Weekend Open Post | November 21st – 23rd
Posted on: November 21, 2025
Sunday Brunch | One Year Later, Demons Are Vanquished
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 16, 2025
After the Tennessee game, in a post called “A Very Satisfying Win” (HERE), I wrote, in part, the following…
Going into this last weekend’s game, I felt (and said as much) that there was a solid chance that the Sooners were going to need 40+ points to beat Tennessee.
Given the time of the year and the type of offense the Sooners were facing, it felt like it could be a high-scoring game.
In that first quarter, the sinking feeling started to hit. Moving the ball felt way too easy. But we knew Tennessee’s defense wasn’t great. So, there was still that hope for Sooner fans that, the offense could keep up.
That, too, started to wane as Tennessee’s pass rush was getting home and the Vols were tackling better than they had been.
But for all the flaws the Sooners have had under BV these past few years, one of the things he has done is made the Sooners…
Hard to kill.
Kirby Smart said that about his own team recently – perhaps like the rest of us, he wore out that Steven Seagal classic on VHS back in the day.
While I guessed it would take 28 points to win this game (it took 22 with the Sooners blocking a FG), we know Alabama’s defense is much improved and so winning would take a team effort.
After the Tennessee game, one wondered whether the formula of being out paced in most statistics could hold up. Well, it dang sure did!
One again, the opposing team put up yards but it didn’t matter. Because BV and co did what they were brought in to do, stop you from scoring.
They won the turnover battle and as beat Alabama up.
It was the same formula on the road against a very good team. You stop them from scoring, you give your offense very short fields (or not field at all with a pick 6 like the strip and score the week prior) and your kicker does what he does, hit 50+ yard field goals!
Once is luck but twice is a formula for success.
The emphasis in the off-season on bringing in an elite kicker cannot be emphasized enough. It’s Brent’s defense that is putting him in position but without his leg, the Sooners probably don’t walk away with either game. But that is coaching and as I said last week, it was that attention to each side of the ball that seemed to be missing in the previous few years.
The Sooners just beat two very good teams in hostile environments and have a clear path to the playoffs so long as they take care of business (and there are no easy lunches in this league). But for me, they have an identity. Defense and special teams. Once they can get the offensive identity (and talent) built around complimenting those things, then they should be even more formidable.
In my preseason prediction which was boom or bust 10-2 or 7-5 (in which I was leaning 7-5), the Sooners took a big step towards getting to that 10-2.
Now they have to hold serve. Same formula. Don’t get cute. Play aggressive defense. Protect the ball on offense. And let Sandell do his thing.
Congrats ladies and gentlemen. You should feel great about these past couple of weeks!
Once is Luck, Twice is Skill
– Super K – Posted on: November 17, 2025
After the Tennessee game, in a post called “A Very Satisfying Win” (HERE), I wrote, in part, the following…
Going into this last weekend’s game, I felt (and said as much) that there was a solid chance that the Sooners were going to need 40+ points to beat Tennessee.
Given the time of the year and the type of offense the Sooners were facing, it felt like it could be a high-scoring game.
In that first quarter, the sinking feeling started to hit. Moving the ball felt way too easy. But we knew Tennessee’s defense wasn’t great. So, there was still that hope for Sooner fans that, the offense could keep up.
That, too, started to wane as Tennessee’s pass rush was getting home and the Vols were tackling better than they had been.
But for all the flaws the Sooners have had under BV these past few years, one of the things he has done is made the Sooners…
Hard to kill.
Kirby Smart said that about his own team recently – perhaps like the rest of us, he wore out that Steven Seagal classic on VHS back in the day.
While I guessed it would take 28 points to win this game (it took 22 with the Sooners blocking a FG), we know Alabama’s defense is much improved and so winning would take a team effort.
After the Tennessee game, one wondered whether the formula of being out paced in most statistics could hold up. Well, it dang sure did!
One again, the opposing team put up yards but it didn’t matter. Because BV and co did what they were brought in to do, stop you from scoring.
They won the turnover battle and as beat Alabama up.
It was the same formula on the road against a very good team. You stop them from scoring, you give your offense very short fields (or not field at all with a pick 6 like the strip and score the week prior) and your kicker does what he does, hit 50+ yard field goals!
Once is luck but twice is a formula for success.
The emphasis in the off-season on bringing in an elite kicker cannot be emphasized enough. It’s Brent’s defense that is putting him in position but without his leg, the Sooners probably don’t walk away with either game. But that is coaching and as I said last week, it was that attention to each side of the ball that seemed to be missing in the previous few years.
The Sooners just beat two very good teams in hostile environments and have a clear path to the playoffs so long as they take care of business (and there are no easy lunches in this league). But for me, they have an identity. Defense and special teams. Once they can get the offensive identity (and talent) built around complimenting those things, then they should be even more formidable.
In my preseason prediction which was boom or bust 10-2 or 7-5 (in which I was leaning 7-5), the Sooners took a big step towards getting to that 10-2.
Now they have to hold serve. Same formula. Don’t get cute. Play aggressive defense. Protect the ball on offense. And let Sandell do his thing.
Congrats ladies and gentlemen. You should feel great about these past couple of weeks!
Position Group Progress Report | Game Ten: Alabama
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 17, 2025
Checking out how the position groups performed in the Sooners’ 23-21 road win against Alabama!
Oklahoma was an underdog at kickoff time, and they covered the spread.
This will be the tenth progress report of the season. I will include the previous week’s ranking (preseason ranking in this case) at the top of each position group’s report in all subsequent progress reports!
Let’s see how things shook out against Alabama.
QB: 2* (Last week: High 3*)
John Mateer wasn’t bad against Alabama. I do not want to convey that. He took care of the ball, had a nice touchdown run, and made a couple of nice throws.
He just was not good…or above average. This ranking is based more on what he didn’t do than what he did do. Things like…you cannot be inside the redzone, have two receivers wide open in the endzone, and choose to bounce a round a bit before indecisively tucking the ball and running. That’s kind of how his entire night went.
If 3* is an average performance, he earned his two star.
RB: 2* (Last week: 5*)
It’s difficult to have success when your play caller will not commit to the run. On paper, OU was set up to have a big day on the ground. Ben Arbuckle apparently crumpled up that piece of paper and never even tried to lean on the traditional running game.
Once again, John Mateer has the same number of carries that RB1 had. Also, it did not help that Robinson got banged up late in the game due to a pass that left him in a bad position. Tory Blaylock is not the same back we saw in the middle of the season; he is obviously not feeling great. It will be interesting to see what backs are available and effective against Missouri.
WR: 2* (Last week: 3*)
Four receivers recorded catches on the day led by Jer’Michael Carter who had three receptions for 36 yards.
Isaiah Sategna has four catches for 26 yards.
No explosive plays, but really not given the opportunity to make any.
TE: 2* (Last week: 2*)
Jaren Kanak must have stolen something from John Mateer because the dude is always open and rarely targeted.
The penalty on Helms was a killer (you all can debate whether it was a penalty or not; either way, it hurt OU).
Saw a couple of instances where they missed their assignments in the blocking game as well. Just such a blah room at this point.
OL: 4*(Last week: 4*)
If OU had any, like ANY, offensive success, the OL would have received a 5* rating, and they probably still should, but I can’t justify anyone getting a 5* on an offense that scored one touchdown.
They were absolutely brilliant in pass pro, and we really have no idea how they would have fared in the run game, because, well, Arbuckle doesn’t believe in committing to it. When you hold an Alabama defense to two pressures on your QB, you are playing very high-level football.
I didn’t understand the rotation or the reasoning behind Derek Simmons getting 14 snaps at random times in place of Ryan Fodeje, but it could have been something as simple as Fodje not feeling well or something along those lines.
DT: 4* (Last week: 5*)
David Stone and Gracen Halton got the lion’s share of the snaps, with Jayden Jackson being limited. Jackson and Markus Strong did give OU a combined 21 snaps and Damonic Williams was the third man in the rotation.
They did another really nice job in the run game and there were times when they were collapsing the pocket against a solid Alabama offensive line.
Again, just like against Tennessee, the IDL allowed for consistent pressure against an offensive line that had not allowed much throughout the year prior to facing this defense.
EDGE: 5* (Last week: 5*)
No R Mason Thomas, no problem basically.
Taylor Wein was the star on the night with his forced fumble sack and getting his paw on a field goal attempt, but everyone did their part.
I thought the Bama game was MJJ’s best game as a Sooner, and while he was not perfect in holding the EDGE at times, he was very effective and showed a motor that would not quit… something that was not seen at his previous stops. He made a good business decision for his career.
PJ Adebawore was very good. Still processing things a bit, but man, he is a dawg when it comes to defending the run and he flashed some in the QB pressure game as well. Sanny Okoye played limited snaps, but he had a nice impact when he was in the game,
LB: High 4* (Last week: 5*)
This room was the most difficult to grade this week as there were some really high highs, and some really, uncharacteristic lows.
While Kip Lewis was a star, Owen Heinecke was a mess.
While Kobie McKinzie ate in stopping the run, he was shaky in coverage.
While Kendal Daniels was the right man in the right spot for the fumble recovery, he had a terrible holding call that took a pick off the board for the Sooners.
While Sammy Omosigho had a bunch of tackles, he and the rest of the room are still unable to locate and cover the tight end who wears number 80.
I’m giving them a 4* based on Kip Lewis’ personal 5* performance, but if he didn’t put that out there, this group probably gets a 2* at best on the day.
CB: 5* (Last week: High 3*)
One of my key one on one matchups ahead of the game was Eli Bowen vs Ryan Williams.
Eli won that matchup, in spades, and added a pick-six that will live in Sooner lore for years to come.
Devon Jordan ran over and through a Bama running back to record a key sack (his first ever) that really helped swing the momentum back toward OU.
Cortland Guillory is a stud. I don’t care that he has given up some PI and some catches; that dude is gonna be an All-American if he continues to develop at this pace.
This group held Ryan Williams (3 catches for 45) and Germie Bernard (7-71) in check for the majority of the night. Really nice outing.
S: 4* (Last week: 4*)
How about Robert Spears Jennings looking like 2024 Robert Spears Jennings against Bama as he was solid in coverage and made several really nice open field tackles.
Peyton Bowen has had one rough game this season and he was back to his typical solid self against Bama with a couple really nice run stops and the pass breakup to end the game.
The youngsters came in and played really well also, as Reggie Powers, jayden Hardy and Michael Boganowski all made an impact in the game defensively. Really good to see.
ST: 5* (Last week: 5*)
Tate $andell. Kid is just money and a huge part in OU being 8-2 on the season. Cannot say enough about him.
Grayson Miller had a solid night punting and pinning Bama back around the five for their last drive was huge.
Isaiah Sategna with a big punt return to set up the first points for OU.
Taylor Wein getting his paw on the ball and making the kicker feel his presence was big time.
Jayden Hardy with the punch-out on Ryan Williams while he was returning a punt was something that seems to get lost, but stealing that possession was crucial for OU.
Sourced Injury Notes | Missouri Week
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 18, 2025
Touched base with a source who passed along the following in regard to the Sooners injury concerns ahead of the Missouri SEC Student Athlete Availability report and Brent Venables’ weekly presser…
***Source said they expect both running backs, Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock, to give it a go for the game on Saturday. Was told that Jadyn Ott and Gabe Sawchuk are expected to be busy this week during practice, as they do not expect X and Tory to practice much. I asked about Taylor Tatum’s availability as a backup (he can play and not burn his redshirt) and source really had nothing but speculation to add.
***In respect to Jayden Jackson, source expects him to play and be available for an increased number of snaps this week, but again, do not expect him to practice much this week.
***Source said at this time they do not believe EDGE R Mason Thomas and CB Gentry Williams will be available. RMT will test things out at some point this week, but source would be surprised if he was available, and they do not expect OU to push him to go for this weeks matchup either. Previously, I have noted I would be surprised to see Gentry play again this season, and that’s where I still am at this time.
Start of a Heater? Two down, three to go
– Super K – Posted on: November 18, 2025
You’ll recall, a few weeks back I mentioned that a there are three trends I’ve noticed with great coaches…
1 – They can win with their backup QB. This indicates a staff can evaluate and develop quarterbacks. But, just as importantly, it means they can build an entire offense which is necessary for most quarterbacks to have success.
2 – They can stop the run when they must. This tells me a team is sound and physical. It’s a statement about culture as much as anything.
3 – And the final piece which I’ve noticed is coaches have to demonstrate they can go on a run – a five game heater.
In that post (HERE), I laid out that every time BV seems to look like he’s going to go on a run, something upends it. I also mentioned a few notable coaches who have demonstrated they can go on that five game heater. I’ve found that it’s an incredible metric. You’ll notice how often it lines up if you go back and look at various coaches who have had previous stops while, of course, accounting for some anomalies in a coach or the coaching situation.
Well, BV has done what most didn’t think he could do – he won two straight against two of his toughest opponents. And, he did it on the road!
If he was ever going to go on a run, now is the time. He has a great opportunity against two teams who while talented are in some trouble (Missouri’s QB situation is up in the air and LSU doesn’t have a coach or much to play for).
He gets both teams at home.
And the stakes are so high. If he wins these two, the Sooners make the playoffs and likely host a playoff matchup that will give BV his shot at winning five in a row.
It’s all right there for the taking and it’s all doable now that Bama and Tennessee are out of the way.
Know Your Opponent | Missouri – 2025
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 19, 2025
Head Coach: Eliah Drinkwitz – 6th year
Offensive Coordinator: Kirby Moore – 3rd year
Defensive Coordinator: Corey Batoon – 2nd year
The Missouri Tigers sit at 7-3 on the 2025 season, starting hot with a 5-0 run behind an explosive offense before dropping a close game to Alabama. They bounced back with a gritty double-overtime win at Auburn but then hit a midseason slump with losses to Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. Missouri responded well on Senior Night with a strong win over Mississippi State to steady their SEC record at 3-3. Overall, the Tigers have shown resilience and remain in solid bowl position heading into the final stretch of the season.
On offense…
Missouri runs a multiple, balanced offensive scheme that blends spread and pro-style concepts. They lean on a strong zone-based running game, using inside and outside zone paired with motion and misdirection to keep defenses guessing. In the passing game, they emphasize quick throws, screens, and play-action bootlegs to create easy reads, while mixing in deeper concepts like Mesh and Y-Cross to generate explosive plays. The system is flexible, using varied personnel and tempo to adapt to defenses and create mismatch opportunities.
Starters and impact players…
#5 QB Matt Zollers (Fr.): True freshman who took over late-season starts; 35/66 passing for 402 yards and 4 TDs in limited action, adding mobility with 120 rushing yards.
Or
#9 QB Beau Pribula: The dual-threat starter through the first eight games, Pribula completed 70% of his passes for 1,617 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions before suffering a severe ankle sprain at Vanderbilt on October 25, sidelining him since; he added 210 rushing yards and 5 scores, fueling Missouri’s explosive early-season offense with his mobility and accuracy.
#29 RB Ahmad Hardy: Transfer breakout star; leads team with 197 carries for 1,346 yards (6.8 avg.) and 12 TDs, powering a top-15 rushing attack.
#3 WR Kevin Coleman Jr.: Slot weapon and return specialist; team-high 56 receptions for 600 yards (10.7 avg.) and 5 TDs, key in YAC production.
#2 WR Marquis Johnson: Deep threat; 28 catches for 340 yards (12.1 avg.) and 3 TDs, including explosive plays in vertical scheme.
#1 WR Joshua Manning: Outside receiver; 24 receptions for 261 yards (10.9 avg.) and 2 TDs, reliable target in recent games.
#87 TE Brett Norfleet: Versatile blocker/receiver; 27 catches for 230 yards (8.5 avg.) and 1 TD, strong in run support.
#70 LT Cayden Green: Returning starter anchoring left side; graded highly in PFF run-blocking, enabled 200+ yard rush games.
#56 LG Dominick Giudice: Veteran guard; elite pass protection, allowed just 1 sack in 400+ snaps.
#55 C Connor Tollison: Line leader at center; strong in gap schemes, contributed to fewest OL penalties in SEC.
#77 RG Curtis Peagler: Power run facilitator; high-graded in duo/counter blocks, key to Hardy’s big games.
#79 RT Keagen Trost: Right tackle stalwart; solid protection with 90%+ snap participation, bolstering explosive plays.
***Dominant Rushing Attack: Led by RB Ahmad Hardy (1,346 yards, 12 TDs), Missouri ranks top-15 nationally in rushing offense, excelling in gap-scheme runs and zone concepts that generate consistent yards after contact.
***Explosive Play Potential: The up-tempo spread scheme produces top-20 yards per play and frequent 20+ yard gains, leveraging RPOs and vertical shots to keep defenses off-balance.
***High-Completion Passing Core: Through early starts with QB Beau Pribula (70% completion rate, 1,617 yards), the passing game emphasizes accurate, high-percentage throws to skill players like WR Kevin Coleman Jr.
***Quarterback Instability: Pribula’s midseason ankle injury forced reliance on freshman Matt Zollers, leading to inconsistent decision-making and a drop in efficiency during the three-game skid.
***Red Zone Inefficiency: Multiple stalled drives inside the 10-yard line have resulted in field goals over touchdowns, hurting scoring output despite strong overall yardage.
***Offensive Line Cohesiveness: The unit struggled with early-season synchronization, allowing occasional pressures that disrupt the tempo-based attack. OU’s defensive front can impact that offensive line.
On defense…
Missouri’s 2025 defense is a fast, attacking style nicknamed “Death Row Defense.” They usually line up with three big guys up front and four quick linebackers who love to rush the quarterback. Sometimes, they fake who’s coming and surprise the offense. They’re really good at stopping the run, swarm to the ball in groups, and force a lot of three-and-outs (ranking 5th-best in the country at getting offenses off the field on third down). In the secondary, they mostly play zone coverage that keeps everything in front of them and waits for mistakes to jump routes and get interceptions. Overall, it’s an aggressive, hard-hitting unit that wears teams down and ranks in the top 20 for fewest points and yards allowed.
Starters and impact players…
#9 DE Zion Young: 32 tackles, 5.5 sacks, leading the team in pressures and run stops.
#7 DT Chris McClellan: 33 tackles, 3 sacks, anchoring the interior line with consistent double-team draws.
#33 NT Marquis Gracial: Provides solid interior run support with 18 total tackles (6 solo, 12 assists) and emerging as a rotational force on the defensive line after building depth in prior years.
#8 DE Damon Wilson II: 17 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 INT, emerging as a dominant pass rusher with explosive edge speed.
#19 DE Darris Smith: 12 tackles, key rotational edge player contributing in coverage and blitzes.
#5 LB Khalil Jacobs: 37 tackles, 3 sacks, versatile inside linebacker
#40 LB Josiah Trotter: Started all 10 games this season, leading the team with 53 tackles (27 solo), 8.0 tackles for loss.
#12 CB Drey Norwood: 19 tackles, lockdown corner with strong ball skills in zone coverage.
#0 CB Stephen Hall: 20 tackles, physical presence in the slot with quick break-on-ball instincts.
#2 CB Toriano Pride Jr.: 20 tackles, 2 INTs, opportunistic playmaker has a pick-six.
#1 S Marvin Burks Jr.: 39 tackles, 1 INT, the defensive captain with sideline-to-sideline range and had a pick-six in the win against Mississippi State
#15 S Santana Banner: 41 tackles, 1 INT, reliable deep safety who limits big plays through the air.
#13 S Daylan Carnell: 29 tackles, 1 INT, rotational safety adding versatility in the box and sub packages.
***Elite Run Defense: Missouri leads the SEC in run defense efficiency, ranking 2nd nationally in yards after contact (1.41 per rush) and top-10 in EPA per rush. They stuffed Mississippi State for just 78 rushing yards in the last game, showcasing their ability to limit explosive runs and force opponents into negative plays.
***Disruptive Pass Rush: 39th nationally in sacks and 27th in tackles for loss, the edge group (led by Zion Young and Damon Wilson II) generates consistent pressure. They recorded a season-high 13 TFLs and 2 sacks against Mississippi State, contributing to 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns.
***Strong Third-Down Stops: Ranking 2nd nationally in third-down defense, the Tigers excel at preventing conversions, often turning drives into punts or turnovers. This was evident in the Mississippi State game, where they forced field goal attempts and goal-line stands despite penalties.
***Vulnerable to Passing Attacks: The spot-zone secondary has holes exploitable by patient QBs, as seen in games where Missouri allowed over 200 passing yards. They rank outside the top 50 in passing yards allowed, with occasional big plays through the air.
***Depth on Interior Line: While the edges are strong, the defensive tackle rotation lacks proven production beyond Chris McClellan, leading to fatigue in longer games. Missouri hasn’t added interior help via the portal, and they’ve relied on rotations like Marquis Gracial without consistent backfield penetration.
***Discipline and Penalties: Frequent personal fouls and targeting ejections (two against Mississippi State alone) have extended opponent drives, turning potential stops into touchdowns. This has been a recurring issue in SEC play, inflating scoring totals against.
Bottom line…
***Stop the Run Early and Often – Missouri wants to pound the ball with Ahmad Hardy. OU has one of the best run defenses in the country, if the Sooners shut that down, Missouri will have to throw more, and that’s when they get in trouble.
***Win the Turnover Battle – Oklahoma has been great at taking the ball away lately. Force a couple of fumbles or picks, and the game swings big-time in OU’s favor.
***Don’t Let the Alabama Win Cause a Hangover – Coming off that huge road win at Alabama, it’s easy to relax. OU just needs to treat this like any other SEC game, start fast, stay locked in, and don’t give Missouri any cheap points.
***Play Loud at Home – Norman is going to be rocking. The crowd can rattle Missouri’s young quarterback (especially if Beau Pribula is still banged up). Get the stadium loud on third downs, get off the field, and let the offense feed off that energy.
Quick Hitter | ’26 Safety Markel Ford
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 19, 2025
Now that it has been mentioned publicly elsewhere (Steve Wiltfong has now put it out there) I feel more comfortable making a post on ’26 safety Markel Ford, who is currently committed to SMU.
***Yesterday, in the comment section of Super K’s “Heater” post, at 3:08 pm, I wrote:
“OT: Just want to note this ahead of the visits upcoming and not make a full post about it, because, well, because.
From the Big Board at safety: https://donors.thefootballbrainiacs.com/big-board-safety-2026/
“So OU is looking for two safeties in the 2026 class. Right now, it feels like there are six candidates who are high on the Sooners and who the Sooners are at least somewhat interested in. Markel Ford, Braeden Presley, Carter Stewart, Jordan Deck, Niko Jandreau and Jordan Davis are guys I would be paying attention to right now. Each of them has been or plans to be in Norman this offseason.”
Keeping an eye on Ford for a potential quiet visit as he is committed to SMU currently.”
***Today, I will just add that OU is very involved here and I expect him on campus this weekend.
***The Sooners are looking for another safety in this class and they have liked Ford from the jump. We will see if they can pry him away from SMU, but the Lashlee potentially moving on discussions likely have an impact here as well.
Working Visitor List | Missouri Game
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 20, 2025
Here is our working visitor list for the Missouri game.
Reminder, just because you do not see a name on this list, it does not mean they will not be in attendance.
Same goes for the guys who are listed, some will inevitably not make it in.
Official Visit:
’26 EDGE – Dane Bathurst, Carmel, IN
Unofficial Visits:
’26 S Markel Ford, Mesquite, TX – SMU Commit
’26 OT Kole Seaton, Mequite, TX – Baylor Commit
OU Commits:
RB DeZephen Walker
OL Noah Best
WR Xavier Okwufulueze
TE Ryder Mix
TE Tyler Ruxer
2027 Recruits:
QB Jamison Roberts – Saraland, AL
QB Dane Weber – Temecula, CA
WR Cooper Hooker – Salina, OK
WR Tre Moore – Plugerville, TX
TE Titus Hawk – Choctaw, OK
OL Jackson Cook – Austin, TX
OL Gus Corsair – Hays, KS
OL Tyson Ross – Andover, KS
DT Deven Robertson – Hattiesburg, MS
EDGE Joshua Williams – Norman, OK
LB Case Alexander – Washington, OK
LB Colton McComb – Edmond, OK
CB Roman Edwards – McKinney, TX
DB James Roberson – Allen, TX
DB Gabe Osborne – Mustang, OK
K Brody Bost – Little Rock, AR
K Brody Bohanon – Gravette, AR
LS Sam McKeown – Jenks, OK
Name to know: (Not visiting this week, but wanted to put this out there)
JUCO DB – Maurice Harrell – Hutchinson, CC – I have been in touch with Harrell and he is hearing from the Sooners. OU is looking at him as a utility DB and potential Cheetah.
