Published: November 22, 2006 01:03 am            

Williams uncertain for Saturday

John Shinn's Oklahoma Football Notepad

Free safety Darien Williams’ status for Bedlam remains up in the air. He suffered a cartilage tear in his right knee in last Saturday’s game at Baylor.

He has been cleared by OU’s medical staff to play, but it’s matter of Williams playing through the injury. He said after practice Tuesday, he believes he’ll ready to go Saturday.

“Probably,” he said, “I don’t know for (how much) use, but it’s looking that way.”

Defensive backs coach Bobby Jack Wright said if Williams can’t go, the Sooners will move nickelback Nic Harris to free safety in the base defense sets. Harris will remain at nickelback in the nickel and dime sets and Jason Carter will play free safety.



Thanksgiving

Last year, OU defensive end C.J. Ah You and his family held a Thanksgiving dinner for all the players who couldn’t go home for the holiday. Ah You said they’ll do it again Thursday.

“I have a big extended family so this is nothing new to me,” he said. “We have a lot of fun.”



When to play?

OU’s coaching staff hasn’t hid the fact that, if it were up to them, Bedlam wouldn’t be the last regular-season game.

Stoops pointed out when the Sooners and Cowboys played in October of 2003 and 2004, ESPN’s “College GameDay” was at both Owen Field and Boone Pickens Stadium.

But linebacker Curtis Lofton, who is from Kingfisher, said he likes ending the regular season against OSU.

“I kind of enjoy the fact that it’s a big game,” he said. “It’s a great way to end the season … playing against our rivals.”



Tickets remain

The high price of tickets to Saturday’s Bedlam matchup between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is keeping many fans away from the game at Boone Pickens Stadium.

OSU still had more than 1,000 tickets available on the stadium’s north side ranging from $250 to $1,000.

OU coach Bob Stoops was asked about it Tuesday and he hoped Sooner fans would solve the problem.

“Hopefully some of those OU people buy them if there’s extra ones,” he said. “Get as many there as we can, right?”

Stoops didn’t want to comment on why more OSU fans had not purchased the tickets, but he’s hoping to see more Sooner fans than empty seats.

“I hope we get as many OU fans that can buy them that we can and get more red in there if we’re able to,” he said.



Hartley makes cut

OU kicker Garrett Hartley has been named one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award, which is presented annually to the top kicker in college football. The Palm Beach County Sports Institute and Palm Beach County Sports Commission made the announcement Tuesday.

The other finalists are John Vaughn of Auburn and Arthur Carmody of Louisville .

Hartley has connected on 17 of 18 field goals this season. His only miss on the year came on a blocked 44-yard field goal against Oregon. Hartley ranks second among all players in the Big 12 Conference with 8.2 points per game.

The junior place-kicker’s season long is a 46-yard field goal against Iowa State. Hartley has also remained perfect this season in extra point attempts going 39-of-39.



More to come

Running back Adrian Peterson won’t play Saturday, but Stoops reiterated his belief the former Heisman Trophy runner-up hasn’t played his last game in a Sooner uniform.

“I’m pretty convinced of that,” he said. “Things may change, but at this point it hasn’t for him.”

Peterson’s broken collarbone is very close to being healed. The injury will be reevaluated next week and he could be available if OU were to reach the Big 12 championship game and for a bowl game.



Classroom success

Five Sooners were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Football Team. Defensive end Larry Birdine, defensive tackle Carl Pendleton and fullback Dane Zaslaw earned first-team honors.

Second-team accolades went to running back Jacob Gutierrez and Lofton.

Birdine is majoring in sociology. Pendleton is a sociology major with a religious studies minor. Zaslaw, a junior, is a business management major. Gutierrez is a sociology major, while Lofton has yet to declare a major.

To qualify, players must maintain a 3.00 grade point average or higher (3.20 for first team) either cumulatively or in the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of the team’s scheduled contests.

John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com

        

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