Fri, Aug 22 2008
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Published October 12, 2007 01:18 am - Oklahoma was scorched by Texas tight end Jermichael Finley last week. Finely accounted for nearly 40 percent of the Longhorns’ 385 passing yards on only four catches It would seem to be a bad omen as the Sooners prepare face the Missouri tight end tandem of Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman. Both are averaging over 47 receiving yards per game and have five of the Tigers’ 16 touchdown receptions this season. Tiger tight ends play unique position By John Shinn The Norman Transcript Oklahoma was scorched by Texas tight end Jermichael Finley last week. Finely accounted for nearly 40 percent of the Longhorns’ 385 passing yards on only four catches
It would seem to be a bad omen as the Sooners prepare face the Missouri tight end tandem of Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman. Both are averaging over 47 receiving yards per game and have five of the Tigers’ 16 touchdown receptions this season. But the Sooners don’t believe Rucker and Coffman will the present the same problem Finley did for one reason. They’re not really tight ends. “They’re big, strong, fast, athletic wide receivers,” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. Texas was able to isolate Finley on linebackers Curtis Lofton and Ryan Reynolds. But Rucker and Coffman usually line up as slot receivers. “It’s just their style or how they choose to play them, which obviously is working for them,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “But it’s not your traditional position. It’s obvious their stand-up guys split out 95 percent of the time. That’s not what other traditional tight ends are doing.” The Sooners will use primarily five- and six- defensive back schemes against the Tigers. OU used a lot of four-defensive back sets against the Longhorns. Still, Rucker and Coffman will be a major focus Saturday. “They have two tight ends that are just as big and fast as we have seen,” Reynolds said. “They have excellent wide receivers and they have a lot of talent on offense, which is why they are 5-0. It is going to be a real big challenge for us on defense.” Old foe Gary Pinkel is leading the Tigers against the Sooners for the fourth time. The Sooners are 3-0 in the previous meetings. But Pinkel has been going up against OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson for much longer. Wilson matched wits against Pinkel from 1991-1998 while Wilson was offensive coordinator at Miami-Ohio and Pinkel was head coach at Toledo. “Got a lot of respect for him and his staff,” Wilson said. “Shoot, a couple of his coaches were actually coaches when (OU offensive line coach James) Patton was playing (for Miami-Ohio) back in the early ’90s. So I know those guys, and know them well. The guys I didn’t know, because I recruit Kansas and Missouri, I’ve gotten to know. So I know their staff, got a lot of respect for them. I’m not surprised they’re playing the way they’re playing.” 
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