SoonerScoop.com - Sooners survive Wildcats 42-30

October 31, 2009

Carey Murdock
SoonerScoop.com Editor

POSTGAME THOUGHTS

I know some fans will wonder what in the heck happened with the defense. I would implore those fans to look at this game from this perspective...

What happened tonight for Oklahoma was exactly what they needed. Just stick with me for a minute.

This was a program ready to eat itself from the inside when it looked like the defense was going to scratch and claw its way to victory each and ever week.

I said it a few times myself, that eventually, if the offense wasn't going to hold up their end of the bargain, turmoil would surface in the locker room...

Well guess what? OU's offense bailed out the defense and also bailed out the special teams unit as well.

That provides a major lift for a program in need of a lift down the stretch of a season that has been filled with disappointment.

The offense now has a quarterback, they have receivers, they've shown the ability to answer when put in a tough situation.

Wins and losses are no longer resting on the shoulders of the defense.

The offense has a quarterback they can now depend on who isn't named Sam Bradford.

Sure, everyone would tell you they believed in Landry. But players are human. They didn't believe in Landry the way they believed in Bradford.

They didn't believe that Jones could lead them out of the jaws of defeat.

Now they know he gives them a chance. They didn't learn that against BYU and they didn't learn that against Texas.

They did learn that against Kansas State on Saturday night.

THE FOLLOWING WAS CAREY MURDOCK'S IN-GAME ANALYSIS DURING OU-KSU

Oklahoma takes on Kansas State in their second Big 12 Conference home game. The Sooners enter the game as a 28-point favorite. SoonerScoop.com's Carey Murdock is high atop Memorial Stadium providing his analysis of the action as it unfolds.

* Getting a late start on the in-game analysis. But with less than 8 minutes before kickoff, the south endzone is missing quite a few fans in the upper corners. The east side upper deck is also only about half full.

I saw as many people outside the stadium selling tickets as I have in years.

I'm sure Halloween has a lot to do with this, but when did Halloween become bigger than OU football?

* This has to be the smallest contingent of K-State fans I've ever seen in Norman as well. The Wildcats have historically been good travelers to Norman. There is some purple in the stadium, but not as much as in years past.

* Landry Jones just got a huge cheer when the starting lineups were announced.

* Sooners get the ball at teh 40-yard line after K-State kicks off out of bounds. Sooners go with Miller, Tennell, Caleb and Broyles at receiver but Caleb leaves the field after the first play with an injury and James Hanna replaces him and makes a big catch.

Easy score for OU as Sooners need just four plays to score their first touchdown.

*Sooners actually came out running the ball on their first drive as Chris Brown ran for seven yards out of the shotgun.

OU employed a four-wide spread formation on every play of their first drive.

*OU comes out on defense without Keenan Clayton. Austin Box is playing the middle linebacker spot and Reynolds was playing the strongside spot in OU's standard 4-3 alignment.

OU completely smothers K-State on their first drive as McCoy and Beal meet at the quarterback for a 9-yard loss on 3rd-and-6.

*Murray gets his first carry of the game and runs for a 12-yard gain.

* Dejuan Miller's first catch of the day results in a 23-yard touchdown pass. The Sooners are looking like their old selves on offense as they are coming up with big play after big play.

Miller caught the pass and worked away from the defender and then sprinted into the endzone.

Miller's first touchdown of his OU career.

*Tress Way is handling the placekicking duties once again today.

*Clayton just came into the game. It's obvious what OU is doing on defense now. They are playing Box and Reynolds as starting linebackers in their standard 4-3 alignment because both of those guys are better against the run.

Kansas State has a very good running game cmoing in and OU is loading up to stop the run with Box and Reynolds.

Clayton will come on the field in obvious passing situations to play middle linebacker. OU has come up with a pretty elaborate scheme for this game.

*So far the OU offense looks as good as they have all season. They are running the ball out of the spread using the pistol formation (didn't everyone say they hated that in the Texas game?)

The defense has actually given up a couple of first downs but Kansas keeps going backwards. They have just 19 yards of total offense through the first quarter.

*KState just put together what was probably the most impressive drive against the OU defense all season. Maybe the only ones you could compare was the final drive by BYU and the one from Texas coming out of halftime of the RRR.

OU steps up as Adrian Taylor blocks the extra point and the Sooners lead 21-6.

*OU's offense started out really hot but they need to get it back going again. Otherwise, this game could tighten up really quick.

*OU offense answers just as they needed to. Sooners run the ball right down K-State's throat as Chris Brown sprints for 44 yards down to the five-yard line. Murray finishes off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown.

Sooners now up 28-6.

* K-State puts together another drive by just stringing together enough key plays to keep things going. The OU defense finals stiffens and holds K-State to a field goal.

*OU just ran a shovel pass. Wow! K-State sniffs it out for a loss of three though.

HALFTIME THOUGHTS

*Demarco Murray has looked good in the time he has played tonight at running back. I think his ankle has limited his play at the receiver position, but Murray continues to impress as a very physical, tough runner.

He should be in great shape for next week's trip to Nebraska.

* Oklahoma has been solid offensively putting up 250 yards of total offense. Landry Jones has been solid and I like that OU has allowed him to take some big shots down the field.

Adron Tennell has been good tonight even though he doesn't have great numbers. He consistently finds a way to get behind the defense. Eventually Jones and the OU offense is going to find a way to take advantage of that.

OU's defense has given up some yards and first downs in the second quarter, but they've been solid for the most part.

The play of Box tonight is another interesting wrinkle in this defense.

OU's secondary has had some trouble containing KSU's Banks, but the Wildcats have done some nice things with Thomas in the wildcat formation as well.

*K-State scores again on 4th-and-inches. The OU defense is starting to break down. Keenan Clayton received a questionable roughing the passer penalty.

This just in, K-State adds insult to injury by using the Florida jump pass to convert the two-point conversion.

OU now up just 28-17.

The Sooners are going to find themselves in a dogfight if the defense doesn't recover.

K-State is getting open receivers streaking deep down the field and the Sooners are shooting themselves in the foot with penalties.

If Jones and the offense don't keep it going, things could get interesting.

*Just an update to the atmosphere in the stadium. The corners of the endzones never filled up and the student section is half empty. This isn't exactly a crowd built to intimidate tonight.

*Buckle your seatbelt folks. Sooner offense goes three-and-out after the KSU score. And then Daniel Thomas hists Brandon Banks for a 41-yard gain.

The tables have completely turned here in the third quarter.

*K-State scores again ladies and gentlemen. OU only up 28-23. OU manages to block their second extra point of the game.

But that doesn't make things that much better.

*Here's a bad stat for you. With 4:35 remaining in the third quarter, Kansas State has outgained Oklahoma in offensive yardage 143-5 since halftime.

*Sooners start moving down the field and Tennell helps the Sooners pick up a 1st-and-20 after a Stephen Good hold. Jones completes passes to Broyles, then Tennell. But Tennell goes down and could be a shoulder injury. It's possible it could be a wrist injury.

*Tennell's injury appears to be a left shoulder.

*Sooners convert another 1st-and-20 throwing a touchdown pass to Broyles. But hold up. OU is called for holding and Broyles is called for unsportsmanlike for holding up the ball as he crossed the goal line.

Now the Sooners are 1st-and-45!!!

One of the most bizarre things I've ever seen...

*Okay, the second most bizarre thing I've seen tonight. OU picks up a 1st-and-45 on a brilliant catch and run by Ryan Broyles.

*My obvious armchair coach statement of the night. You can not throw the ball to Ryan Broyles enough. He was non-existent in the second and third quarters. But here in the fourth, he's been a total game changer on offense.

*Always be using playmakers. I guess that should be the motto of this offense after watching these guys struggle in the third quarter. First it was Ryan Broyles, then they went to Demarco Murray to put together a 15-play drive to up their lead to 35-23.

Sooners need one more offensive score and a defensive stop to seal this thing shut.

*Did I mention that I locked Kansas State to cover the 28-point spread this week?

I'm sold on Kansas State as the best team in the North Division after tonight.

*THE SOONERS ARE JUST BEGGING TO BE UPSET TONIGHT!!!

Brandon Banks returns the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. It is now OU 35 KSU 30.

*The OU passing game is clicking on all cylinders but the offensive line is determined to derail their progress. OU goes right back down the field but Cory Brandon is called for a chop block to make it 2nd-and-16.

*On a separate note, Dejuan Miller is becoming a star tonight and Tennell is breaking out once again. He's back on the field after injuring his left shoulder earlier and just made a huge catch.

* How much has the momentum swung in OU's direction in the fourth quarter? OU has outgained Kansas State 147-0 in the fourth quarter with 6:27 to go.

Of course that stat is misleading considering K-State used up one of their offensive possessions by running a kickoff back for a touchdown.

The Sooners nows lead 42-30 over Kansas State.

The offense looks as good as we've seen it all year tonight and the playmakers are starring like never before at wide receiver.

But, the defense has to go back to the drawing board. I don't know if Brent Venables over-tweaked this defense or not. You can certainly make that claim the way things have played out tonight.

*OU up 42-30. Gotta head down to the field for post game locker room. I'll be back with postgame thoughts...

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