2016-08-31

TE Mark Andrews Expects Bigger Role In Offensive

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A new year brings new opportunities, and for OU redshirt sophomore Mark Andrews, a new year brings an expanded role in the Sooners’ offense.

After totaling 19 catches for 318 yards in his first year as a starter, Andrews himself admits he’ll have a bigger impact from the tight end position this fall.

WATCH: 2016-17 Oklahoma Sooners Hype Video

“It’s going to be a bigger role for me,” Andrews said on Monday. “It’s not just going to be in redzone type things or special plays, just being and every down type of guy, being able to stay in there, be versatile and try to make plays on regular downs.”

Mike Stoops: Jordan Wade Is A Rock For Us On Defense

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Last season, Jordan Wade played in 13 games, starting one, and had 23 tackles and two sacks. He does not play one of the more glamorous roles, but his work on the defensive line is an important part of a larger whole.

“He’s been kind of a rock for us,” Mike Stoops said. “Doesn’t say much, just kind of goes about it. He always shows up, he’s always there. He’s been kind of a steady force for us, and really just kind of an unsung hero for us. He doesn’t get a lot of accolades, but he’s a steady contributor, and in our defense, you’ve got to have guys like that, too.

2016-08-30

DT Matt Romar to Play in Season Opener

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Oklahoma defensive tackle Matt Romar missed much of fall camp in concussion protocol. When the OU depth chart was released Monday, Romar was listed behind Jordan Wade, but coach Bob Stoops said OU was still deciding whether Romar would play.

Tuesday, OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops announced Romar will indeed be ready to go.

Adrian Peterson to Serve as Honorary Team Captain For Oklahoma

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Lone Star Sports & Entertainment announced on Tuesday that former Oklahoma Sooners and current Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Gold Medalist carl Lewis will serve as captains for their alma mater in the Advocare Texas Kickoff. The two will join their teams on the field at NRG stadium on September 3rd when the 3rd ranked Oklahoma Sooners take on the 15th ranked Houston Cougars face off to kick off the college football season.

The 2012 MVP was [is] the only Sooner [as a freshman*] in history to earn an AP First Team All-American honors. Peterson set a school record with 1,925 yards as a freshman in 2004 at Oklahoma.

Wrestling: Ohio State's Lou Rosselli To Be Named New Oklahoma Coach

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Lou Rosselli, associate head coach for the Ohio State wrestling team, has accepted an offer to become the new head coach at the University of Oklahoma.

Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan confirmed this morning that Rosselli is leaving to take over the Oklahoma program after serving on his OSU staff since 2006.

“Personally it’s an emotional time,” Ryan said. “Lou is a guy who, when I accepted the (OSU) job, he and I had a similar vision in building something special. He’s been part of some special things here. In the same breath, I’m so excited for him and his family. He’s poured himself into the sport and people. This is a great opportunity for him.”

Rodney Anderson's Neck Injury Likely Won't Require Surgery

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It'll take about three months for redshirt freshman running back Rodney Anderson to heal from a neck injury, Sooners' head coach Bob Stoops said Monday.

"Right now Rodney is, from how it’s going to continue from here, it’ll be non-operative right now," Stoops said. "Then we’ll just see where it goes from there. Right now they’re just going to allow it to heal which will be a three month process."

RELATED: RB Rodney Anderson To Miss 2016 Season After Suffering Neck Injury

2016-08-29

Stoops: Lincoln Riley More Comfortable in Second Season

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Oklahoma players have talked about their increased comfort level in Lincoln Riley's offense in the second year.

Sooners coach Bob Stoops said Riley is also more comfortable.

RELATED: Darlington: Lincoln Riley is Deserving of Head Coaching Job

“A year ago, he's still piecing all that together. What can he expect from two new tackles? All of it,” Riley said. “I just feel like overall there's a lot more confidence, and it's a lot more fluid right now.” (The Oklahoman)

WATCH >> Oklahoma Sooners vs Houston Cougars - 2016 Hype Video

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2016-08-27

Blake Griffin's Crimson Team Defeats Buddy Hield's Cream Squad in OU Legends Game

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Coached by Sooner great Blake Griffin, the Crimson team secured a 96-89 victory over the Buddy Hield-led Cream team in Oklahoma’s sixth annual Legends Alumni Game at Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday afternoon.

An estimated more than 4,000 fans were on hand to watch Griffin and Hield lead the two teams comprised of former Sooners from as far back as the early 1960s.

"To have Buddy on one bench and Blake on the other, not many programs can put two players of the year against each other in an alumni game. It was great to see that," OU head coach Lon Kruger said.

The Crimson team dominated the majority of the first half, leading by as many as 19 points, before the Cream team chipped away to make it 54-43 at halftime. At the 12-minute mark, an Isaiah Cousins 3-pointer pulled the Cream squad within six points at 73-67, but fueled by three straight 3-pointers, Crimson responded with an 11-0 run to pull away for good.

Blake Griffin Makes Largest Donation to University by Basketball Player

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The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department received welcome news Friday when former OU men's basketball standout Blake Griffin committed to the largest gift ever to the University of Oklahoma by a former Sooner basketball player toward the High Performance Center Addition project at Lloyd Noble Center.

The approximately 16,000-gross-square-foot addition will be constructed south of the men's and women's basketball's two existing practice facilities, and will help enhance strength training facilities for both programs, as well other Sooner student-athletes.

"I'm really happy to do this," said Griffin, who was the 2009 consensus national player of the year and the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and is a five-time NBA All-Star with the Los Angeles Clippers. "This is a special project and one my family and I wanted to significantly be a part of. I grew so much as a person and as a basketball player at OU. The High Performance Center will help our current and future players realize their collegiate potential while they're Sooners. Additionally, I look forward to utilizing the state-of-art center when I'm in Norman.

"I'm truly excited about the future of our men's basketball program under Coach (Lon) Kruger and I want us to capitalize on the momentum of last year's run to another Final Four. And with a facility like this, I don't think it will be long before Coach (Sherri) Coale is making her fourth Final Four trip with the women's program, too."

2016-08-26

Dakota Austin to Start at Cornerback

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OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said Dakota Austin is the likely starter at the cornerback spot opposite Jordan Thomas in the season opener.

"Dakota played well for us all last year and we look for him to go out and do the same this year," Stoops said.

Austin and Michiah Quick have competed for the job throughout the preseason. Barring injury both will play against Houston.

Guard Jamal Danley No Longer With Team

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Redshirt senior guard Jamal Danley is no longer playing football, coach Bob Stoops announced Wednesday night.

Danley, who appeared in one game last season, decided to stop playing the sport after suffering multiple concussions. He was expected to compete with Cody Ford for the starting left guard spot.

“He just had several of those and didn't feel it was best for him to continue to go,” Stoops said of Danley's multiple concussions.

Wrestling: Ryan Millhof Plans to Transfer From Oklahoma

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Ryan Millhof, who placed seventh at 125lbs for OU, said he has requested a release from the school.

He's the first athlete to leave after a string of departures from the coaching and training staff. Three former Sooners -- all NCAA champions -- have left the program. Cody Brewer and Andrew Howe both went to Northwestern and Kendric Maple just signed on as assistant coach at Purdue.

Mark Cody, who led the Sooner coaching staff for five years, stepped down earlier this month. Long-time assistant Michael Lightner was named interim head coach.

2016-08-25

Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray, WR Zach Farrar to Play Baseball

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The Oklahoma baseball team announced their 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday, which included two OU football players.

Texas A&M transfer Kyler Murray might be best known to Sooner fans as the quarterback who announced his transfer to OU around the same time former OU quarterback and 2014 Sugar Bowl MVP Trevor Knight was announcing his transfer to A&M, but Murray didn’t come to OU for football alone.

OU Announces Partnership With TuneIn

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University of Oklahoma sports fans will be able to listen to live streaming and on-demand audio broadcasts for free this season as OU and its multimedia rights holder, Learfield's Sooner Sports Properties, announced Wednesday a multi-year partnership with TuneIn, the world's largest audio network.

The new streaming agreement between Learfield and TuneIn provides Oklahoma fans complimentary access to a dedicated Sooner Network channel to find game action and related OU sports programming. TuneIn will air live football and men's basketball games, as well as coaches shows, at no cost. TuneIn's Sooner Network channel will also air live select women's basketball, baseball, softball and other game broadcasts throughout the season. All OU athletics events that are broadcast via radio will be available for free via TuneIn, SoonerSports.com or a Sooner Sports Network affiliate's website. Specific radio broadcast information for each event will be communicated via SoonerSports.com.

2016-08-24

Four Sooners on Senior Bowl Watch List

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Four Oklahoma seniors — linebacker Jordan Evans, safety Ahmad Thomas and wide receivers Geno Lewis and Dede Westbrook — are on the Senior Bowl watch list.

The watch list includes more than 400 players from every level of college football. Eventually, the Senior Bowl will fill 110 roster spots combined for the North and South teams.

The Senior Bowl will be held Jan. 28 in Mobile, Ala. (The Oklahoman)

WATCH: Oklahoma Sooners vs Houston Cougars - 2016 Hype Video

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Defensive Lineman Matt Romar Enters Concussion Protocol

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Defensive tackle Matt Romar, who started 12 games last season, is in concussion protocol after suffering an injury early in practice.

“I think in day two he went down,” Sooners defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux said. “In those two days, he looked pretty dang good.”

2016-08-22

Bob Stoops Announces 2016 Captains

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University of Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops announced Monday evening that quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Samaje Perine, linebacker Jordan Evans and safety Ahmad Thomas will serve as 2016 team captains. The players were selected in a team vote this past weekend.

"These four guys have been excellent leaders for us on and off the field and represent our program in an extremely positive manner with the example they set every day," said Stoops, whose team is ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP and Amway Coaches polls. "They also have a great pulse of the team and will govern everyone in a positive way."

Golf: OU's Brad Dalke Finishes Runner-Up in U.S. Amateur

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University of Oklahoma golfer Brad Dalke finished as the runner-up in the 116th U.S. Amateur on Sunday. The prestigious competition was held at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Dalke, a rising sophomore, fell to Curtis Luck of Australia, who is ranked No. 7 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, in Sunday’s 36-hole championship match, 6 and 4.

2016-08-19

RB Rodney Anderson To Miss 2016 Season After Suffering Neck Injury

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University of Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops announced Friday afternoon that redshirt freshman running back Rodney Anderson will miss the 2016 season due to a neck injury he sustained in Thursday's intrasquad scrimmage.

"I hate it for Rodney," said Stoops. "It didn't appear to be much of an injury at the time and there's no paralysis or anything like that. But we found out this afternoon that he will be out for the year. Rodney is a strong guy and will rebound from this just like he came back after missing most of last season. He was practicing exceptionally well and had positioned himself to have a role in this year's offense."

2016-08-11

Wrestling: Head Coach Mark Cody Resigns After Five Seasons

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Mark Cody announced Thursday that he has resigned as the University of Oklahoma's head wrestling coach after five years at the post.

"I am extremely grateful to have had the privilege to coach at the University of Oklahoma," said Cody. "I believe it is time for new leadership and for this reason I am resigning effective immediately. I want to wish nothing but the best for everyone associated with the program."

MORE >> University of Oklahoma Wrestling News

Cody, who led the Sooners to a 55-34 (.618) overall record and to a 10th-place NCAA finish in 2014, coached five OU wrestlers to a total of 10 All-America honors. Two of those wrestlers — Kendric Maple in 2013 and Cody Brewer in 2015 — won national championships.

2016-08-06

OU Football Players Hang With Fans At Meet the Sooners Day

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NORMAN — The Oklahoma football team was up with the sun on Saturday. The Sooners hit the practice field at first light to beat temperatures forecasted to climb near 100 degrees.

Following practice, the Sooners took part in the annual Meet the Sooners Day. The free event gave OU fans a chance to interact with their favorite players and coaches. Those in attendance ages 14 and younger were able to get autographs.

At the conclusion of Meet the Sooners Day, coaches and players turned their attention to the media. They ran through a gauntlet of photo and video shoots before addressing reporters about the coming season.

2016-08-02

Oklahoma Football Ranked No. 2 in AP All-Time Top 100 Ranking

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When Oklahoma and Ohio State meet Sept. 17 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the top two programs in the Associated Press' all-time football rankings will be going head to head. The AP unveiled its all-time top-25 Tuesday and the Sooners are slotted in the No. 2 spot behind the Buckeyes.

According to the AP, its formula for determining its all-time ranking counted poll appearances (one point) to mark consistency, No. 1 rankings (one point) to acknowledge elite programs and gave a bonus for AP championships (10 points). Ohio State, which has five national titles, accumulated 1,112 points while Oklahoma, which has won seven national championships, racked up 1,055 points.