Cotton Bowl: Instant Analysis
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Carey Murdock, RJ Young and Eddie Radosevich are inside Cowboys Stadium where the Sooners are set to take on A&M in the 2013 Cotton Bowl. Here's our instant analysis.
* Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers just sang the national anthem. My mom drove me to a Sheplers in Houston or Galveston or somewhere when I was a kid to get their autographs. I learned later in life that Larry Gatlin was probably all hopped up on cocaine when he was signing those autographs.
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* On another note, Larry Gatlin now looks like Kenny Rogers should look.
* I'll be watching to see how Adam Shead looks when the Sooners come out. A&M just now taking the field.
* Shead is over there sitting on the bench while the rest of his team is standing up.
* A&M wins the toss and wants the football to start the game.
* We are going to find out how OU will defend Manziel before we find out if OU is healthy on defense.
A&M STARTS AT THEIR OWN 25-YARD LINE AFTER A TOUCHBACK ON THE OPENING KICKOFF
* Looks like Corey Nelson is spying Manziel tonight.
* Geneo Grisson gets the start at DE and makes a tackle on a run play on 2nd-and-5.
* OU does a great job in coverage but Manziel pulls it down after what seemed like a lifetime of protection. Gain of 24 yards to the OU 45-yard line.
* Sooners miss a couple of tackles on Manziel so far and now the run game is opening up for A&M on this first drive. Down to the OU 24-yard line.
* OU calls a timeout with 13:23 remaining in the first half. OU has played a lot of linebacker combinations with Nelson at middle linebacker, Wort there and Shannon there. Tony Jefferson seems to be playing the spy role now that we've seen a bit more defense.
OU definitely getting their linebackers involved out there though.
* OU DTs just getting no penetration at all. King and Walker in there now. That is until a blitzing Frank Shannon and Casey Walker pick up a three yard loss. 3rd-and-9 from OU 23.
* Manziel takes it 23 yards for a touchdown. Just rolls out and scrambles to the left and no one is there. OU defenders had just cleared out of the area.
* OU is actually doing a very nice job of covering OU's receivers.
* Manziel is going Tebow on the sideline right now.
OU 0 TAMU 7
* That was an 8-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took 2:39.
* Manziel rushes three times for 52 yards in that first drive.
OKLAHOMA TAKES OVER AT THEIR OWN 25-YARD LINE AFTER A TOUCHBACK
* Shootout here we come?
* Landry comes out throwing. OU going no-huddle up-tempo.
* Trey Millard goes hurdle and picks up a first down on an 11-yard run.
* Damien Williams gets his first carry of the game for 1-yard.
* Sooners pick up another first down. Pass to Millard. Sooners down to the A&M 41-yard line.
* Kenny Stills' first catch goes for six yards and nets OU a first down at the A&M 31-yard line.
* OU much more methodical on their first possession. It's hurry up, but fewer big plays.
* Saunders with a great block on the outside. Kenny Stills takes a short pass and cuts it back to the five-yard line. Great job by Saunders.
* Belldozer on 2nd-and-Goal from the 1.
* Belldozer stuffed. A&M calls timeout on 3rd-and-Goal from the 1.
* Josh Heupel gets fancy on 3rd-and-Goal from 1 and tries play pass, incomplete.
* Sooners go for it on 4th-and-Goal but called for false start. Hunnicutt on for a field goal.
* You can officially second guess the use of the Belldozer.
23-YARD FIELD GOAL FROM MICHAEL HUNNICUTT IS GOOD
* OU goes 16 plays, 69 yards and takes up 5:43 to score 3 points.
OKLAHOMA 3 TEXAS A&M 7
* Sooners now need to find some answers to Johnny Heisman.
* OU was lucky to get false start. Bell was going to be stuffed on 4th-and-Goal.
TEXAS A&M TAKES OVER AT OWN 25-YARD LINE AFTER TOUCHBACK
* Frank Shannon comes out at middle linebacker this series.
* Johnny Football overthrows a wide open Swope
* Sooners get A&M in 3rd-and-4. Dangerous territory again it seems.
* Pass complete to the A&M 47-yard line.
* Can't tell if OU is trying to rush from the DT position. They really just seem to be holding their ground.
* A&M offense is all about big plays so far. They were already in OU territory before a false start penalty pushing them back to their own 49-yard line.
OU TAKES OVER AT 6-YARD LINE AFTER PUNT
* Sorry lost wi-fi and lost some analysis.
* OU back at driving the ball methodically down the field. They've moved it from the six to their 44-yard line. 2nd-and-8.
* Pass to Durron Neal over the middle. Nice play. Neal tripped himself up or it could have gone for more. Gets OU into A&M territory at their 43-yard line.
END OF THE FIRST QUARTER WITH OU DRIVING OUT FROM THEIR 6-YARD LINE. OU 3 A&M 7
* Justin Brown puts his first stamp on the game. Gets hit on screen but bulls over defender for 7 yards.
* The Belldozer comes through on 3rd-and-1. Bell runs for 11 yards.
* OU now to the 15-yard line. 3rd-and-2.
* Jones to Stills for 7 yards. 1st-and-Goal from the 8-yard line.
* 3rd-and-Goal from the 7 for OU. Pass incomplete. Sooners will settle for another field goal. Looks like it will be a 24-yard attempt.
* Kick is good.
* OU racking up the yards but settles for two field goals so far.
OU 6 TEXAS A&M 7
* 18 play, 87-yard drive, 7:26
* Landry Jones is 14-of-18 for 99 yards with 11:41 remaining before halftime.
TEXAS A&M TAKES OVER AT THEIR OWN 14-YARD LINE
* A&M back to work with short passes and Manziel scrambles.
* Manziel takes off on a designed run and goes for 35 yards to the OU 10-yard line.
* 3rd-and-Goal from the 5-yard line. OU trying their turn at holding A&M out of the endzone.
* A&M calls a timeout.
* Manziel has been the A&M offense tonight. He's got 5 carries for 104 yards. They have 191 total yards.
* Javon Harris picks off Manziel in the endzone on 3rd-and-Goal. He was pressured by Gabe Lynn. Jefferson tipped it right into Malcolme Kennedy's hands. It went off Kennedy's hands right to Javon Harris.
OU TAKES OVER AT 20-YARD LINE AFTER INTERCEPTION
* 9:09 remaining in first half.
* Landry Jones getting a lot of receivers involved tonight. No huge plays from OU offense so far though.
* OU gets a pass interference call on Steven Terrell. OU now at their own 46-yard line.
* Damien Williams looks like a running back that is starting to get loose a little bit. He seems to be getting hot. Two straight runs for a first down.
* That pass interference penalty was the first time all night Landry Jones really tried to throw the ball down the field. He had one-on-one coverage as well.
* Brennan Clay dropped for a four-yard loss. Really the first real negative for OU all night on offense. 2nd-and-14.
* Landry throws an interception trying to force the ball to Sterling Shepard. Dustin Harris picks it off and returns it to the OU 48-yard line.
A&M TAKES OVER AT THEIR OWN 48-YARD LINE
* Reverse pass from Texas A&M. 20-yard gain.
* Melena carries for 23 yards.
* 1st-and-Goal from the 5-yard line.
* Manziel just runs a simple bootleg for a 5-yard TD.
* A&M needed just 3 plays to cover the 48 yards and only :43 seconds.
OKLAHOMA 6 TEXAS A&M 14
* For some reason Tony Jefferson just backed up on that rollout by Manziel and just let him have a clear path into the endzone. I have no idea what he was doing on that play. Just really poor defense.
* You can say Tony Jefferson is having another rough night right now.
* Adam Shead is out of the game. Ty Darlington is in the game at center and Gabe Ikard is now playing left guard.
* 3rd-and-2. Stills out of the game after his helmet came off. Belldozer is in.
* OU has to call a timeout, their final timeout of the half.
* Holy hades. Jalen Saunders with a brilliant catch that was tipped to him. First down OU.
* 3rd-and-9 for OU from the A&M 37.
* Screen to Clay for the first down. OU now 6-of-8 on 3rd downs tonight.
* Sterling Shepard has made some nice runs after the catch tonight. He's get 15 yards and sets up the Sooners 1st-and-Goal from the 8-yard line.
* Kenny Stills drops a TD pass from Jones.
* Stills to Justin Brown for a 6-yard TD. OU had to have that drive.
* Another case of Landry Jones coming back after throwing an interception.
OKLAHOMA 13 TEXAS A&M 14
* Scoring drive was 13 plays, 83 yards, 4:52.
* Landry Jones now 23-30 for 175 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD.
TEXAS A&M TAKES OVER WITH 1:08 REMAINING IN THE HALF AT THEIR OWN 11
* A&M penalized on kickoff.
* Manziel throws a dangerous pass from his own endzone.
* Manziel keeps on 3rd-and-1. But A&M called for illegal formation. 3rd-and-6 from their own 15 yard line with :50 remaining.
* A&M looks like they are just going to let the clock run out here. They're trying, but no shots down field.
* A&M fans are a complaining bunch. I kind of forgot about that part of things.
* Saunders for some reason fair catches the punt when he could have had a return.
END OF THE FIRST HALF. OKLAHOMA 13 TEXAS A&M 14
* First impressions of first half is that Manziel is great on the run but really doesn't look to throw the ball down the field too often. He's totally comfortable with short passes and not putting the ball into difficult positions down the field.
HALFTIME STATS
* Total offense: OU 249 A&M 258
* Landry Jones 23-30 for 175 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD
* Johnny Manziel 9-17 for 75 yards, 1 INT, 0 TD
Rushing:
* Damien Williams 10 carries for 34 yards.
* Johnny Manziel 7 carries for 113 yards 2 TD
Receiving:
* Kenny Stills 6 catches for 52 yards
* Jalen Saunders 6 catches for 39 yards
* Justin Brown 4 catches for 24 yards
Leading Tacklers:
Aaron Colvin 5
Javon Harris 5
START OF THE SECOND HALF. OU TAKES OVER AT THE 25-YARD LINE
* See if the Sooners can put together a drive to take the lead to start the second half.
* Sooners lose two on 2nd-and-2 on Damien Williams run. Running game getting stuffed a bit more. 3rd-and-4 and Sooners go three-and-out to start the second half.
* Not a good start at all. Sooners pick up only two yards on 3rd-and-2 and will have to punt. Way gets off a great punt that is downed at the A&M 9-yard line.
A&M TAKES OVER AFTER THE 58-YARD PUNT
* Manziel hits his first big pass to Nwachuku for 35 yards. First big pass play of the game for A&M.
* That three-and-out is gonna haunt this offense. Manziel hits Swope on a perfect pass. 19-yard gain.
* Manziel keeps down to the 5-yard line. OU defense has been absolutely dreadful at times in this game just giving up huge chunks of yardage.
* Block in the back on Nwachuku. 1st-and-Goal from 15.
* Manziel runs for 8 to the 7-yard line on his own. Making OU players look bad. Especially Tom Wort.
* Option pitch for a TD. OU has A&M 1st-and-Goal from 15 and they get it in two plays later.
TEXAS A&M 21 OKLAHOMA 13
* A&M scoring drive is 7 plays, 91 yards, 2:51.
* A&M scoring drives tonight. 8 plays 75 yards, 3 plays 48 yards, 7 plays 91 yards.
* OU scoring drives tonight. 16 plays 69 yards, 18 plays 87 yards, 13 plays 83 yards.
OKLAHOMA TAKES OVER AT THE 25-YARD LINE DOWN 21-13
Two straight three-and-outs for the OU offense. This could get ugly very quickly.
* If Manziel goes on another single digit scoring drive here, I might just fill out my MVP ballot.
TEXAS A&M TAKES OVER AT THE 11-YARD LINE UP 21-13
* Javon Harris with a great tackle on a short pass to make it 2nd-and-11.
* Manziel has all day to throw and completes. Manziel rolls out and completes. This is looking like another quick scoring drive.
* 31-yard touchdown run by running back Trey Williams.
TEXAS A&M 27 OU 13
* A&M misses the extra point.
* Oklahoma needs to score here or this thing could get really ugly by the time its over.
OU TAKES OVER AT THE 22 YARD LINE
OU in 3rd-and-9 already.
* Justin Brown steps out of bounds before catching ball. OU starts second half with three consecutive three-and-outs. A&M starts second half with two consecutive touchdowns and will be going for a third.
A&m TAKES OVER AT THEIR OWN 29 YARDS LINE
* A&M already across midfield in two plays. At the OU 38-yard line.
* Javon Harris saves a touchdown.
* A&M going for it on 4th-and-5 from OU's 33-yard line. OU calls a timeout
* 169 rushing yards sets the Cotton Bowl record for rushing yards for a QB. Breaks record from 1971 (164 yards).
* A&M goes for it on 4th-and-5 and winds up with a 33-yard touchdown to Ryan Swope.
TEXAS A&M 34 OKLAHOMA 13
* There are the SEC chants.
OU TAKES OVER AT 25-YARD LINE
* It's a first down. OU out to the 50-yard line.
* After 20 points and 321 yards by Texas A&M, the Sooners picked up a 1st down in the second half.
* Desperation time for OU as they are going for it on 4th-and-13 at the A&M 39-yard line.
* Illegal snap called on Darlington. Now OU will punt.
TEXAS A&M TAKES OVER AT THEIR OWN 12-YARD LINE
SOMETHING, SOMETHING, SOMETHING...
* RJ and I getting our postgame gameplan together because we know you're dying to read about this second half disaster.
* I'm heading down to the field for the final few minutes to get interviews. OU in 1st-and-forever with 7:53 remaining. We'll be back with the harsh realities in a bit.