NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is waiting another day to make a decision on whether Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford will play Saturday against Baylor.
Stoops had said at the start of the week that he didn’t plan to announce whether Bradford would play until Thursday. But Sooners spokesman Kenny Mossman said Thursday that Stoops had put off the decision until today.
Bradford has missed the past three games for No. 19 Oklahoma with a sprained AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder.
Redshirt freshman Landry Jones has started in place of Bradford, winning back-to-back shutouts against Idaho State and Tulsa before a 21-20 loss at Miami last week.
No word on Tebow’s status
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Urban Meyer said quarterback Tim Tebow had his best practice of the week, but the top-ranked Gators still aren’t sure the Heisman Trophy winner will be cleared to play against No. 4 LSU.
Meyer said team doctors want to see how Tebow reacts to the flight from Gainesville to Baton Rouge today, along with other things, before clearing him to play Saturday night in the showdown between unbeaten Southeastern Conference teams.
“There’s all kinds of things they’re still looking at,” Meyer said.
Tebow practiced Tuesday for the first time since suffering the first concussion of his career Sept. 26 against Kentucky.
USC’s Johnson on road to recovery
LOS ANGELES — Southern California coach Pete Carroll said tailback Stafon Johnson is healing remarkably well 10 days after a weightlifting accident crushed his throat and larynx.
Johnson had several tests Thursday that left his doctors delighted with the speed of his recovery, Carroll said. Johnson, who scored the go-ahead touchdown in No. 7 USC’s win at Ohio State last month, had seven hours of reconstructive surgery after the accident.
Carroll said Johnson already is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation. Johnson isn’t expected to play again for the Trojans, but doctors believe the senior will recover fully.
Bryant played during investigation
OKLAHOMA CITY — All-America receiver Dez Bryant played in Oklahoma State’s first three games of the season while compliance officials were investigating an apparent meeting with former NFL players Deion Sanders and Omar Stoutmire that he later lied about to the NCAA.
According to documents released by the university, OSU suggested to the NCAA that it should interview Sanders and Stoutmire because they were “purported to work out” with Bryant.
The documents also show questions were raised about Bryant’s account of events — before the start of the season. That calls into question whether his participation in the first three games could cause Oklahoma State to forfeit, if the NCAA rules he should have been ineligible from the start.
Gamecocks’ Saunders out
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina starting tight end Weslye Saunders will miss Saturday’s game against Kentucky because of an ankle injury.
Freshman Justice Cunningham will get his first start in place of Saunders.
