JimBob
09-17-2008, 08:58 PM
UPDATED: Granger out minimum four weeks, could miss rest of season
By Guerin Emig, World sports writer
9/17/2008 6:13 PM
Last Modified: 9/17/2008 7:23 PM
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners had better get used to playing without DeMarcus Granger, the defensive tackle out a minimum of four weeks and possibly the entire season with something worse than a sprained left foot, the original diagnosis coming out of OU’s victory over Washington last Saturday.
“It’s something in the tendon and with the bone,” coach Bob Stoops announced after practice Wednesday. “They’re experimenting with whether to let it heal and to take four weeks or so for DeMarcus to try to come back. The other option is to do surgery and (insert a pin in the foot). So right now DeMarcus and the doctors are still uncertain.”
Either way, the Sooners will miss an All-Big 12 Conference player from a year ago who was just rounding back into form after a sluggish preseason camp. “His last game, it was like, ‘There he is,’ ” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “That first half, that’s the guy you knew.”
Granger recovered a fumble and was a consistent presence in Washington’s backfield before being roughed up by three Husky linemen on a play late in the second quarter. “That’s been going on for years in football,” defensive tackles coach Jackie Shipp said. “It goes on at every level, high school, pro, college. Those things happen. In this game you have to learn how to take care of yourself.”
Shipp’s concerns have more to do with the future. He’ll continue to start Gerald McCoy and Adrian Taylor at tackle, with fourth-year junior Cordero Moore taking Granger’s place alongside Cory Bennett off the bench, at least initially.
“If something changes, we’ll have to go with three,” Shipp said. “It depends on how (the tackles) play. But right now my plan is to still go with four.”
There is no plan to bring either Stacy McGee or Casey Walker, OU’s true freshman tackles, out of redshirt.
Should it become a three-tackle rotation, the Sooners sound confident they’ll hold up. “You seen what we do with Schmitty?” McCoy asked, in reference to strength and conditioning coordinator Jerry Schmidt. “I think we’ll be all right. As hard as we practice out there during two-a-day... We went through almost the whole two-a-days with me, Cory and Adrian (while Granger battled a nagging lower back injury and worked himself into shape).
“Cordero’s going to come in and play good for us. I don’t doubt that at all. I’m not worried.”
By Guerin Emig, World sports writer
9/17/2008 6:13 PM
Last Modified: 9/17/2008 7:23 PM
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners had better get used to playing without DeMarcus Granger, the defensive tackle out a minimum of four weeks and possibly the entire season with something worse than a sprained left foot, the original diagnosis coming out of OU’s victory over Washington last Saturday.
“It’s something in the tendon and with the bone,” coach Bob Stoops announced after practice Wednesday. “They’re experimenting with whether to let it heal and to take four weeks or so for DeMarcus to try to come back. The other option is to do surgery and (insert a pin in the foot). So right now DeMarcus and the doctors are still uncertain.”
Either way, the Sooners will miss an All-Big 12 Conference player from a year ago who was just rounding back into form after a sluggish preseason camp. “His last game, it was like, ‘There he is,’ ” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “That first half, that’s the guy you knew.”
Granger recovered a fumble and was a consistent presence in Washington’s backfield before being roughed up by three Husky linemen on a play late in the second quarter. “That’s been going on for years in football,” defensive tackles coach Jackie Shipp said. “It goes on at every level, high school, pro, college. Those things happen. In this game you have to learn how to take care of yourself.”
Shipp’s concerns have more to do with the future. He’ll continue to start Gerald McCoy and Adrian Taylor at tackle, with fourth-year junior Cordero Moore taking Granger’s place alongside Cory Bennett off the bench, at least initially.
“If something changes, we’ll have to go with three,” Shipp said. “It depends on how (the tackles) play. But right now my plan is to still go with four.”
There is no plan to bring either Stacy McGee or Casey Walker, OU’s true freshman tackles, out of redshirt.
Should it become a three-tackle rotation, the Sooners sound confident they’ll hold up. “You seen what we do with Schmitty?” McCoy asked, in reference to strength and conditioning coordinator Jerry Schmidt. “I think we’ll be all right. As hard as we practice out there during two-a-day... We went through almost the whole two-a-days with me, Cory and Adrian (while Granger battled a nagging lower back injury and worked himself into shape).
“Cordero’s going to come in and play good for us. I don’t doubt that at all. I’m not worried.”