Ash
10/15/2006, 09:31 PM
along with other coaches and players. That's the most interesting part of the article, the rest is pretty cut and dried.
Apologies if it's been posted already:
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6064906
No. 20 Sooners face life without Peterson
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - If Adrian Peterson plays for Oklahoma again this season, it'll be in a bowl game.
Whether it's a BCS game or a some pre-New Year's Day bowl in a less-than glamorous location is up to his teammates.
Peterson broke his collarbone at the end of a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 34-9 win against Iowa State. A bowl game return is considered the best-case scenario, and that leaves 20th-ranked Oklahoma (4-2, 1-1 Big 12) seeking ways to get by without their best player for the second straight season.
"I see it as a great challenge to see where we can go," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "If we're going to get back to being a championship football team, we'll respond to this the right way and we'll continue to mature and grow."
The Sooners used a slew of running backs during a four-game span last year when Peterson was nursing a sprained ankle and still were successful running the ball. Oklahoma went 3-1 in that span, with the only loss coming to Texas, as Kejuan Jones, Jacob Gutierrez, Donta Hickson and Allen Patrick split Peterson's carries. The quartet combined to average 117 yards in Peterson's absence.
"We'll work with what we've got and adapt like we always have," coach Bob Stoops said Sunday. "I feel good about all those guys and the way they have played."
Patrick and Gutierrez are the only two left from those reserves, and they'll most likely split time in Oklahoma's backfield.
Wilson said Patrick, a converted defensive back who has 43 career rushes for 198 yards and two touchdowns, "is our second guy, and we feel very good about him." He said Gutierrez would be the Sooners' No. 2 back, with Mossis Madu leading a pack of freshmen who'd be next in line.
Oklahoma's lack of depth can be traced back to Peterson. Georgia Tech starter Tashard Choice and Courtney Tennial, who has started the last two games for Tulsa, both left the Sooners after Peterson's runner-up finish in the Heisman voting in 2004.
Quarterback Paul Thompson said the team can rally around Patrick and Gutierrez, who are leaders on special teams for the Sooners. They also combined for 222 rushing yards in a win against Baylor last season.
"Real reliable guys," Thompson said. "Gute has been here for a while, knows the system, knows the protections well. One of the stronger guys on the team. He reminds me a lot of Quentin Griffin, with his shiftiness, size and speed. I think we'll be good with those guys in there."
More production will also be needed from Thompson, who only moved back to quarterback after starter Rhett Bomar's dismissal on the eve of fall camp for breaking NCAA rules. But this year, the passing game is much farther along that it was when Peterson went down last season. It was only after Peterson's injury last season that receiver Malcolm Kelly emerged as an option for Oklahoma.
Now he's the Sooners' top receiver, with 23 catches for 460 yards and six touchdowns.
"I know there's going to be a lot more pressure on the receivers now because we're going to be throwing the ball more," Kelly said. "I think everybody knows that. It's not a secret."
The main question is who can spark the Sooners' offense now. Besides being a steady force and grinding out yards, Peterson also was a big play waiting to happen. Oklahoma hadn't had a significant drive on its first six possession in the second half Saturday when Peterson peeled out on his 53-yard run.
"You can always expect that out of Adrian," Thompson said. "Not to say that other guys can't, but Adrian's definitely proven that over time. That's something you can't replace, but the guys that we have coming in are definitely great backs and they're going to help us win some games."
After overcoming the loss of their starting quarterback already this fall, the Sooners certainly aren't ready to just call it a season.
"Everybody thought we were going to just fall off," Kelly said. "We overcame that.
"Everybody's going to say we're probably back down in the dumps again. It's just another hurdle we're going to have to jump over as a team."
Apologies if it's been posted already:
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6064906
No. 20 Sooners face life without Peterson
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - If Adrian Peterson plays for Oklahoma again this season, it'll be in a bowl game.
Whether it's a BCS game or a some pre-New Year's Day bowl in a less-than glamorous location is up to his teammates.
Peterson broke his collarbone at the end of a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 34-9 win against Iowa State. A bowl game return is considered the best-case scenario, and that leaves 20th-ranked Oklahoma (4-2, 1-1 Big 12) seeking ways to get by without their best player for the second straight season.
"I see it as a great challenge to see where we can go," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "If we're going to get back to being a championship football team, we'll respond to this the right way and we'll continue to mature and grow."
The Sooners used a slew of running backs during a four-game span last year when Peterson was nursing a sprained ankle and still were successful running the ball. Oklahoma went 3-1 in that span, with the only loss coming to Texas, as Kejuan Jones, Jacob Gutierrez, Donta Hickson and Allen Patrick split Peterson's carries. The quartet combined to average 117 yards in Peterson's absence.
"We'll work with what we've got and adapt like we always have," coach Bob Stoops said Sunday. "I feel good about all those guys and the way they have played."
Patrick and Gutierrez are the only two left from those reserves, and they'll most likely split time in Oklahoma's backfield.
Wilson said Patrick, a converted defensive back who has 43 career rushes for 198 yards and two touchdowns, "is our second guy, and we feel very good about him." He said Gutierrez would be the Sooners' No. 2 back, with Mossis Madu leading a pack of freshmen who'd be next in line.
Oklahoma's lack of depth can be traced back to Peterson. Georgia Tech starter Tashard Choice and Courtney Tennial, who has started the last two games for Tulsa, both left the Sooners after Peterson's runner-up finish in the Heisman voting in 2004.
Quarterback Paul Thompson said the team can rally around Patrick and Gutierrez, who are leaders on special teams for the Sooners. They also combined for 222 rushing yards in a win against Baylor last season.
"Real reliable guys," Thompson said. "Gute has been here for a while, knows the system, knows the protections well. One of the stronger guys on the team. He reminds me a lot of Quentin Griffin, with his shiftiness, size and speed. I think we'll be good with those guys in there."
More production will also be needed from Thompson, who only moved back to quarterback after starter Rhett Bomar's dismissal on the eve of fall camp for breaking NCAA rules. But this year, the passing game is much farther along that it was when Peterson went down last season. It was only after Peterson's injury last season that receiver Malcolm Kelly emerged as an option for Oklahoma.
Now he's the Sooners' top receiver, with 23 catches for 460 yards and six touchdowns.
"I know there's going to be a lot more pressure on the receivers now because we're going to be throwing the ball more," Kelly said. "I think everybody knows that. It's not a secret."
The main question is who can spark the Sooners' offense now. Besides being a steady force and grinding out yards, Peterson also was a big play waiting to happen. Oklahoma hadn't had a significant drive on its first six possession in the second half Saturday when Peterson peeled out on his 53-yard run.
"You can always expect that out of Adrian," Thompson said. "Not to say that other guys can't, but Adrian's definitely proven that over time. That's something you can't replace, but the guys that we have coming in are definitely great backs and they're going to help us win some games."
After overcoming the loss of their starting quarterback already this fall, the Sooners certainly aren't ready to just call it a season.
"Everybody thought we were going to just fall off," Kelly said. "We overcame that.
"Everybody's going to say we're probably back down in the dumps again. It's just another hurdle we're going to have to jump over as a team."