SoonerBacker
12/3/2008, 07:06 AM
Carey Murdock
Rivals.com College Football Editor
Norman, Okla. - Flash back to Oklahoma's 61-41 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday night in Stillwater and picture OU quarterback Sam Bradford as he sticks out his left arm from his 6-foot-5 frame to shield himself as he scrambles away from potential tacklers.
Oklahoma State was able to get pressure on Bradford from blitzing linebackers on several occasions during their Bedlam matchup. On one instance Bradford used the stiff-arm move before leaping head over heels in a move that would make Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew envious.
Bradford walked away from that amazing flip, but it was the innocent stiff-arm maneuver that ended up tearing ligaments in Bradford's left hand on the Sooners' third offensive series of the game.
Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford was 30-of-44 passing for 370 yards and four TDs in the victory against Oklahoma State even though he had torn ligaments in his left hand.
"He was running away from a guy and stiff-arms him and he didn't even notice it," coach Bob Stoops said. "Then he said he went to hand the ball off with his left hand and he said it felt like he had a deflated ball."
What Bradford felt was his thumb bending backward because it was no longer supported by the ligaments in his hand.
"They came to the side and he didn't want to wrap it but then he realized his thumb wasn't working and they needed to wrap it so he'll have some type of support to hold the ball," Stoops said.
Bradford ended up playing the rest of the game with the torn ligaments in his hand, and obviously the Sooners didn't get on track offensively until after the injury.
But it did limit Bradford from taking snaps under center the rest of the way. Bradford had two fumbled snaps as Oklahoma was inside OSU's 5-yard line Saturday, but Stoops said he believes those problems will be behind his quarterback this weekend against Missouri in the Big 12 title game.
"We'll operate as usual. Already we'll have some type of splint where he'll be comfortable with and he looked good out there [Monday]," Stoops said. "We'll operate like we always have."
Oklahoma's training staff is working to fashion a workaround for Bradford's impairment throughout the week. They tested their first splint Monday, and they'll work to perfect it throughout the week.
"He feels comfortable with what they have in place and they'll have something even different in the game, but we feel confident that he'll be able to take snaps and do everything as usual," Stoops said.
On Sunday Stoops said that Bradford is likely to have surgery to repair the ligaments in his left hand following the Big 12 title game.
Rivals.com College Football Editor
Norman, Okla. - Flash back to Oklahoma's 61-41 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday night in Stillwater and picture OU quarterback Sam Bradford as he sticks out his left arm from his 6-foot-5 frame to shield himself as he scrambles away from potential tacklers.
Oklahoma State was able to get pressure on Bradford from blitzing linebackers on several occasions during their Bedlam matchup. On one instance Bradford used the stiff-arm move before leaping head over heels in a move that would make Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew envious.
Bradford walked away from that amazing flip, but it was the innocent stiff-arm maneuver that ended up tearing ligaments in Bradford's left hand on the Sooners' third offensive series of the game.
Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford was 30-of-44 passing for 370 yards and four TDs in the victory against Oklahoma State even though he had torn ligaments in his left hand.
"He was running away from a guy and stiff-arms him and he didn't even notice it," coach Bob Stoops said. "Then he said he went to hand the ball off with his left hand and he said it felt like he had a deflated ball."
What Bradford felt was his thumb bending backward because it was no longer supported by the ligaments in his hand.
"They came to the side and he didn't want to wrap it but then he realized his thumb wasn't working and they needed to wrap it so he'll have some type of support to hold the ball," Stoops said.
Bradford ended up playing the rest of the game with the torn ligaments in his hand, and obviously the Sooners didn't get on track offensively until after the injury.
But it did limit Bradford from taking snaps under center the rest of the way. Bradford had two fumbled snaps as Oklahoma was inside OSU's 5-yard line Saturday, but Stoops said he believes those problems will be behind his quarterback this weekend against Missouri in the Big 12 title game.
"We'll operate as usual. Already we'll have some type of splint where he'll be comfortable with and he looked good out there [Monday]," Stoops said. "We'll operate like we always have."
Oklahoma's training staff is working to fashion a workaround for Bradford's impairment throughout the week. They tested their first splint Monday, and they'll work to perfect it throughout the week.
"He feels comfortable with what they have in place and they'll have something even different in the game, but we feel confident that he'll be able to take snaps and do everything as usual," Stoops said.
On Sunday Stoops said that Bradford is likely to have surgery to repair the ligaments in his left hand following the Big 12 title game.