Dave and Rives made it down to Norman on Monday and Tuesday to give you the latest on OU football. Following the 28-11 victory over SMU, the storylines were abundant and juicy. From the Jeff Lebby drama, to a few key injury updates and tougher games on deck, there was plenty to digest on the Sooner front.
The first thing to address is the story that caught fire directly following the game on Saturday, when Jeff Lebby was pictured with his father-in-law Art Briles.
Lebby addressed the media on Monday and made it clear it was an act of poor judgment on his end. Sensing the vibe around the program, this is a story OU wants to leave in the dust. Rightfully so, and it even seems like the media has moved on from the story as well.
Brent Venables did not receive a single question about the issue during his Tuesday morning presser. The focus was old friends, preparation for road games and football, of course.
Venables did provide an update on the injury front. Justin Harrington and Dasan McCullough are both dealing with nagging injuries that could hold them out of this weekends action.
OU is confident with their chances against the Golden Hurricane on Saturday, so holding these guys out would be viewed as a precautionary measure in our opinion. The only problem with this is Harrington and McCullough both play the Cheetah position, the most important spot in BV’s defensive scheme.
If both players are not able to go Saturday, we expect Peyton Bowen to step into the Cheetah role. Though just a Freshman, Bowen has freakish ball skills and put his full repertoire on display against SMU. Bowen blocked a punt in the first quarter and later made a key pass breakup on a fourth and one.
The last notable news to update is Jeff Lebby’s pledge to find more touches for the Sophomore tandem of Javontae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk. The two talented backs have been essentially non-factors two games through the season.
We know the potential is there, but the running back room is seriously deep. The emergence of Tawee Walker and the strong play of Marcus Major has not helped the case for Barnes and Sawchuk. However, they are simply too good to keep off the field.
We will see if more opportunities emerge for this duo against a poor Tulsa defense.
Dave and Rives went more in depth in our latest practice report video, which can be viewed here.
As always keep up with 107.7 The Franchise and The D&R CFB Report for all your OU football news.
