NORMAN — Kenneth Murray stood on the Rose Bowl sideline as UCLA’s offense jogged onto the field last Saturday for its fourth offensive series.
With Oklahoma leading 20-7, walk-on junior Bryan Mead had taken Murray’s place at middle linebacker.
The sight might have thrown a few Sooner fans into a panic. Something must have been wrong with the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Fox analyst Brock Huard noted the substitution during the broadcast.
“You’ve gotta have a lot of personnel to see backup linebacker Mead in the game,” Huard said.
Even in a three-game sample of lopsided results, one characteristic of Alex Grinch’s defensive coaching style has become transparent: OU will rely on frequent rotations to keep starters like Murray fresh while also giving valuable reps to backups in hopes of developing depth.