The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Oklahoma – INSIDE SLANT
Go figure.
As bad as Oklahoma was in a haphazard victory over UTEP and a clueless loss to Kansas State, the Sooners were that good in a 41-20 victory over Texas Tech, which just happens to lead right into Saturday’s annual Red River Rivalry bash at the Cotton Bowl, where both Texas and OU will face its bitterest rival, surrounded by the Texas State Fair and a stadium filled half in crimson and half in burnt orange, the line of demarcation the 50-yard line on both sides of the playing field.
Texas will be coming off its first loss, a shootout setback to West Virginia that did not dent anybody’s perception of a much improved Longhorn offense. And, though Texas’ defense was torched, the Geno Smith-led Mountaineers are torching every defense they come in contact with.
On the Sooner side, OU appeared to finally have figured some things out in Lubbock, a place in which it had last won in 2003.
For one, it now has a No. 1 running back in Damien Williams, and for another it isn’t settling on just handing him the ball but is also looking to throw him the ball. Further, fullback Trey Millard’s touches and time on the field were both on the rise in Lubbock, appearing to make clear the Sooners are intent on getting tougher and more physical. Another piece of evidence? Quarterback Landry Jones took his very first snaps from under center in Lubbock, when previously he had begun every play in the shotgun.
Jones will also be coming off his best and most complete game when OU meets Texas. Indeed, he’ll be three weeks removed from losing to the Wildcats on a day he made bad decisions and committed crushing turnovers.
Perhaps the challenge would have looked better had Texas somehow managed to beat West Virginia. Still, the stakes are very high. Kansas State and West Virginia are looking like top-five caliber programs and OU has yet to meet the Mountaineers and Texas has yet to meet the Wildcats, meaning both the Sooners and Longhorns still have their conference fates in their own hands and who knows about the national championship picture.
All things may still be possible.
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NCAAF Team Report – Oklahoma – NOTES, QUOTES
WHAT’S AHEAD: Oklahoma and Texas meet Saturday at the Cotton Bowl surrounded by the Texas State Fair for the annual Red River Rivalry. The Sooners are up to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and No. 10 in the USA Today coaches’ poll. The Longhorns, coming off a loss to West Virginia, are No. 15 in both polls.
–The Sooners moved to 19-0 in games after losses going back to the 2004 season and now lead their series with Texas Tech 15-5 after topping the Red Raiders in Lubbock to snap a three-game losing streak at Jones AT&T; Stadium. OU’s previous win at Texas Tech came Nov. 22, 2003. OU has never suffered back-to-back conference losses in the same season since Bob Stoops arrived in 1999.
–WR Durron Neal, a true freshman, caught two passes for 38 yards against Texas Tech. They were his first two catches as a Sooner, and neither came during garbage time. His emergence is even bigger for OU given the fact that presumed super-freshman Trey Metoyer caught no passes against the Red Raiders. Though Kenny Stills led OU with seven catches, true freshman Sterling Shepard caught four more passes for 41 yards. It appears as if OU’s receiving corps may be jelling together with Stills, a junior; Penn State transfer Justin Brown, a senior; Shepard and Neal or Metoyer, whoever comes along the fastest.
–Oklahoma’s defense played well for three quarters against Kansas State and well enough the entire game at Texas Tech, and very well the second half at Tech. Still, the effort against the Red Raiders may be remembered more for turnovers than anything else. The Sooners picked off three Seth Doege passes and Javon Harris brought one back 46 yards for a touchdown. That’s getting on the right side of a trend. The OU defense also got better over the course of the game, cutting first downs allowed from 14 to seven and holding Tech to just 45 third-quarter yards, a time in which the Sooners put the game on ice.
KEEP AN EYE ON: LB Frank Shannon, a redshirt freshman, originally a backup at the position, had a big game against Texas Tech, making a co-team high six tackles, including a sack for a 10-yard loss. Meanwhile, Tom Wort, the starter at the position, made just one tackle against the Red Raiders.
LOOKING GOOD: QB Landry Jones had by far his best game of the season against Kansas State, completing 25 of 40 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. A few of Jones’ passes were inspired, like his touchdown to Kenny Stills and an improvisational 35-yard hook-up with Damien Williams. Also, after being very critical of himself for two weeks, Jones made none of the bad decisions that had plagued him the first three games of the season.
STILL NEEDS WORK: It’s nitpicky after OU’s 41-20 victory at Texas Tech, where the Sooners were really pretty good in all phases. Still, their return game could have been a little better. Justin Brown had been very good returning punts coming into the game, but Saturday he lost three yards on his only chance, while Roy Finch returned two kickoffs for just 15 and 13 yards. Still, if that’s OU’s biggest problem the rest of the season, it likely won’t lose another game.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It was good. I think we played up near to where we’re capable of playing today, both offense and defense. I don’t know, just really felt like we did a good job on both sides of the ball and just building confidence going into Texas. So to have a game like this and to have that momentum going into next week is nice.” — OU quarterback Landry Jones after the Kansas State game.
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NCAAF Team Report – Oklahoma – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
–OU now has a No. 1 running back. Damien Williams got his first start at tailback and carried 14 times, 10 more than any other Sooner running back. He only carried for 48 yards, but he also caught six passes for 82 yards. Clearly, for the first time, the Sooners took the time to build an offensive game plan with a particular player in mind. This season, Williams has carried 44 times for 341 yards.
–By going 25 of 40 for 259 yards and two touchdowns, QB Landry Jones continued his march through the record books. He moved to 32-9 as a starter, tying former Sooner option quarterback Steve Davis for the most QB wins in Sooner history. He also now ranks second in Big 12 history and eighth in NCAA history with 13,410 passing yards. Also, he is now one of three players in NCAA history to have thrown 100 touchdown passes and for more than 13,000 yards.
–For a guy who doesn’t play a whole lot, backup quarterback Blake Bell, also OU’s short yardage quarterback out of the “Belldozer” package, remains amazingly productive. His two touchdowns against Texas Tech gave him five for the year and 18 over the redshirt sophomore’s career. That’s more touchdowns than anybody else on the roster. Kenny Stills has 16.
ROSTER REPORT
–TB Dom Whaley did not start for the first time this season and only carried twice while the Sooners featured Damien Williams as their No. 1 running back. Still, Whaley made the most of his chances, gaining 22 yards.
–It remains unclear when DT Stacy McGee, WR Jaz Reynolds, WR Trey Franks and DB Quentin Hayes might become eligible to play as they remain suspended indefinitely from game action; but other than that, the Sooners appear to have no injuries keeping anybody out of the upcoming Texas game.
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