2013 sooner kickoff preview
TRANSCRIPT
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2013 SOONER KICKOFF
WWW.CRIMSONANDCREAMMACHINE.COM
CCCCan Blake Bell Take
The Reigns Of The
Sooner Offense?
A Look Inside The QB
Race
Quotes | Stats | Breakdowns | Opponent Previews | Opinions From The Experts
Position-By-Position Breakdowns Of The Offense & Defense
Rebuilding Th
Sooner Defens
Can Corey
Nelson Lead A
Resurgent Gro
Of Linebacker
Interviews With Some Of The Best Known Oklahoma Football Write
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Oklahoma and Notre Dame renewed
their gridiron rivalry last fall, with theIrish claiming a 30-13 victory in
Norman. Now its OUs turn to travel to
South Bend this fall.
While much has changed with the
Sooners from 2012-13, the Irish have
had some turnover at a few key
positions themselves. Giving us the
inside slant on the Fighting Irish is
The Irish returned to the nationalstage of college football last year and
were just a game away from the
perfect season and a national title.
How has that changed fan
expectations going into this season?
I don't think it's changed many people's
opinions in regards to expectations for
this upcoming season as much as it has
convinced a lot of fans that the ship has
been righted and the program is
heading in the right direction. There
was also a sense that the Irish were at
least a year or two away from the kind
of season they had in 2012 and
obviously, Alabama knocked us down a
couple of notches (or 30, whatever)
and changed the color of the season at
the very end.
In regards to 2013, I think most just
want to see the positive trend lines
continue. Things like maintaining astrong defense, developing Golson at
Inside Slantwith Eric Murtaugh
Date: September 28th, 2013Location: South Bend, IN2012 Record: 12-1All-Time vs. OU: 9-1Last Meeting: (w) 30-13 2012
quarterback, finding some dynamic
offensive playmakers, and continuing
the stellar recruiting. If all that
happens, and Notre Dame wins 10+
games again, I believe many in the fan
base will be pretty excited.
There is some pressure to win a major
bowl and I think that is a fair goal for
this upcoming season. Other than that,
consistency is a big key. The Irish
haven't been able to play at a high level
in consecutive seasons in a really long
time and doing so (even without a
major bowl win or a top 10 finish)
would be a big accomplishment.
Do the losses of Theo Riddick and
Cierre Wood at running back put more
pressure on quarterback Everette
Golson to make plays with his arm, ordo the Irish have the answer to the
ground game already?
The answer definitely hasn't been
found in the ground game. George
Atkinson (he didn't travel to the
Oklahoma game last year due to the
flu) has moved in to the starting role
this spring after being behind Riddick
and Wood last season. He's legitimately
one of the fastest backs in the country
and has great size, but there are still a
lot of questions about whether he can
refine his skills and be more than just a
track athlete carrying a football. He has
so much potential that he could run for
1,200 yards, but he might end up with
the same token home-run threat role
he had last season, as well.
Behind him is the scrappy Cam
McDaniel, who is so well-rounded that
he might play a ton but never be "the
Key Returners: LT Zach
Martin, LG Chris Watt,
RT Christian Lombard, TE
Troy Niklas, WR TJ Jones,
WR DaVaris Daniels, QB
Everett Golson, DE
Stephon Tuitt, NG Louis
Nix, "Dog" OLB Danny
Spond, "Cat" OLB Prince
Shembo, Will MLB Dan
Fox/Carlo Calabrese, CB
KeiVarae Russell, CB
Bennett Jackson, FSMatthias Farley
Key Losses: C Braxston
Cave, RG Mike Golic, TE
Tyler Eifert, RB Theo
Riddick, RB Cierre Wood,
WR Robby Toma, DE
Kapron Lewis-Moore,
MLB Manti Te'o, SS Zeke
Motta,
Quarterback Everett Golsonpassed for 2,405 yards and12 touchdowns last season
NOTRE DAMEFIGHTING IRISH
guy." He's not the typical
number one back the team
is looking for. They have a
redshirt freshman in Will
Mahone, who is probably
another year or two away
from serious contending
for playing time, too.
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That leaves 3 players who could really change the
dynamic of the entire offense and not just the
running game.
Amir Carlisle- Transfer from USC. He's probably as
dynamic as anyone on the roster, but hasn't been
able to stay healthy. He was banged up as a
freshman at USC in 2011, and ended up missing last
season because he broke his ankle in the spring, and
had a bunch of complications---even though his
waiver was accepted by the NCAA and he was
eligible in 2012. This spring he was turning a ton of
heads before breaking his collarbone halfway
through the practice sessions. He's not very big, and
probably won't be an every down back, but he could
bring a lot to the running game and offense.
Tarean Folston- Incoming freshman in the similar
mold as Carlisle but with a little more size. Like
Carlisle, he'll probably be a hybrid slot/running back
player but he is talented and athletic enough to
make an impact in his first season.
Greg Bryant- Former Oklahoma commit, many are
expecting him to insert himself in to the starting
discussion. Much too talented and physically ready
not to move up the depth chart rather quickly.
In regards to Golson, I think a lot more pressure will
be on his shoulders not only as a passer, but as a
runner. I would expect a little more passing than last
year because that's where the team's strength lies---
especially early in the season. But, Golson could also
flourish as a runner and really help out the groundgame while it tries to find the right pieces early in
the fall.
The linebackers and secondary both went through
some attrition. Who are some of the new defenders
that college football fans should be aware of, and
what are the general expectations for the defense?
The Irish lost a starter at each level of the defense
(line, linebackers, secondary), but everyone else
returns. Even with the loss of a generational talent
like Te'o, there's the belief that this 2013 defense
can be even better, and certainly full of more depth
and playmaking ability. I think the defense will be a
little bit more aggressive and "appear" more
dominant this season in the form of more sacks,
interceptions, 3-&-outs, but at the same time, it will
be extremely hard to replicate some of the defensive
team stats they put up last year.
The three new projected starters should make a
name for themselves and, while they aren't as
experienced as the veterans they are replacing,
they do offer more speed and athleticism---a natural product
of Kelly's high-level recruiting over the past couple seasons.
Sheldon Day is a little under-sized as a defensive end in
Notre Dame's 3-4 system, but he has an insane burst off the
line and played really well as a true freshman last season. He
might not be as technically sound, and able to eat blocks as
well as his predecessor Kapron Lewis-Moore did, but Day
brings more speed, and an ability to get in to the backfield
and be disruptive.
Jarrett Grace has big shoes to fill at middle linebacker, but
the staff has been singing his praises for over a year and he's
been groomed to take over for Te'o not only as a productive
player, but also as a leader. It'll be shocking if he's as refined
as Manti, but he does offer a little more speed, a little more
sideline-to-sideline ability, and is the exact type of vocalleader the team wants at the all-important Mike linebacker
spot.
Elijah Shumate started last year as the nickel corner in his
true freshman season, and is transitioning to strong safety
this off-season. He's not a lock to start, as there are several
candidates in a deep secondary battling for that spot, but
Shumate spent the entire spring with the 1st team---a good
indicator as any. He's still swimming a little bit trying to learn
all the responsibilities and coverages, but athletically he's
another notch or two above his predecessor, Zeke Motta.
Besides those three new starters, there will probably be a
few backups who begin to play at a high level (OLB Ben
Councell, OLB Ishaq Williams, and another body in the
secondary being likely) as well as three 5-star recruits
coming in this summer. Outside linebacker Jaylon Smith is
the most freakishly athletic player to come to South Bend in
a very long time, and should see the field in some sort of
nickel corner/pass rusher role. Defensive tackle Eddie
Vanderdoes will be stepping on to campus physically ready
to play on the interior, and as a hybrid pass rusher. Safety
Max Redfield enters a log-jam at safety, but might be thenickel corner from day one (like Shumate last year). He couldforce his way for playing time at free safety, or may evenmake an impact at receiver, or as a return man.
Are there any concerns at the center position with the
graduations of Braxston Cave and Mike Golic Jr.?
I think many Irish fans are fairly worried about a new center
and right guard, mostly because these positions aren't being
filled by highly- touted recruits (like most other spots on the
roster), and it's naturally a position fans like to fret about
anyway.
Even with the loss of a
generational talent like Te'o,
there's the belief that this 2013
defense can be even better.
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Cave was a 3-year starter at center and generally played
pretty well over his career. He really struggled during the
Senior Bowl and didn't get drafted, though. The coaching
staff seems very high on his replacement (Nick Martin,
brother of left tackle Zack Martin) and, again, this might
be another instance where the new player is more
athletically gifted but not quite as polished, as his
predecessor.
Right guard is more worrisome because Connor Hanratty,who worked there during the spring, hasn't received
quite the rave reviews, and isn't as athletic, as some
other options on the team. In fact, the staff has been
waiting for redshirt freshman Ronnie Stanley to get
healthy and see if he can work at right tackle, and move
Christian Lombard from there to right guard. At the same
time, Mike Golic was probably as limited physically as any
Irish linemen over the past 4 or 5 years. It shouldn't
be terribly difficult to replace him.
So, there is definitely worry, but the staff has done a
really good job improving the offensive line since they
arrived. Things could be worse than breaking in 2 new
offensive line starters with 2 All-American candidates on
the left side who offer top-notch leadership for the entireoffense.
With Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix back up front, is the
line the strength of the Irish defense?
Without a doubt, yes.
The line took a little bit of a hit with the season-ending
shoulder surgery of Chase Hounshell (he would have
provided depth as a backup), but this is still shaping up to
be the best defensive line at Notre Dame in a very longtime---and they were awfully good last year.
Tuitt and Nix are future 1st-round NFL picks, with size
and athleticism seldom seen from players over 300
pounds. There's no question that they are legitimate 1st-
team All-Americans and, the scary thing is, they'll both
have another year of eligibility left after 2013, although
neither will probably come back.
With these two players anchoring the line, a highly-
toutedsophomore (Day) stepping in to a starting role,
several backups with experience (Springmann,
Schwenke, etc.), and one of the top defensive linemen
the country coming in this summer---things are lookin
pretty. Factor in the Cat outside linebacker, a position
that often plays with their hand on the ground at the
line, and the Irish have a lot of weapons to throw at
teams.
I definitely see the defensive line as the strength of th
defense, if not the entire team.
Eric Murtaugh is a site manager for One Foot Down.com
Tuitt and Nix are future 1st-
round NFL picks, with size and
athleticism seldom seen from
players over 300 pounds.
2012 Stastical
Leaders
Passing:Passing:Passing:Passing:
Everett Golson - 2,405 Yards ,12 TDs, 6 INTs
RushingRushingRushingRushing
Theo Riddick - 943 Yards, 5 TDs, 4.8 YPC
ReceivingReceivingReceivingReceiving
Tyler Eifert - 685 Yards, 4 TDs, 13.7 YPC
TacklesTacklesTacklesTackles
Manti Teo - 113
SacksSacksSacksSacks
Stephon Tuitt - 12
Tackles For LossTackles For LossTackles For LossTackles For Loss
Stephon Tuitt - 13
InterceptionsInterceptionsInterceptionsInterceptions
Manti Teo - 7
Score By Quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total
Notre Dame 85 73 71 90 16 335
Opponents 23 74 24 39 6 166
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Bob Stoops has had it pretty good in Norman as far as quarterbacks are concerneFrom Josh Heupel to Landry Jones, hes had quarterbacks who can air the ball out w
precision and accuracy, including Heisman winners Jason White and Sam Bradfo
Five different signal callers have led Oklahoma to conference championships, but tother thing that theyve all had in common is that they were all fairly immobile. Tha
about to change!
Landry Jones graduated and left for the NFL virtually owning the Oklahoma footb
passing record book. He was good enough to become the Big 12s all-time leader
passing yards and set the career touchdown record bar so high that it may never
challenged. However, the winds of college football are changing and Jones, who w
statue-like in the pocket at times, is going to be replaced by a quarterback who cmake plays with his legs as well as his arm.
The problem is, we just dont know who that quarterback is going to be just yet. Wh
we do know is that the naked bootlegs and quarterback draws that were run in t
spring game clearly indicate that Oklahoma is stepping into the era of the mob
quarterback.
The competition was so close in the spring that the Sooners will head into the summ
with the situation unresolved. The combination of strength, agility and a massi
upside have made for a difficult coaching decision, but the understanding that whoev
wins this battle will guide the team through multiple seasons puts more weight on t
coaches decision.
2013 Sooner Kickoff
THE QUARTERBACK RACETHE QUARTERBACK RACETHE QUARTERBACK RACETHE QUARTERBACK RACE
Regardless Of Who Wins The Job, Oklahomas Next Quarterback Will Bring In A
New Era Of Sooner Football
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Blake Bellhas to be considered the front runner to win
the starting job. Hes been starring for two seasons
now as the Belldozer and was even named the MVP
of Oklahomas 31-14 Insight Bowl win over Iowa in
2011. Bell owns the rushing touchdown record for a
freshman quarterback with 13 scored in 2011. The
question has been whether he could pass with
accuracy because, while he may have 24 rushing
touchdowns, hes only attempted twenty passes in his
two seasons as a Sooner. He seemed to silence thedoubters with a 14/23 passing performance, for 213
yards and two scores, in the spring game.
Trevor Knight is quickly becoming a fan favorite
because of his athleticism and knack for making plays.
Only a freshman, Knight had been written off by many
as not being ready for the competition. A native of San
Antonio, TX, Knight was the nations fifth-ranked
quarterback prospect coming out of high school. He
joined Oklahoma as a four-star recruit in the class of
2012. In his final two years of high school he passed
for over 3,000 yards and ran for over 1,900 with a
combined 75 touchdowns scored.
Kendal Thompson was the surprise of the spring. His
athleticism was evident in high school but he showed
off a strong arm and accuracy in the spring.
The most athletic of the three quarterbacks (Kendal is
the son of former Sooner star Charles Thompson),Thompsons playmaking ability is uncanny.
A four-star prospect from Southmoore High School in
Moore, OK, Thompson was the number two overall
prospect in the state and fourteenth best quarterback
prospect in the country. An injury in the second game
of the season cost Thompson his senior year of high
school, so this quarterback race is the first time hes
been involved in competitive football since September
2010 so you could say that hes still knocking off somerust. However, he showed enough in the spring (as did
Bell and Knight) that hes got a strong enough grasp on
things to take the reins of the offense.
Kendal
Thompson
HT: 6-1
WT: 191
YR: RS SO
Trevor Knight
HT: 6-1
WT: 202
YR: RS FR
Blake Bell
HT: 6-6
WT: 263
YR: JR
We have three good guysjust competing and having
fun with it and we're all
just going to work hard
each and every day and
that's all we can do. -
Blake Bell
"I prefer to stay in the pocket, as do
most quarterbacks. When I'm out
there, you don't have time to thinkabout it. It's a split second decision.
If I have to pull it down, I pull it
down and then just play ball from
there."- Kendal Thompson
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Inside The QB Race With ESPNs Jake Trotter
Did the quarterback competition turn out to be more of an actual competition than was expected?
JT: No, I always expected it to be a competition. What I didn't expect was Kendal Thompson being a factor. Thompson re
has made a great deal of improvement since the 2012 spring game, which is a tribute to his work ethic. Thompson w
almost always the last to leave the practice field, and it shows. I still consider Blake Bell to be the favorite, and I still th
that Trevor Knight has the highest ceiling, but Thompson quickly ensured this would be a three-man race.
Is it still a three-man race after the spring?
JT: Yes, although not in the way people might think. I really don't envision a scenario where Bell doesn't get the start agai
Louisiana-Monroe, especially after watching the spring game. But, say Bell struggles against West Virginia or in South Be
I don't think Bob Stoops would hesitate to give one of the younger guys a shot. The big question then becomes, who wo
get the first shot? Thompson or Knight? To me, that will be the more compelling competition during two-a-days, more
than whether anyone can unseat Bell, which I see little chance of happening, at least in August.
But all three are capable of running the new offense that we're expected to see this fall, right?
JT: Yes. All three have subtle differences. But basically, they are a similar style of quarterback, which is why Josh Heu
won't have to tailor the offense to each individual.
After the Sam Bradford and Landry Jones era, are we now seeing a time where OU football perhaps gives up some pass
accuracy for athleticism from the quarterback?
JT: Well, that's not the way they'll put it. Maybe the way they'll phrase it is, they're willing to place more emphasis o
quarterback's mobility than past years. Stoops and Heupel want to throw the ball, so there's definitely a limit to the amo
of throwing accuracy they'd be willing to sacrifice.
So, even though the coaches want to run the QBs this year, being the most athletic of the three quarterbadoesn't necessarily give one guy a leg up over the other then?
JT: The quarterback that runs the best and throws the worst is not going to win this job. What they are really looking fo
the quarterback that makes the most plays -- running or throwing -- with the fewest mistakes. That player is going
ultimately prevail in this competition.
Break it down and give us a possible advantage each of the three quarterbacks may have over the others.
JT: Bell has the experience advantage over the other three, and his arm takes no backseat, either. Thompson's foot quickn
gives him the potential to make plays outside the pocket the other two might not be able to. Knight is stronger and fas
and for those reasons among others, I believe he has the highest ceiling. But these are all subtle differences, becausethree quarterbacks are similar in a lot of ways, and relatively close at the moment in terms of how far along they are
quarterbacks.
Jake Trotter covers OU football for ESPN SoonerNati