Shane Beamer more than ‘just special teams guy’
Shane Beamer has quite a few titles: assistant head coach for offense, tight ends and H-backs coach and as his name might suggest Beamer plays a role in overseeing Oklahoma’s special teams. Jay Boulware is still OU’s special teams coordinator, but this year he has help from Beamer. And OU’s special teams shined Saturday as Lee Morris blocked a punt that Curtis Bolton recovered in the end zone for an OU touchdown. Frank Beamer’s Virginia Tech squads were known for their elite special teams play, and that’s how the name Beamer Ball was coined. Shane was a three-year starter at long snapper for the Hokies, where he played from 1995-99. Shane, in his first year at OU after coming over from Georgia’s staff in the offseason, has embraced the importance of special teams, but that phase of the game likely won’t define him the way it did his dad. Beamer said he doesn’t want to get “pigeonholed as just a special teams guy” because of his last name. “I love it, don't get me wrong,” Beamer said. “I love being involved with special teams but also it's not something that is the only thing I'm passionate about.” Beamer has coached both sides of the ball during his career. But at Oklahoma, it’s all about learning the intricacies of Lincoln Riley’s offense. The Sooners have averaged better than 43 points per game in each of the last three seasons. OU hung 63 against Florida Atlantic to open the season. “I got home Saturday and my wife was like 'When was the last time we were up 42 to nothing?' or whatever it was at halftime,” Beamer said. “It was fun for sure, just to be involved with Coach Riley and the offensive staff last week, just seeing how he game plans and gets ready for an opponent, and then to be on the headphones with him on Saturday and listen to him and why we're calling things and why we do things.” Gumbs transfers A week ago, Addison Gumbs looked like he'd be a starter for Oklahoma's defense. Now, Gumbs is gone from the program. The sophomore has decided to transfer for personal reasons, the school announced Wednesday. Gumbs suffered a noncontact knee injury during last Friday's practice that ended his season. "I hate it for Addison because he was really coming on, starting to do some nice things for us," Riley said Saturday. "But this is where our depth and all that has to show up. We’ll get him rehabbed and get him back." With Gumbs out, Mark Jackson Jr. started at the "Jack" linebacker spot. Gumbs played in four games last year with eight tackles and a pass breakup. UCLA quarterback uncertainty Reporters covering UCLA's practice Wednesday morning said starting quarterback Wilton Speight threw during warmups, but didn’t participate in drills. Speight, a transfer from Michigan, injured his back last Saturday against Cincinnati. Don’t expect Bruins coach Chip Kelly to disclose any information about his quarterback’s status. “I’m not a doctor, so I can’t go into anything with it,” Kelly said Tuesday in a teleconference. True freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson will lead UCLA at quarterback if Speight is out. ThompsonRobinson was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2018 class and one of the topranked quarterbacks in the country. He led the first team offense in practice Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Daily news. Thompson-Robinson completed 15 of 25 passes for 117 yards against Cincinnati last Saturday. The Bruins fell to the Bearcats 26-17. Birthday boy Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley turned 35 on Wednesday. Riley was the youngest head coach in the FBS when he took over for Bob Stoops on June 7, 2017, but Kent State’s Sean Lewis, 32, has since stolen the title of college football’s youngest head coach. The Golden Flashes hired the former Syracuse offensive coordinator in December.