— NORMAN – Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has been sweating a lot of things this month. Injuries on the offensive line, developing first-year receivers and shoring up a defense that has to improve are on top of the list.

For the first time in several years, concerns over whether the fourth-ranked Sooners can make field goals isn’t taking up a lot of time.

After taking over the job three games into last season, Michael Hunnicutt tied the OU single-season field-goal record and broke the Big 12 Conference freshman field-goal mark with 21 makes. He proved he can be the consistent kicker the Sooners have sought since Garrett Hartley graduated after the 2007 season.

“Michael Hunnicutt finished last year ranked number one in field goal percentage,” Stoops said. “I believe he’ll have a stronger leg this year in that he’s a year older and has gained some weight and strength and is hitting the ball further.”

By all accounts, Hunnicutt is doing just that. There were reports of him nailing a 55-yarder into the wind during OU’s scrimmage on Thursday. The 6-foot, 173-pound sophomore said he believes his leg is brawnier than it was last season.

The thump when his foot connects with the ball is a little louder. Spending the offseason in the weight room with OU’s quarterbacks and receivers has paid off. There was also some time in the film room.

“I watched some film to see what I did well last year. And the couple of times I didn’t do well to see what happened,” Hunnicutt said. “I got in the weight room a lot. I got a little stronger. A lot of it is flexibility. I worked on that a lot.”

Getting stronger is great, but it’s the consistency that won Hunnicutt the job. His 85.7 conversion rate was OU’s best since Garrett Hartley went 19 for 20 in 2006.

That’s the kind of kicker Hunnicutt wants to be; steadiness is what the job requires. The coaching staff is confident in Hunnicutt’s ability. Hunnicutt, however, refuses to take that confidence for granted.

“It definitely feels good going into two-a-days as the number one guy. I’ve just got to keep that mental aspect going, just compete every day so I can get better,” he said. “At Oklahoma you feel like you have to prove yourself every day.”