a limp due to the ankle injury he suffered last season. He’s played in all four of the Sooners’ games, but admits the injury still isn’t fully healed.
“Everybody asks me for a percentage, but each week it’s getting much better. Especially after the game, I’m getting much better,” he said. “I’m still not where I want to be, but very soon I will be. I can’t give you a percentage, but I’m lot closer than I was in Week 1.”
Staying put
There’s always been talk about moving the OU-Texas game from its longstanding home in the Cotton Bowl during the Texas State Fair.
First, it was to make it a home-and-home series. Next, the idea thrown out was to move the game to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
A new option being thrown around is changing the date to the first weekend in December, since the Big 12 Conference won’t have a title game after this season.
Stoops didn’t get behind that proposal.
“I doubt they’d move the State Fair to the last game of the season, so I don’t see that happening,” he said. “I think everybody has that routine down since 1929 (playing in October at the Cotton Bowl). I don’t see that happening. I surely wouldn’t be the one promoting it. I’d like to keep my job for a while instead of trying to change when the OU-Texas game is.”
Not close
Stoops and Texas coach Mack Brown will meet for the 12th time Saturday. It’s not unheard of for coaches to be friends with other coaches at rival schools.
Stoops and Brown don’t consider themselves sworn enemies, but any relationship they have is strictly professional.
“We don’t have much opportunity to have one to be honest with you. None of us do. We’re all working our jobs and are with our families. In the end, there isn’t much opportunity to have a relationship off the field.”
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
