Jeff Lebby, OU football team hopeful OL Wanya Morris will return vs. Nebraska

NORMAN — Eric Gray had nowhere to go.

The senior running back took his first handoff of the evening during OU's game against Kent State on Saturday and was immediately swarmed in the backfield by a pack of white and gold jerseys. It took a pair of broken tackles just for Gray to get back to the line of scrimmage, and he was ultimately brought down for a gain of one yard.

Kent State's defensive linemen ambushed Gray from the right side of OU's offensive line, which is where Wanya Morris usually would've been waiting to fend them off. But the senior right tackle was on the sideline instead, unable to play for the second straight game due to what OU head coach Brent Venables described as "off-the-field issues."

That could change this weekend. Venables said during his coaches show Sunday night that Morris will probably be available for OU's road game against Nebraska at 11 a.m. Saturday.

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The Sooners would welcome the return of Morris, who was listed as a Week 1 starter. He played in six games last season as a reserve but started in seven of his 10 appearances with Tennessee in 2020 before transferring to OU.

OU has had to adjust on the fly during Morris' absence. The team replaced him with Tyler Guyton, a redshirt sophomore who played in eight games and made one start for TCU last season.

OU also moved pieces around on the offensive line during its first two games. Guyton has spent time at left tackle while Anton Harrison has seen snaps at right tackle.

"He's another guy that brings experience," OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said of Morris. "He's played in a bunch of games. He's incredibly athletic. He has a great understanding of the game and the schemes."

Morris' experience would be a major boost for OU. But regardless of when the veteran offensive lineman returns, he is expected to reclaim his role in the starting lineup right away.

"I expect him to get right back in there based on what the issue is," Venables said on Tuesday. He's been practicing every day. He'll jump right back in there like riding a bike. You treat each individual case like it needs to be."

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Nebraska's class is through the Roof

Ted Roof thought his game plan was gone with the wind.

When OU faces Nebraska on the road Saturday, it won't be the first time the Sooners' defensive coordinator has made the trip to Lincoln.

Roof was a defensive coordinator at Penn State in 2012 when his team faced Nebraska on the road. He had worked tirelessly all week on a game plan to beat the then-No. 18-ranked Cornhuskers, but even he couldn't prepare for an obstacle that came before kickoff.

Roof was on the field during pregame warmups when a gust of wind blew his printed-out game plan out of his hand and sent it flying into the bleachers of Memorial Stadium.

"Oh my gosh," Roof remembers thinking to himself as the kickoff time drew closer.

Fortunately for Roof, his nightmare was short lived.

Soon afterward the incident, Roof heard someone yelling behind him.

"Coach! Coach!" the voice said.

The source of the hollering was a man who was a Nebraska fan. He had found Roof's game plan and walked down to the wall that separated the field from the bleachers to return it.

"I would've never envisioned that," Roof said. "Maybe that'd be the only stadium where that would've happened."

Nebraska earned a 32-23 win over Penn State that day, but the kind gesture by that one Cornhusker fan has stuck with Roof a decade later.

"Well, that one guy certainly was (classy)," Roof said. "I know that."

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Jump-starting Jalil Farooq

Lebby had a simple message for Jalil Farooq on Sunday.

"Just keep doing exactly what you're doing," Lebby told the sophomore wide receiver. "The ball's going to find you."

Few OU players ended last season with as much momentum as Farooq. After making just one catch for five yards throughout the entire regular season, the then-freshman wide receiver showed out during OU's Alamo Bowl win over Oregon.

Farooq hauled in three passes for 64 yards and showed his ability to do damage in space. So when the former four-star recruit was named a starter heading into this season, he was expected to flourish in the expanded role.

But those expectations haven't been met yet. With two games in the books, Farooq has just one catch for nine yards.

It's an underwhelming start to what many people believed would be a breakout campaign for Farooq, but Lebby isn't hitting the panic button.

“I think the biggest thing is, the ball just hasn’t found him," Lebby said. "That’s part of playing this game. I’m proud of him for just being incredibly steady and playing as hard as he’s played. Good things are going to happen."

Those good things could happen this weekend when OU faces a Nebraska defense that is susceptible to an air raid.

Nebraska suffered a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern in Week 2, and the Eagles racked up 409 passing yards. It could be the perfect storm for Farooq, who Lebby feels is due for a big day in the near future.

"He’s dialed into the detail right now," Lebby said. "There’s going to be a moment in time where he’s going to have a breakout day, and it’s going to be a lot of fun for everybody.”

More: How OU football used a 'crazy' atmosphere to surge past Kent State

OU vs. K-State kickoff time

OU announced the kickoff time for its Week 4 matchup against Kansas State. The Sooners will host the Wildcats at 7 p.m. on Sept. 24.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Jeff Lebby hopeful Wanya Morris will return vs. Nebraska