Tapping the top performers on offense, defense, coach, freshman and newcomer.

11/28/2000

By Keith Whitmire / The Dallas Morning News

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JOSH HEUPEL, OKLAHOMA, QB

Whether it was mastery or magic, Heupel ruled the Big 12 with a lightning-quick release and even quicker decisions.

Louis DeLuca / DMN Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel's play has him in the heat of the Heisman race.

No pass rush could rattle Heupel, who somehow always found an open receiver at the last instant. The passes weren't always pretty, but they were accurate and often broke the defense's back.

Heupel ranked first nationally with a 65.81 completion percentage, no small feat considering the variety of defenses designed to stop him. He also ranked fifth nationally in total offense and sixth in pass efficiency.

But numbers were not what Heupel was all about. Winning was. After leading Oklahoma to consecutive victories over highly-ranked Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska, Heupel vaulted into the forefront of the Heisman Trophy race.

It wasn't that he had the strongest arm or the biggest stats; it was that game after game, Heupel would make jaw-dropping plays to get the Sooners out of trouble and into the end zone.

Heupel had complete mastery of the Sooners' complicated passing scheme, but also had a touch of big-play magic to make him one of the top players in the nation in 2000.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: ROCKY CALMUS, OKLAHOMA, LB

If Oklahoma had one weakness last year, it was defense. That weakness became a strength in 2000, thanks in no small part to Calmus.

Louis DeLuca / DMN Oklahoma linebacker Rocky Calmus returns an interception for a touchdown in OU's win over Texas in the Red River Shootout.

The junior from Tulsa, Okla., was a terror from sideline to sideline and seemed to play his best in the bigger games.

Calmus charted a season-high 17 tackles in a No. 1. vs. No. 3 showdown against Nebraska. He had another 17 tackles in the Sooners' toughest road test of the season at Texas A&M.

Against Texas, Calmus returned an interception 41 yards for the first touchdown of his career.

Calmus led the Sooners in tackles with 109 and in tackles for loss with 15.

But more importantly, Calmus simply led the Sooners. His play and leadership had his teammates believing they could withstand the fiercest offensive attacks of the Big 12. Making almost as many big plays as the Sooners' offense, Oklahoma ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense and third in the Big 12 in total defense.

COACH OF THE YEAR: BOB STOOPS, OKLAHOMA

A year ago, Stoops won this award for taking a team that was under .500 the season before and leading it to a berth in the Independence Bowl. This year, Stoops took the Sooners all the way to the No. 1 ranking in the nation.

Stoops ... honored for second consecutive year

The key to Oklahoma's rapid return to prominence was an impressive run through what could have been a brutal three-game stretch against Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska. The Sooners blasted all three.

First, No. 11 Texas was sent tumbling, 63-14. Then No. 2 Kansas State was dusted, 41-31. Finally, against No. 1 Nebraska, the Sooners came back from a 14-0 deficit to win going away, 31-14.

Stoops kept Oklahoma focused throughout that stretch. Although the Sooners heartily celebrated each win, they did not let it affect their concentration.

And after the Nebraska win came perhaps the biggest challenge of all: the pressure of being No. 1.

All eyes were on the Sooners from then on, especially those of Texas A&M. In one of the loudest, most hostile atmospheres a No. 1 team could play in, Oklahoma withstood a stiff challenge from the Aggies in College Station, Texas, making the big plays necessary for a 35-31 victory.

The 7-4 season in 1999 was just the groundwork for this season's 11-0 run. Oklahoma is back as a nationally prominent program. Just think what Stoops can do in his third year.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: ROY WILLIAMS, TEXAS, WR

The youngster from Odessa Permian did things freshmen just aren't supposed to do. He stepped in and had an immediate impact at Texas by providing the Longhorns with a nearly unstoppable deep threat.

Williams finished the season with 62 points, the most ever by a UT freshman non-kicker.

In his first collegiate game, Williams caught six passes for 105 yards. He broke all sorts of UT freshman records in finishing with 40 catches for 809 yards and eight touchdowns.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: ROBERT FERGUSON, TEXAS A&M, WR

Ferguson helped bring a new dimension to the run-oriented Aggies offense as an electrifying playmaker.

Ferguson, a junior transfer from Tyler JC, caught 58 passes in the first 10 games and needed just seven more to tie the A&M single-season record. He broke the school record for receiving yardage with 885 yards.

Perhaps Ferguson's greatest moment came in the Oklahoma game. Hobbled by a sprained knee and ankle, Ferguson fought through the injuries to catch eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Aggies fell just short of upending the No. 1 Sooners.