SB Nation - Adron Tennell

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.

Husker Report Card: NU 10, Oklahoma 3

Husker Mike — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:08:45 -0000

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Prince Amukamara's interception return to the Oklahoma 2 yard line put the Huskers in control of the game. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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If you love old-fashioned defense, you had to love last night's Nebraska-Oklahoma game. Neither offense was able to get untracked, and it became a battle between defenses. One team tried to be the aggressor on offense, and the other one played a little bit of rope-a-dope. And in the end, it was the team that made fewer mistakes and forced more mistakes that won the game. Both teams are in the top 15 nationally in most defensive categories, so in that light, it's not surprising that we watched that battle unfold under the lights in Lincoln.

QB: Last night's game called for a game manager, not an inexperienced playmaker. Oklahoma sent out an inexperienced playmaker... who threw five picks. Facing a stout defense with your own stout defense, it came down to a battle of who made the least number of mistakes. Early on, I thought that would give Oklahoma an edge because Landry Jones had a little more experience than Cody Green. But after sensing that while Green hadn't made a mistake, he didn't give you the comfort level that wasn't going to happen. Enter Zac Lee, who threw the game winning touchdown pass. He did most everything that he was asked to do, which wasn't much. Could Green have made a game changing play? Absolutely. Could he have made a game changing mistake? Almost certanly, and once Nebraska got into position to win the game, that's a risk Bo Pelini and Shawn Watson couldn't take. Grade: C

IB: I offer Nebraska's biggest, if not only, offensive weapon: Roy Helu. Since Helu injured his shoulder late against Missouri four weeks ago, Nebraska's offense has sputtered. Helu finally felt comfortable and came up with a huge game. He also played smart, staying inbounds to keep the clock running rather than take a chance of going out of bounds and stopping the clock. My only criticism of Helu was an ineffective block that led to a sack of Lee. I still don't think his shoulder is 100%. Grade: A

WR: Nebraska went with double tight ends all night and typically only Niles Paul at receiver. Occasionally Brandon Kinnie or Khiry Cooper came in for fullback Tyler Legate, but the only receiver to catch a pass was Kinnie. The name of the game last night was blocking for the I-backs. Would have liked to see Nebraska try to stretch the field more to open up the running game, but I certainly understand why...and have no complaints about the results. Grade: C-

OL: The Sooners stacked the line and made it very difficult to get the line in flow. Some early penalties by the line didn't help Green in the early going. But every so often, the line created a seam up front to allow Helu to burst into the open. Grade: B-

DL: Ho hum...another Ndamukong Suh blocked field goal. I just don't see what the fuss is all about. Well, people who stare at the stat sheet might consider last night to be a ho-hum performance for the defensive line, but the those who watched the game know how disruptive the line was. Grade: A

LB: Since the Huskers lined up in dime coverage almost all night, this was all Phillip Dillard. And what a night: an interception, a 13 yard sack, and the unenviable task of trying to cover DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. Grade: A+

Secondary: Larry Asante may have had one of the biggest hits of the game, blasting Adron Tennell to force an incompletion and knocking Tennell to the sideline for much of the game. Ironically, it was Asante who would eventually leave the game with a concussion. Alfonzo Dennard is becoming a star in pass coverage. Then, we get to last night's heroes. Matt O'Hanlon goes out and exorcises the ghosts of a blown coverage at Virginia Tech. 12 tackles and THREE interceptions. And some people still doubt this kid? For shame. I think they're the same idiots that used to criticize Barrett Ruud and Scott Shanle. And then there's Prince Amukamara, who broke up two passes and had the crucial interception that set up Nebraska's touchdown. Nebraska's shut-down corner; you throw at him at your own risk. Grade: A+

Coaching: The defense was ready to play, but the Shawn Watson took the gamble to play ultra-conservative. The play of the Blackshirts made that the correct decision in the end, but it was a risky gamble since playing not to lose is typically not a winning strategy. But considering the Huskers offensive futility the last few weeks, it was the correct decision. Grade: A

Overall: A Oklahoma has lost four games this season: One point losses to a pretty good BYU team and ranked Miami. Three points to Texas. And now, seven points to the Huskers.

Elsewhere in College Football

Iowa: D The fantasy of Iowa being in the BCS mix finally came to an end. Sadly, it took an injury to Ricky Stanzi to burst that balloon.

Missouri: F Somebody send out the ski patrol; Missouri's defense got lost in the Flatirons around Boulder at halftime last week and haven't been seen since.

Notre Dame: F Here's a suggestion on priorities. Start winning games of national prominence, then worry about things like the BCS and Heisman. Then you don't look quite so silly when you fail.

Poll

Rate the Huskers performance against Oklahoma

A Absolutely outstanding! What a huge victory!

63 votes

B Good defense, but the offense is still a concern

176 votes

C About what you expected. Defense carries this team.

52 votes

D Thank goodness Oklahoma's offense is as bad as the Huskers.

18 votes

F Did you see that offense? Phew.

4 votes

313 votes | Poll has closed

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

Five Questions: Crimson and Cream Machine

TB — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:53:33 -0000

While Oklahoma is not having a typical Oklahoma season, they're still a formidable opponent, especially in Norman. Here today is ccmachine from the SB Nation blog Crimson and Cream Machine, to answer a few questions about the Sooners for us.

Oklahoma hasn't had a season like this since 2005. What's the mood among the faithful right now?

ccmachine: I think that most level headed OU fans are understanding towards the situation at OU right now. We quickly watched this team move from championship contender to a program that’s rebuilding and there’s some frustration that goes with injuries. The thing is though, you can’t blame injuries on coaching or poor play on the field. It is what it is and we have to deal with it.

In 2005 OU lost three of their first five games but then went on to win 6 of their last seven games with that lone loss being at Texas Tech in controversial fashion. The experience that those youngsters gained that season propelled the Sooners on to three consecutive Big 12 championships from 2006-09. Here’s to hoping that history repeats itself!

What did a win over a ranked team -- even if it was horribly overranked KU -- signify for this OU team?

ccmachine: The first thing it did was snap a four game losing streak to ranked teams. Then it gave Oklahoma a quality win on the road which in turn gave this team some much needed confidence. Landry Jones found a new target in Adron Tennell who had his best game (receptions wise) with 6 catches. Oklahoma’s defense also turned in another solid outing by shutting down what could be the most potent offense in the North proving that last week’s stellar performance against Texas wasn’t a fluke.

The understudy has been called upon to take the star's place in the Oklahoma! musical this year. Is Landry Jones the future at quarterback, or is he just a stopgap until either a recruit or a redshirt are ready to step in next year?

ccmachine: Oklahoma has another quarterback on campus in Drew Allen who actually pushed Jones in camp for the #2 spot. However, with Bradford on the shelf for the remainder of the season the coaches are going to keep the redshirt on Allen unless something catastrophic happens and the Sooners lose another quarterback. Highly touted quarterback Blake Bell from Wichita, KS will be on campus next year could make things very interesting but at this point I would say that the job is Landry’s to lose.

This is completely out of left field, but I'm going to ask it anyway, given that there was some unrest among Sooners fans after the 3-3 start. Bob Stoops is, from a championships perspective, far and away the most accomplished coach in the Big 12. Is there any way he leaves Norman other than of his own accord?

ccmachine: Bob Stoops will write his own ending in Norman. Only the most unrealistic fans would call for him to step down after what the team has experienced this year. It’s amazing how quickly some people forget 6 conference championships and a national title in 11 seasons. Seriously, who could they get to come and do a better job? Urban Meyer and Pete Carroll are pretty secure and would have no interest in coming to Norman. If you get rid of Stoops you’ve got to have someone better and those guys (you could literally name them on one hand) aren’t available.

What is a realistic goal for OU this season? What would you consider a success, given that winning a national title and (probably) winning the conference title are out of the picture?

ccmachine: I still think that OU has a shot at 10 wins when you include the bowl game. We’ve discussed on our site that this team is building to make a Big 12 title run next year but that doesn’t mean that this season is a wash. In light of not winning another Big 12 Championship I think that making it to one of the more prestigious of the non-BCS bowls (Cotton/Holiday) would be an acceptable measure of success.

Oklahoma 35/Kansas 13 – Post Game Reaction Thread

ccmachine — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:51:03 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

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The Sooners won their sixth consecutive game over Kansas in football by holding the Jayhawks to nearly 200 yards below their season average. Landry Jones completed 26 of his 38 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns. Unfortunately he'll be credited for an interception as well although we know that the blame for that belongs to Cameron Kenny who was benched once again.

Stats That Stand Out

Ryan Broyles                - 11 receptions, 121 yards.

Adron Tennell               - 6 receptions, 47 yards, 1 touchdown

Chris Brown                 - 22 carries, 78 yards, 2 touchdowns

Travis Lewis                 - 12 tackles, 1 tackles for loss

Auston English - 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss

Jonathan Nelson           - 9 tackles

Interesting Notes

It looks like Jimmy Stevens has been benched yielding to Tress Way.

Brody Eldridge started again on the offensive line. I think that he'll be there the rest of the season.

Tavaris Jerrries is suspended and didn't make the trip to Kansas.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma, today's win still has them on the outside looking in when it comes to the Big 12 Championship. The good news is that with fives games left in the season there is still time for something to happen. OU needs a lot of help still and playing the way they did today there isn't a game left that they can't win. Oklahoma State/Texas is a crucial game for us next week as one of them will be dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten in conference play and gives the Sooners the opportunity to at least move into a tie for second in the South.

Five Reasons For Concern Against The Baylor Bears

ccmachine — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:04:40 -0000

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We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief going into Saturday's game against the Baylor Bears because it isn't a big game and it isn't away from Norman. Like Oklahoma the Bears have suffered a devastating injury and are learning to adjust without a key element of their offense. Baylor has never beaten Oklahoma in Big 12 football and while that has to change sometime its not likely that it will be this year even though they enter this contest with a better record than the Sooners. I think that at the end of the day we'll wind up saying that it was just Baylor but it doesn't mean that there isn't cause for concern heading into this weekend's game. Here's five reasons to stay alert Saturday afternoon.

#5 - The Offensive Line Still Has Significant Issues: We learned Saturday night in Miami that the offensive line hasn't progressed the way that we hoped it had. Under pressure they are prone to forget the snap count, miss a block or commit a hold. The Bears aren't likely to provide the type of pressure to cause a 4^th and 40 type meltdown but their attack will be somewhere between what we last week in Miami and Tulsa the week before. Without getting pressed into pressure situations the o-line will show enough improvement to provide that dreaded false sense of security and we all know who next week's opponent is.

#4 - The Sam Bradford Watch Is Growing Tiring: The decision on whether or not Bradford will play has been delayed until sometime today but my concern isn't in the delay of an announcement but the delay in #14 getting back on the field. He's been cleared by doctors and reports are that coaches say he's throwing like the Bradford of old. All indications are that this is Bradford's decision and Bob Stoops isn't saying much about it anymore. On Monday he let Sam have his own press conference to speak for himself and Thursday's announcement about Friday's announcement came from Kenny Mossman and the media relations department. With each passing week that Bradford doesn't play you have to wonder at what point you just cut your losses and make this Landry's team.

#3 - Sooner Psyche May Be Blown: How long has it been since the Sooners were out of the BCS championship race before conference play even started? Better yet, how long has it been since Baylor had the better record going into a football game against Oklahoma? We need to see a Sooner team that comes out of the locker room hungry and with a chip on their shoulders but we could wind up getting a team that's lethargic and just goes through the motions.

#2 - Oklahoma Can't Afford Any More Injuries: You have to wonder at what point the curse of the injury bug is finally going to let up and give Oklahoma a break. I have no idea what the worst case scenario is for Bob Stoops and his offensive coaches but I would think that Landry Jones under center, Brody Eldridge as the #1 tight end option and Brandon Caleb as the leading active receiver is pretty close. The Sooners are pushing the limits of how many players can be injured and still have an effective offense.

#1 - We're Back To Unproven At The Wide Receiver Position: Yes, I do know that Brandon Caleb is working his way through a fairly solid season but his success has come along with the success of Ryan Broyles. Now with Broyles out the opposing defenses don't have to focus their attention on stopping him and can focus now on Caleb. Can Caleb handle being the #1 option? Who becomes #2 now? To help this situation, look for the Sooners to do a few things. First, look for DeMarco Murray to spend some time in the slot. That would force the defense to give same type of attention to that position as they did when Broyles was playing there, as long as he's able to catch the ball and make a play. Second, look for Adron Tennell to get another chance to stretch the field. This really is a move of necessity more than anything else and once again will only work if he's able to catch the ball. Third, look for Cameron Kenny's role to increase. He's steadily seen more snaps and has made more plays over the last three games and with Broyles out the need for him to contribute has never been greater.

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.

Oklahoma’s Offensive Keys To Success Against Tulsa

ccmachine — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:08:47 -0000

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Oklahoma got back on track offensively last week against Idaho State but let's be honest, had they not heads would have rolled. Beating the Bengals soundly wasn't something that you want to pound your chest over and it certainly didn't do anything to remove the pessimistic attitude that many fans have towards the OU offense. That could change this afternoon if the Sooners can rack up yards and points against a Golden Hurricane defense that's only allowing 11 points per game to this point. For that to happen OU must do the following.

Be Mentally And Physically Sound On The Offensive Line

While we're not quite sure who we'll see as starters along the line one thing that we do know is that there are several positions on the line that are not secure yet. Oklahoma is reaching the point of the season where they need to have the line secured and you almost get the feeling that today's game will go a long way in making that happen.

Physically the Sooners are sound on the line. They are big, fast and have good foot work. They really haven't been out muscled this season but they have had some of the biggest mental lapses we've seen since Stocker McDougal played for John Blake. That has to stop because Oklahoma's offensive success depends on it. They must know the snap count and their blitz assignments.

Run The Football

That may sound a bit trivial but Tulsa is only allowing their opponents to run for 47 yards per game. We've heard a lot this last week about how DeMarco Murray is as healthy as he's been since coming to OU. Let's see that on the field against a real opponent. The Murray/Chris Brown combo has to shatter the century mark today to take pressure off Landry Jones and get the play-action passing game working.

Find A Number Two Receiver

Brody Eldridge, Adron Tennell, Brandon Caleb, Cameron Kenny, Jaz Reynolds or someone has to emerge today. Oklahoma's need for a receiver to complement Ryan Broyles is every bit as big as the need for the offensive line to gel. Whether it comes from the tight end position or from one of the flankers it has to come. Anything after that is just a bonus.

The other thing here is that Landry Jones has to use his options. Last week against Idaho State Jones had tunnel vision and locked in on his first option without going through his progressions. It cost him one interception and truthfully should have cost him more. Against the defenses that Oklahoma will face from here on out, including today, Jones won't be able to get away with telegraphing his passes.

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.