Barfknecht: All atwitter in Texas

It's a super-newsy week in the Big 12 South, so let's dig into Texas Tech's team chemistry, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin's knee injury and the possible comeback of Oklahoma's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach comes across as a loosey-goosey cool dude who is in tune with things new and hip.

But not on Monday's Big 12 teleconference. Leach was as hot and puckered up as a coach can get, with the social networking site Twitter among his targets.

Twitter is how the world found out first that senior offensive lineman Brandon Carter has been stripped of his captaincy and indefinitely suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Twitter also was used to reveal the disgust of senior linebacker Marlon Williams — the team's leading tackler — that he was waiting for Leach, who was late for a team meeting after a second straight loss that dropped Texas Tech to 2-2.

Among Williams' postings, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: “I can't believe what happened, man, my senior season isn't going like what I busted my (butt) for.''

For a coach like Leach, who strictly limits his players' media access because his program is all about fawning over him, such comments are mutinous.

“Anybody who is a malcontent doesn't stay around here very long,'' Leach said. “We've got a pretty good line of recruits fully willing to replace him. Interestingly enough, he doesn't have a Twitter page anymore.''

Nor do any other Red Raiders now.

“Anybody who wants to play for us,'' Leach said, “doesn't have a Twitter page.''

As for Carter, Leach said details of the suspension aren't “privy to the media,'' and he was in no mood to elaborate Monday.

To a follow-up question from ESPN.com's Tim Griffin, Leach said: “Based on my response (before), what makes you think you'd get a different one?''

Then I asked Leach about his disappointment that a senior captain would do something bad enough to be suspended, which prompted this: “Did you hear my answer to the last question?''

While Tech looks like one big unhappy family, Baylor is a sad family with the season-ending injury to Robert Griffin.

Even the Big 12 family feels bad.

“Everybody in college football today hates it for any kid to get hurt,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. “But especially a superstar like Robert.''

Baylor coach Art Briles at first on Monday said Griffin likely will rehab for two weeks and then have surgery. But in a question about Griffin's availability for spring practice, Briles said:

“A little of that depends on when and if the surgery takes place this fall. If he has surgery in the next couple of weeks, we think he'll be ready for part of spring ball. If it's delayed, he won't be.''

Briles said Griffin's ACL tear came from his knee bending back during a run, not direct contact.

Now the Bears (2-1) hope to get backup quarterback Blake Szymanski healthy for this week's game against Kent State. Szymanski, a senior who was the starter until Griffin's arrival last year, bruised his throwing shoulder last Saturday and is day to day.

If Szymanski can't go, the No. 3 is 6-foot-1, 190-pound true freshman Nick Florence from Garland, Texas.

Speaking of throwing shoulders, Oklahoma fans have tried to monitor the progress of Heisman winner Sam Bradford in his potential return from a sprain in the opening game.

Sooner coach Bob Stoops said Monday that Bradford and backup Landry Jones would know by late in the week who will start Saturday night at Miami (Fla.), and that Stoops “probably'' will announce the choice publicly.

Bradford visited famed sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Alabama last week, seeking what Stoops called “an extra opinion.''

“Our (medical) guys have been awesome in their evaluations,'' Stoops said. “When it first happened, we had multiple opinions and everybody's were all pretty similar, and that our guys were on the right track and doing the right things.

“That was the outcome the other day as well.''

Stoops wouldn't detail any parameters on how much Bradford needs to practice this week in order to start.

“We just have to feel comfortable that he's healthy and that he's good enough to make the throws we need to make,'' the coach said.

Redshirt pulled

Oklahoma State true freshman tailback Jeremy Smith did so much damage to the Cowboy defense while running on the scout team that the coaching staff pulled his redshirt Saturday.

Looks like a good move.

Smith raced for 160 yards in 15 carries against Grambling State, including OSU's two longest runs of the season: 51 and 69 yards. That burst is what the Cowboy offense has been missing.

“He is very hungry and has a great work ethic,'' coach Mike Gundy said of the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder from Tulsa, Okla. “He's very mature and he's developed and he's strong enough to compete as a freshman at this level.''

Oklahoma State entered the season with the deepest running back stable in the Big 12 with junior Kendall Hunter, the returning Big 12 rushing champ, who has been slowed by a bad ankle; senior Keith Toston; and senior Beau Johnson.

Adding a fourth isn't a problem, Gundy said.

“We just don't feel like you can have enough backs,'' he said. “Once you move into conference play, it's hard to keep backs healthy. We'd love to keep two healthy all year.''

Gundy said Smith's running style is reminiscent of Vernand Morency, a darting slasher who had nine 100-yard rushing games in 2004.

“Vernand came in here and had a lot of shake and was strong,'' Gundy said, “and Jeremy is very similar.''

Coincidence?

In the wake of the football vs. basketball fighting at Kansas last week, there was this in Topeka on Friday night:

A high school football game between Topeka High and Highland Park was called off with about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter after an on-the-field melee.

Players from Highland Park, down 50-6 at the time, were reported as the aggressors. Highland Park head coach Sadiq Muhammad and defensive coordinator Eric Washington played football in the past four years at Kansas.

Contact the writer:

444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com

« Sports - Main

Share