BACK ON THE FIELD

OU's Alex Grinch is no fan of the electronic whistle, but he's glad to be back preparing for the season

NORMAN — OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch isn't exactly fond of the small, handheld device.

Grinch would rather have a whistle in his mouth, ready to signal the start of each practice and each drill.

But the whistle has been one of the casualties of the COVID19 pandemic as the Sooners get preseason camp underway, Grinch said Friday during a virtual luncheon with the Citizens Advisory Board of Cleveland County Child Welfare.

Instead, the whistle has been replaced by a button Grinch and other coaches push to simulate the sound.

“When the weak noise that used to be a whistle goes off, i t's time to start practice,” Grinch said.

Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley and assistant head coach Shane Beamer also participated in the luncheon.

Grinch might not care for the whistle, but he's glad to be back on the field coaching, even if virtually everything is uncertain about the upcoming college football season.

“The last couple weeks, having the chance to call yourself a football coach again, actually getting on the field and those things — that's been really good to get around the guys,” Grinch said. “We'll enjoy every day that we're able to do it.”

Grinch said the uncertainty is a challenge but one that can be overcome.

“We talk to the guys about setting your mind before your mind sets you,” Grinch said. “One of the communications with the guys is, just that. Set your mind to have the best practice of your life the following day, and then if we've gotta back off that, certainly we will. But that's 2020. I don't think that's going away anytime soon.”

Riley and the Sooners still don't know when their season will start.

As of now, they're set to kick off against Missouri State on Aug. 29, but that seems destined to change.

The game was recently moved up a week to allow a buffer between the opener and the scheduled Sept .12 game against Tennessee.

But that game and the Sept. 26 contest against Army have both been canceled so the opener figure stoat least be pushed back.

Friday ,247 sports reported the Missouri Valley Conference, which Missouri State is a member of, would cancel their fall season with the hopes of playing in the spring. The report said the conference was likely to allow its members to play non-conference games in the fall, though.

“It's been an adjustment, because we pride ourselves on our organization and communicating with people so people have time to plan and use all the talents they have here and get our players, our team, in the best position to improve and be ready for what's upcoming,” Riley said.

“That part is different. We' re changing dayto-day. There are times at 7 or 8 at night where we don' t know if we are practicing the next morning.

“But it's part of it. Again, we' re trying to attack it with a positive mindset and kind of embraced t he changes of the new challenges. I think it will be a new test of the culture of your team and the ability to adapt and overcome. This entire season is going to be a test to that.”