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Just back for Dallas. WHY?

Scottsdale.Sooner

Scottsdale.Sooner

Sooner starter
Jan 2, 2012
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Scottsdale, Arizona (most of the time)
Why:

Did we not play Devonte Bond? Is he not our premier LB for rushing defense? Did he even play a down? He was on the sideline in full gear.
Did we not roll Baker out left or right of the pocket for passing plays? One of our first gains was a roll out pass to Flowers.
Did we use Andrews only for blocking all day. Is he not an excellent receiver?
Did we not tighten up the box on defense? They ran the ball right down the gut of our 3-4 D.
Did we not protect the corners on defense when we knew they could only run the ball?
Did we give up over 300 yards rushing to texass?
Did our tackling mimic Pop Warner ball?
Did we not keep Brent and let Mike go? I can answer this one...blood is thicker than water.
Did we not stay with what was working? On the first possession of the 4th qtr we had 3 pass plays for about 40 yards and then 2 rushing plays for 2 yards. Is Riley really all that he has been presented to be?
 
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Heard these same type of questions one too many times.
When will it change is the ?
Discouraging outlook.
 
The stubbornness will certainly leave you with frustration. We are limited offensively with the woes of the o-line, but what I saw from Riley's offenses at ECU and what I'm seeing so far, are not the same.

We certainly coach with a "This is what we do and we'll live or die by it" mentality these days. The sweet victory over Alabama is a distant memory, but I'm still not ready to throw in the towel. We've made wholesale changes on both sides of the ball over the last couple years. Let's see where they lead.
 
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Here's a couple more questions for you:

Why does a guy who's been on the job for 15+ years not have serviceable offensive line?

How in the world did we get to a point where it's even possible for an uninvited walk-on to start at quarterback?
 
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Nothing wrong with Mayfield. Only complaint I would have had yesterday is he should have hit Mixon a few times out of the backfield.

However if you are under attack all day from a leaky offensive line nobody is going to play perfect and we couldn't protect long enough to get anything going down field.
 
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DallasSooner said:
Nothing wrong with Mayfield. Only complaint I would have had yesterday is he should have hit Mixon a few times out of the backfield.

However if you are under attack all day from a leaky offensive line nobody is going to play perfect and we couldn't protect long enough to get anything going down field.
Click to expand...

I'm not bagging on Mayfield. Point is, with all of the highly rated recruits, what does it say about the talent evaluation and/or coaching at that position.
 
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The only thing about Baker that I don't like is after he makes the first move & escapes for what would be an easy 8+ yard gain if he would just run vertically on his first opening & then dive, he always seems to try and make an unnecessary lateral 2nd step and is not as effective.
 
iasooner1 said:
The only thing about Baker that I don't like is after he makes the first move & escapes for what would be an easy 8+ yard gain if he would just run vertically on his first opening & then dive, he always seems to try and make an unnecessary lateral 2nd step and is not as effective.
Click to expand...

Hard to find fault but he holds onto the ball way to long
 
Scottsdale.Sooner said:
Why:

Did we not play Devonte Bond? Is he not our premier LB for rushing defense? Did he even play a down? He was on the sideline in full gear.
Did we not roll Baker out left or right of the pocket for passing plays? One of our first gains was a roll out pass to Flowers.
Did we use Andrews only for blocking all day. Is he not an excellent receiver?
Did we not tighten up the box on defense? They ran the ball right down the gut of our 3-4 D.
Did we not protect the corners on defense when we knew they could only run the ball?
Did we give up over 300 yards rushing to texass?
Did our tackling mimic Pop Warner ball?
Did we not keep Brent and let Mike go? I can answer this one...blood is thicker than water.
Did we not stay with what was working? On the first possession of the 4th qtr we had 3 pass plays for about 40 yards and then 2 rushing plays for 2 yards. Is Riley really all that he has been presented to be?
Click to expand...

Some laughed at me when I predicted this will be Mike Stoops last season at OU, but I'm sticking with it.
 
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Texas used a spy most of the day, but did it differently than other teams. They used a linebacker to run to the center on pass rush only to occupy the blocker but without engaging the center. He was only looking for the middle passing lane and ready to chase Mayfield laterally if Baker ran. And the big difference was that it was a guy who was at least as fast as Baker and was stronger. Baker couldn't run up the middle because of that guy and he chased him laterally like a Mike linebacker if Baker ran.

It was very effective.

Baker usually makes them pay for his scrambling. They wouldn't let him, easily. And unlike previous games, when they got there, they made the tackle. He broke a couple, but not like in any previous game. And they beat him up pretty good.

The question about Bond was already answered. The answer about lack of roll out is because it's not really a big part of this offense. This is about quick read and quick throw. It's less effective with a six foot quarterback, but Texas was the first opponent to take advantage of it.

Why does Andrews seem to be blocking more than he runs routes? Because even with him, we were not getting the passer protected and run blocking has been lousy all year.

As for letting Venebles go? Well we didn't. He got a mega offer from Clemson. Bob got the administration to match it, but Brent decided he'd rather be the coordinator at Clemson than the co-coordinator at OU. And I understand why. BV was considered the fifth Stoops brother, unsame blood or not. And I'd remind you that in Brent's last two seasons at OU, you heard a lot of complaining about how complicated his defense was and the guys couldn't be aggressive enough because they were thinking too much.

It's not the alignment, it's the alignees. Texas won for a lot of reasons yesterday, but mostly because they blocked and tackled better. Their guys broke more tackles than ours, and OUr quarterback got beat up a lot on called pass plays.

And Texas didn't have a decent special teams game prior to yesterday and they lost at least two because of more than a little subpar performance on special teams. Yesterday, they were rock solid perfect and made on of the three or four key plays in the game, when they forced a fumble on OU's second kickoff return and turned it into a touchdown. That also stressed out a defense, when they've just been out there for a dozen plays.

Yesterday wasn't about MStoops. It was about a very poor tackling performance by the D, and a worse blocking performance by everybody not carrying the ball or running a pass route.

Texas players played with an edge and OU's looked like they'd had a pajama party until six hours before kickoff. That is not on coaches. It's about player leadership and player performance. OUr guys played a lousy game on a day when that is the worst kind of inexcusable.
 
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Plainosooner said:
Texas used a spy most of the day, but did it differently than other teams. They used a linebacker to run to the center on pass rush only to occupy the blocker but without engaging the center. He was only looking for the middle passing lane and ready to chase Mayfield laterally if Baker ran. And the big difference was that it was a guy who was at least as fast as Baker and was stronger. Baker couldn't run up the middle because of that guy and he chased him laterally like a Mike linebacker if Baker ran.

It was very effective.

Baker usually makes them pay for his scrambling. They wouldn't let him, easily. And unlike previous games, when they got there, they made the tackle. He broke a couple, but not like in any previous game. And they beat him up pretty good.

The question about Bond was already answered. The answer about lack of roll out is because it's not really a big part of this offense. This is about quick read and quick throw. It's less effective with a six foot quarterback, but Texas was the first opponent to take advantage of it.

Why does Andrews seem to be blocking more than he runs routes? Because even with him, we were not getting the passer protected and run blocking has been lousy all year.

As for letting Venebles go? Well we didn't. He got a mega offer from Clemson. Bob got the administration to match it, but Brent decided he'd rather be the coordinator at Clemson than the co-coordinator at OU. And I understand why. BV was considered the fifth Stoops brother, unsame blood or not. And I'd remind you that in Brent's last two seasons at OU, you heard a lot of complaining about how complicated his defense was and the guys couldn't be aggressive enough because they were thinking too much.

It's not the alignment, it's the alignees. Texas won for a lot of reasons yesterday, but mostly because they blocked and tackled better. Their guys broke more tackles than ours, and OUr quarterback got beat up a lot on called pass plays.

And Texas didn't have a decent special teams game prior to yesterday and they lost at least two because of more than a little subpar performance on special teams. Yesterday, they were rock solid perfect and made on of the three or four key plays in the game, when they forced a fumble on OU's second kickoff return and turned it into a touchdown. That also stressed out a defense, when they've just been out there for a dozen plays.

Yesterday wasn't about MStoops. It was about a very poor tackling performance by the D, and a worse blocking performance by everybody not carrying the ball or running a pass route.

Texas players played with an edge and OU's looked like they'd had a pajama party until six hours before kickoff. That is not on coaches. It's about player leadership and player performance. OUr guys played a lousy game on a day when that is the worst kind of inexcusable.
Click to expand...

Nice to know SOME things never change, for the better. Great post Plaino.
 
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Plaino, agree with everything in your post, but a question:

Since you were at the game, you most likely saw a lot going on away from the ball that we couldn't see at home. My impression of Mayfield is that he is better when he's able to improvise and extend plays moving around in/out of the pocket. He doesn't seem to get the ball out early or on time in most cases. From what you saw, is it because the receivers aren't breaking open, or is he just holding it too long?
 
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Gratitude to Plaino who comes through with some additional thorough analysis that adds layers of depth to our understanding of the complexities. What 18-21 year olds can refuse a good pajama party anytime ?
 
Plaino,
If true, that's a hell of an insight on the UT MLB spy on Mayfield - definitely going to rewatch the game for that.

Have to disagree here tho': "The answer about lack of roll out is because it's not really a big part of this offense. This is about quick read and quick throw."

1. We have been very vertical this year (in fact we opened the game with a deep ball vs UT - resulted in an interference) and even with the quick read that takes a bit to develop.

2. Mayfield was 4 of 4 on the rollout (1 TD, 2 first downs, and a 9 yard gainer) and not touched on any of those. Obviously that can't be our primary scheme (DEs will just sprint upfield to interrupt it) but 10 to 15 times a game is fair....especially with this OL. Riley was a fool for not using it more - you simply cannot argue with a 100% success rate. And I'm not talking throws on the run when forced from the pocket - I'm talking called rollouts where Mayfield immediately moves to his right or left - all 4 were completions. My only beef here is I believe all 4 were to Mayfield's right which makes it too predictable to use frequently, but that's on Riley to mix up....
 
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I decided not to go to the game. My assigned game was in Mansfield, which is about as far away from my home than any site I visit. And it was the older, farther stadium in Mansfield with no wifi, no dinner and an east side press box which meant I spent my pregame time unable to even see my laptop screen and get my prep work done. And for the first time this year, neither team huddled. That's common on the east side of the metroplex, but uncommon in Tarrant and surrounding counties.

The combination meant that the game took longer, my post game took longer, and on top of it all, after I left the press box and was ready to drive from the parking lot, I got a call that the S-T hadn't received the email with my story in it. So I had to unpack my laptop, turn on my hot spot and fire up everything to re-send the email. And I was already about eight hours behind on the week's sleep. I barely got up in time to watch as it was.

In retrospect, I'm very glad I didn't go. This is the third straight year of a very subpar Sooner RRR performance. I'm more than a little pissed off. I believe OUr team is an OLine away from being really good. But those guys don't seem to be progressing.

I'm a little shocked that we have two captains from the OLine who just aren't very good college football players. Combined with the third captain not even starting, I think it makes for a very poor paradigm for offensive line performance. It's not like Saturday was a surprise to me. We haven't run the ball well against anybody. We couldn't score on first and goal from the one against Tulsa.

I also think that Texas beat us with the scheme we used a year ago, which so many here think needed to go. And our new high powered offense cannot run the ball on anybody. 24 points allowed, ought to be few enough to be outscored. All that to say again, this is on players. Their performance yesterday was inexcusable and unexplainable. But mostly, it's an old maxim. If your lines get whipped on both sides of the ball, you won't win many of those. And it's virtually impossible when you also lose special teams.

I don't want to hear about how new the offense is. Because Texas' is just as new.

I think OUr GCG is way below acceptable standards, especially the C. And the tackles have one real young, one a senior and neither with much experience. Four of them who played a lot yesterday are seniors, so it doesn't seem to have a future upside. I won't be surprised if we lose three more.

The players who consider themselves leaders on this football team better step up quickly. Or it might end up a lot more than three. I'm pissed off. I hope they are.
 
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SoonerTulsan said:
Not to 2-up you but...Some laughed at me when I said Heupel was not the problem, just as I said Wilson wasn't the problem when everyone wanted Heupel.... ;)
Click to expand...
You just can't let it go. You were wrong about Heupel and everybody knows it. You also haven't '2 upped anyone', Huepel was indeed a problem. His time came in w/ fanfare and he went out as a bust. BTW, I was with you on Wilson, but not so much with Huepel.

This will be MS last season at OU.
 
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Agreed. However heupel was only part the problem. If problems continue Mike will be gone at the end if the year. Regardless of level, teams usually take on the personality of their coaches. We are soft, VERY soft
 
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How many times have we looked totally out coached and confused over the years? Using extra timeouts due to being confused? Even the announcers make several comments about it. It's embarrassing
 
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Plainosooner said:
It's not the alignment, it's the alignees. Texas won for a lot of reasons yesterday, but mostly because they blocked and tackled better. Their guys broke more tackles than ours, and OUr quarterback got beat up a lot on called pass plays.

Yesterday wasn't about MStoops. It was about a very poor tackling performance by the D, and a worse blocking performance by everybody not carrying the ball or running a pass route.

Texas players played with an edge and OU's looked like they'd had a pajama party until six hours before kickoff. That is not on coaches. It's about player leadership and player performance. OUr guys played a lousy game on a day when that is the worst kind of inexcusable.
Click to expand...

Great write-up Plaino, and I think you are spot on with nearly all of it. But as usual, I really don't agree with putting it all on the players. I don't think there is any doubt the blocking and tackling was awful. But ya know, poor tackling is something we have seen with OU for a good while now. It just seems like an issue that won't go away. And I'm sorry, but it's reached the point where it's on the coaches shoulders for not getting it resolved. Yesterday the tackling I think was the worst I have seen in any OU game in a while, but like I said the issue has been there for quite a while now.

As far as blocking, ya it was embarrassing Saturday by the OL. But man the OL has 3 senior starters who literally played worse than most true freshman would play in their 5th college game. Maybe they are just players who aren't very good when it's all said and done. But it also comes back on the coaching staff for either not developing them over the past several years, or the fact they recruited them in the first place and they have turned out to be complete busts.

And I do agree with you that player leadership is a HUGE part of getting this team motivated going into games. But it's just as important for the coaches to get their team motivated in the week prior and the day of the game too. So if you are going to point to poor leadership by the players, it also is very telling to the lack of leadership by the coaches too. The team captains are naturally team leaders who are responsible for this. But if the team captains aren't stepping up and/or are failing to motivate the team, then it's on the coaches to pull them aside and let them know they aren't pulling their weight and need to step it up and motivate this team.
 
WhyNotaSooner said:
You just can't let it go. You were wrong about Heupel and everybody knows it. You also haven't '2 upped anyone', Huepel was indeed a problem. His time came in w/ fanfare and he went out as a bust. BTW, I was with you on Wilson, but not so much with Huepel.

This will be MS last season at OU.
Click to expand...

40 pts/game doesn't look too bad right now. And thanks for your "opinion". ;)
 
I've listened the the sports animal, the franchise, national and regional sports tv, former players..........and all of them, including Dean Blevins, said this was a poor coaching performance. Some just can't bring themselves to admit that for some strange reason. Thats why I just can't find them credible
 
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barkingwater2000 said:
I've listened the the sports animal, the franchise, national and regional sports tv, former players..........and all of them, including Dean Blevins, said this was a poor coaching performance. Some just can't bring themselves to admit that for some strange reason. Thats why I just can't find them credible
Click to expand...

Well I wouldn't exactly cast doubt on a person's entire credibility just on this line of thinking alone.
 
barkingwater2000 said:
I've listened the the sports animal, the franchise, national and regional sports tv, former players..........and all of them, including Dean Blevins, said this was a poor coaching performance.
Click to expand...

Btw, can't say I disagree. Also here are some quotes I've read today.....

From Jon Solomon of cbssportsline:
On the flip side, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops suffered another one of those head-scratching defeats that now define his career of late. He has lost six times as a favorite in his past 14 games.

The score says it was a one-touchdown game. But Texas dominated the Red River Rivalry. This one feels like a program-changer for Strong. This one feels like the end of the line for Stoops as a national championship contender.


Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer
According to the Football Power Index, which is a statistical measure of a team’s supposed strength, Oklahoma had a 90 percent chance of beating Texas.

Going back five years, the Sooners have had six defeats in which FPI gave them at least an 80 percent chance to win.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, no FBS team has more such losses over that span, not even Clemson -- from which “Clemsoning” entered the college football lexicon to describe when a heavily favored team delivers an inexplicably disappointing losing performance.

Maybe it’s time the term be amended to “Soonering.”


 
I am not calling for Stoops head yet. I want to make that clear. I've said for a long time that I think he's just too comfortable here. What I would like to point out is that in the last several years with all the coaches coming and going there is one constant and that is Bob. There is no more excuses on anyone else's head...we've changed coaches left and right and get the same type of results. It is on him and he needs to step up or step out. I think he has it in him to do it all again, but he's long in the tooth and I think he likes where he is at and at 5M/yr winning 9/10 games...why go all out and endanger your health?

The time for new blood is approaching regardless. He's been here a very long time and done GREAT things, but all good things come to an end. I think these last few years and probably a few more are the swan song.

I really hope he can get us another one and leave on top, but eventually he will have to step aside and make room for the new generation (as we all have to do). Here is hoping we get someone as vibrant and fired up as he was when he came here. I take nothing away from him, he is a great coach and the winningest coach at OU. I would love to see him pull out another NC and I do think he has it in him.
 
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veritas59 said:
Here's a couple more questions for you:

Why does a guy who's been on the job for 15+ years not have serviceable offensive line?

How in the world did we get to a point where it's even possible for an uninvited walk-on to start at quarterback?
Click to expand...

I've asked the same question. Yeah, why is the cupboard dry? What does that say about the OL recruiting for the last few years?
 
Oklabama said:
I've asked the same question. Yeah, why is the cupboard dry? What does that say about the OL recruiting for the last few years?
Click to expand...
This is not your typical uninvited walk on obviously. Lets not forget he was big 12 player of the year at one time and I personally think he has done a great job. The oline stinks though
 
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BillyRay said:
Well OU so far this year, even after that disaster on Saturday, is averaging 37pts/game...so it not like production has taken a huge hit according to stats. ;)
Click to expand...

That's 10 points after 5 games. Could've come in handy last weekend. ;)

Besides, i admit I read some of the game threads during the Akron and Tennesse games. Chuckled to many posts from some of the boys asking whether we fired the wrong coach and started the wrong QB. Self-indulgence, but entertaining. Some things never change.
 
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Soonersincefitty said:
Just to placate you 20-20 hindsight types...the boys on the Sport blitz on local Tulsa was wondering why the acute lack of game planning for a frequently running Texas QB.

I get that too. FWIW.
Click to expand...

Lost count of the number of times one or two of our guys were in position but took the wrong angle and got beat. I wondered the same thing, but then realized maybe the plan simply wasn't executed? Of course, I don't have to pull drama out of my rear end weekly to keep viewers, listeners, or readers interested. . I've obviously got my own 3-man fan club. Or are we back to referring to barkingyank as two separate people again? I lost track.
 
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