there were two big question marks for me coming into the game, and we left with more than two.
I thought that the defense was not so bad. Houston has a nice offense and Ward is a much better player than he was a year ago. OUr defense yesterday would have stopped 2015 Ward. His passing was on target. He was a little like Vince Young in 2005. Young wasn't really much of a pass. But you had to devote so much of your scheme to stopping his run, that it left you really vulnerable in pass coverage. A year ago, he couldn't exploit that very well. Yesterday, he did.
Most great coaches talk a lot about doing the "little things." Yesterday, Houston's players did that a whole lot better than OUrs. BStoops emphasizes ball security. But Houston took great care of the ball. We didn't. There were all sorts of negatives to remember yesterday. For me, number one was how many times the ball hit the ground. It seemed that all the fumbles and the onsides kick, that they got all and we got none. That's a bad place to start.
Other little things: I believe we have a problem at center. We all heard that Wren was pushing for Alvarez' job. I suspect the reason might be the inconsistent snapping. The most underrated part of a good spread offense, is a consistent solid snap. There had to have been a dozen yesterday that were too high, and it wrecked the timing of way too many plays. Baker made lemonade a couple of times, but more often, he couldn't get the quick read to make his throw, because he was fishing for the snap. There were two or three wide ones too. You might survive that in your typical yawner, if you're opening with an FCS school.
But we weren't playing an FCS school. Houston is a top ten team. Anybody else returning with their 2015 record and their stud starting quarterback after a big six bowl win would be closer to the top five than the top 15. And it was no neutral site deal. Playing them at NRG was like playing the Orange Bowl against Miami or the Sugar Bowl against LSU. You can't hear and they can. It makes a considerable difference in a bowl game, the last game of the year, when you've played together for four months. Huge difference in game one.
The NFL has four preseason games. The high schools play two scrimmages. College football doesn't have that. That's why cream puff first games are scheduled. Yesterday was the opposite of a cream puff.
The key play of the game was the FG return. If you want the replay, Seibert had a false start on the 54 yarder. Maybe should have been called for being in motion, though I don't think he was that early. It was the right call to let him try it; but he screwed up. He started, hesitated, and then had less momentum to get enough foot into the ball to get it past the end line.
The defense got most things fixed after the half. But they offense wasn't giving them much of a break. After the first touchdown, our only other one of the first 58 minutes came on a the long pass to Andrews.
We had a couple of tough breaks. The first DPI was a dreadful call, but the defense stepped up and held them to three. One back official in particular let Houston receivers push off on the back shoulder fade, but called tick tack stuff on Austin at least three times. If you'd going to let them battle, let them both battle.
My biggest disappointment was the OLine, especially Alvarez. Well maybe second. Number one was giving them four first downs on penalties, three on third down. And then there was the brain dead shove in the back by our defensive captain, that nullified what would have put them in a third and 30, but instead was just offsetting penalties.
But we put the ball on the ground and they didn't. We got none of the loose balls. Houston also had the best DL on the field. That young man played mike linebacker in some nickel and dime defenses, and ran like Ray Lewis. That was the best defensive performance by a lineman that I've seen against OU since Rich Glover in the GOTC. Or maybe Jerome Brown. He was different than either, but incredibly effective.
Those are things you can maybe game plan for a little, when you've got a little tape to watch of how they'll use him.
Losing Parker for several series and Perine for more than that, seemed to have a disruptive effect. And maybe just a little confidence dip. You kind of start wondering, what's next. We lost OUr momentum about the time Perine went out, and we never really got any back.
It was a lousy day. But the sky isn't falling. But Coach B has some serious work to do. And this year, he doesn't have til mid October to figure it out.
I thought that the defense was not so bad. Houston has a nice offense and Ward is a much better player than he was a year ago. OUr defense yesterday would have stopped 2015 Ward. His passing was on target. He was a little like Vince Young in 2005. Young wasn't really much of a pass. But you had to devote so much of your scheme to stopping his run, that it left you really vulnerable in pass coverage. A year ago, he couldn't exploit that very well. Yesterday, he did.
Most great coaches talk a lot about doing the "little things." Yesterday, Houston's players did that a whole lot better than OUrs. BStoops emphasizes ball security. But Houston took great care of the ball. We didn't. There were all sorts of negatives to remember yesterday. For me, number one was how many times the ball hit the ground. It seemed that all the fumbles and the onsides kick, that they got all and we got none. That's a bad place to start.
Other little things: I believe we have a problem at center. We all heard that Wren was pushing for Alvarez' job. I suspect the reason might be the inconsistent snapping. The most underrated part of a good spread offense, is a consistent solid snap. There had to have been a dozen yesterday that were too high, and it wrecked the timing of way too many plays. Baker made lemonade a couple of times, but more often, he couldn't get the quick read to make his throw, because he was fishing for the snap. There were two or three wide ones too. You might survive that in your typical yawner, if you're opening with an FCS school.
But we weren't playing an FCS school. Houston is a top ten team. Anybody else returning with their 2015 record and their stud starting quarterback after a big six bowl win would be closer to the top five than the top 15. And it was no neutral site deal. Playing them at NRG was like playing the Orange Bowl against Miami or the Sugar Bowl against LSU. You can't hear and they can. It makes a considerable difference in a bowl game, the last game of the year, when you've played together for four months. Huge difference in game one.
The NFL has four preseason games. The high schools play two scrimmages. College football doesn't have that. That's why cream puff first games are scheduled. Yesterday was the opposite of a cream puff.
The key play of the game was the FG return. If you want the replay, Seibert had a false start on the 54 yarder. Maybe should have been called for being in motion, though I don't think he was that early. It was the right call to let him try it; but he screwed up. He started, hesitated, and then had less momentum to get enough foot into the ball to get it past the end line.
The defense got most things fixed after the half. But they offense wasn't giving them much of a break. After the first touchdown, our only other one of the first 58 minutes came on a the long pass to Andrews.
We had a couple of tough breaks. The first DPI was a dreadful call, but the defense stepped up and held them to three. One back official in particular let Houston receivers push off on the back shoulder fade, but called tick tack stuff on Austin at least three times. If you'd going to let them battle, let them both battle.
My biggest disappointment was the OLine, especially Alvarez. Well maybe second. Number one was giving them four first downs on penalties, three on third down. And then there was the brain dead shove in the back by our defensive captain, that nullified what would have put them in a third and 30, but instead was just offsetting penalties.
But we put the ball on the ground and they didn't. We got none of the loose balls. Houston also had the best DL on the field. That young man played mike linebacker in some nickel and dime defenses, and ran like Ray Lewis. That was the best defensive performance by a lineman that I've seen against OU since Rich Glover in the GOTC. Or maybe Jerome Brown. He was different than either, but incredibly effective.
Those are things you can maybe game plan for a little, when you've got a little tape to watch of how they'll use him.
Losing Parker for several series and Perine for more than that, seemed to have a disruptive effect. And maybe just a little confidence dip. You kind of start wondering, what's next. We lost OUr momentum about the time Perine went out, and we never really got any back.
It was a lousy day. But the sky isn't falling. But Coach B has some serious work to do. And this year, he doesn't have til mid October to figure it out.
