My top ten:
1. The most underrated and important factor in the win, was the way the Sooner defense handled the 18 Wheeler short yardage offense. Texas pretty much gave up on it. I was surprised they didn't try to throw out of it once. I wondered if losing Chris Warren might not have hurt them a little. He's a big body blocker when they do that. Great plan and execution by OUr defense.
2. It took five games, but I think we finally found OUr best five Olinemen. I guess Powers will take a step back when either Alvarez or Dalton return, but I'm not sure he should.
3. Brown made the most amazing cut block on the goal line on a Perine touchdown in the fourth I think. Didn't know a 6'8 guy could get that low that quickly. It was on the backside reaching one gap. Just remarkable.
4. The most impressive thing about Westbrook was his ball flight judgement on the deep ball. It looks like Baker is hitting him in stride for three touchdowns, and they were all great throws. But he made little adjustments to the ball in the air that allowed him to get there with perfect timing in stride. Most true burners typically can't do that. Or they have lousy hands. That was the best receiver performance from a Sooner that I've ever seen, who was not named Shepard or Broyles.
5. Dede even made four or five really nice catches in traffic. Getting healed has made a huge difference. He will now get a lot more focus, and we'll see how that impacts him. But he was astonishing.
6. We have some DB's who haven't played much, that are apparently pretty good players. That first week out there, you haven't been game planned for, and they don't know what weaknesses you might have, that can be maybe exploited. The closing speed on Sunderland's interception was a remarkable play. Thomas' one on two tackle on the quick screen saved a touchdown.
7. I think we might be learning why Mead was getting so much playing time early. Westbrook was hurt. Green was hurt. Miller wasn't 100%. Dahu looked pretty frisky on the long catch headed southeast in the second half. And Lewis did what we need him to do: CTDB in traffic on third down. His best contribution this season.
8. My guess is that even a game with a few mistakes in it is great to be hosting recruits, when the RRR is undecided til the last minute. Both crowds are into it. There is nothing quite like the noise on one end of the Cotton Bowl, suddenly switching ends mid-play, when both sides are full thoatal right to the end. I don't think there is another crowd like it in sports. Since few of the games recently have been tight for four quarters, whoever the home team was and hosting, didn't get the full advantage. Saturday, OU did. Even Draper got really excited. Those trying to replicate that advantage at Jerry World, like Tech and Baylor can put on a show, but they cannot replicate that.
9. I thought we had a couple of players who had more than one RRR kind of poise draining moment. After Mixon's first fumble, he was never quite as sure of himself. That drop on the option pitch should have sealed the win. Same thing for Andrews on his first tough drop, which led to the second easy one the next time they threw to him. But he got it back. His play on the onside kick was crucial. If we don't recover that, I don't think we win.
10. Everybody knows I love Bob. But I think it's time to cut back a little on the workloads for both Mixon and Seibert. Every team we play is intentionally kicking it to Joe, and trying to force him to return it. I think we have a much better player on offense at the end if he gets a special teams break. And surely, we have somebody else who can catch a punt or a kickoff.
And the workload is, I believe, a factor in Seibert's placement woes. He's such a great punter. You hate to lose that. But I don't think a single xp Saturday was center squared and his FG attempts are a crap shoot. He's too good to perform this way. I was also wondering about OUr holder and center snap. We just got badly outplayed in the kicking game against Texas. Lose that, and the turnover battle lost 4-1, and you have to set your all time total offense record in the RRR to win by five points.
1. The most underrated and important factor in the win, was the way the Sooner defense handled the 18 Wheeler short yardage offense. Texas pretty much gave up on it. I was surprised they didn't try to throw out of it once. I wondered if losing Chris Warren might not have hurt them a little. He's a big body blocker when they do that. Great plan and execution by OUr defense.
2. It took five games, but I think we finally found OUr best five Olinemen. I guess Powers will take a step back when either Alvarez or Dalton return, but I'm not sure he should.
3. Brown made the most amazing cut block on the goal line on a Perine touchdown in the fourth I think. Didn't know a 6'8 guy could get that low that quickly. It was on the backside reaching one gap. Just remarkable.
4. The most impressive thing about Westbrook was his ball flight judgement on the deep ball. It looks like Baker is hitting him in stride for three touchdowns, and they were all great throws. But he made little adjustments to the ball in the air that allowed him to get there with perfect timing in stride. Most true burners typically can't do that. Or they have lousy hands. That was the best receiver performance from a Sooner that I've ever seen, who was not named Shepard or Broyles.
5. Dede even made four or five really nice catches in traffic. Getting healed has made a huge difference. He will now get a lot more focus, and we'll see how that impacts him. But he was astonishing.
6. We have some DB's who haven't played much, that are apparently pretty good players. That first week out there, you haven't been game planned for, and they don't know what weaknesses you might have, that can be maybe exploited. The closing speed on Sunderland's interception was a remarkable play. Thomas' one on two tackle on the quick screen saved a touchdown.
7. I think we might be learning why Mead was getting so much playing time early. Westbrook was hurt. Green was hurt. Miller wasn't 100%. Dahu looked pretty frisky on the long catch headed southeast in the second half. And Lewis did what we need him to do: CTDB in traffic on third down. His best contribution this season.
8. My guess is that even a game with a few mistakes in it is great to be hosting recruits, when the RRR is undecided til the last minute. Both crowds are into it. There is nothing quite like the noise on one end of the Cotton Bowl, suddenly switching ends mid-play, when both sides are full thoatal right to the end. I don't think there is another crowd like it in sports. Since few of the games recently have been tight for four quarters, whoever the home team was and hosting, didn't get the full advantage. Saturday, OU did. Even Draper got really excited. Those trying to replicate that advantage at Jerry World, like Tech and Baylor can put on a show, but they cannot replicate that.
9. I thought we had a couple of players who had more than one RRR kind of poise draining moment. After Mixon's first fumble, he was never quite as sure of himself. That drop on the option pitch should have sealed the win. Same thing for Andrews on his first tough drop, which led to the second easy one the next time they threw to him. But he got it back. His play on the onside kick was crucial. If we don't recover that, I don't think we win.
10. Everybody knows I love Bob. But I think it's time to cut back a little on the workloads for both Mixon and Seibert. Every team we play is intentionally kicking it to Joe, and trying to force him to return it. I think we have a much better player on offense at the end if he gets a special teams break. And surely, we have somebody else who can catch a punt or a kickoff.
And the workload is, I believe, a factor in Seibert's placement woes. He's such a great punter. You hate to lose that. But I don't think a single xp Saturday was center squared and his FG attempts are a crap shoot. He's too good to perform this way. I was also wondering about OUr holder and center snap. We just got badly outplayed in the kicking game against Texas. Lose that, and the turnover battle lost 4-1, and you have to set your all time total offense record in the RRR to win by five points.
