NORMAN — Bob Stoops announced Patrick O’Hara would be Oklahoma’s kicker Saturday against Utah State on his radio show Tuesday night.
Wednesday he told reporters why he picked the O’Hara over Jimmy Stevens, Bryce Easley and Michael Hunnicutt.
“Over the last week and half, two weeks, he’s made the most and missed the fewest,” Stoops said, “and by far and away, he has the strongest leg. He’s got a cannon for a leg. He just has to keep getting ahold of it.”
O’Hara went 6-for-9 on field goal attempts last season and was 15-for-15 on PATs.
Stoops said the other factor involved is that he believes O’Hara also has the best potential of the quartet. It’s just a matter of getting the sophomore, who never played football in high school, to focus on hitting that ball solid, instead of as hard as he can.
“We’re still hoping that he won’t have that one that gets a little errant or isn’t where it needs to be. That’s what we need,” Stoops said.
Punter Tress Way will handle the kickoff duties.
Alexander doubtful
Starting defensive end Frank Alexander will likely miss the Utah State game due to an ankle injury. Alexander put on pads and went through practice for the first time since suffering the injury at practice last week, but didn’t go through the entire workout.
“I would say its doubtful for this week. We’ll see,” Stoops said. “He was out there in pads today and doing some things, but I don’t think it was that extensive.”
Defensive ends coach Bobby Jack Wright said Alexander’s absence will move sophomore David King into the starting role with senior Jeremy Beal.
“David King has been working with that first unit with Jeremy Beal. He’s had a great week of practice and he’s a good player,” Wright said.
The Sooners are planning on using a four-man rotation at the defensive ends spots with Ronnell Lewis and R.J. Washington rotating in.
Stoops said true freshman Geneo Grissom suffered a stress fracture in Tuesday’s practice and will be out of action for a while.
“We were going to play him,” Stoops said. “He’s a quality player we felt good about, too.”
Sooner history
SoonerVision, the video production unit for the OU athletics department, is about to release part one of the most comprehensive DVD series ever issued on the history of Sooner Football.
Sooner Sports Properties, the multi-media rights holder for OU Athletics, underwrote the project and is handling the distribution.
Plans call for the series to be released over a four-year period with each new video expected out in September of each year.
Part one, entitled The History of Sooner Football, Birth of a Champion, encompasses the period from the inception of the program in 1895 through the hiring of Bud Wilkinson after the 1946 season.
The high definition production is available for pre-order through a number of online services. The retail price is $19.95 and the first run of DVDs will number 25,000.
Among the outlets that have committed to carrying the DVD are Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, Academy Sports and Outdoor and the OU Bookstore.
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
