Stoops takes high road on Granger injury

By John Hillman  |   Tuesday, September 16, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Oklahoma Sooners
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Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops recognizes that football gets down and dirty in the trenches; as a result, Stoops has taken the high road regarding DeMarcus Granger’s injury.

Commentary: The Sooner defensive tackle suffered a sprained left foot in the second quarter of No. 2 Oklahoma’s 55-14 win over Washington last Saturday. Video replays indicated that retaliation by Husky players contributed to Granger’s trauma.

During a 7-yard run by Washington quarterback Jake Locker, three Husky offensive linemen took Granger to the ground. Two of them continued to roll over him while the play continued.

Videotape showed Washington’s Jordan White-Frisbee punching Granger while he was pinned on his back. Officials called no penalty on the play.

Although Stoops was displeased with the outcome, he accepted it as part of the consequences of playing football.

“It’s unfortunate anytime some of that happens,” he commented. "There’s always a lot of rough and tough play inside. Nobody here is whining about it.”

On the previous play, Granger had been penalized 15 yards for a personal foul. Washington guard Casey Bulyca committed a false start, and the defensive tackle shoved him to the turf and drew the foul.

After his injury, Oklahoma trainers helped Granger off the field, and he was later taken to the locker room. Standing on crutches, Granger returned to sidelines in the second half with foot immobilized by a protective boot.

Before kickoff, tempers flared in the tunnel leading to the field. Television cameras caught players from both teams pushing and shoving reminiscent of the 1988 Miami-Notre Dame game.

Fan Pulse: Oklahoma fans, already angered by officiating calls in the Oregon game two years ago, believe the Sooners should no longer face teams in the Pac-10. This link details their strong feelings: http://www.soonertimesbb.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=5180&forum_id=2

Injury Watch: No timetable has been established for Granger’s return. The Sooners enjoy an open date this weekend before taking on TCU in Norman on Sept. 27.
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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today. ...
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