SB Nation - Dejuan Miller

Breaking Down Bedlam

ccmachine — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:16:33 -0000

There are so many things that could go right or wrong for Oklahoma in today's Bedlam football game that I really have no idea what to expect. On one hand you consider how well the Sooners play at home and you think that they have an outstanding chance to win. Then you consider how bad they've played in their five losses and add the fact that the competition at home hasn't been that great and suddenly there's a huge knot in your stomach because you realize the realistic possibility that the nation's longest home winning steak very well could come to an end.

The roles are already reversed coming into the game. O-State is the ranked team with a shot at going to a BCS Bowl. Regardless of what the final score is the Cowboys are going to finish ahead of the Sooners in the Big 12 standings and will get a better bowl invitation. The only thing left to happen is for OSU to actually win the game and they come in as a legitimate favorite and for OU to avoid losing their sixth game of the season they must win one of the game match-ups that they're not supposed to.

Quarterbacks

Landry Jones is completing 58% of his passes this year and has 23 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. At times he's look exceptional and then at other moments he's look completely out of his element. The knocks against him are that he's not stable in the pocket and doesn't read through his progressions.

Zac Robinson has completed 63% of his passes with a touchdown to interception ration of 15 to 7. Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who has rushed for 302 yards this year but has also been known for turning the ball over on a big hit when he runs.

Robinson's experience and leadership give him a clear advantage over Jones but there's the chance that he may not play due to injury or that he'll be playing at less than 100%.

Advantage: OSU

Running Backs

Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray are averaging 4.3 and 4.4 yards respectfully with 12 touchdowns between them but they are a far cry from the dynamic duo that we saw them become last season. After rushing for over 1,000 each last season the two have a combined 1,251 yards this year. The problem has been getting them in space to make plays and clearing holes for them to run in between the tackles. That's on the line and not necessarily the running backs.

Keith Toston is the Big 12's second leading rusher with 1,130 yards. He's averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has crossed the goal line rushing the football 11 times. He's a powerful runner with good speed and is one of only two players (KSU's Daniel Thomas) to average over 100 yards rushing per game.

Toston has clearly had the better season of these three backs and despite Murray having the added dimension of being Oklahoma's second leading receiver the Sooners don't have a rushing threat like Toston has been this season.

Advantage: OSU

Receivers/Tight Ends

Ryan Broyles is one of the most electrifying receivers in the country. He's averaging 12.9 yards per reception and has 861 yards with 12 touchdowns. He's on target to break 1,000 receiving yards this season and it would go a long way for the Sooners if he surpassed that mark today. Behind Broyles is a massive drop off as Brandon Caleb has almost 40 fewer receptions and only 2 touchdowns. Dejuan Miller is coming on and is has pretty much inserted himself as Oklahoma's #2 receiver.

O-State was dealt a huge blow when the NCAA took Dez Bryant away from them. Since then Hubert Anyiam has become the Pokes' top receiver. He's caught 39 passes for 482 yards and 3 touchdowns.

After Anyiam the Cowboys don't have another receiver playing in this game with more than 15 receptions. Conversely the Sooners have four receivers with more than 20 receptions. What's a tight end?

Advantage: OU

Offensive Line

I don't have the words to describe how disappointing Oklahoma's offensive line has been this season. Now this unit has become decimated with injuries and literally a walking triage unit. The latest victim is Trent Williams who may have to sit out today's Bedlam game due to a head injury. Oklahoma has given up 12 sacks this season.

Oklahoma State has only given up 7 sacks this year and is much stronger in both run and pass blocking than the Sooners are. The have a future NFL All-Pro in Russell Okung as their anchor.

Advantage: OSU

Defensive Line

Oklahoma's defensive line against OSU's offensive line is the match-up that could determine the game. Jeremy Beal is third in the conference in sacks with 11 and third in tackles for loss with 16. Gerald McCoy is fifth in the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 14.5.

Ugo Chinasa has 4 sacks for the Pokes and 6.5 tackles for loss. However, you have to go all the way down to 11^th O-States leader board for tackles to find Chinasa, a defensive lineman, listed.

Advantage: OU

Linebackers

Travis Lewis is third in the Big 12 in total tackles with 99 and Keenan Clayton is 39^th with 58. Oklahoma will be without Ryan Reynolds who is a field general for the Sooners defense and that may hurt the Sooners more than missing his 67 tackles. In his place Austin Box will step in and try to get a head start on taking over the middle linebacker position full time next season.

Donald Booker leads the Cowboys in sacks with 5 and tackles for loss with 7. He and Patrick Lavine lead the team in tackles with 80 and 67 tackles respectively. Lavine also leads the team in interceptions with 5.

Both team's linebacker units attack down hill and are solid run stuffers. O-State is second in the conference against the rush (82.6 yards per game) and the Sooners are third (91 yards per game)

Advantage: Even

Secondary

Oklahoma is second in the conference against the pass by holding opponents to just 197.5 yards per game. The OU secondary has a combined 11 interceptions led by Brian Jackson's 4. Jackson and Dominique Franks are one of the best corner duos in the conference and safety Quinton Carter is a hard hitter who's second on the team in tackles with 76.

Perrish Cox is not only the best athlete in Oklahoma State's secondary he's most likely the best athlete on the team. He has 32 tackles and 4 interceptions but as a whole the Cowboys are 9^th in the conference in pass defense.

Advantage: OU

Special Teams

Oklahoma State is last in the Big 12 in kickoff return average (18.6 yards per return) and while the Sooners aren't sitting pretty at #10 (21.2 yards per return) at least they're not last. Punt returns are a different issue for the Sooners where their 14.3 yards per return average are tops in the Big 12. OSU isn't too far behind at 13.9 yards per return which places them 3^rd in the Big 12.

In punting average the Sooners have a 39.6 (Best in the Big 12) to 37.5 advantage. Oklahoma's place kickers have missed seven field goal attempts this season while the Cowboys have missed five.

If this game becomes a field goal kicking contest then I'm not sure that I like Oklahoma's chances. However, in the battle for field position OU's special teams units are outperforming O-State's in just about every category.

Advantage: OU

Q & A With Crimson And Cream Machine

Beergut — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:37:39 -0000

We preview our game with the Oklahoma Sooners by asking a few questions of Crimson and Cream Machine, SB Nation's excellent Oklahoma blog. Thanks to moderator ccmachine for his answers and insight into the Sooner program.

1. I thought after the 2005 season, Stoops would have learned his lesson, and y'all wouldn't have to go through a wholesale 'rebuild' season where you suffer a serious dropoff from previous seasons. Granted, you can't win the Big 12 every single year, and three in a row is a nice run, but do you have any thoughts on why Stoops & Staff weren't able to have adequate replacements ready to step up this season, particularly on the offensive line?

This seems to be more of a question of ignorance than anything else. What lesson was Stoops to learn from `05 that would have prepared him for the rash of injuries in `09? With yesterday’s injury to offensive lineman Jarvis Jones, making him doubtful for Saturday, the Sooners have now lost over half of their offensive unit to injury. What coach has a contingency plan for that?

Sam Bradford was the one who took most of the reps in preseason camp and this season was supposed to be spent prepping Landry Jones for next year. Instead Bradford is done and Jones has been thrown into the fire. The guy that was supposed to be behind Bradford transferred to Michigan State after losing out on the starting position which left just freshmen in the fold after Joey Halzle graduated last season. We knew the linemen wouldn’t be as good as last year but it also appears that not all 4-Star recruits are as good as advertised. That goes for receivers as well. Adron Tennell was a highly touted 4-Star guy coming out of high school. Now we know why he’s been riding the pine for his entire career.

2. Injuries have ravaged your team, with All-Americans Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham being lost for the season. Brody Eldridge and Auston English are now out for the season after the Nebraska game. Is it just bad luck this year, or do you think there is an issue on the S&C program that is leading to more injuries this year?

We call it the curse of Andre Ware! It has nothing to do with the strength and conditioning program. Bob Stoops has never suffered a rash of injuries like this and his strength and conditioning system has been in place since 1999.

3. All Aggies are familiar with DeMarco Murray, Chris Brown, and Ryan Broyles. We've watched Landry Jones attempt to replace Sam Bradford's production in the OU offense. Who is an offensive player we might not know about who could be a key contributor on Saturday?

DeJuan Miller (#24) has really come on lately. I have not idea why he didn’t play against Texas but since he entered into the starting lineup against Baylor the Red River Shootout is the only game where he didn’t receive a significant amount of playing time. He’s slowly moving his way up the ladder in receiving yards and earning the trust of Landry Jones as the second option at receiver.

4. Who is the A&M player you are most worried about on offense or defense?

On offense you can’t ignore what Jerrod Johnson is doing. He is quietly putting together the best season of any Big 12 quarterback by completing over 60% of his passes with a Big 12-best 21 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions.
Just as impressive on defense is Von Miller who leads the Big 12 in sacks with 15.5. He’ll be going up against a hodge-podge offensive line and will no doubt live in Oklahoma ’s backfield.

5. What does A&M need to do to pull the upset?

All they have to do is score more points. Yes, I realize that is a plain answer but its also a simple plan. The Aggies will struggle against Oklahoma ’s defense but conversely Oklahoma ’s offense is really hurting and may still struggle to score despite the Aggies being dead last in the Big 12 when it comes to scoring defense.

6. OU has been ridiculously tough at home under Bob Stoops. What do the Aggies need to do to take the crowd out of the game?

OU fans are already disgruntled with the offense so the longer the Aggies can keep Landry Jones and company at bay the more you’ll see and hear grumbling from within the stadium.

7. Score prediction.

OU’s offense is bad but A&M’s defense is worse. I like the Sooners 27-10.

Big Red Rivalry Advantages Favor OU

ccmachine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:26 -0000

by ALONZO ADAMS - AP

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Oklahoma should be able to come away with a win in Lincoln but I don't expect it to be easy. Nebraska's defense is too nasty for the Sooners to come by a lot of points but the Husker offense may be at even a larger disadvantage than OU's. Looking at the unit breakdowns I'm gaining more confidence in Oklahoma's ability to score their 6^th win of the season.

Quarterbacks

I'll take Landry Jones over either one of Nebraska's signal callers. Zac Lee was benched after the Huskers went 1-2 to start conference play and Cody Green would only be making his second ever career start Saturday night. Either way it goes Jones is the better quarterback.

Advantage: OU

Running Backs

DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown are averaging 4.7 and 4.2 yards per carry with each back scoring 5 rushing touchdowns. Nebraska's Roy Helu is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and has scored 6 rushing touchdowns.

Advantage: Huskers

Receivers/Tight Ends

Just about anyone is going to have an advantage over Oklahoma's tight ends at this point but the Sooners have one of the most explosive receivers in the country in Ryan Broyles with Dejuan Miller and Adron Tennell starting to become actual playmakers in the offense as well. After Niles Paul the Huskers don't have a receiver with more that 16 receptions.

Advantage: OU

Offensive Line

Despite all the early struggles and even with the continuation of dumb penalties Oklahoma's offensive line has shown improvement. The Sooners have given up a total of 7 sacks this season. Nebraska has seen their quarterbacks get put down 10 times this season. While neither unit is eye popping good Oklahoma's has faced stronger defenses and knows what pressure is.

Advantage: OU

Defensive Line

Two of the best defensive tackles in the nation will be on the field today but regardless of how much publicity they get they won't be going head-to-head. This game will be won or lost by the other guys that stack up the line and not just the two superstars. Fortunately for both sides they've got guys like Jeremy Beal and Jared Crick that prevents them from being one man shows.

Advantage: Even

Linebackers

The Sooners are giving up 2.6 yards per carry and Nebraska 2.7 to their opponents. Both teams are stellar against the run but Oklahoma's experience has to account for something.

Advantage: OU

Secondary

Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks may not be Thorpe finalists but they are one of the best cornerback duos in the country. However, Nebraska leads the conference in pass defense and their secondary is a big reason for that.

Advantage: Nebraska

Kicking Game

Tress Way is now performing both punting and kicking duties and doing a solid job at it. However, Alex Henery is one of the best place kickers in the country.

Advantage: Nebraska

Bottom Line

I think that Nebraska's offense will struggle considerably more that Oklahoma's. Not because one defense is better than the other but because the Huskers don't have as many playmakers on offense as OU.

Q&A With An Oklahoma Sooner Expert

Jon Johnston — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:29 -0000

by Sue Ogrocki - AP

OU receiver Ryan Broyles is the Sooner's most dangerous playmaker. Shutting him down will be a key for the Huskers' Blackshirt defense.

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No one knows more about the Sooners than someone who follows them on a regular basis, so we asked Matt at the SB Nation site Crimson and Cream Machine to answer some questions about this weekend's Oklahoma vs Nebraska game.

I took my kids trick-or-treating with the Sooners rolling over Kansas State. I came back, and it's 35-30. What happened?

I'm not sure what happened there and I was watching it. OU jumped out 21-0 and then they just took their foot off the gas, so to speak. I have a theory that Bob Stoops has enough respect for Bill Snyder that he had the offense go ultra conservative in order to prevent an absolute blowout of his former mentor but that would have only worked if the defense was able to continue doing what it did through the first fifteen minutes when the score was 21-0. However, when the OU offense went into a shell (for whatever reason) the K-State offense came to life and was unstoppable for about two quarters.

The Sooners woke back up again in the fourth quarter but not before being given a legitimate scare. Landry Jones was 10-for-10 passing in the final quarter and after he led a scoring drive to push the lead to 35-23. Brandon Banks returned the kickoff 98 yards to bring it back to a 35-30 game. Fortunately Jones and company had one more drive left in them and scored again in the fourth for the final 42-30 outcome.

In the preseason, there was quite a bit of debate whether Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy was the best d-lineman in the Big XII, yet we've hardly heard much about McCoy this season. Is this because Mister Suh (as ESPN/ABC has given up trying to pronounce Ndamukong) is dominating the headlines, or is McCoy not playing up to expectations?

McCoy is in no way having a bad season and both are exceptional players. Gerald McCoy lives in the opponent's backfield. He has 12 tackles for loss but has been overshadowed a bit by defensive end Jeremy Beal who has 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

With 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, Suh has certainly lived up to his expectations this season but to think that for some reason McCoy hasn't is a bit of a stretch.

The Sooner offensive line has struggled this season. Is this due to a lack of players, inconsistent line up, or what's happening there? Would you put most of the problems with Oklahoma's offense on this unit?

I think that there are several things that you could pin Oklahoma's offensive woes upon but it all starts with the line. Before the season even started Bob Stoops said that Oklahoma's offense would only be as good as the line allowed them to be and that has certainly been true. That was also before injuries took Jermaine Gresham and Sam Bradford away from this unit as well. The line does a decent job at pass blocking but the two main struggles have been picking up blitzes and run blocking. Then there are the mental errors (false starts) and acts of desperation (holding penalties). Watching Oklahoma's offensive line really is a comedy of errors.

Keep in mind that OU's offense is scoring a respectable 33.1 points per game. Its just when you compare it to last year's pace it just isn't the same and its not what we expected this year either.

Other than Ryan Broyles, who is the most consistent receiver? Who's the most dangerous?

How about no one for an answer? Ryan Broyles is the most dangerous receiver and there really is no one else! Brandon Caleb has been solid and Adron Tennell has come on as of late but they've both struggled with the drops this season. Dejuan Miller had a breakout game against Kansas State but we'd like to see some more consistency from him. DeMarco Murray also catches passes out of the backfield and occasionally from the slot. The tight end position is pretty much non-existent so basically what we have is a quarterback's second option done by committee.

Would you like to see the Big 12 change scheduling so that Nebraska - Oklahoma play on a yearly basis, or does this ex-rivalry mean much to Sooner fans?

Like many fans I grew up on the Oklahoma/Nebraska rivalry and would love to see it return to yearly game, and I would want it put back in its rightful Thanksgiving weekend spot. I know there has been some talk about pursuing this but I just don't see how it would work out for the benefit of the conference. And as well all know if it doesn't benefit the conference it most likely isn't going to happen.

Prediction?

I don't see this being anything like last year's game. With two dominating defenses I think that it will be a close game decided by special teams and turnovers. I favor Oklahoma in that because our freshman quarterback has played in every game this season and started five of them while yours is just making his second start. OU will be able to pressure him more than Baylor did which will put him under fire for the first time this season. Landry Jones has already been up against Texas and Miami defenses and while the Huskers will bring tons of pressure it will be something that Jones has already experienced on multiple occasions.

OU 17 - Nebraska 10

OU 42/Kansas State 30 – The Return Of Ugly Football

ccmachine — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:57:13 -0000

More photos » by ALONZO ADAMS - AP

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Oklahoma had some remarkable stat lines on Saturday night against the Kansas State Wildcats. Ryan Broyles caught 8 passes for 92 yards and 2 scores. He also carried the ball twice for 23 yards. Landry Jones completed 70% of his passes for 296 yards and 4 touchdowns. DeMarco Murray averaged 4.1 yards per carry and Chris Brown was even better at 5.5. In all, Oklahoma's offense produced 458 total yards.

However, some of the stats that are going to stand out more to Sooner fans are 8 penalties for 85 yards, 156 receiving yards and 195 kick return yards by Brandon Banks, being outscored 30-21 after the first quarter and a shameful 1^st and 45 that OU was very fortunate to convert and keep a touchdown drive alive.

Ultimately the stat that carries the most weight were the 42 points that Oklahoma put on the board compared to K-State's 30. It's just that beating K-State by 12 at home after leading 21-0 in the first quarter is a bit unsettling. OU saw that lead cut to within 5 points twice and despite the fact that Landry Jones orchestrated two crucial scoring drives in the 4^th quarter, to push the lead back to 12 on both occasions, everyone in crimson and cream knew that our Sooners had just dodged a bullet.

We should give the Wildcats all the credit that they deserve for not quitting when down on the road by 21 points early. How about giving Bill Snyder some credit for coming up yet another game plan to make a good OU defense just look silly? Kansas State came to play and that's exactly what they did and they did it without hesitation. For whatever reason, be it caused by Kansas State or by coaching, Oklahoma's offensive machine was put in neutral after the first quarter and didn't return to gear until the fourth when Jones went 10-for-10 passing and DeMarco Murray scored both by receiving and running. It was just the second time this season OU has won back-to-back games and the first time they were able to match their opponents point for point in order to preserve a win.

It was ugly at best Saturday night for Oklahoma. We saw things from this team that we had hoped were buried for the season. Instead there were false starts, holding penalties and the resurrection of the, "and 45 yards to go" phrase. However, can we all just agree than an ugly win is better than a pretty loss?

Quotables

"Defensively there in the fourth quarter they came up with a few stops when we had to have them. It was a positive game that way. No turnovers for us was really great. I thought we ran the ball and that was really positive."

"I thought the line held up and protected. Landry threw good balls. Those guys came up in open spaces and caught the ball better, and we made more competitive plays that way. It was good to see our running game be productive. I thought Chris (Brown) and DeMarco (Murray) really ran physical."

"Dejuan (Miller) made some really good plays and competitive plays. It appears to me that a lot of those guys are just settling in and getting more comfortable competing in those moments and making those plays they are capable of making." - Bob Stoops

"I thought that we gave up some third downs and they did a good job of converting. In spurts, I don't think that we tackled the way we are capable of tackling and we didn't contain the quarterback at times on some pressure. I think that they did a good job and they never gave you a steady dose of one thing." - Brent Venables

"It's good when guys step up, it's definitely a good thing. We just have to keep moving up from here. We have a lot of talent and a lot of guys have the chance to play, we just have to make the best of it." - Ryan Broyles

"We stepped up, and in the second half, we just got things rolling again like we did at Kansas. We just have to keep it going and get better every week."

"Every game you just have to keep getting better. And I'm getting better. I'm seeing the stuff easier out on the field and seeing the coverages more."

"I don't know if it's knowing which guys are standing out and making plays. I have confidence in all my receivers. It's just getting the ball to them and putting it on target and they're going to make plays for me." - Landry Jones

"I felt like I was getting my chance to show what I can do. I'm more talented. I don't want to sound too cocky, but that's just the inner confidence that I have in myself that I know I can play at a high level. When my number is called on third down, those catches are the biggest catches for me and to keep the drive alive and to keep it going. I felt real good today. I felt in a rhythm, and we really came out with a good victory today." - Dejuan Miller

"Landry is growing each week. He's a great player and a great competitor. He knows the job is his now, and he's a great guy." - DeMarco Murray

"A loss is a loss. I think the fact that the youngsters did come back and made the effort and got back in the ball game, I think that's a positive. I don't know though, this is the first time I have been around them and I still don't know how they respond. I mean the Texas Tech loss you go down and get beat 1,000 to nothing and then you turn around the next week and beat a Texas A&M team pretty good and everything goes right for a couple quarters and a few minutes. So I don't know in all honesty. They ought to be upset and disappointed that they lost a ball game against no matter who it is.

"That was a great football team down here at Oklahoma but you ought to be disappointed you lost because that is what the competitive nature is all about. We will find out over the weekend and on Monday. If indeed that is the case then I think they will recommit themselves and try to continue to get better. And in some form or fashion, we did get a little bit better today in some areas, but not collectively. But Oklahoma had a lot to do with that."

"You have got to be proud of the fact that they didn't give up, which I am. On certain areas that we have played better and not giving up and playing better was the most important thing to us and I think we did that. You know when you do those things and take it a step at a time, a play at a time, then all of a sudden you have got a chance and you are back in the ball game. But when they have got the ball and its first and 100 and then they end up getting a first down you have got some real problems."

"That we had a chance to do something that really would have been something special in their lives and we failed to do it. We didn't coach them well enough to get what we needed accomplished. " - Bill Snyder

Can Dejuan Miller Lead Oklahoma’s Receivers Against Texas

ccmachine — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:19 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

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There has been no official word yet on whether Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles will play against the Texas Longhorns or not but the fact remains that OU needs a receiver to step up in a big way. Against Baylor the Sooners used sophomore Dejuan Miller in an attempt to fill a void left void by the absence of Broyles. In his first start for OU Miller caught 5 passes for 67 yards but that was Baylor, can he do it against Texas?

Texas is second in the conference in passing defense allowing their opponents 186.8 yards per game through the air. They've given up 6 touchdowns through the air and have picked off quarterbacks 8 times. Quarterbacks are only completing 52.9% of their passes against the Longhorn defense. To put the hopes of an effective passing game on just one person is a bit unfair as it takes a receiver who can catch, a line who can block and a quarterback who can throw to make the passing game work. So the better question is can Miller fill the void once again but against a stronger defense?

Miller has a 6-5/200 pound frame which is four inches taller than Blake Gideon and Aaron Williams who are the tallest members of the Texas secondary. Baylor isn't the best in the conference when it comes to pass defense but they aren't the worst either. The Bears are 5^th in the conference against the pass so that we can assume his test last Saturday was legit. That means, to me, that he's ready for this game. OU hasn't faced a defense like Texas and other than Nebraska they won't again. That doesn't remove the fact that he proved himself on Saturday and is now ready for the next challenge.

* Note: The OU depth chart was updated on Tuesday and Broyles does not appear on it.

Here are a few other answers to some questions from Saturday.

A: Very significant!

Q: How important is the knee injury to left guard Brian Simmons?

The left side of the line has been Oklahoma's strong side or at least it appears that way. OU doesn't seem to have a favorite side to run to. Against Baylor on Saturday the Sooners ran 16 times to the left, 16 to the right and 17 up the middle. They gained 82 yards to the left (5.1 YPC) and 73 to the right (4.3 YPC).

It should be noted that Stephen Good was in on some of those plays after coming in for the injured Simmons. However, it should also be noted that Good gave up Oklahoma's only sack on Saturday.

A: Not a big deal but frustrating.

Q: How crucial were the dropped passes on Saturday?

I hate to say it but we're used to seeing dropped passes by now. It's a recurring theme that we see every week but this last weekend, like with Idaho State and Tulsa, it didn't really matter. It was frustrating to watch though because there is an obvious pattern developing here and just as crucial drops had their place in the BYU and Miami games they'll also have their place this weekend against Texas. Oklahoma will just have to find a way to overcome them.

A: Because the commitment wasn't there, in other words they didn't try.

Q: Why did Oklahoma only have 25 rushing yards in the first half?

OU ran the ball 50 times against Baylor but only 14 times in the first half. It was clear that they wanted to see Bradford air it out and give him as many opportunities to get back into the rhythm of live action as possible. Still, a 1.78 yard per carry average in the first half isn't very encouraging. However, 172 yards on the ground in the second half should have been more than sufficient to ease any doubts.

Are The Sooners Looking To Jaz Up The Offense?

ccmachine — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:54:58 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

Unfortunately this has been the theme for Oklahoma's wide receivers in `09 as dropped passes have been in abundance. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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The answer to Oklahoma's struggles at the outside receiver position could have been under everyone's noses all along. The Daily Oklahoman brought up a great point about possibly playing Jaz Reynolds because he hasn't been moved to the scout team and is still working out with the receivers. I have to say that I agree with them! In a worst case scenario Reynolds could drop passes just as good as Adron Tennell has. However, in a better case scenario Reynolds' 6-3 frame and speed could wind up being the compliment to slot receiver Ryan Broyles that is so desperately needed. The thing is, though, is that he's got to be able to catch the ball.

Oklahoma Receiving Stats
	Name	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD
	Ryan Broyles	2	11	181	90.5	16.5	51	4
	Brandon Caleb	2	5	71	35.5	14.2	18	0
	DeMarco Murray	2	4	50	25.0	12.5	27	0
	Chris Brown	2	3	36	18.0	12.0	17	0
	Jermie Calhoun	2	2	22	11.0	11.0	17	0
	Adron Tennell	1	2	20	20.0	10.0	13	0
	Dejuan Miller	2	3	18	9.0	6.0	8	0
	Cameron Kenney	1	1	15	15.0	15.0	15	0
	Trent Ratterree	1	1	12	12.0	12.0	12	0
	Mossis Madu	2	2	8	4.0	4.0	4	0

Coming out of high school Reynolds ran a 4.5 forty and had a 37 inch vertical. The problem is that Oklahoma has a several guys on their roster who have good size and speed but when the lights come on and a defender lines up across from them they suddenly develop hands of stone. That's where Reynolds could have the opportunity to step up and be an impact player as a true freshman.

"You don't want to waste the year, but I think he's close to being in the mix," Wilson said. "With this week and then the open date, I think he either gets in or you look to that redshirt." - Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson on Jaz Reynolds

One of the arguments against such a move would be not wanting to burn a redshirt on a guy with promising potential when you've got juniors and seniors on your two deep. However, there isn't a single one of those guys who hasn't been hit in the breadbasket and dropped the ball. At this point Oklahoma needs a tall speedy receiver who can catch the ball on the field more than they need a freshman with potential to redshirt.

The other issue with a potential move like this is whether Reynolds can catch the ball or not. We won't know the answer to that he isn't given the opportunity to try. Like I said earlier, the worst case scenario is that he drops passes the same way that the other guys have. With all due respect to Adron Tennell and Brandon Caleb, there appears to be a reason they've been buried on the depth chart their whole careers at Oklahoma. Now as upperclassmen they've been given two opportunities to step up and have bombed. They don't even have to be the go-to guys either because Oklahoma already has one of those in Ryan Broyles. They just need to be guys who can make a catch and take some heat off the go-to guy.

Jaz Reynolds received 9 scholarship offers coming out of high school. I'm assuming that it wasn't because he has a tendency to drop passes.

Idaho State Game Position Grades

ccmachine — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:38:32 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

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Oklahoma bounced back, as expected, against Idaho State with a dominating defensive performance and offensive speed. However, even against an FCS team the grades weren't perfect as the Sooners showed that they've still got some work to do.

Quarterback B+

At times Landry Jones was exceptional (18/32, 286 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) and yet at other times he struggled in reading through his progressions which led to one interception and should have been more. Still, Jones managed the game well and showed that OU can continue to run their offense with him under center.

Running Backs A+

DeMarco Murray was his old self, rushing for 101 yards on 12 carries (8.4 ypc), and Chris Brown provided workman like 5.9 yards per carry going for 65 yards. In garbage time the young backs ran hard as well. Jonathan Miller carried the ball 9 times for 88 yards and, to my surprised, looked stronger and faster than Jermie Calhoun who rushed for 26 yards on 7 carries. All four of the running backs scored at least once with Murray crossing the goal line twice.

Receivers/Tight Ends C+

DeMarco Murray said that having Brody Eldridge out on the edge made a huge difference in the running game. I'd still like to see OU develop a passing game that includes the tight end because dropped passes by Brandon Caleb, Cameron Kenny and Dejuan Miller along with Adron Tennell last week are becoming too common. Ryan Broyles had 155 yards on 7 receptions with 3 touchdowns but unfortunately we have to grade the unit as a whole.

Offensive Line B-

Oklahoma's offensive line held up fairly well against a lesser Idaho State defense but my chief complaint against them is not being able to punch it in from inside the 1. That obviously is an issue with the line and running up the middle clearly shouldn't be an option for this team in those situations anymore. Regardless they line helped lead the team to a rushing average of 6.3 yards per carry.

Defensive Line A

Due to limited defensive snaps (Idaho State punted 12 times) and the rotation of younger players there weren't a lot of stats to be passed around. Gerald McCoy accounted for one of Oklahoma's two sacks and the Sooner defensive line stopped the Bengal offense at the point of attack all night. Frank Alexander recovered a Kyle Blum fumble and returned it for a touchdown.

Linebackers A+

The telling stat for Oklahoma's linebackers is 32/-22. That's how many rushes and rushing yards the Bengals had against the OU defense. Travis Lewis and Austin Box led the team with a combined 9 tackles each. Ronnell Lewis tackled Clint Knickrehm for a safety.

Secondary A

Like the other spots of the defense Oklahoma's secondary saw a lot of new faces on Saturday night and no one disappointed. ISU's only positive yardage came on passing plays but the Sooner secondary was more than stout and laid the wood of Bengal receivers and running backs all night. Dominique Franks and Jamell Flemming led the secondary with a combined 4 tackles each.

Special Teams B+

Maybe it was just me but it seemed that if Idaho State had more team speed they would have been able to exploit some of the seams in Oklahoma's kickoff team. Maybe I'm just nitpicking because the Bengals only averaged 14 yards a return. In the punting game Tress Way averaged 42.8 yards per kick while Idaho State had -2 yards per return. OU did have a missed extra point but I'm choosing to blame that on the weather.

OU 64 – Idaho State 0: Post Game Thoughts

ccmachine — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:44:30 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

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Well that was easy. Of course when you consider the competition it should have been easy. The question is, did you get to see what you expected in this blowout? For me it's a situation where some things I wanted to see didn't show up in the game while there were some other things that surprised me. Here are a few game thoughts and as always we'd love to hear yours.

The Good

No misfires on the offensive line. We knew that we wouldn't be able to put very much stock in the physical aspects of Oklahoma's victory but improvement in the mental stage of the game was a necessity. We saw that tonight and there is clearly still an open competition for spots on the line.
Ryan Broyles emerged with a star performance. He caught 7 passes for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Landry Jones threw some really good passes. His throws on Ryan Broyles' first and third touchdowns were spot on. When you consider the elements of a driving rain storm the Jones' 18/32 for 286 yards and 3 scores is even more impressive.
DeMarco Murray was fast and the rushing attack was strong. Murray cracked the century mark in rushing yards for the first time this season and averaged 8.4 yards per carry. Chris Brown averaged 5.9 yards per carry and in garbage time Jonathan Miller carried the ball 9 times for 88 yards (9.8 YPC).

The Bad

Shut down by an Idaho State goal line stand. Regardless of who is on the field for Oklahoma's offensive line, in that situation you have to be Oklahoma and they have to be Idaho State. In OU's last three games (Idaho State, BYU, Florida) they've been shut down at the goal line
Oklahoma doesn't appear to have a second option at receiver. Drops by Brandon Caleb, Dejuan Miller and Cameron Kenny prevented another receiver from stepping up to complement Broyles' performance.
Landry Jones threw some really bad passes. Keeping in mind that he's a redshirt freshman making his first start but there were several times in which it appeared that he wasn't reading through his progressions and while he threw only one interception there were certainly opportunities for others.
Missed extra point! Really? Like this team doesn't already have enough to worry about.

Still Wondering

Where was Adron Tennell? He's clearly being punished for not stepping up last week. Tennell finally made it into the game late in the garbage time stage.
Where was Jameel Owens? Not only was he not on the field, he wasn't even in uniform.
Redshirt for Drew Allen? John Nimmo came in for Landry Jones late in the game. My assumption is that if we didn't see Allen in this game then we aren't going to see him at all this season.

Sooner Sports Notebook - September 2nd

dishingoutdimes — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:05:24 -0000

With college football season starting tomorrow, and plenty of Sooner news headlines from now to the end of the semester, I've decided to renew my quasi-daily "Sooner Sports Notebook". For football season I'll probably have the bulk of the information about the football team, and then a section at the end about other Sooner sports.

Next Game

Oklahoma Sooners vs. BYU Cougars
Dallas Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, Texas
6:00PM CDT, September 5, 2009 (ESPN)
Cougars vs Sooners coverage | Vanquish The Foe (BYU Blog)

Injury Report (source)

For Oklahoma: MLB Tom Wort is Out For Season (Knee/ACL), MLB Mike Balogun is Ineligible (NCAA). For BYU: OL Jason Speredon is Out For Season (Shoulder), OL Houston Reynolds is Out (Knee), CB Brian Logan is Probable (Hand), QB Max Hall is Probable (Finger), RB Harvey Unga is Probable (Hamstring), DB Scott Johnson is Probable (Concussion), DB Andrew Rich is Probable (Groin), DL Vic So'oto is Probable (Ankle), OL Matt Reynolds is Probable (Hand), RB Manase Tonga is Probable (Academics).

Quotable

"He [Brody Eldridge] is as good as the guy that played last year [at center], right now," [Offensive Coordinator Kevin] Wilson said. "He blocks those big guys we got who are as good as anybody we’ll see, right now."

The Pundits

(link) CBS Sports previews the Sooners' first game.
(link) Sports Illustrated power rankings.
(link) The Oklahoman September 1st practice report.
(link) Brody Eldridge will be playing with two numbers, two jerseys and two shoulder pads.
(link) Sooners need not worry.
(link) Not surprisingly, BYU is focused on Sam Bradford.

Today's Thoughts

I'm not surprised that the Sooners are playing Brody Eldridge at center. They have long been raving about his blocking. Plus, with Gresham as more of a receiving threat who has put in hard work this offseason improving his blocking, that position is getting a bit more crowded. James Hanna is another guy who will see the field behind Gresham who is built out of a similar mold. I'm not worried about Brody starting at center.
Everyone will obviously be worried and anxious to see how Sam Bradford opens up the season. However, I see no reason why this won't continue to be a very balanced attack. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson usually mixes things up fairly well. I see the first couple of drives being more conservative with lots of bubble screens and runs. The good news is that the Sooners have so many versatile players that they could line up in several different positions. I think we'll also have good pace and keep their defense on the field if we can rack up the first downs.
Broyles is moving back to the slot, which is great news because that's where I thought he was best anyways. I'm excited to see Cam Kenney who is one of the fastest players on the team and he has a 40" vertical. I think he could be one of the better deep threats we've had in awhile. I have heard Dejuan Miller has been improving and obviously Adron Tennell is a veteran, so I think we'll be better than expected at receiver.

That's all for now. It's a brief notebook today with perhaps some more meat and potatoes tomorrow.