Here Come the Sooners

November 1st, 2005

By Justin Waganer
Senior Sports Writer

In a season of firsts for Bob Stoops he finally got to enjoy one on Saturday. Oklahoma had not won in Lincoln since 1987 and there is not a soul before this season who believed that streak would come to an end the weak after the Sooners needed double overtime to beat Baylor…in Norman. Stoops, who lost in September for the first time in his Sooner career and lost a season opener for the first time since his days with Bill Snyder in Manhattan, won in Lincoln for the first time as a head coach. Though as much wasn’t on the line, it was almost as good a game as the one he lost there in 2001.

With some clutch throws by Rhett Bomar, some tremendous pressure from the defensive front, and the return of the best running back in college football OU dropped the Huskers 31-24. Comparisons to that 2001 team would be unfair to either side, but this team can experience the same type of finish as that team if they take care of business the rest of the way. If Oklahoma can beat Texas A&M and Oklahoma State at home then their game with Texas Tech in Lubbock on November 19th will likely be for the right to go to the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd. It’s not for the National Championship, but for this team it’s as good as the Sugar or Orange Bowl.

I hate to say I told you so, but I did. There were signs of life in the second half in Kansas City and many things to hang your hope on against Baylor. Though neither was put away until late the Sooner offense showed moxie without their best rusher in Adrian Peterson or their top receiver in Travis Wilson. Oklahoma found offense in those games with Jacob Gutierrez, J.D. Runnels, and superstar in the making Malcolm Kelly. Now, Peterson and Wilson are back with these emerging stars putting together the beginnings of a potent offense, oh, and they’ve put together a pretty salty defense too.

As of this weekend Oklahoma has taken over the #1 spot in the country in rushing defense giving up just over 69 yards rushing per game. That average was aided by nine sacks against Nebraska, the Huskers managed just 16 yards on the ground for the game. OU is now #15 in the country in total defense and have game breakers all over the front seven, not to mention a few up-and-comers in the secondary. This defense has seen its toughest tests this year in UCLA and Texas, but now are clicking in a time when they can dominate.

The defense is becoming more consistent, but they have definitely had their moments all season. The story right now is the emergence of an offense that is littered with young playmakers. Malcolm Kelly has made two incredible catches that didn’t count the last two weeks, but has made 15 catches for 192 yards in the last nine quarters dating back to the fourth quarter against Kansas. J.D. Runnels is a senior, but he has been a bigger offensive weapon the last two weeks than at any point in his Sooner career. Joe Jon Finley is becoming the first threat at tight end for OU since Trent Smith.

However, this offense revolves around one man, Adrian Peterson. Without AD, Rhett Bomar was beginning to develop a bit of a game at quarterback. With AD, Bomar is a tremendous threat to run or play fake and find one of the aforementioned threats. This is not a world-beating team just yet, but improvement continues in Norman. A month and a half ago the Sooners had to rely on Adrian Peterson, and only Adrian Peterson, in the second half at home to put away the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Last weekend, Oklahoma got a huge third down conversion on a pivotal drive in the fourth quarter on the arm of Rhett Bomar.

OU has made steady improvement from week-to-week since the Texas game and now have the momentum rolling into a bye week before getting a Texas A&M squad on the verge of complete collapse. Get ready, here come the Sooners.

Entry Filed under: Sooners