Oklahoma unveils new Sooner Schooner, eight months after on-field mishap

By John TaylorJun 27, 2020, 7:23 PM EDT

Never fear, Oklahoma fans, the Sooner Schooner is back and ready to take the field again. Provided there is a season, of course.

During the second quarter of what would become a decisive Oklahoma win over West Virginia last October, the beloved Sooner Schooner, as is custom, came onto the field to celebrate an OU touchdown, this one a two-yard run by Jalen Hurts. Unfortunately, the two-horsepower wagon showed once again that its turn radius at top speed is nearly nil as it toppled over around the 15-yard line, sending the drivers crashing to the turf and the horses running untethered from human restraints toward the tunnel.

Shortly thereafter, presumably after wading through all of the insurance red tape, OU announced that the Sooner Schooner would be shut down for the remainder of the 2019 campaign. Not long after, the school confirmed that a new and improved vehicular mascot was in the works.

Eight months later, the university this week unveiled Sooner Schooner IV, which it describes as being “back and better than ever.” In a nod to the cause of the accident that led to a new horse-driven machine, the school also detailed its new specs:

Featuring heavier running gear, wider wheelbase, hydraulic brakes, lowered driver seat and more space, every aspect of the new Schooner was constructed with increased stability in mind. …

The new Schooner is wider (70 inches), shorter (82 inches) and heavier (1,020 pounds) than the old.

In the photo* below, the new Schooner can be seen on the left, the old one on the right.

Oklahoma is set to open the 2020 season against Missouri State in Norman. Here’s to thinking the new Sooner Schooner will get a significant workout with an FCS foe on the other side of the field.

(*Courtesy of Oklahoma athletics)

Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:50 AM EDT

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Utah State redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Davis is in fair condition on Friday, one day after collapsing at spring football practice following sudden cardiac arrest, the university announced.

Davis, initially was listed in critical condition, was breathing on his own. He is in the intensive-care unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Davis’ parents arrived in Utah on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Davis, who is from Carlsbad, California, collapsed at Merlin Olsen Field and was immediately treated by the training staff, the university said. He was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.

The university said Davis was stabilized in the Logan hospital before being moved to Ogden.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.