Loss of Anderson huge blow to OU, Big 12
League’s star power, visibility is now in question without him.
The Big 12 is looking to expand its offensive galaxy of stars, the marquee guys who can market the league to the rest of the country.
That’s why it was such a blow when Oklahoma tailback Rodney Anderson tore a knee ligament on the final play of the first quarter in Saturday’s blowout win over UCLA. The senior and team captain is out for the rest of his OU career. The injury is even sadder considering that Anderson had to miss much of 2015-16 because of neck and leg injuries.
Anderson’s fame was fleeting, but he packed in some fabulous football in seven games last season. That’s when Lincoln Riley dispensed with a tailback rotation and gave him the ball. Anderson rushed for 1,079 yards after he secured the top spot at mid-season. That included 151 yards against TCU and 201 against Georgia.
Riley told reporters that Anderson still will have an impact on the team as one of its leaders. But what do you tell someone who has lost such big chunks of his career to broken bones and torn ligaments?
“I told him I don’t think this injury’s going to have any impact on his career in football, other than it’s just going to delay it a few months,” Riley said. “This guy’s so mentally tough, he’s so physically gifted ... he’ll probably come back better. I would be shocked if he doesn’t, whoever he’s playing for.”
Trey Sermon inherits the starting job when Oklahoma travels to Iowa
State this week to open con- ference play.
Maybe it’ll be Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray who will give the Big 12 a dose of football glamour. He ranked fourth in Tuesday’s Heisman poll conducted by ESPN.com.
West Virginia quarterback Will Grier still is the best bet. He topped the poll and seems to be a broad, early favorite.
But the threat of Hurricane Florence has proved to be the best defense for Grier. The 14th-ranked Mountain- eers were set to play North Carolina State this Saturday. But the game was postponed because the massive Cate- gory 4 storm is on track to hit the Carolina coast. Hurricane conditions are forecast to hit the Raleigh-Durham area, where the game was set to be played, Thursday night and Friday.
It’s still unclear whether the game will be rescheduled.
Grier’s nine touchdown passes in two games ranks second in the country behind Hawaii’s Cole McDonald, who has 13. Receiver Gary Jennings has caught four of the touchdowns.
It’s way too early to tell who might be the newest Big 12 stars. But there are some emerging receivers, namely Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace, who leads the league with 14 catches, followed by Texas’ Lil’Jor- dan Humphrey, who has 13.
Could Texas Tech get back its QB?
McLane Carter missed Texas Tech’s 77-0 walloping of Lamar last Saturday in Lubbock. But he hasn’t been ruled out of this week’s game against Houston. Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Carter is day to day as he recovers from the high ankle sprain he suffered against Mississippi.
Freshman Alex Bowman filled in for Carter, helping lead the Red Raiders to their most points in 13 years.
Bowman was the fourth freshman quarterback who has started a game in Kingsbury’s six seasons as coach. The other three — Baker Mayfield, Davis Webb and Patrick Mahomes — are in the NFL.
“What he’s done really well the last two games is not have negative plays, no sacks, and hasn’t turned the football over,” Kingsbury said this week when talking about Bowman. “That’s what we’re looking for. Be efficient, make quick decisions, and elimi- nate negative plays.”
The most stunning part was how they scored the touch- downs. Seven came via the run. The school record is 12, which was set in 1925 and tied in 1932. But it’s certainly the most in the modern era of Tech football.
Whoever starts at quar- terback or tailback for Tech against Houston will have to contend with lineman Ed Oli- ver, who probably is the best defender in football.