Neo Workxx » came north in a massive player swap with Tom Boyd.I

NORMAN, Okla. -- A few weeks ago, things looked bleak for Oklahoma and coach Bob Stoops.The Sooners lost early games to Houston and Ohio State, and fans and some boosters were getting restless as the team tumbled out of the Top 25.Things still arent perfect, but Oklahoma bounced back with wins over TCU and Texas that put the 19th-ranked Sooners in great position early in the Big 12 season. Oklahoma (3-2, 2-0) is tied with Baylor for first place heading into Saturdays home game against Kansas State.Stoops said Monday that theres plenty of work to do.Were still too inconsistent, he said. I think were showing more and more signs of playing like were capable, but I think theres more there. Weve got to keep pushing to be better.The Sooners say theres no chance theyll overlook the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1), who are coming off a win over Texas Tech.Its the next game on our schedule, and all we can do is basically prepare like we prepared for Texas and everybody else that we have played, Oklahoma safety Steven Parker said. Its going to be on us. I dont think that were going to take Kansas State lightly at all because theyre not a bad team. Theyre a good football program, especially from Bill Snyder coaching those guys up. Were definitely going to have to be ready and have our hats on.The key differences between Oklahomas play in the losses and the victories over TCU and Texas are receiver Dede Westbrooks emergence as a star and Samaje Perines production in the running game.Westbrooks chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield is at an all-time high. Westbrook had 17 catches for 154 yards with no touchdowns the first three games. He has 17 catches for 390 yards and five touchdowns the past two games.Westbrook had been dealing with a hamstring pull that slowed him down early in the season, but hes fine now. He had 10 catches for an Oklahoma record 232 yards and three touchdowns against Texas and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.I dont know what the clock says, but he is as fast as he needs to be, Stoops said. He has great speed. Hes really hard to overthrow for that reason. Hes finally back to where hes feeling 100 percent and its obvious. He can turn short ones into big ones and he can get behind people as well. And hes really a sharp route runner, too.Westbrook finally has become comfortable replacing Sterling Shepard as Mayfields main target.I have a different role on the team now, Westbrook said. Just pretty much rise to the occasion, and make plays whenever they ask me to.Perine started the season slowly but now is the No. 2 rusher in the Big 12. He had just 149 yards in the first three games this season, then broke out with 98 yards and two touchdowns against TCU and followed with 214 yards on a career-high 35 carries and another two touchdowns against Texas.Stoops said Perine is working back from an ankle issue and getting close to his normal level of play.Hes physical, of course, and powerful, but you have to appreciate hes coming back to form now after that ankle -- just how he can sidestep people at that size, at 235 pounds, Stoops said. The other day, he carried the ball 35 times and did not have one lost yardage play. Thats hard to do.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP . Brandon Brooks Jersey . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. 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Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron has been mates with Luke Beveridge for the best part of two decades.But hes declared the friendship will be put firmly aside when he coaches against his Western Bulldogs counterpart on potentially the biggest day of his career.The Giants are four quarters away from an historic first grand final appearance in their fifth season.Standing in their way at Spotless Stadium on Saturday is a club at which Cameron spent 18 years as a player and assistant coach - and a Bulldogs boss he considers a close friend.Cameron played alongside Beveridge at Footscray during the 1990s and the pair later took on assistant coaching roles at Hawthorn.Ive known Luke for probably 15-20 years, Cameron said.We crossed paths at Hawthorn. Weve played with each other at the Dogs. Were good ffamily friends.ddddddddddddBut on Saturday theres no friendship there.We need to win, and they need to win.I spent 11 years playing there and seven years coaching, its probably half my life.But Ive been a Giant for four years now and Im firmly entrenched in this footy club.It wont be the only rivalry in the heated match-up.Co-captain Callan Ward is also a former Bulldog, as is their former skipper Ryan Griffen, who came north in a massive player swap with Tom Boyd.Ive played against the