It will be Lewis’ third start. With every game and every snap, his confidence grows.

“Guys have seen I can make some plays. It changes some things,” Lewis said. “You get confidence in a guy and you believe he is going to be there doing what he’s supposed to do. I guess that makes us better as a whole.”

Whether it’s enough to lock up the job for the rest of the season is unclear. Venables said there’s still some “little things” that need to be Lewis needs to improve. He still needs to add some polish. Box is also back from his preseason injury and Venables sees a lot of potential with him in the lineup.

But what Lewis has done in the first two games has drawn some attention among fans, teammates and coaches.

“What’s fun to see, is how he’s really paying attention in practice and pushing himself,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “Preparing during the week to be in position and recognize formations and adjustments and being in the right spot. He’s been doing that and doing it consistently in making plays. It’s exciting to see a young guy come along and start to figure it out.”

John Shinn

366-3536

jshinn@normantranscript.com