2016 college football preview

2016 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW • SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016

the evolution In a year when Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Tulsa have veteran leaders and high hopes for success, we ask: How did we get here?

How Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph found his calling at quarterback • F5

How Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield went from walk-on to the state's biggest celebrity • F4

How Tulsa’s Dane Evans could end up at the top of the program's passing charts • F6

more college football inside and at tulsaworld.com/sportsextra Bill Haisten explores where Mayfield stands as an Oklahoma state icon • F10 Who knows which way the season will go?

Guerin Emig makes his best guess • F11

Can anyone beat Alabama? National preview • F16 Power rankings and players to watch in the Big 12 and the AAC • F14 Depth charts, schedule analysis and our picks for sleepers and stars: Tulsa • F7

OU • F8 OSU • F12

Previewing small local colleges • F13 Recovered from surgery, Arkansas’ Keon Hatcher has a crucial year ahead of him • F15

F2 SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016

TULSA WORLD

tulsaworld.com

PREVIEW THE EVOLUTION

trusting the

Can you out pick the Picker?

process

Go to OutPickthePicker.com at noon Monday to pick the Week 1 games.

This year’s grand prize, sponsored

by Albert G’s, is a BBQ Feast valued at $700. The winner (who must be 21 to claim the prize) receives dinner for up to 20 people.

This year’s weekly winners receive a $50 Walmart gift card, sponsored by Suburban Chevrolet.

Read more on Baker Mayield on page F4 and online at OUSports Extra.com

Read more on Mason Rudolph on page F5 and online at OSUSports Extra.com

Read more on Dane Evans on page F6 and online at TUSports Extra.com

WORLD SEASON

PICKS Big 12 champion

Eric Bailey Mark Cooper Guerin Emig Bill Haisten Kelly Hines Kendrick Marshall Michael Peters Patrick Prince Cody Stavenhagen The Picker Oklahoma

TCU

Oklahoma

TCU

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

TCU

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

American champion

Houston

Houston

Houston

Houston

Houston

Houston

Houston

Houston

Houston

Houston

Heisman winner

Deshaun, Watson Clemson

Josh Rosen, UCLA

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

Deshaun Watson, Clemson

Leonard, Fournette, LSU

Deshaun Watson, Clemson

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

Leonard Fournette, LSU

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

College Football Four

Oklahoma Clemson LSU Ohio State

Clemson Alabama Notre Dame Michigan

Alabama Oklahoma Florida State Michigan

Alabama TCU Clemson Stanford

Clemson Alabama Oklahoma Michigan

Oklahoma Alabama Florida State Ohio State

Alabama TCU Michigan Clemson

Oklahoma Ohio State LSU Clemson

Alabama Oklahoma Florida State LSU

Oklahoma Clemson Alabama Stanford

Clemson

Clemson

Alabama

Alabama

Michigan

Ohio State

Alabama

Clemson

Alabama

Alabama

National champion

COVER PHOTOS • Dane Evans: Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World • Mason Rudolph: Matt Barnard/Tulsa World • Baker Mayield: Ian Maule/Tulsa World SPORTS EDITOR Michael Peters

ASSISTANT EDITOR Patrick Prince

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DESIGN Katie McInerney/Tulsa World

F4 SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016

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PREVIEW OKLAHOMA SOONERS The evolution of Baker Mayfield Dec. 19, 2013 Transferring to OU • Reports surface that Mayield intends to transfer to Oklahoma from Texas Tech, where he was the Big 12 ofensive freshman of the year as a walk-on.

JanuaRy 2014 Enrolls at OU as a walk-on • He has yet to meet Bob Stoops, who isn’t allowed by ncaa rule to contact the player.

It wasn’t typical; it wasn’t easy.

But instead of wilting under the spotlight, Baker Mayfield has thrived.

Baker Mayield warms up before the 2014 spring game. TULSA WORLD FILE MarcH 2014 Begins spring football workouts • Mayield begins getting quarterback repetitions alongside Sugar Bowl MVP Trevor Knight, cody Thomas and Kendal Thompson. aPRil 12, 2014 Drawing early cheers • Makes debut in front of Ou fans by going 9-of-9 passing for 125 yards and two touchdowns in spring game.

DeceMBeR 2014 Top practice player • Named Oklahoma’s scout team ofensive player of the year after sitting out season due to transfer rules. aPRil 11, 2015 Setting the foundation for the job • Throws for game-high 176 yards on 10-of-13 passing while competing with Knight, Thomas and Justice Hansen for vacant starting job in spring game. aug. 24, 2015 Handed the reins • Named Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for upcoming season.

SePT. 12, 2015 A game for the ages • Directs OU from a 14-point fourth-quarter deicit to capture thrilling 31-24 doubleovertime victory at Tennessee.

SePT. 19, 2015 Resetting the record book • registered school-record 572 yards of total ofense (487 passing, 85 rushing) and six total TDs in 52-38 win over Tulsa.

OcT. 10, 2015 Red River misery • Sufers only regular-season loss (24-17 to Texas).

Threw for only 211 yards and was sacked six times.

OcT. 24, 2015 Not just another win • In irst meeting against his former school Texas Tech, throws for 212 yards to guide Ou to a 63-27 victory. nOV. 21, 2015 Importance to team revealed • Sufered a second-quarter concussion against Tcu and his absence was evident as Ou had to hold of late rally for 30-29 win. nOV. 28, 2015 Nine is fine • One week after leaving with an injury, led Ou to a Big 12 championship-clinching victory at rival Oklahoma State (58-23). it is the Sooners’ ninth overall.

Dec. 7, 2015 Paving the way • Named the Burlsworth Trophy winner, which is awarded to college football’s most outstanding player who began as a walk-on.

Dec. 9, 2015 Tabbed the conference’s best • Wins his second major Big 12 award of his career after being named the league’s ofensive player of the year.

Dec. 17, 2015 Best of the best • Honored as the Sporting news Player of the year after guiding Ou to the college Football Playof.

DeceMBeR 2015 Awards roundup • Finalist for the Davey O’Brien award, earl campbell Tyler Rose award, Manning award and Walter camp Player of the Year. also a irst-team all-american selection for Sports illustrated, the Sporting News and Walter camp.

Dec. 31, 2015 Special season comes to finish • Injured for second time in three games as Oklahoma’s season ends with loss to clemson in college Football Playof semiinal game.

June 2, 2016 “Baker Mayfield” rule • One day after maintaining one-year eligibility penalty for walk-on student-athletes (like Mayield) who transfer, league approves rewritten amendment which gives quarterback two more years of eligibility.

July 13, 2016 New expectations • Voted as the Big 12’s ofensive player of the year by a media panel covering the league.

SePT. 3, 2016 Championship hopes begin • Will guide the Sooners in their seasonopening game against nationally ranked Houston at NrG Stadium.

IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

Taking it in stride N ORMAN — Baker Mayield’s evolution to Heisman Trophy candidate has been an interesting and complicated journey.

Oklahoma’s quarterback was a fresh-faced, wide-eyed freshman playing games at Texas Tech. He warmed up the Sooners’ irst-team defense to no fanfare as a scout team quarterback in 2014. And then he led OU into the College Football Playof, highlighted by his charismatic style and bulldog attitude in 2015.

Life’s curveballs have toughened the former Texas Tech walk-on, who was the Big 12 Conference’s ofensive newcomer of the year in 2013. The story is well-documented.

When things didn’t work out, he bolted Lubbock and ended up as the starting quarterback at his dream school.

“From then to today, I never thought it would be like this, but I wouldn’t change it for anything and I wouldn’t do anything diferently,” Mayield said. “Obviously, I’m enjoying what I have right here and what we are doing.”

Mayield drew cheers at Texas Tech when he threw 12 touchdowns as a true freshman. He helped the Red Raiders earn a spot in the Holiday Bowl.

But he also made some mistakes.

Making the high school-tocollege transition was challenging. But despite some of the miscues, he matured as a football player.

Where did he grow the most during that 2013 season at Texas Tech?

“Learning how to take care of the ball, even though I didn’t do it very well then,” he said.

“You can learn from your mistakes and even though I didn’t do it very well then, you can learn from your mistakes.

“So when I moved on from then, that was my big thing, taking care of the ball and giving your team the best opportunity to win. Not doing too much, getting the ball into your playmaker’s hands and keeping the ball on your side.”

When Mayield severed

Baker Mayield (leading his team in the huddle above, and at left playing for lake Travis Pop Warner) grew up outside of austin, Texas, but was born an Oklahoma fan.

COURTESY/Mayfield family

ties with the Red Raiders and coach Klif Kingsbury and transferred to Oklahoma, Mayield knew he was a great quarterback. But he wanted to be even better to elevate the Sooners to an elite level.

An appeal for immediate eligibility was denied, and May-

ield had to sit out the 2014 season. That’s when he ran the scout team — and gave OU’s irst-team defense headaches.

“I was really paying attention to all the details,” Mayield said. “I think, in the best way possible, that may have been the best thing for me, to play

By Eric BailEy • Tulsa World

and then sit out another year.

“It helped me not only develop the physical part — making mistakes and learning from them — but watching from the sideline and seeing how people react and the whole program and that aspect of it. That helped me develop.”

James Mayield, Baker’s father, would get updates from Oklahoma’s practices. He chuckled while revisiting some of the stories of those fall 2014 workouts.

“Going against the No. 1 defense that redshirt year helped him and helped him with his teammates. He gained credibility with those guys …,” James Mayield said.

Mayield attended every home game and would travel on his own to road games during the 2014 season. He digested each play of each game, mentally placing himself in the game during series. Through that exercise, he strengthened his style of play.

“A lot of it, as you get older, you see a lot more things. You have a lot more experiences and you see a lot more defenses,” Baker Mayield said. “Also, having diferent people around you and surrounding you, you learn to deal with the personnel and how you play. It makes you kind of mature and realize that you have to play diferently with other people and you have to adapt.

“I think that the best way to do that is get experience, no matter if you are practicing or not. You get mental reps and watch. It changes with mental knowledge and knowing the game better.”

Mayield’s fourth-place inish in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season only ratcheted up the expectation level this season. He’s always been selected the Big 12 preseason offensive player of the year and has to be a catalyst for any » See OU, page F9

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 F5

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PREVIEW OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS The evolution of OSU quarterback Mason Rudolph

A serendipitous switch sent Mason Rudolph on the path to Stillwater, and perhaps beyond.

The perfect f it W

hen you look at Mason Rudolph — all 6-foot-5 of him in a uniform — it gets diicult to imagine him doing anything but slinging footballs. The truth, though, tells another story.

The truth is Mason Rudolph nearly didn’t have the chance to be a quarterback.

“From the time he was playing Pop Warner and Little League, I thought he could play quarterback,” Brett Rudolph, his father, said. “But he was never given the opportunity for one reason or another.”

The reasons are aplenty. There were the typical seasons where the head coach’s son was a quarterback. For two years, he did take the snaps for his youth team in Virginia, but it ran a singlewing ofense that rarely passed.

When Rudolph was in the sixth grade his family moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Rudolph settled

BY MARK in as a wide receiver and COOPER safety at a TULSA small ChrisWORLD tian school.

The logic: There was an older quarterback, and Rudolph was a good athlete.

He wanted to be a quarterback, though.

That’s part of the reason he attended a camp put on by the coach of Rock Hill’s public football power, Northwestern, the summer before his ninth-grade year.

The camp altered history.

Northwestern coach Kyle Richardson was intrigued. Rudolph’s parents were lattered.

A year later, in 2011, Rudolph played his irst game at quarterback and never looked back.

Rudolph went on to become one of the most proliic high school quarterbacks in the Class of 2014, scoring 80 total touchdowns and winning a state championship as a senior. Three years later, he has already etched his name into the annals of Oklahoma State football history, with a monumental Bedlam win as a freshman and a 10-0 start as a sophomore. In 2016, there is no doubt about whose team this is. The only question is how far Rudolph, now a junior, can take the Cowboys.

“When you watch Mason this year, Mason looks like to me that he inally understands,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. “This is the irst time, in watching him, I feel like he inally understands and is comfortable and is not guessing at quarterback. And he’s going into year twoand-a-half and 15 games.”

He is also going into year six as a quarterback, period. This is the evolution of Mason Rudolph: The kid with a well-rounded upbringing has developed into an elite college quarterback — and a 21-year-old grown man — at the same time. He is even being touted for the 2017 NFL Draft.

That Rudolph now attends school more than 1,000 miles from home completes a superfecta of school experiences that each ofered a new perspective.

He spent his early years in Virginia. Until Rudolph was in the sixth grade, he and his brother Logan were home-

JUNE 5, 2013 The decision • In a ceremony at his high school, the Rock Hill, South Carolina, native commits to OSU, in large part due to the relationship with new ofensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

DeC. 7, 2013 State champs • In his inal high school game, Rudolph threw a record eight touchdown passes to lead Northwestern (S.C.) to a 6235 win in the South Carolina 4A, Division II state title game.

JANUARY 2014 Early arrival • Rudolph moves the 1,000-plus miles from Rock Hill to Stillwater for the spring semester, getting a leg up before his freshman year.

AUgUSt 2014 Putting on a redshirt • After reiterating through fall camp that three quarterbacks — J.W. Walsh, Daxx garman and Rudolph — were all receiving reps, Mike gundy decides to head into the season with Walsh as the starter and garman as the backup.

NOv. 22, 2014 Rainy day in history • With both Walsh and garman shelved by injury, the redshirt comes of Rudolph and he completes 13of-25 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in inclement weather in a loss at Baylor.

DeC. 6, 2014 This was Bedlam • After a bye week, Rudolph returns for his second career start and leads OSU to a come-from-behind, overtime road win over Oklahoma, clinching bowl eligibility for the Cowboys.

JAN. 2, 2015 Arizona air show • Rudolph throws for 299 yards and two touchdowns and things keep looking up for the Cowboys in a Cactus Bowl win over Washington.

MAY 2015 Backstreet’s back • While on a trip to Israel to be baptized, Rudolph goes viral for posting a photo with the Backstreet Boys.

Sept. 12, 2015 Home debut • After playing his irst four games at road/ neutral sites, Rudolph has his irst 400-yard passing game in a home-opening win over Central Arkansas.

OCt. 3, 2015 Prolific night • the Cowboys trailed by as many as 15, but Rudolph’s career-high 437 passing yards vaulted OSU to a 36-34 comeback win against Kansas State.

NOv. 7, 2015 Statement game • Undefeated but unconvincing up until this point, OSU made its case nationally with a 49-29 win over a ranked tCU team.

Rudolph threw touchdowns of 48, 50, 12, 82 and 74 yards.

eleven-year-old Mason Rudolph (right) poses with his younger brother Logan for a youth football portrait in 2006.

Rudolph grew up playing wide receiver and didn’t convert to quarterback until high school.

COURTESY OF THE RUDOLPH FAMILY ABOVE PHOTO: MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

schooled. Their mother, Jamie, taught them, which meant a fair amount of yelling — and it meant Rudolph and Logan became extremely close.

They’re so close now that Logan, a high school senior, mows lawns to make money so he can buy plane tickets to visit his older brother, Jamie said. And Rudolph was the “executive producer” behind the viral video where Logan announced he

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was committing to Clemson while chopping wood in jean shorts.

When the Rudolphs moved from their home in Loudoun County, Virginia, to Rock Hill when Rudolph was in middle school, he enrolled at Westminster Catawba Christian, a small, private school that Rudolph said had 32 players on its football team.

While there, Rudolph was a wide receiver and a safety. He also won a geography bee.

But the school was so small, it has since disbanded its football program. And once Rudolph attended that summer camp

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at Northwestern, it was clear his path to college football ran through a larger high school.

He remained at Westminster for his freshman year but transferred to Northwestern when he was a sophomore.

Rudolph’s irst game at quarterback came on Aug. 26, 2011.

While he took the ield, splitting time at quarterback with a senior, Brett and Jamie were waking up in the middle of the night an ocean away.

They listened to a live stream of the game at 2:30 a.m. in Ukraine, where they were inalizing the adoption of their daughter Dasha.

“That was hard to handle, but it was neat to be able to do » See OSU, page F13

NOv. 21, 2015 Bear problems • Rudolph’s 12game winning streak as a starting quarterback was snapped by the only team that had beaten him to this point: Baylor.

NOv. 28, 2015 Foot problems • With an ailing foot, Rudolph sits out OSU’s 5823 loss to Oklahoma in Stillwater as the Sooners clinched the Big 12. the sophomore played one series, going 0-for-3 with an interception.

JAN. 1, 2015 Sugar ain’t sweet • Rudolph’s sophomore campaign ended with an ugly 48-20 loss to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, just the second start in which Rudolph did not throw a touchdown.

Sept. 3, 2016 His team • A veteran junior now, Mason Rudolph hopes to begin the run to a playof berth when OSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana.

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F6 SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016

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PREVIEW TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE The evolution of Tulsa QB Dane Evans JUNE 19, 2011 Commits to TU • After attending a TU quarterback camp, the Sanger, Texas, native receives and accepts his irst ofer.

Nov. 10, 2011 Concludes prep career • With Sanger’s irst-round playof loss, Evans inishes 15th in Texas high school history with 9,074 career yards.

JANUAry 2012 Enrolls early • Having graduated high school a semester early, Evans enrolls and begins classes at TU. MArcH-April 2012 Competes for starter • During spring drills, Evans comes in third behind cody Green and Kalen Henderson, setting the stage for a redshirt season.

MArcH 30, 2013 Named backup • Before the start of spring drills, Evans is identiied

by Bill Blankenship as the No. 2 quarterback behind Green.

AUG. 29, 2013 Sees first action • As backup QB, Evans produces the only touchdown of a season-opening loss at Bowling Green. ocT. 26, 2013 Sees first start • With Green sidelined by injuries, Evans starts against Tulane and throws three interceptions in a 14-7 loss.

Nov. 23, 2013 Secures first win • Despite throwing three picks against louisiana Tech, Evans earns the only win in ive starts of his redshirt freshman season.

MArcH-April 2014 Shines in spring • Blankenship says Evans exceeded expectations during spring drills, indicating he will stay the starter.

Evans celebrates with fans after Tulsa beat Tulane in double overtime to begin the 2014 season.

AUG. 28, 2014 Keys comeback win • in a double-overtime victory against Tulane in the opener, Evans throws for 438 yards and four touchdowns and is sensational late in the game.

Nov. 28, 2014 Ends frustrating year • A lackluster loss to East carolina concludes a two-win season in which Evans had 18 interceptions but also threw for the ifth-most yards (3,102) in a TU season.

DEc. 11, 2014 Gets a new coach • After the dismissal of Blankenship, noted QB mentor philip Montgomery is hired as head coach.

MArcH-April 2015 Progresses in spring • Montgomery says Evans is “night and day (improved) from Day 1” at the end of spring drills.

AUG. 21, 2015 Retains starting role • At the end of the preseason, Montgomery expresses conidence in Evans as his No. 1 QB. SEpT. 19, 2015 Lights up Sooners • in a 52-38 loss at No. 16 oklahoma, Evans throws for a season-high 427 yards and four TDs. ocT. 17, 2015 Takes a step back • A 30-17 defeat at East carolina is a rocky outing for Evans, who throws a 100-yard pick-six on the first drive and produces only 288 yards and a TD. DEc. 26, 2015 Plays in first bowl • in an independence Bowl loss to virginia Tech, Evans accounts for four TDs and ends the year with 4,332 yards for the program’s second-best passing season.

MArcH-April 2016 Participates in fifth spring • Under a ifth QB coach, Beau Trahan, Evans continues to lourish.

SEpT. 3, 2016 Starts final year • The game against San Jose State opens a season in which Evans can leave TU as the top passer in program history.

Dane Evans’ start at Tulsa was rocky.

But now, he’s prepared to go out on top.

Worth the wait D

ane Evans always had the potential to become a proliic quarterback. It simply took some time to get there.

As a 5-year-old in his irst season of youth football, Evans wasn’t ready to accept a future under center. He had other plans for his career.

“Being a quarterbacks coach, I enjoyed watching (Joe) Montana and (Steve) Young and all those guys,” said Evans’ father, Damon Evans. “When he irst started playing, he wanted to be Jerry Rice. He ended up playing tight end his very irst year he ever played.”

Dane Evans’ pedigree ultimately won out. He has been a quarterback since that year, a journey that brought him to the UniverBY KELLY HINES sity of Tulsa and could TULSA WORLD culminate this fall with a inal season in which Evans can become the top passer in program history.

“I remember when I came here, I told myself I wanted to be the best when I left,” Evans said. “By that I kind of meant, when you think about our program and the quarterbacks who have come through, you think about my name.”

A signiicant asset on the path to greatness has been Evans’ cannon of an arm, likely a genetic gift passed down from his father, who led the state of Oklahoma in passing yardage in 1987 at Anadarko High School.

Having coached football at the high school level in Oklahoma and Texas for 23 years, Damon Evans can identify whether quarterbacks have the elusive “it” factor. He knew early on what his son could achieve.

“We’d go out in the yard and as a 2½-year-old, he was throwing the ball better than junior high kids I’ve seen,” Evans’ dad said. “He always had a real strong arm.”

When he was 11, Dane Evans quarterbacked the Arlington (Texas) Thunder to the 2004 Pop Warner national championship. The same year, his baseball team won the USSSA World Series and Evans was a state wrestling champion at 92 pounds.

Success on the football ield continued in Sanger, Texas, where his family moved when he was in junior high. As an eighth-grader, Evans watched recordings of Texas Tech and Oklahoma State games with his dad, who was Sanger’s offensive coordinator, and together they designed the system in which he would go on to set school records.

Under his dad’s tutelage, Evans developed into a Division I prospect while throwing for more than 9,000 yards and close to 100 touchdowns in three years as a high school starter. After his sophomore season, college coaches from across the country were traveling to Sanger, half an hour south of the Oklahoma border on I-35.

Despite an overwhelming amount of interest, the ofers didn’t follow. In a pre-Johnny Manziel era, everyone was seeking the 6-foot-4 quarterback and ignoring the qualiications of those closer to 6 feet like Evans.

Exhausted by the recruiting process, Evans pounced on an intriguing opportunity in June 2011, when new TU coach Bill Blankenship extended an offer the day after a quarterback camp. Upon visiting campus the next day, Evans was fully on board.

“I remember when I irst got my ofer, I didn’t really know much about Tulsa,” Evans said.

“My dad grew up in Anadarko, so he knows about all of the football around here. He told me, ‘Tulsa always has good quarterbacks and they always throw the football.’ ” Evans had his sights set on the starting role from Day 1, enrolling early to participate in spring drills amid an open competition to replace G.J. Kinne. Nebraska transfer Cody Green secured that role in 2012 and again in 2013, but his injuries and inefectiveness thrust Evans into duty as a redshirt freshman.

His irst of ive starts in a stun-

Top right: Fifth-grader Dane Evans at QB for the Arlington Thunder in the 2004 pop Warner national championship game. His team won.

Top: Quarterbacking for the Arlington Blue Devils in the second grade.

Above: Two-year-old Dane and his father, Damon, then an assistant coach at Anadarko.

COURTESY/Evans family ABOVE: stephen pingry/Tulsa World

ning nine-loss season that followed an 11-win one, Evans endured a painful midseason debut at Tulane. In the 14-7 defeat, he accounted for three turnovers and passed for a meager 139 yards.

“You can prepare for the opportunity all you want, but you don’t know what it’s like until you’ve played,” Evans said. “I haven’t watched that game at Tulane in forever, but I bet if I did I would be pretty mad at myself.”

Fans who saw that performance likely could not have predicted the progression that would transpire, but it certainly didn’t happen overnight. His irst full season as starter produced two victories, and teamwide deiciencies resulted in additional pressure on Evans, who threw 17 interceptions in 2014.

“It was kind of like, ‘You have to go out there and save us,’” wide receiver Josh Atkinson said. “He was getting a lot of lack for it, but he knew we had his back and the whole team stood behind him. We knew Dane could play. We knew he was one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”

The hiring of Philip Montgomery, a renowned quarterback mentor, played a role in Evans reaching new heights last season, when he threw for

4,332 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions and ranked seventh nationally with 333.2 passing yards per game.

“He wants to be coached,” Montgomery said. “He wants to listen and he wants to be pushed. When you have that type of mentality, good things will happen for you.”

Having ive quarterback coaches in ive years might not be considered ideal, but Evans soaks up instruction like a sponge. Couple that with a competitive ire and a relentless work ethic, and the result has been staggering improvement: an increase in completion percentage from 43.1 in 2013 to 55.4 in 2014 to 62.9 in 2015.

“All of his skills are things he’s worked tremendously on,” Damon Evans said. “His natural ability is being able to throw the ball, but all the other stuf is what he’s had to work hard on. He’s worked really hard.”

Dane Evans, who wants to play football for as long as he can before launching his coaching career, has matured at TU from a long-haired skateboarder into a savvy senior leader who needs 31 passing touchdowns, 2,604 passing yards and 3,169 total yards to tie the school records in each of those categories.

“It’s been fun,” Evans said.

“I’ve really had a blast here.

I’m excited for this year with our guys, especially the guys I came in with. … If I end up breaking those records, it will just be good for our team because that will mean we’re having a good year.”

Kelly Hines 918-581-8452 kelly.hines@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @KellyHinesTW

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 F7

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PREVIEW TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE Local radio ailiates KXBL fm99.5 (Tulsa, lagship) KRIG fm104.9 (Bartlesville) KTMC am1400 (McAlester) KOKL am1240 (Okmulgee)

PROJECTING THE 2016 DEPTH CHART

Philip Montgomery TV show Sundays, 6:30 p.m., Cox-1003

OFFENSE

Philip Montgomery radio show Mondays (except Oct. 3), 7-8 p.m., Mamadou’s at Aloft Hotel (200 Civic Center Dr.), fm99.5 Tickets 918-631-4688, tulsahurricane.com

2016 SCHEDULE

Likely starters listed first, returning starters in bold

By Kelly Hines, World Sports Writer

D’Angelo brewer • Jr., 5-9, 185 James Flanders • Sr., 5-10, 203

RB Josh Atkinson sr., 6-2, 208 Brodrick Umblance Jr., 6-1, 187 Chris Minter so., 6-3, 247 WR Rob Riederer Jr., 6-0, 230

Dane evans • sr., 6-1, 210 Chad President • So., 6-3, 222

Willie Wright so., 6-3, 296 Chris Ivy Jr. R.Fr., 6-4, 280

Blake Belcher sr., 6-5, 304 Alex Pagonis Sr., 6-5, 320

RT

RG

TE

SEPT. 3 • CBSSN • 6 P.M.

Chandler Miller Tyler Bowling So., 6-6, 325 so., 6-3, 290 Rowdy Frederick Zac Uhles Fr., 6-4, 330 Jr., 6-3, 276

Evan Plagg Jr., 6-3, 292 Isaac Johnson So., 6-7, 275

LG

C

Justin Hobbs So., 6-4, 207 Nigel Carter Jr., 6-3, 205

Keevan Lucas sr., 5-10, 195 Bishop Louie Jr., 5-10, 172

QB

WR

WR

LT

vs. San Jose State The Hurricane hasn’t played in California since a WAC game against the Spartans in 2003.

DEFENSE

SEPT. 10 • ABC • 2:30 P.M.

at Ohio State The Horseshoe (capacity 104,944) will provide the largest crowd for a game in TU history.

CB Kerwin Thomas Jr., 5-10, 170 Keidrien Wadley R.Fr., 6-1, 185

SEPT. 17 • 1 P.M.

vs. North Carolina A&T

DE

DT

DT

DE

Jeremy Smith Jr., 6-5, 260 Jesse Brubaker Jr., 6-3, 270

Jerry Uwaezuoke Sr., 6-3, 286 Kolton Shindelar Jr., 6-6, 276

Hayden Carman Sr., 6-4, 289 Shemarr Robinson Fr., 6-4, 280

Frankie Davis Jr., 6-2, 240 Trevis Gipson R.Fr., 6-5, 239

STAR

LB

LB

Jeremy Brady sr., 5-10, 197 McKinley Whitield So., 6-4, 212

at Fresno State

Craig Suits Jr., 6-0, 220 Diamon Cannon R.Fr., 6-2, 232

Trent Martin sr., 6-2, 232 Petera Wilson Jr., 6-2, 230

SS

SEPT. 24 • 3:30 P.M.

Another former WAC rival, the Bulldogs compete in the Mountain West with San Jose State.

LB

MIKE

Matt Linscott sr., 6-1, 223 Micheal Thomas Sr., 6-0, 219

Unfortunately for fans, the Aggies’ renowned marching band isn’t making the trip to Tulsa.

CB Keanu Hill Jr., 6-2, 185 Reggie Robinson II R.Fr., 6-1, 190

WEAK SIDE

FS Jordan Mitchell Jr., 6-2, 187 Manny Bunch Fr., 6-2, 191

SPECIAL TEAMS

OCT. 7 • ESPN2/ESPNU • 7 P.M.

PLACEKICKER

KICKOFFS

PUNTER

DEEP SNAPPER

KICK RETURNS

PUNT RETURNS

HOLDER

vs. SMU

Redford Jones Jr., 5-10, 175 Preston Soper Jr., 6-0, 205

Preston Soper Jr., 6-0, 205 Redford Jones Jr., 5-10, 175

Dalton Parks sr., 6-3, 209 Preston Soper Jr., 6-0, 205

Robert Hill Fr., 6-0, 215 Jesse Brubaker Jr., 6-3, 270

Bishop Louie Jr., 5-10, 172 Rowdy Simon Jr., 5-8, 202

Kerwin Thomas Jr., 5-10, 170 Keidrien Wadley R.Fr., 6-1, 185

Sam Gottsch so., 6-2, 190 Dalton Parks Sr., 6-3, 209

Before last season at Tulane, the Hurricane lost ive consecutive games played on a Friday.

OCT. 15 • TBD

at Houston The Cougars lead the series 22-18 and produced 38 points in the 2014 and 2015 victories.

OCT. 22 • TBD

vs. Tulane The Hurricane’s wins in the past two meetings involved dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks.

OCT. 29 • TBD

at Memphis Ex-TU assistant Mike Norvell (2009-10) followed Tulsa native Justin Fuente as head coach.

NOV. 5 • TBD

vs. East Carolina

QUARTERBACKS The scoop • Dane Evans lourished in his irst year in Philip Montgomery’s system, completing 63 percent of his passes for 4,332 yards and 25 touchdowns. Chad President was used in six games as a freshman QB and also saw limited playing time at receiver.

The boTTom line • A ifthyear senior, Evans is on track to become the top passer in program history. He needs 2,604 yards to surpass Paul Smith (2003-07) in career passing yards.

RUNNING BACKS

The scoop • Packing on close to 20 pounds should make D’Angelo Brewer more durable after a sophomore year in which he racked up a teamhigh 837 yards and scored six TDs despite battling injuries.

The boTTom line • TU used ive backs while struggling to stay healthy in 2015.

Raymond Taylor, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma State, gives the Hurricane another weapon. Behind James Flanders, improved depth includes Rowdy Simon and Javon Thomas.

Second-year TU coach Philip Montgomery faces irst-year Pirates coach Scottie Montgomery.

NOV. 12 • CBSSN • 11 A.M.

at Navy The teams met in Annapolis a decade ago, a thrilling 24-23 Hurricane victory in overtime.

NOV. 19 • TBD

at Central Florida A year before taking over in Orlando, Scott Frost was a candidate for TU’s opening in 2014.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The scoop • The unit will have a new look after the graduations of Derrick Alexander and Derrick Luetjen and the moves of Jesse Brubaker (tackle to end) and Kolton Shindelar (end to tackle).

Former walk-on Hayden Carman is projected to start inside along with veteran Jerry Uwaezuoke.

RECEIVERS

The scoop • Josh Atkinson and Justin Hobbs have the potential to become tandem deep threats much like Atkinson and Keyarris Garrett were last year, and the return of goto guy Keevan Lucas provides an elite inside-outside weapon.

The boTTom line • Despite the amount of experience back, McLain products Nigel Carter and Bishop Louie could have expanded roles along with veteran Brodrick Umblance. Younger reserves to watch include Jarion Anderson, Josh Stewart and Keenen Johnson.

SLEEPERS

OFFENSIVE LINE

The scoop • Blake Belcher, who is back after a knee injury cost him all but half the season opener, has moved from tackle to guard to address vacancies caused by Garrett Staford exhausting his eligibility and Chris Wallace leaving upon receiving his degree.

The boTTom line • Four of the returners have combined for 51 starts, but there is a lot of youth and inexperience behind them. Eleven of the 16 linemen are freshmen or sophomores.

STARS Dane Evans As a fourthyear junior, Evans ranked eighth nationally with 4,332 passing yards. Given his consistent yearto-year improvement, he could have a special farewell season.

The boTTom line • Reserve Jake Hanks is out for the year, but Brubaker and up-and-comer Trevis Gipson are solid backups behind Jeremy Smith and Frankie Davis. Shemarr Robinson leads a group of freshman tackles who add needed depth.

NOV. 25 • TBD

vs. Cincinnati The Bearcats have prevailed in ive straight in the series, including a 49-38 victory last year.

COACHING STAFF Philip Montgomery Head coach, second year

Brian Norwood

LINEBACKERS

The scoop • The three starters from last year remain the same and include top returning tacklers Matt Linscott and Trent Martin, who were bright spots on the TU defense while combining for 211 stops in 2015.

The boTTom line • The emergence of talented younger players should provide an upgrade in speed. In addition to backup Diamon Cannon, four true freshmen have delivered impressive plays in the preseason and will battle for playing time.

Associate head coach, codefensive coordinate and safeties coach, second year

Bill Young Co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, second year

Jermial Ashley Defensive line coach, second year

Mike Bloesch Ofensive line coach, irst year

Aaron Fletcher Cornerbacks coach, second year

Joseph Gillespie

The scoop • Gone is Michael Mudoh, the second-leading tackler in program history, but Jeremy Brady and Jordan Mitchell saw extensive playing time at safety last season. While each is likely to open the season as starters, they will be pushed by versatile sophomore McKinley Whitield.

The boTTom line • An area that has been a recurring weakness again lacks proven depth but should be improved with contributions from diferent sources. Four DBs are new to the two-deep, including junior-college transfer Keanu Hill.

Justin Hill Calvin Lowry Receivers and special teams coach, second year

Beau Trahan Quarterbacks coach, irst year Note: As a private institution, the University of Tulsa is not obligated to report the compensation igures of its coaches.

A speedy and versatile redshirt freshman, Wadley followed a strong spring with a good showing in fall camp. He will be in the mix at cornerback and also at punt returner.

SECONDARY

Linebackers coach, second year Running backs coach, second year

Keidrien Wadley

SPECIAL TEAMS

The scoop • Dalton Parks averaged 41.2 yards per punt in 2015 while placing 19 inside the 20-yard line. Redford Jones scored 109 points with 17 coming on ield goals and 58 on PATs. Preston Soper averaged 59.5 yards on 86 kickofs.

The boTTom line • Important but under-the-radar roles will feature new faces this season, including freshman Robert Hill at deep snapper and walk-on quarterback Sam Gottsch at holder.

McKinley Whitield Experience gained as a true freshman will beneit Whitield this season, when he will frequently see the ield as a promising backup who can play both safety positions.

Josh Atkinson He had a breakout 1,000-yard season last year while overcoming injuries and sharing the field with FBS receiving leader Keyarris Garrett.

As the primary wideout, Atkinson has a sky-high ceiling.

Frankie Davis Jr.

Keevan Lucas

In the battle for playing time in 2015, the Broken Arrow native cashed in on his reliability and separated himself from the pack.

He is primed for an even bigger impact this year.

The Hurricane’s emotional leader and relentless playmaker is back after missing most of 2015 with an injury. Lucas undoubtedly will be motivated to carry TU to success.

2015 ResUlTs (6-7, 3-5 AAc) • vs. Fla. Atlantic: W, 47-44 • at N.M. State: W, 40-21 • at Oklahoma: L, 52-38 • vs. Houston: L, 38-24 • vs. ULM: W, 34-24 • at ECU: L, 30-17 • vs. Memphis: L, 66-42 • at SMU: W, 40-31 • vs. UCF: W, 45-30 • at Cincinnati: L, 49-38 • vs. Navy: L, 44-21 • at Tulane: W, 45-34 • Independence Bowl vs. Virginia Tech: L, 55-52

F8 SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016

TULSA WORLD

tulsaworld.com

PREVIEW OKLAHOMA SOONERS Local radio ailiates KMOD fm97.5 (Tulsa) KTBZ am1430 (Tulsa) KYFM fm100.1 (Bartlesville) KTFX fm101.7 (Muskogee) Bob Stoops TV show Sundays, 7 p.m., FSOK-1027 Bob Stoops radio show Tuesdays, 7 p.m., KTBZ am1430

PROJECTING THE 2016 DEPTH CHART OFFENSE

Samaje Perine Jr., 5-10, 235 Joe Mixon So., 6-1, 226

Dimitri Flowers Jr., 6-2, 239 Carson Meier So., 6-5, 245

RB

FB

Tickets 405-325-2424, soonersports.com

2016 SCHEDULE SEPT. 3 • ABC • 11 A.M.

By Eric Bailey, World Sports Writer

Baker Mayield • Jr., 6-1, 210 Austin Kendall • Fr., 6-1, 210

Jarvis Baxter Sr., 5-11, 175 Jordan Smallwood Jr., 6-2, 220

QB

WR

Houston

Likely starters listed first, returning starters in bold

Sooners lost the last time they opened the season against a nationally ranked opponent (BYU, 2009).

Dru Samia So., 6-4, 305 Bobby Evans Fr., 6-4, 308

Ben Powers So., 6-4, 315 Dru Samia So., 6-4, 305

RT

RG

Cody Ford Jonathan Alvarez Fr., 6-3, 250 Jr., 6-3, 308 Ashton Julious Erick Wren Jr., 6-5, 325 Sr., 6-2, 308

Orlando Brown So., 6-8, 340 Bobby Evans Fr., 6-4, 308

LG

C

Mark Andrews So., 6-5, 250 Mykel Jones Fr., 5-11, 188

Dede Westbrook Sr., 6-0, 175 A.D. Miller So., 6-3, 196

WR

WR

LT

SEPT. 10 • PPV • 6 P.M.

Louisiana-Monroe

DEFENSE

OU will unveil its stadium renovation, including a monstrous video board in the south end zone.

CB

SEPT. 17 • FOX23 • 6:30 P.M.

Dakota Austin Sr., 5-10, 170 P.J. Mbanasor So., 6-1, 193

Ohio State For only the third time in history, the college football heavyweights will meet on the ield.

DE

DT

DE

Matt Dimon Sr., 6-2, 275 D.J. Ward Jr., 6-2, 265

Matt Romar Jr., 6-0, 304 Jordan Wade Sr., 6-3, 310

Charles Walker Jr., 6-2, 304 Neville Gallimore Fr., 6-3, 305

LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo Jr., 6-2, 245 Mark Jackson Fr., 6-2, 234

OCT. 1 • TBD

CB LB

LB

LB

Jordan Evans Sr., 6-2, 235 Ruben Hunter Jr., 6-2, 225

Tay Evans So., 6-2, 242 Curtis Bolton So., 6-0, 230

Will Johnson Jr., 6-0, 192 Chanse Sylvie Fr., 5-11, 190

Jordan Thomas Jr., 6-0, 192 Michiah Quick Jr., 5-11, 190

at TCU No more than seven points have separated the teams during the past four meetings.

SS Steven Parker Jr., 6-1, 204 Will Sunderland So., 6-2, 201

OCT. 8 • FS1 • TBD

Texas (At Dallas) There’s little doubt last year’s upset loss to the Longhorns still weigh heavily in the minds of the Sooners.

OCT. 15 • TBD

Kansas State OU has lost two straight home games to the Wildcats and haven’t beaten KSU in Norman since 2009.

OCT. 22 • TBD

at Texas Tech There will be plenty of storylines leading into Baker Mayield’s irst trip back to Lubbock since 2013.

OCT. 29 • TBD

Kansas Remember what happened the last time Kansas came to town? Samaje Perine rushed for 427 yards.

NOV. 3 • ESPN • 6:30 P.M.

at Iowa State The Sooners only have four days to prepare for a Thursday night game in Ames.

NOV. 12 • TBD

Baylor The last time the Bears invaded Memorial Stadium, they handed Bob Stoops his worst home loss in 17 years at OU.

FS Ahmad Thomas Sr., 6-0, 215 Kahlil Haughton So., 6-1, 204

SPECIAL TEAMS KICKER

Austin Seibert So., 5-10, 214 Kyle Pfau So., 5-10, 189

PUNTER

LONG SNAPPER

Austin Seibert So., 5-10, 214 Reece Morrison Fr., 6-0, 183

Wesley Horky Jr., 6-1, 217

KICKOFF RETURNS

Joe Mixon So., 6-1, 226 Daniel Brooks Sr., 5-8, 190

Oklahoma State Could the Sooners be playing in Bedlam with a College Football Playof bid on the line for a second straight season?

COACHING STAFF Bob Stoops Head coach, 18th year, $5.55 mill.

Mike Stoops Associate head coach/defensive coordinator, 10th year, $950,000

Lincoln Riley Ofensive coordinator/QBs, second year, $900,000

Jay Boulware Special teams coordinator/running backs, fourth year, $355,000

Bill Bedenbaugh Assistant ofensive coordinator/ ofensive line, fourth year, $425,000

Kerry Cooks Assistant defensive coordinator/ defensive backs, second year, $450,000

Dennis Simmons Outside receivers, second year, $312,000

Calvin Thibodeaux Defensive line, irst year, $250,000

Jerry Schmidt Strength and conditioning, 18th year, $330,000

Grant Bothun Sr., 5-11, 191

LINEBACKERS THE SCOOP • This position took the biggest ofseason crunch with inside linebacker Jordan Evans as the only returning starter.

Coaches are very high on Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (pronounced o-BO-ny-uh o-kor-RON-kwo), an outside linebacker looking to take over Eric Striker’s role.

THE BOTTOM LINE • Mayield’s importance to the team was evident when he missed the second half of last year’s TCU victory. A 17-point halftime lead quickly evaporated.

Oklahoma’s top goal is to keep a healthy Mayield on the ield.

RUNNING BACKS THE SCOOP • Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon could become OU’s irst pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same season since Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray in 2008.

THE BOTTOM LINE • Defenses will likely focus on taking away the Sooners’ run game, especially early in the season. The running backs will have to make defenders miss when carrying the ball and provide blitz protection in pass situations.

Cale Gundy Assistant head coach/recruiting director/inside receivers, 18th year, $390,000

HOLDER

THE SCOOP • The good news is that the Sooners have a Heisman Trophy-caliber player running the ofense.

The not-so-good news is Baker Mayield is joined by only one other scholarship quarterback on the depth chart — freshman Austin Kendall.

at West Virginia

DEC. 3 • TBD

Jarvis Baxter Sr., 5-11, 175 Joe Mixon So. 6-1, 226

QUARTERBACKS

STARS Samaje Perine This season, fans could witness the school’s all-time rushing leader.

Perine is just 1,057 yards from breaking Billy Sims’ record.

Baker Mayield

The Sooners quarterback learned how to handle expectations and attention last season. That will help him this year as the pressure gets even stronger.

RECEIVERS THE SCOOP • Seniors will be expected to make big plays for the Sooners. Dede Westbrook, Jarvis Baxter and Geno Lewis (a Penn State transfer) will need to help ill the void left

by All-Big 12 receiver Sterling Shepard.

THE BOTTOM LINE • The player to watch may be Mark Andrews, who caught only 19 passes last season. Bob Stoops said he’ll take a bigger role in the ofense this season.

A.D. Miller and freshman Mykel Jones could make an impact.

Jordan Evans

The linebacker, with 23 career starts, has assumed a leadership role on the defense.

His mentorship will be important for Oklahoma’s success.

NOV. 19 • TBD Morgantown can be a dangerous place for opponents, especially in November.

PUNT RETURNER

SLEEPERS Geno Lewis A fresh start could be beneficial for both OU and the Penn State transfer. The wide receiver has 90 career catches for 1,181 yards and eight touchdowns.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

The junior linebacker with only 17 tackles to his name will be charged with taking over Eric Striker’s position.

Coaches and teammates are high on him.

THE BOTTOM LINE • The easy bet is that some new faces will emerge at this position.

Could it be inside linebacker Tay Evans or ive-star recruit Caleb Kelly? Or perhaps Victory Christian’s JonMichael Terry? OU will need immediate help at the position.

Dakota Austin A senior cornerback, he has experience but hasn’t had the week-to-week responsibility as a starter. He’s small, but he has good technique.

SPECIAL TEAMS THE SCOOP • Austin Seibert will do the heavy lifting for the Sooners. Last year, he handled both place-kicking and punting chores. This year, he’s being targeted to add kickof duties to his resume.

THE BOTTOM LINE • Alex Ross, a former running back, was one of the nation’s top kick returners two years ago. Watch for Joe Mixon as a possible return man on kickofs. Jarvis Baxter and Geno Lewis, who both have sure hands, could be punt return candidates.

SECONDARY THE SCOOP • Three starters — Jordan Thomas, Ahmad Thomas and Steven Parker — return. Replacing all-conference pick Zack Sanchez will be important, especially with the pass-happy offenses of the Big 12.

THE BOTTOM LINE • If OU can discover a second lockdown corner opposite Jordan Thomas and slow down opponents, it would be a key to a successful season.

OFFENSIVE LINE

DEFENSIVE LINE

THE SCOOP • Last season, Orlando Brown and Dru Samia became only the ninth and 10th freshmen in OU history to start at tackle. The pair returns along with guard Jonathan Alvarez, who shifts to center. Cody Ford is taking charge at a vacant left guard spot.

THE SCOOP • Upperclassmen anchor the defensive line with seniors Matt Dimon and Jordan Wade providing experience. Juniors Charles Walker, Matt Romar and D.J. Ward should be heavy contributors, as well, this season.

THE BOTTOM LINE • A wild card could be Bobby Evans, a tackle who could move Samia to the right guard spot. Also, if walk-on Erick Wren can win the center spot, Alvarez could stay at right guard.

Ofensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh is looking for his best ive.

THE BOTTOM LINE • Marquise Overton and Du’Vonta Lampkin have been waiting patiently for an opportunity to play and, with OU wanting to roll defensive linemen in games, they could get into the rotation with the older players.

2015 RESULTS (11-2, 8-1 BIG 12) • vs. Akron: W, 41-3 • at Tennessee: W, 31-24 (OT) • vs. Tulsa: W, 52-38 • vs. West Virginia: W, 44-24 • at Texas: L, 24-17 • at Kansas State: W, 55-0 • vs. Texas Tech: W, 63-27 • at Kansas: W, 62-7 • vs. Iowa State: W, 52-16 • at Baylor: W, 44-34 • vs. TCU: W, 30-29 • at Oklahoma State: W, 58-23 • Orange Bowl vs. Clemson: L, 37-17

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016 F9

tulsaworld.com

PREVIEW OKLAHOMA SOONERS

OU: QB’s success has brought attention » From page F4

return trip to the College Football Playof.

After throwing for 36 touchdowns and adding seven rushing touchdowns last season as well as guiding the Sooners’ newly installed ofense, Mayield proved he could evolve into a successful quarterback under irst-year ofensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.

But Riley didn’t see Mayield change much. The free-spirited quarterback stayed the same while adapting to his new coach’s instruction.

“He’s still himself and still the same guy,” Riley said. “Maybe the perception on the outside may be a lot diferent or maybe there’s a lot more known about him right now than maybe before. But inside the doors and inside the meeting room and on the ield, he’s gotten better as a player.

He’s a more conident leader. But in a lot of ways, he’s the same guy, too.”

Success has brought a lot of attention. He’s well

Baker Mayield (left) and his father James, mother Gina and brother Matt. COURTESY/Mayfield family

known around Norman, and his face can be found on national magazine covers. It’s a vast change from 12 months ago.

He has handled it all in stride.

“His maturity of the ield shocks (his mother) Gina and I,” James Mayield said. “His world is

diferent. To engage with all the people … some of it is over the top. He’s good with his interaction with kids and never dismisses a request with kids — he remembers when he was there. I’m just so impressed with how well he’s come along.”

Mayield has also evolved

into a mentor.

After learning from older quarterbacks, he is teaching players like freshman Austin Kendall.

“Baker has been good with his mentality. He can relate back to his situation as a true freshman having to play early. He can pass along some things that maybe he would have liked to have done better, done diferently,” Riley said.

“It’s been good for Baker because one of the best ways to master something is to teach it. Last year, he was still trying to learn it all like all the other guys. Now this year he can help teach Austin. It helps us. It helps Baker. It helps Austin.”

At this point last year, Mayield was preparing to

2015 OU STATISTICS • Team statistics

Opponents OU First downs 265 352 by rushing 118 143 by passing 119 180 by penalty 28 29 Rushing yards 2,102 2,887 Passing yards 2,636 4,006 Passing 230-437 292-439 Ofensive plays 989 1,013 Total yards 4,738 6,893 Avg. per play 4.8 6.8 Fumbles-Lost 11-7 15-9 Penalties-Yds 77-681 80-800 Punts-Avg. 91-52.4 57-42.0 Punt returns-Yds 11-12 22-165 Kickof returns-Yds 50-1,073 33-708 Interceptions-Yds 9-70 20-317 Fumble returns-Yds 9-63 7-50 Possession time 29:18 30:42 3rd downs 93-230 79-181 4th downs 6-14 9-17 Sacks by-Yds 41-216 40-243

play his irst game in an Oklahoma jersey.

Now, this is Mayield’s team.

“He’s deinitely kind of the guy now, for sure. He’s deinitely become more of a leader. We all look up to him,” OU wide receiver Mark Andrews said.

“He’s Baker Mayield now.

• Team statistics RUSHING No. S. Perine 226 J. Mixon 113 B. Mayield 141

Opponents TU First downs 346 332 by rushing 147 123 by passing 175 175 by penalty 24 34 Rushing yards 3,116 2,264 Passing yards 3,860 4,332 Passing 289-467 305-492 Ofensive plays 1,059 1,083 Total yards 6,976 6,596 Avg. per play 6.6 6.1 Fumbles-Lost 22-14 21-12 Penalties-Yds 98-914 91-730 Punts-Avg. 56-43.2 70-41.4 Punt returns-Yds 17-187 9-114 Kickof returns-Yds 67-1,505 35-687 Interceptions-Yds 8-130 10-325 Fumble returns-Yds 12-21 14-0 Possession time 32:16 27:44 3rd downs 93-208 100-227 4th downs 11-21 14-26 Sacks by-Yds 41-282 21-112

• Individual statistics RUSHING No. D. Brewer 162 Z. Langer 201 R. Warren 71

Yds 837 777 475

TD 6 18 6

Lg 48 46 65

PASSING C-A Yds Int TD D. Evans 305-485 4,332 8 25 RECEIVING K. Garrett J. Atkinson C. Floyd J. Hobbs K. Lucas KICKING R. Jones D. Parks RETURNS C. Floyd K. Thomas B. Louie

No. Yds 96 1,588 76 1,071 45 458 32 551 26 409 Conv 58-60 0-0

FG 17-25 0-0

TD 8 5 3 2 5

TACKLES Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks M. Mudoh 76 59 135 3.5 0 M. Linscott 61 46 107 16 0 T. Martin 59 45 104 14.0 2 J. Brady 48 23 71 0 0 K. Thomas 44 16 60 2.0 0

D. Luetjen 24 C. Suits 27 J. Smith 20 D. Alexander 18 J. Mitchell 27 D. Williams 26

Punts 0-0 68-41.2

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Punt KO Int Fum 8-114 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-45 0-0 0-0 20-389 0-0 0-0

ad 100279504-01

Lg 72 66 39

RECEIVING No. Yds TD Lg S. Shepard 86 1,288 11 74 D. Westbrook 46 743 4 42 N. Neal 44 559 3 71 KICKING Conv A. Seibert 70-72

FG 18-23

Punts 57-42.0

RETURNS Punt KO Int Fum S. Shepard 19-148 0-0 0-0 0-0 Z. Sanchez 0-0 0-0 7-60 0-0 A. Ross 0-0 30-645 0-0 0-0 TACKLES Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks D. Alxndr 54 49 103 7.0 1.5 J. Evans 49 34 83 5.0 1.0 A. Thomas 49 26 75 1.5 1.5 E. Striker 41 26 67 19.0 7.5 S. Parker 41 19 60 4.0 1.5 C. Tapper 31 19 50 10.0 7.0

I think it’s been diferent for him. He’s been able to be more calm and more relaxed and just to be able to do his thing and have everyone follow him.”

Eric Bailey 918-581-8391 eric.bailey@ tulsaworld.com Twitter: @EricBaileyTW

26 50 9.0 1.0 20 47 5.5 0 23 43 6.5 2.3 21 39 8.5 3.5 9 36 0 0 4 30 1.0 0

ad 100281302-01

Lg 50 80 36 61 43

TD 16 7 7

PASSING C-A Yds Int TD B. Mayield 269-395 3,700 7 36

2015 TU STATISTICS • Team statistics

Yds 1,375 753 405