SB Nation - Keenan Clayton

Franks Coming Back Others Possibly Leaning Towards Staying

ccmachine — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:29:51 -0000

Oklahoma's defense could be pretty salty again next year as key members of what has possibly been the best defense of the Stoops era are deciding to return for another season. Adrian Taylor announced he'd be returning next season and now Dominique Franks is the next to say he'll be returning to Norman to play ball in 2010.

"I'm not worried about it at all," Franks said. "I'm coming back."

"I'm done with it. I'm just focusing on this last game. That's all I'm worried about," Franks said. "I'm not worried about talking to anybody or being at that next level."

Keenan Clayton, Auston English, Brian Jackson and Ryan Reynolds are all gone due to graduation but only Clayton and Jackson were every down every game players. Reynolds and English missed time because of injury but in their place Austin Box and Frank Alexander performed very well. Both were key contributors to shutting out Oklahoma State on the final weekend of the season and both will be around next season as well.

In addition to Taylor and Franks linebacker Travis Lewis, defensive end Jeremy Beal and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy are among the top underclassmen who could be throwing their names in next spring's NFL draft. It's widely speculated that McCoy is gone and while there's been absolutely not official word from him I'd be surprised to see him in crimson and cream in 2010. Instead we'll be looking at Jamarkus McFarland who while not yet at the level of McCoy did show flashes of greatness this year as a true freshman.

It's been rumored that Jeremy Beal is leaning towards staying as well even though he's not talking. The only thing that he's said is that he's focused on Stanford and will address that once the bowl game is over. That doesn't give me a lot of confidence to be honest but until he gives us something solid to go with all we have is speculation.

"I'm thinking about Stanford and getting better every day at practice," said Beal, who was chosen to the All-Big 12 first team. "I'm not thinking about the NFL."

"We've still got one more game and I'll think about that after the Stanford game," he added.

Travis Lewis hasn't stated whether he's staying or going either but he's at least given us the criteria for his departure. Lewis wants to be a first round draft pick and says he won't leave Oklahoma early unless that is guaranteed.

"It'd have to be pretty high. I have high standards for myself and everybody wants to go in the first round to take care of your family for the rest of your life," Lewis said. "Whether it's this year, next year or the year after. I've got two more years to play. I think eventually I'll be there."

"It's all about me and patience-how patient I am staying here and bettering myself to get to that No. 1, that first round."

There will be plenty of new faces on next year's defense but the key to success is blending the new guys with veteran leadership. Marcus Trice is going to make a push at replacing Brian Jackson, Ronnell Lewis, Tom Wort and Austin Box are going to battle for the middle linebacker position and depending what others do, we may see more. The thing is, the more we see guys like Taylor, Franks, Lewis and Beal the more experience and leadership we'll see on the field to go along with young talent. In a nutshell the learning curve will be smaller and that's exactly what we're looking for.

Breaking Down Bedlam

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

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

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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

Tulsa Game Position Grades

ccmachine — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:28:19 -0000

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I have to admit, I expected a much tighter game against Tulsa last Saturday. I didn't think it would be the kind of game to be won by a field goal or anything but I did expect the Golden Hurricane to at least score. To say that the Sooners played good is an understatement and to say that Tulsa was a Top 25 caliber opponent is an overstatement. However, TU should have been a stronger test for the Sooners and their inability to impress had a lot more to do with OU than it did with us touting an opponent too highly. Good Grades are in abundance this week!

Quarterback A

Let's hear it for the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Week! Landry Jones completed 25 of 37 passes for 336 yards and a school record 6 touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions on two really bad passes and he still seems to occasionally lock in on a receiver without reading through his progressions so there is room for improvement but we must applaud the effort.

Running Backs A+

DeMarco Murray averaged 6 yards per carry and Chris Brown 4.6. Neither back scored on the ground but Murray made and amazing touchdown catch in which he spun around twice and flipped into the end zone. Murray had two catches for 38 yards and a score. In mop up time Jonathan Miller, for the second week in a row, looked stronger and faster than Jermie Calhoun. As a team the Sooners rushed for 193 yards.

Receiver/Tight End A

Adron Tennell's dropped touchdown pass was surprisingly not shocking based on his on field productivity so far this season. Trent Ratterree also joined Tennell in dropping a touchdown pass and while this has been a recurring theme for Oklahoma this season it was only a subplot on Saturday while Brandon Caleb having his breakout game was the main story. Caleb hauled in 5 passes for 104 and two touchdowns to become the perfect complement to Ryan Broyles who added 128 and three touchdowns on 11 catches. Landry Jones also found his tight ends on his record day as a Sooner. Jones completed passes to James Hanna and Eric Mensik.

Offensive Line A

No one is ready to anoint this group as championship ready but they've come a long way since opening night. The line gave up no sacks on Saturday afternoon and helped Oklahoma to an average of 6.5 yards per play on offense. This line looks more mentally focused than they've been all season which is good because they are about to face a stretch in which the level of their success will define the rest of Oklahoma's season.

Defensive Line A

Oklahoma's defensive line had Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne running for his life all day long. Jeremy Beal had three sacks and a forced fumble, Adrian Taylor recovered a fumble and Oklahoma ran a plethora of players through the line.

Linebackers A+

Ryan Reynolds let the team in tackles with 13 and was followed by Keenan Clayton who had 11. Travis Lewis added 7 tackles to the linebackers totals giving the starters 31 total tackles. Reynolds also had two sacks and Lewis had one.

Secondary A+

This was a physical game for Oklahoma's secondary and it needed to be. As we stated in our pregame coverage, Oklahoma's secondary making sure tackles and big plays would be the key to shutting down the Tulsa offense. Brian Jackson and Quinton Carter responded with 9 tackles and an interception each. Sam Proctor also added 5 tackles.

Special Teams A

The chief criticism with this unit was the missed field goal but as a whole they had a very solid game. I guess we could also call out the partially blocked punt. However, OU averaged 42 yards per punt and held Tulsa without a return. They also held Tulsa to just 21 yards per kickoff return while taking their lone kickoff return 32 yards.

BYU Game Position Grades

ccmachine — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:35:28 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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As we close the door on the BYU game and start looking at the Idaho State Bengals we'll close with our position grades from Saturday night's game. Obviously it didn't go the way that we had though, or hoped, it would but the season is still young and the team is still talented. There are lots of possibilities for Oklahoma just as long as they don't grade out like this anymore.

Quarterback B+

Sam Bradford completed 10 of 14 passes (71.4%) for 96 yards and a score before his injury. As Bradford's backup, Landry Jones completed 6 of 12 passes for 51 yards. Neither quarterback threw a pick.

Running Backs C+

DeMarco Murray carried the ball 10 times for 58 yards and Chris Brown had 14 carries 59 yards (4.2ypc). Those are good averages but when you consider that Murray put the ball on the ground and that the Sooners couldn't score a touchdown when they had a first and goal from the 2 they lose a lot of their luster.

Receivers/Tight Ends C+

Ryan Broyles scored a touchdown and Brandon Caleb caught 4 passes for 57 yards (14.3 ypc). That was it for the receiver highlights. The rest of the night can be summed up by dropped passes, fumbles and missed blocks.

Offensive Line F

Technically the o-line did only give up one sack and they paved the way for DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown to have big rushing averages but as a team Oklahoma ran for an average of 3.8 yards per carry and the penalties were just absolutely killers and ridiculous.

Defensive Line A+

The d-line contributed two of Oklahoma's four sacks and put a fair amount of pressure on Max Hall all night as well as holding the Cougars to an average of 0.8 yards per carry. Gerald McCoy accounted for four tackles for loss.

Linebackers A

Travis Lewis registered a team high 13 tackles, Ryan Reynolds added another 10 plus a sack and an interception. Keenan Clayton also had a pick to go along with his 4 tackles.

Secondary C+

Dominique Franks seem to struggle quite a bit and the safeties were out of position on BYU's final touchdown. While not totally the secondary's fault, Max Hall passed for 329 yards.

Special Teams A

The missed field goal at the end of the game is the only criticism I can find for the special teams and even that was a prayer. Kick and punt units were very good I thought going both ways.

The State of Oklahoma: OU Stumbles Against BYU

TheElusiveShadow — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:53:40 -0000

Note: Thanks to dimecoverage for all her help giving me information for this and also creating the graphic on the right. She has been great.

I traveled to Austin for opening day, so being at the stadium, I was unable to watch the Oklahoma-BYU game live. However, people in the suites above us were watching the game on a TV and I was getting periodic updates from the fans around me, so I was aware that Bradford got hurt and I knew OU lost before I left our game. My friend I'm staying with recorded the game, and I was eager to get back and look through the game and see what happened. I skimmed through it Saturday night and watched the whole thing more carefully Sunday night, and boy, was it fascinating. I know I said I would continue with unit previews this week, but such a game deserves attention.

Let me say a few things on the outset

-When one of our players goes down with injury (or any player, for that matter), and the Godzillatron focuses on you, please don't put on a big smile and wave and cheer. One of our guys is down there hurt while you're gleefully waving, if you didn't notice.

-When I heard Bradford got hurt, I was not happy at all; I actually winced. Many fans around me started to cheer at the news and chant, "OU sucks." I agree OU sucks, but I think it's classless to celebrate over a serious injury, especially if it happens to a good kid like Sam Bradford. Last I checked, he hasn't threatened anyone with a screwdriver yet. Sorry if I offend anyone who was at the stadium and participated in that celebration, but I found it distasteful. We're better than that at Texas.

-Since this post will focus on OU (obviously; Brigham Young is not in the state of Oklahoma), I will talk almost exclusively about the Sooners' failures and mistakes rather than what BYU did well. That doesn't mean I want to minimize the effort BYU put forth in this game. They deserve credit for the win, and I am not trying to hint at the contrary by talking just about Oklahoma.

-On a similar note, while OU's injuries were obviously huge (Bradford and Gresham), BYU's starting runningback Harvey Unga could not play, and they also lost starting linebacker Matt Bauman early in the game. BYU also had plenty of their own dumb mistakes, as it was a sloppy game overall. Thus, while it is perhaps doubtful OU loses with Bradford and Gresham, BYU didn't exactly have a perfect, sunny day either.

Anyway, there's a lot to talk about in the game, so let's get started. Last week, I previewed the game, and while I hoped BYU would win, I didn't have very much faith it would happen. I listed several things that I felt had to happen for BYU to win, so I will take a brief look at those:

1. Pressure Sam Bradford: They did. More on this later.

2. Keep the ball away from OU: It happened in ways I did not expect, but BYU did keep the ball roughly fifteen minutes more than OU.

3. Turnovers: I thought BYU had no chance if they turned the ball over more than OU. Well, they did it four times and still won. Go figure.

4. Stop the run: OU had some success on the ground but never really got it going. Overall, BYU is probably very happy with OU's mediocre 3.8 yards per carry as a team and 129 rushing yards.

5. Hope Brent Venables does something stupid: OU's defense didn't dominate and they did make mistakes, but at the end of the day, you have to put much more blame on the offensive side of the ball. OU fans are much more angry at Kevin Wilson.

6. Good ol' fashion luck: Well, you can definitely say that OU played poorly (or some of their units did...) and committed a ton of penalties, but BYU didn't exactly win the lottery. I wouldn't call the Bradford injury a "lucky" occurrence either. Again, more on this later.

Therefore, of the six things I said had to happen for BYU to win, only half of them did. If I were to predict the score of a BYU victory, I would have said something like 37-35 or something, not 14-13. What the heck went wrong, then, for OU?

"The Best Offensive Line We've Ever Had. Honest!" - Bob Stoops and Kevin Wilson

Their offensive line went wrong. Very, very wrong. I knew, like most everyone who didn't buy into Stoops' and Wilson's stupid hyperbole, that OU's offensive line was a big question mark for this team. Nonetheless, as my preview states, they definitely have talent there to turn to. Therefore, despite my skepticism concerning the O-line (especially with Brody Eldridge at center), I was shocked how bad OU's line played. As much as I laughed at Stoops' and Wilson's insistence that this player or that player is "the best we've ever had," I expected them to have this line much more prepared than what they showed on Saturday. Stunning.

The problem with the line wasn't so much the physical act of blocking, although they weren't always very good at that either. The problems were stupid penalties and a lack of recognition and adjustment to blitzes. I'll go down the line and talk about each starter.

RT Cory Brandon

Football is a team game, but if you're looking for a goat, look no further than right tackle Cory Brandon. Brandon's performance was so bad, even I began to feel sorry for him. Not only was his blocking mediocre, he committed an astonishing six penalties (two declined). It was quite an inauspicious start for him and the OU line, as he committed two of the three false start penalties that killed the first drive and caused a three an out, and it didn't get much better than that.

After the first drive, here are some notable things on Brandon's performance that I caught when I re-watched the game:

-On Murray's costly fumble at BYU's goalline, Brandon was called for holding anyway and would have nullified the run.

-On a failed third down play on OU's fifth drive, Brandon missed a block and looked lost. Trent Williams' chop block would have nullified the play anyway, but it was worth noting.

-On OU's eighth drive, Brandon was practically run over by the BYU DE, who hit Bradford as he threw the ball. Bradford still completed the pass, but it was called back because Brandon held on to defender as he fell on his back. This was the drive OU ultimately lost Sam Bradford.

-On OU's second drive of the second half, a run for a first down was called back due to a Brandon hold. The Sooners would go three and out again.

-And finally, to make sure the spotlight is on him, Brandon committed a false start on OU's last drive that pushed the Sooners back even further. The 54 yard field goal, as we all know, was no good. Game over.

Cory Brandon was supposed to be a solid starter, having experience as a backup before this year. Instead, he was the worst guy on the line, and I wonder if he's going to keep his job. On a few plays, I saw backup Brian Lepak take the right guard spot as Jarvis Jones slid over to right tackle. Jones wasn't great either, but if Brandon is starting and plays like that against Texas, Sam Acho is going to kill him.

RG Jarvis Jones

Injury problems seemed to doom Stephen Good, so Jarvis Jones got the start at right guard. Jones was nothing special, and he committed a stupid personal foul that forced OU's second straight three and out on their second drive. OU would get lucky as BYU muffed the ensuing punt, but that was the fourth penalty by an offensive lineman already in the game. I noted some bad blocking by Jones on a play during OU's second FG drive, but BYU was called for pass interference anyway. Jones was half-decent but again, nothing special. Considering Brandon's atrocious game, I wouldn't be surprised if Good or Lepak takes this spot back as Jarvis Jones moves over to right tackle.

C Brody Eldridge

Brody Eldridge really struggled. Not only did I note some poor blocking by Eldridge on the drive Sam Bradford got hurt, he could not figure out where the pressure was coming from. What was so bad about the Bradford injury was that BYU ran the same zone blitz a couple plays before with the same exact results: Cougar linebacker Clawson runs in and whacks Bradford pretty much untouched. In the third quarter, they dialed up a similar blitz, and Pendleton ran in free and smacked Landry Jones as he threw the ball. OU probably should have kept a runningback in the backfield to pick up the blitz, but it didn't seem the line itself was making any adjustments.

LG Brian Simmons

Simmons was also supposed to be solid, but he too is at fault for slowing down some OU drives. He had a false start on the first drive, and he also had a personal foul in the second half. Still, Simmons and Williams were much better than the other side of the line, if that's saying much. I didn't see him get run over or beat, but I also didn't see any good push.

LT Trent Williams

Trent Williams was pretty solid, but he did get called for a chop block (declined) and he got confused on the zone blitz that ultimately injured Bradford. I didn't see any time Williams was physically beat, and Jan Jorgensen, BYU's best end, was pretty quiet most of the game.

So, what now?

Although players shoulder a good deal of responsibility, I have to put a lot of this on the OU coaches. The offensive line looked unprepared and confused, and that starts at the top. Instead of feeding the media garbage about how they had no worries about the line and how many players were the best ever at OU, they should probably have sent subtle challenges to the players instead. Like I noted, the problems weren't being physically overmatched; the problems were stupid and undisciplined play. The line accounted for 10 called penalties, which just isn't going to cut it. BYU had experience problems in the offensive line as well, and while they too made mistakes, it wasn't on the level of OU's gaffes.

As I said, I can't simply call the Bradford injury bad luck: If you let your QB get hit like that, especially one not known for his mobility, he's going to eventually get hurt. On his last drive, Bradford was knocked down three or four times after the throw. BYU only registered one sack, but they were able to bring pressure to rattle both Bradford and Jones. Bradford himself played well, but the penalties never allowed him to get in a rhythm and the hits eventually took him out of the game. It was a sorry performance, and it's no stretch to say that the OU offensive line potentially sabotaged the team's season with that kind of egg-laying.

What changes can we expect? While it would seem that moving Eldridge back to TE would be smart, I think he's staying put, despite the lesser blocking from the other tight ends (their TE Hanna got beat on a second and goal run that resulted in a loss). Kevin Wilson said he will not "throw anyone under the bus," but he hinted at changes, and it might be the aforementioned removal of Cory Brandon from the starting rotation. I really don't know at this point, but something has to change, or Landry Jones is going to end up like Bradford. The Sooners may have only gave up one sack, but Bradford got hit plenty of times before he ultimately exited the game. As you can see on the right, Bradford mightily disagrees with Wilson's sunny assessment of the offensive line in the preseason.

The Rest of the Team

WR - The biggest question mark on offense is probably the wide receiver position for Oklahoma, which I will discuss sometime later. For now, it is enough to say that while you can't pin much blame on these guys for the loss, they didn't exactly help. Caleb Brandon provided some production with 4 catches for 52 yards, but that was about it. Their supposed deep threat, Adron Tennell, failed to snag a ball on the first drive (granted, it was a difficult throw to handle) and also dropped a first down pass on third and long on OU's second drive. It was clear that Bradford didn't have any go-to receivers, making the absence of Jermaine Gresham all the more glaring.

RB - Chris Brown and Murray actually ran the ball decently, but they were not always consistent and Murray coughed up the ball twice, particularly the one he lost in scoring position. Murray had a couple impressive runs, but with the O-line having as much problems as they were, it was difficult for either of them to truly shine. While Brown averaged 4.2 yards per carry and Murray averaged 5.8 ypc, OU as a whole finished with a paltry 3.8 average.

D-Line - The vaunted OU defensive line was pretty stout all day, but they did not dominate to the degree that one would expect when facing an inexperienced offensive line that BYU had. Adrian Taylor made some plays but I noted several times he got pushed aside at the point of attack, and I came away underwhelmed with his performance. Jeremy Beal played well as did English, but they did not bring consistent pressure by themselves and also found themselves out of position on some runs. The only "wow" performance of this group came from Gerald McCoy, who blew up several Cougar plays in the backfield. Still, while they didn't smother the BYU line as OU fans probably hopes, at the end of the day, they brought some decent pressure and held BYU to a low 0.8 yards per carry. You can't blame these guys.

LB - The linebackers generally looked solid as well, save a few mishaps in coverage. Ryan Reynolds had a good day, recording 10 tackles, a sack, and an interception, while Travis Lewis racked up 13 tackles. Keenan Clayton had the other interception and he snagged the ball with his hands in an impressive manner for an LB. The only problem was that they, nor the secondary, defended BYU's tight ends well, and on BYU's fourth and four conversion, Hall zipped the pass to Pitta right between Reynolds and Clayton.

Secondary - The secondary seemed largely untested by the BYU receivers, but they did not look great to me. Dominique Franks had an error in coverage that let Jacobson get loose behind him for a big gain, and they lost Jacobson on the go-ahead touchdown. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the tight ends of BYU had some success, with Andrew George catching 3 balls and a touchdown pass and Pitta grabbing 7 balls for 90 yards. Tackling in the back four was also mediocre. This is definitely a defense that is much stronger in the front.

Oklahoma's Season: Endangered

When Andre Ware predicted that the Sooners would lose four games, everyone (including me) laughed at him. We knew OU's line was a weakness, but FOUR games? Come on. One injury later due to that offensive line's ineptitude, his prediction doesn't seem as far-fetched as it did then. I wouldn't call him smart; nobody could have predicted such an injury to Bradford, but it does go to show how fragile and unpredictable a season can be. With Bradford out, losing to Miami has become a big possibility. If he returns against Texas as expected, they will still be underdogs, and if he doesn't, they will almost assuredly fall to the Longhorns. Finally, they must face Okie Lite in Norman, and while Bradford will be back by then, the Cowboys would love nothing more to smack him around if that offensive line doesn't improve significantly over the season. That's four potential losses already without even mentioning road games against Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.

When Bradford returns, it will be interesting to see how this injury affects him the rest of the year, both mentally and physically. He's a fantastic quarterback, but coming back 100% from such an injury will be tough. It may even be possible that his first game back will be against Texas, a horrible opponent to return against. Right now, frankly, it's not looking good for the Sooners.

When I previewed the offensive line, I noted the high stakes of their play, considering Bradford's limited mobility:

These are the stakes: Keep Bradford upright and a national championship is within reach. Fail in this regard and the Sooners' best result is probably a BCS at-large berth or possibly even worse if the defense does not improve as expected.

I thought their O-line play would only cost them losses against Texas and probably Oklahoma State. Now we're looking at a totally different season. Bradford is out a few weeks, Gresham is still a mystery, and the entire offense just went from scary to "I can't wait to smack around Landry Jones" status. This is an offense that was given four turnovers by their defense and still only mustered 13 points. The defensive front seven is strong but not overwhelming, and the secondary is weak. It is a shocking turn of events.

I by no means am saying that OU is now a weak team. They will still be a dangerous team come October, especially with Bradford's return. They are also not out of the national championship picture yet and they certainly can win the Big 12 again. However, they have a lot to prove to return to their elite status, and with their relatively tough schedule, they're going to have to improve very quickly if they don't want their season to spiral out of control. The Horns watched this game with glee and eager anticipation, because if they play like that against Texas, the Longhorns are going to roll them over. Apparently, the fact that we lost three D-line starters does not equal their O-line losses, and that should make Bradford pause as he ponders his decision to skip out on the NFL.

How's this for another 2005 to 2009 similarity? OU's best player gets injured the first game and they fall to an MWC team. That OU team went 8-4. It's up to the O-line to make sure they don't prove Andre Ware correct.

How Mistakes And Penalties Killed OU Against BYU

ccmachine — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:52:04 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

3 months ago: BYU players celebrate by performing a haka following their NCAA college football game against Oklahoma, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, in Arlington, Texas. BYU won 14-13. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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There's plenty of blame to pass around for Oklahoma's 14-13 loss to BYU on Saturday night in Arlington but at the end of the day I think that it could be summed up by lack of focus. This resulted in a plethora of mistakes and miscues that ultimately led to Oklahoma's demise. This in no way discredits the BYU Cougars who came out and basically took it to the Sooners on a national stage but we can't ignore the fact that OU did more to help the Cougar cause than their own. Here are some examples.

Oklahoma's Opening Drive Beginning At 14:53 Of The 1^st

Chris Brown's 3-yard run and Adron Tennell's 7-yard catch should have been enough for a first down but instead the Sooners turned a 1^st-10 into a 1^st-15 and a 3^rd-5 into a 3^rd-10 and then into a 3^rd-15. Despite gaining 10 yards of offense in this series Oklahoma lost 5 yards of field position. After starting at their own 25 they punted from their own 20 and BYU had nothing to do with that. Definitely not the way you want to start the season with a new offensive line.

Oklahoma's Second Possession Beginning At 8:34 Of The 1^st

Oklahoma committed two more penalties on this possession for a total of 25 penalty yards and even though the Sooners had to kick it away because of a 15-yard penalty they were able to take advantage of a muffed punt by BYU and score on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford to Ryan Broyles, overcoming a 10-yard holding penalty in the process. In two offensive series Oklahoma had committed five penalties for forty yards.

Oklahoma's Third Possession Beginning At 3:10 of the 1^st

Following a Ryan Reynolds interception Oklahoma set up shop at the BYU 30. With the momentum in OU's favor DeMarco Murray moves the ball to 16 in just two plays. If the Sooners punch it in here, or even settles for a field goal, there is no way BYU wins the game.

Oklahoma's Sixth Possession Beginning At 4:58 Of The 2^nd

With the aid of a BYU penalty the Sooners had moved the ball 45 yards in two plays after the second Cougar turnover. The BYU defense was back on its heels and Oklahoma nearly in scoring position OU committed their second turnover on the night. After recovering Ryan Broyles' fumble the Cougars scored 5 plays later tying the game 7-7.

Oklahoma's Seventh Possession Beginning At 1:20 Of The 2^nd

This possession would be Sam Bradford's last of the game and despite kicking a field goal to take a 10-7 lead they were still flagged for a 10-yard penalty. This means that out of OU's seven first quarter possessions they were either flagged or turned the ball over on five of them. On three of those five drives the mistakes killed the drive.

Oklahoma's Eighth Possession Beginning At 14:53 Of The 3^rd

Under normal circumstances a 13-yard pass play should be enough to merit a first down, but because Oklahoma started out with a 1^st and 24 due to a 15-penalty on first down Brandon Caleb's 13-yard reception wasn't near enough.

Oklahoma's Ninth Possession Beginning At 9:47 Of The 3^rd

Again the Sooners were flagged for holding on first down and despite 11 yards passing on the series it ended in another Sooner punt.

Oklahoma's 11 Possession Beginning At 0:30 Of The 3^rd

This was Oklahoma's most promising drive of the second half and where I personally thought the Sooners were going to put the game away. Starting at the BYU 27, following a Keenan Clayton interception, OU got as close as the BYU 2 where they had a first and goal. An incomplete pass on first down, a DeMarco Murray rush on second down and a quarterback sneak on third down put OU with a fourth and goal just inside the 1. Buckling under the pressure of the situation and desperately needing to punch it in the Sooners let the play-clock expire which moved them back five yards forcing a field goal attempt instead of going from it on fourth down. In my opinion this was the most critical mistake of the game because following the Kickoff BYU answered with an 18-play scoring drive to take the 14-13 lead.

Oklahoma committed 12 penalties (10 of them offensive) on the night for 93 yards. While much has been said (including from me) about the coaching staff shouldering the blame for not having the team prepared to play I think that it should also be said that with exception to the delay of game call the coaches weren't responsible for committing a single penalty or turnover. Ultimately the team has to take responsibility for their performance and hopefully use it as motivation. The last thing that they need, or we want to see, is another performance like this.

BYU Preview: Cougar Offense VS Sooner Defense

ccmachine — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:01:30 -0000

How Oklahoma’s defense fares against BYU’s offense is hinged largely on controlling the line of scrimmage and that’s a match up that I like very much to favor OU. I don’t think any Sooner fan should realistically expect to see the Cougars shutout but I do believe that Oklahoma should hold them to well under their 34 points per game average of a year ago. Quarterback Max Hall, running backs Manase Tonga and Harvey Unga are the strength of the BYU offensive attack and they’ll be attacking Oklahoma’s front seven which is the strength of the Sooner defense. It’ll make for some great football but the Cougars are going to need help from an outmatched offensive line and unproven receivers to have a shot at success.

Max Hall/TE/WR’s vs. OU Secondary

Max Hall is incredibly accurate with his throws. Last season he completed nearly 70% of his passes and despite a youth movement among his receivers he looks to continue with a hot hand in `09.

		QB Max Hall 6-1/201
WR McKay Jacobson 5-11/189			TE Dennis Pitta 6-5/247	WR O'Neill Chambers 6-2/210

CB Brian Jackson 6-1/200				CB Dominique Franks 6-0/192
	FS Quinton Carter 6-1/193		SS Sam Proctor 6-0/208

There isn’t much give and take when you compare the size of the BYU receivers to the Oklahoma cornerbacks. The biggest difference between the two is experience. Both Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson are returning starters who have shutdown ability in one-on-one coverage while questions about BYU’s inexperience at receiver will linger until we see what they do on the field.

The position that concerns me here is Cougar tight end Dennis Pitta. At 6-5/248 he could be described as a poor man’s Jermaine Gresham and he’ll most likely draw linebacker or safety coverage. Oklahoma’s safeties carry the inexperienced label themselves and while former safety, and current linebacker, Keenan Clayton may be able to run with him we just don’t know how the Sooners will deal with his size and speed which no doubt will be a tall task for Oklahoma’s secondary.

Even with the possible damage done by Pitta I still like Oklahoma’s secondary to win this battle based on talent and experience. For any team to beat Oklahoma through the air it will have to be more than a one man show and I think that at best that is what BYU is going to get going up against Oklahoma’s secondary.

Advantage: Oklahoma

BYU Running Backs vs. OU Linebackers

	RB Harvey Unga 6-0/237
	RB Manase Tonga 6-0/238
	QB

SLB Keenan Clayton 6-1/221	MLB Ryan Reynolds 6-2/225	WLB Travis Lewis 6-2/232

The hits here are going to be phenomenal. Tonga and Unga are both bruising backs who can hurt you in their own ways. Tonga thrives in short burst and will be called on in short yardage situations. He’s also likely to clear through the line and find a linebacker on the second level remove from the play. Meanwhile Unga will get most of the carries and while busting through the middle will more than likely be decided by the lines Unga can also bounce outside. He has deceptive speed and sure hands which can allow him to quickly turn a five yard swing pass into a thirty yard gain.

Oklahoma’s linebackers are going to have to shed blocks and be sure tacklers. Both outside linebackers have good speed and can make up ground in pursuit. Ryan Reynolds may not have blazing speed but has the sure tackling mastered. For that matter so do the guys on the outsides. Travis Lewis led the team in tackles in 2008 and Keenan Clayton was third.

The Cougars must run the ball effectively in order to accomplish what they want with their passing game. It will be up to Oklahoma’s linebackers to take away the run and then pin their ears back and come after Hall on third and long situations.

Advantage: Even

BYU O-Line vs. OU D-Line

T Matt Reynolds 6-6/329	G Marco Thorson 6-3/321	C R.J. Willing 6-5/308	G Terence Brown 6-3/340	T Nick Alletto 6-6/329

DE Jeremy Beal 6-2/261	DT Adrain Taylor 6-4/291		DT Gerald McCoy 6-4/297	DE Auston English 6-3/251

BYU’s offensive line averages 6-4/325 and Oklahoma’s defensive line averages 6-4/275. In a perfect world the Cougars would use that extra weight to wear down the Sooners by the third and fourth quarters. In the real world BYU is going to struggle with Oklahoma’s speed and the depth that the Sooners have at defensive line will allow for a consistent rotation of fresh bodies in every position along the line.

Advantage: OU

Intangibles

The battle of the line is huge and must not be overlooked. BYU is going to try to spread the field and Max Hall is a master at ball distribution. If Oklahoma can pressure the quarterback and make plays behind the line of scrimmage without blitzing then that gives them the upper hand.

Having the linebackers free to pursue and make tackles is huge as well and once again that is on the defensive line to make it happen. Oklahoma has a fast defense as it is and if the linebackers don’t have to shed blocks because the d-line isn’t letting anything through just makes them that much quicker.

The Ryan Reynolds Effect

dishingoutdimes — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:26:59 -0000

Ryan Reynolds, as usual, being a beast. Image via ou.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com.

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I'm sure we all know how good Ryan Reynolds can be when he's healthy. The problem for Reynolds has been staying healthy while at OU. In 2005, Reynolds played almost exclusively on special teams as a freshman. In 2006, he missed the season after suffering an offseason knee injury, and he received a medical redshirt. He was a little dinged up in 2007 with a neck injury, and last year he tore his ACL against Texas.

How good is Reynolds when healthy? Here's an excerpt from my spring football preview:

Reynolds has been injured often in his career, and was knocked out for the season in the Red River Rivalry last year. Despite only playing in six games he was an honorable mention All Big 12 by the AP. When he's healthy he's a great player. He had 10 tackles against TCU and 14 tackles against Baylor. In fact, against Baylor he received Brent Venables' first ever perfect linebacking grade.

Many people thought that Reynolds' injury was a turning point in the Red River Rivalry, and that his absence might have sent the Sooner defense into disarray. Texas fans obviously poo poo this suggestion, while Sooner fans think it made a big difference.

So how big of an impact does Reynolds have on the defense? Find out after the jump!

Ryan Reynolds

#4 / Linebacker / Oklahoma Sooners

Height: 6-2

Weight: 225

Year: senior

It turns out that Reynolds has a pretty big impact on the defense. You can take the subjective approach and listen to his teammates:

"He's still the same Ryan," weakside linebacker Travis Lewis said. "He's making the checks. He's in the right place. He's covering up for my mistakes... Like yesterday (at the scrimmage), I was supposed to be inside and I was outside, and he just covered up for me. He's the Ryan of old."

Or his coach:

"He's doing well, real well," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "He hasn't had any limitations. Finds the ball every snap, is always in great position. He had 25-plus plays (in OU's recent scrimmage) and had seven or eight tackles. That's about par for the course for him."

Or you can take a more objective approach. I decided to take a look at the numbers from last season, as that was really when the Sooners defense started to rely on Reynolds as a major contributer, and really when Reynolds began to come into his own.

Reynolds only played in 6 games, and one was cut short by the torn ACL. Over the first five games, he averaged 8.2 tackles per game. This means that Reynolds accounted for 13.1% of the OU tackles over that timeframe. That's pretty impressive when you consider that he only accounts for 9.1% of the starting defense (1 out of 11 players) and the proportion dwindles when you consider defensive line rotations and substitutions, especially in the early blowout games. Basically, Reynolds was statistically one of the most active tacklers on the team. Similarly, over the first five games, he accounted for 11.6% of the defense's tackles for a loss (5 of 43).

The impact of Reynolds becomes more apparent when you remove him from the equation:

In First 5 Games Excluding FCS Chattanooga (Reynolds Played): The defense allowed 311.3 yards per game and 4.35 yards per play. Without counting penalties, the defense allowed 16.3 first downs per game.
In Final 9 Games (Reynolds Injured): The defense allowed 429.7 yards per game and 5.93 yards per play. Without counting penalties, the defense allowed 20.3 first downs per game.

Essentially this means that without Ryan Reynolds on the field, the defense gve up about 4 more first downs per game, and about a yard and a half more per play.

However, this year Reynolds is back and healthy, and according to all reports he is looking great in practice. He's a smart player and a good athlete and he should help solidify the defense. Additionally, he'll have the help of the 4th leading tackler nationally, Travis Lewis, and returning starter Keenan Clayton. This all bodes well for a strong linebacking corps. Regardless of what happens with Mike Balogun, there are still quality players for depth.

If Reynolds can stay healthy, look for a defense with a little more teeth this year. Opponents last year scored about two more touchdowns with Reynolds out of the games (13.6 ppg more). The scoring defense averaged in at 16.8 ppg with Reynolds on the field. With more depth, experience, and talent this year on the defensive side of the ball, if the Sooners can avoid injuries, they may only give up a couple of touchdowns per game.

And I'm sure that would be a welcome change in Norman.

Torn ACL Will Sideline Linebacker Tom Wort For Entire `09 Season

ccmachine — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:53:59 -0000

Reports are coming out this morning that freshman linebacker Tom Wort has a torn ACL and will be out for the season. The good news for Wort is that he’s only a freshman and will be able to take his redshirt and then start over in the spring or possibly next fall.

For Oklahoma it means more shifting in a position that has suddenly become volatile. Thanks to a temporary restraining order Mike Balogun is still able to practice with the team but his future as a Sooner is still very uncertain right now. That means Austin Box will be back in the mix at middle linebacker after previously being moved over to backup Travis Lewis.

Other players to take an interest in are J.R. Bryant and Jaydan Bird. Bryant is a senior who could back up Keenan Clayton but has yet to insert himself as more than a special teams player. Bird is a freshman who was ranked as the nation’s 23^rd outside linebacker. While he hasn’t had the type of camp that Wort was having he has had his moments and could also become a suitable backup at the outside linebacker position. If either one of these guys, if not both, could be ready to step in on the outside linebacker positions it would help Box focus more on being the man in the middle if needed.

Football Season Quickly Approaching

dishingoutdimes — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:19:36 -0000

More photos » AP

4 months ago: In this photo taken in Norman, Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables is pictured during media day. Between 2000 and 2005, the Sooners were ranked among the top 13 defenses in the country every year. That slipped to 16th in 2006 and 26th in 2007 before last year's big drop-off to 68th. Now, players are talking about coming out with a new attitude, one that's mean, nasty and stingy. (AP Photo)

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Practice continues in Norman for the fast approaching football season. There has been a fair amount of information about these practices and the team, so I'll try and condense that in a short briefing here for you.

Stoops' Surprising Players (link)

Bob Stoops had high praise for Chris Brown, Frank Alexander, Auston English, Quinton Carter and Tom Wort, saying that all of these players are unheralded but have a big impact, or the potential to make a big impact. Apparently, Quinton Carter would have started last season had he not pulled a hamstring. And of Tom Wort, Stoops said:

"Tom Wort is going to be pretty special, if not this year, then awfully soon," Stoops said.

Wide Receiver Question Mark

It's hard to say who will be starting at wide receiver for the Sooners when they open up against BYU. It's pretty safe to say that Ryan Broyles has one of the spots locked up. The Sooners employ three wide receiver sets a lot, which leaves two more spots open. Junior college transfer Cameron Kenney has started with the first unit in both of the open practices in 11-on-11 drills. Apparently he has made quite a few plays. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a shot. The other front runners appear to be Adron Tennell and Mossis Madu, the latter of whom was converted from running back this summer.

The Center of the Problem

Center is obviously a position of concern with the top two people on the depth chart suffering injuries a couple of days into practice. The Sooners have been rotating a bunch of other people into the center position at practice in the meantime, in order to have "emergency plans". The list of emergency centers include Trent Williams, Stephen Good and even Brody Eldridge who has been commonly referred to as the "team's best blocker".

The good news is that it looks like the injured centers are on their way back. From the Oklahoman:

Habern, who has participated in some contact drills, has shown gradual improvement since sustaining the injury and doesn’t appear to be too far away from being cleared all the way for practice. When that happens, Patton said Eldridge will move back to tight end, where his blocking acumen is so valuable.

And from the Monday practice report from the Tulsa World:

Ben Habern, competing to replace Jon Cooper at center while battling a strained back, took part in a one-on-one blocking drill. He drove defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger several steps backward after one snap.

Defensive Depth Chart

Here is how the defensive depth chart is shaping up, according to Jake Trotter at the Oklahoman, who watched the open practices:

At the moment, the first-team defense looks like this:
DL: Jeremy Beal, Adrian Taylor, GK McCoy, Auston English
LB: Travis Lewis, Ryan Reynolds, Keenan Clayton
DB: Brian Jackson, Dom Franks, Sam Proctor, Quinton Carter

The second-team defense look like this
DL: RJ Washington, Casey Walker, Cordero Moore, Frank Alexander
LB: Daniel Franklin, Tom Wort, Austin Box
DB: Demontre Hurst, Marcus Trice, Emmanuel Jones, Lamar Harris

No real surprises on the first team. Daniel Franklin has edged out JR Bryant at linebacker, but no significant news on the second team either. The defense is projected to be improved from last year, and they have a ton of talent two-to-three deep on their depth chart.

Bradford Still Sharp

From all accounts, it seems like Sam Bradford has benefitted from another summer of conditioning, learning the system, and practicing. I haven't heard anything negative about Bradford, and most everything has been strongly positive.

BYU Injury Problems

The Sooners' first opponent - BYU Cougars - have had their share of injury problems. Starting QB, and one of the biggest stars on their football team, Max Hall dislocated his finger in a scrimmage on Monday. Max told reporters that his finger was fine, but it is still something to take note of.

Like the Sooners, BYU also only returns one starter on the offensive line. The only returning starter (LT Matt Reynolds) had to have surgery on his left hand and his status is questionable for the OU-BYU game. To top it off, BYU also lost the odds-on-favorite at their left guard spot for the season with a shoulder injury.

This means that BYU could be short handed on Max Hall's blindside for their season opener against OU.