Ready for America?

September 26th, 2006

by Justin Waganer
Senior Sports Writer

Nobody in or around Norman believes that all of the questions from the first three games of the 2006 campaigns were answered in the Sooners 59-0 thrashing of Middle Tennessee, but it was most definitely a step in the right direction. For the first time since Jason White graced Owen Field, Oklahoma looked like a team that could regain the swagger of the early Bob Stoops years thanks to an opportunistic defense, efficient offense, and reliable special teams unit. Are they ready for the eyes of Texas in front of the eyes of the nation?

ABC has announced a national audience will take in the 101st installment of the Red River Shootout between OU-Texas, a game with much more intrigue than last year’s inevitable beating. There is plenty of time to discuss all of that; this is time to discuss what you can be excited about in a 59-0 win over the Blue Raiders.

—-The offense is no longer the unit that just needs to move the ball consistently; it is becoming a unit that could be feared alone. Playmakers like Malcolm Kelly and Juaquin Iglesias have stepped forward to allow Paul Thompson to show off his skills. Kelly’s emergence as a potential superstar just means more glory down the road for AD … how many D-Coordinators do you think want to go man-to-man with that guy?

—-The defense has finally started to force turnovers, another stat that has been non-existent since the back-to-back national title game squads. The nine turnovers forced the last two weeks have been just that, forced. Defensive backs and linebackers have been stepping in front of balls to make plays while others have simply ripped the ball away. This trend must continue for an otherwise shaky unit to gain confidence.

—-Defensive backs have slowly, but surely, started to emerge every week, starting with Reggie Smith from week one. Slowly, Marcus Walker and Nic Harris have begun to show the ability to make plays and be reliable, while DJ Wolfe showed a few signs of returning to 2005 form on Saturday night. Sooner fans should hope for more in the bye week before Texas.

—-Zach Latimer and Rufus Alexander finally have started to show up on every other play, a staple of linebackers in the Stoops Era. OU fans hope to hear those names over the loudspeaker just as often as Adrian Peterson and Paul Thompson, the more you hear them the better things are going.

—-The special teams are truly special again. Garrett Hartley is one sickening block away from a perfect record during an impressive start to the 2006 season while Reggie Smith has proven to be the type of showstopper that Oklahoma seems to have every time that they make a run at a title.

The Sooners are by no means out of the darkness, but teams rarely solve everything in one week, a strong showing in Dallas could send this team to heights expected before the Bomar Fiasco unfolded.

Entry Filed under: Oklahoma Sports