Open Post | Weekend, September 13th – 15th

Update | 2020 OU WR Commit Brian Darby Post Visit
– Charlie S

Caught up with Sooners 2020 wide receiver commit Brian Darby following his official visit to Norman for the South Dakota game.

Darby committed to the Sooners on June 6th after he received an offer from OU at a satellite camp on June 4th. He made his way to Norman for the Champ U BBQ in August and made the trip up this past weekend to take in a game during his official.

Darby thoroughly enjoyed his time in Norman and he, along with the other two official visitors, was hosted by Caleb Kelly.

Again, even though the Sooners were playing South Dakota, the atmosphere was the first thing he spoke about. Darby said, “The atmosphere was amazing!  Seeing all the fans there fill up the stadium like they did for the team like that was special!”

The success and involvement of the young guys also caught his attention. Darby told me, “One thing that stood out was how coach Gundy and coach Simmons subbed some of the younger guys in and gave then a chance to show what they can do.”

He added “I’m ready to be part of the best offense in the country!”

Darby’s high school team, A&M Consolidated, is off to a fast start as they are 2-0 and have put up a ton of points, but he has Norman on his mind as he is very excited about his future at Oklahoma.


JUCO DL Name to Know
– Charlie S

Was kicking over some rocks earlier this week and I came across an interesting JUCO name to know along the defensive line for the 2020 class.

*** The Sooners have been in touch with Independence Community College (yes, that of ‘Last Chance U’ fame) defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite.

*** Nasili-Kite let me know that he received a phone call from Sooners defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux last Monday night.

*** Mosiah also let me know that he has a previous relationship with Sooner’s defensive coordinator Alex Grinch as Grinch recruited the defensive lineman out of high school while he was the DC at Washington State.

*** Nasili-Kite was part of Washington’s Class of 2018 as he signed with the Huskies. He was dismissed from Washington in July of this year for the dreaded ‘Violation of team rules’. I do not have the specifics surrounding that dismissal.

*** Following his dismissal from Washington, he headed to ICC where he is playing this year (11 tackles in two games)

*** He is on schedule to graduate in May and will be a 3 for 3 guy (have 3 years to play 3 seasons)


Coach Bedenbaugh Drops The Mic | Post Practice
– The Football Brainiacs

JH: How did you look last week:
Bedenbaugh: Not very good. Not up to our standard, we have to play better, and we have to coach better.

JH: Was it the penalties?
Bedenbaugh: Nah it was a lot of stuff, we just have to play better. Not up to our standard.

Media: Is that the summary of left tackle right now, be better?
Bedenbaugh: Yep, gotta coach em better. Just gotta happen.

Media: Swenson and Proctor the two guys at tackle?
Bedenbaugh: Yep, they are the two guys there.

JH: Marquis (Hayes), is he practicing this week?
Bedenbaugh: Umm yeah, he’s practicing. Yeah, yeah, he’s practicing. Couldn’t go last week but we expect him to go this week, we’ll see. He was fine today, you know, as long as he progresses he’ll be fine.

Media: Creed needing to absorb more leadership of guys around him?
Bedenbaugh: Yeah, he needs to, yeah definitely. We had a good meeting on Monday so we’ll see. They practiced good on Monday, practiced good today. Hopefully, it transfers tomorrow, the next day, and then to the game. You know, there’s a standard of how you play around here and that’s not how you play so…I gotta do a better job of getting them motivated to play, coach em’, and they have to play better.

Media: Little more on their plate this weekend with it being a road game?
Bedenbaugh: I don’t know how loud it’s gonna be you know. Maybe it will be. We’ll see, I played there before. I don’t think so. Is it gonna be a little different being on the road? Yeah. But who cares, it doesn’t matter where ya play, or when you play, or what time. You know, ou prepare, you practice, you watch tape, see what they’re doin. They do things different. You adjust to it, you play as hard as you can, as physical as you can, which I think we’re doing a pretty good job of that. You know, we need to play better technically, we’re playing hard, playing physical, finishing. We got to understand how to finish, you know, what is a holding and what isn’t. Again, that’s me. I have to coach them better.

Media: Early in the season, do games like that happen? Doesn’t sound like you’re accepting Saturday as an excuse?
Bedenbaugh: I don’t accept any excuses, you know what I mean? You have to play better, you have to coach better. There’s no magic potion, you know what I mean? You work, you work hard, know what I mean? That’s how you become good. That’s what you do. Gotta do it better. We’re capable of being really, really good. But it’s got to be important, you gotta do it every day. And we didn’t do that last week and it showed up. It’s football. It’s life.

JH: What’re your thoughts on UCLA? What do they do defensively?
Bedenbaugh: Ah, they’re good. Better than last year. I think their offense has put them in some really bad positions, but they got really good numbers. That’s what I told our guys, I mean they may be 0-2, but if you look at their numbers, they got pretty good numbers if they just had a good offense. You know what I mean, their offense has put them in bad positions. I mean they’re a good defense. They’re better than last year, they’re big dudes, they’re physical, they mix things up, they’re gonna show you different looks so it’s important that we understand the personnel thats on the field, how they’re aligned, and what they’re gonna do. You know, that comes with studying tape. You know, I mean we only have so much time in here. They got to put a lot of time in on their own. And, up to this point, in talking to them, and coaching them these two days, and saying hey what’s gonna happen here…to me they’re putting in the time. Now, it’s got to show up on the field.

Media: Did you coach them harder, was it a harder week than normal for them?
Bedenbaugh: Ask them.

Bedenbaugh: Drops the mic.


One On One’s | Oklahoma vs UCLA
– Charlie S

One on One number one:

Sooners Center Creed Humphrey vs Bruins Defensive Tackle Osa Odighizuwa

UCLA is off to a miserable start as they sit at 0-2. However, when compared to last season, they have shown significant improvement in their rush defense, conversely, their pass defense has been a huge liability this year.

Though San Diego State is not a powerhouse running team, UCLA performed very well against the run by limiting the Aztecs to just 80 yards and 1.7 yards per carry. A big factor in those stats is defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa who had nine total tackles with three going for a loss and one sack.

Creed is viewed as the foundation of the Oklahoma offensive line, and rightfully so. Coming into the season, the total number of starts for the OU o-line was 12. All were credited to Creed.

Now, as Creed is the leader of the young line, he is charged with making the protection calls and assignments. Last year in the College Football playoffs, he went up against Alabama’s Quinnenn Williams (now with the Jets) and held his own. Yes, he still made the calls, however, he was surrounded by a line of (now) professional linemen and did not have to take them into consideration in regards to them nailing their assignments and he was able to focus solely on his job.

I have no doubt Creed will be fine, but I will be keeping an eye on that interior of the OU OL to see how they work Osa Odighizuwa as the Sooners seek to continue their dominating season on the ground.

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One on One number two:

Sooners safety Dellarin Turner-Yell vs Any Bruin carrying the ball

Sooners starting safety Dellarin Turner-Yell has become a sort of an enigma for me and I can only imagine what it feels like to be defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

Turner-Yell put himself in the position of being a starter coming off of a strong spring and fall camp. However, it is not very often, in this day and age, in fall camp that you go through live tackling drills and that is showing.

DTY is often in the correct position and he has been largely sound in his assignments, however, he has just missed way too many tackles. I counted three missed tackles in the first half of the South Dakota game and I know of several more from the Houston game. You just cannot have that. You can get away with some missed tackles against a lesser team and still have someone clean up after you but when you face better competition, those missed tackles will come back to haunt you.

DTY came to Oklahoma with a reputation of being a violent tackler in space. He needs to get back to those roots or he may be finding himself on the bench. The problem at this point it, I don’t know if there is a suitable replacement for him but I do not doubt that Grinch will be looking to find the guy that will make the tackle.

It’s time for DTY to be that guy.

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Post Practice | Tuesday, September 10th
– James Hale

*** Today we heard from players and coaches from the offensive side of the ball and even though the offense is ranked number one in the country, for the most part, they took the same stance that senior quarterback Jalen Hurts is taking by saying for the most part that they have to get better and they still have work to do to be who they really want to be.

*** OU offensive line Coach Bill Bedenbaugh is not a happy camper and he’s not happy with the four holding calls or how his offensive line has played thus far this season through two games.

*** For six minutes he told the media that the offensive line is not playing well and it’s not just the penalties, and he just kept saying that they have to start to play better and he has to coach better.

*** Coach Bedenbaugh did say that Marquis Hayes was able to return to practice and that’s good news because if he can go Saturday at UCLA then R.J. Proctor can move back to left tackle and battle with junior Erik Swenson for the starting job. I can tell you that you should still not be surprised if JUCO transfer Finley Felix starts to get involved at tackle. Offensive tackle remains a problem right now on the team and if this position gets better then the O-line will get better.

*** Coach B kept saying they have to coach them better and I’m going to call this the Jalen Hurts effect on the program. I mean OU players and coaches never really talked like this until Hurts came to the program and he has been so steadfast on this even with Holly Rowe’s post-game interview after the Houston win that almost to a man this has become the norm with coaches and players in just about every interview since.

*** Coach Bedenbaugh has been a great interview since the first day that he arrived at OU and he is not a bad interview now but he kept saying that he has to coach them better instead of talking about what is wrong or what is going good with his offensive line.

*** I mean when you are putting 733-yards of total offense on the board and 310-yards rushing is really anything that wrong with your offensive line? However, when the media tried to get into what was really troubling Coach Bedenbaugh he often would just say he has to coach them better. A year ago he would have said the Dru Samia needed to pick it up a little. Maybe that is the difference from coaching an experienced O-line compared to one with four of the members that have never started a D-1 game.

*** Coach Bedenbaugh did indicate the offensive line had two good days of practice and as he put it if they have good practices the rest of the week then they should be good to go and play better against UCLA.

*** The O-lines past success is haunting this group right now because Coach Bedenbaugh says there is s standard of how the O-line has to play at OU and that he has to keep coaching them up until they reach that standard. I only hope they are good enough to do that because that’s a very high standard but if anybody can get them there it is Coach B.

*** Sophomore center and captain Creed Humphrey said that practices have been more intense this week and that he had to do a better job as a leader to make sure the offensive line comes together. (Do you see a pattern here with players and coaches in leadership positions taking the blame for all?). Humphrey says that improved technique will help with the holding calls and on a couple, it is nothing more than keeping your hands inside by an inch or so.

*** All the offensive guys talk about how big and physical the UCLA defense is and they respect their front seven. The Bruins linebacker corps is banged up and at press time I’m not sure who is going to play linebacker Saturday but the Bruins front four returns three starters and they are a multiple unit that shifts from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and the OU offense feels they will get a test from the UCLA defense.

*** OU junior wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has part of our media scrums every week and by now there are no more philosophical questions to ask him. Games are underway and it’s time to talk about the games and I’m the one guy in the media that still wants to talk football. I mean tell me why the offense is working, why the quarterback is so good and why CeeDee do you always get open?

CeeDee: “James,” CeeDee says laughing. “You always ask those questions.”

James: CeeDee I’m just wanting to talk some football so tell me about UCLA what do they do on the back end.

CeeDee: “James, you always ask those questions but I get it and I’m good with it and they are very big and physical on the back end. They have good athletes back there and will challenge us.

James: CeeDee do they plan man or zone.

CeeDee” “Oh yes, I knew you would want to know that and they actually mix it up but it seems they will play more zone, but it’s man within certain areas so I will be going up against both.”

James: As good as you are don’t you think you will see some double teams?

CeeDee:” I don’t know I haven’t really yet, but the safeties have always paid a little attention to me but we have so many good receivers that I don’t think they can but if they do that will only help us catch more balls.’

James: Thanks CeeDee

CeeDee: “My pleasure James, we will see you in LA.”

*** If CeeDee makes a big catch or a bunch of catches I will be the one asking him what route did he run to get open on and how did he manage to catch so many footballs. I mean it is a game and how do the players like CeeDee play it so well and have so much success is really what we all want to know.

*** I apologize for not having the time to ask him about Thompson and Simpson. I will try to ask Coach Riley tomorrow if I get that chance.

*** One last note: Bookie says that he’s looking forward to going back to Cali and getting an In-and-Out Burger while in LA and so far he will just use his four tickets. He said he has a bunch of other family members that have already bought tickets and of course with UCLA giving many tickets away his family should have no problem getting into the game even though they number 30 or more.


UCLA Visitors of Note
– Super K

Sooners will be on the road this weekend against UCLA but they still have some West coast targets who might get a chance to see them live as UCLA guests.

John Humphrey – 2020 DB who was offered this past summer and has continued to tell us that he will take an official visit to OU. Humphrey said he may be at the UCLA game this weekend.

Ramon Henderson – 2020 DB who visited OU recently also tells me he is trying to make it to the game. The Sooners are Henderson’s favorite right now but he still has an OV to Notre Dame scheduled for later this month.

Raleek Brown – 2022 Athlete who has visited Norman several times and is very high on OU should be in attendance as well to take in the game.

I checked with 2020 OLB, Jordan Banks and am waiting to hear back. At this point, I’m not sure how much, if at all, OU is pursuing him.


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