Sooners starting slow

One field goal in first six possessions far from the tempo Stoops wants.

No. 19 Oklahoma is hoping for a better start when it visits No. 25 Tennessee on Saturday.

Coach Bob Stoops thinks cutting down on penalties will help.

The Sooners were held to a single field goal in their first six possessions against Akron on Saturday, a slower-than-expected start for Oklahoma’s offense under new coordinator Lincoln Riley. But the Sooners went on to a 41-3 season-opening victory against the Zips.

Three of those six possessions included a penalty — two false starts and one holding call — and there were two other penalties on early punt returns by the Sooners.

“We emphasize it constantly,” Stoops said. “We constantly are talking about it when we watch practice tape and what kind of discipline and technique they are using and what would constitute a foul and what wouldn’t and we need to stay away from it. And I thought, and I’m not being critical, there were a couple that you’re wondering where it was. That’s OK. I’m not complaining; I’m just saying that’s going to happen sometimes.

“But we are constantly trying to teach our players what’s going to be a foul and what isn’t, and we need to avoid it.”

Arizona: All-America linebacker Scooby Wright will miss up to a month after undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. Wright was injured in the first quarter of the Wildcats’ 42-32 win over UT-San Antonio on Thursday. He tried to come back but lasted one play before heading back to the bench. Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday that Wright had arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear on Saturday and will miss three to four weeks.

UCLA: The Bruins’ excitement about quarterback Josh Rosen’s successful debut has been tempered by a big loss on the defensive line. Eddie Vanderdoes is likely to miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his knee during the 34-16 victory over Virginia. Vanderdoes will need surgery, defensive line coach Angus McClure confirmed Monday.

Pittsburgh: Running back James Conner will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, coach Pat Narduzzi announced Monday. Conner suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in the second quarter of a 45-37 win over Youngstown State on Saturday. Conner is the reigning ACC player of the year after rushing for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. He had eight carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns in just over one quarter of action Saturday.