Jacie
6/2/2009, 03:22 PM
1994: The Farewell to Gary Gibbs
Things were quite promising for OU in the 1994 season. They had roughly 17 starters returning from a 9-3 ball club and a schedule that they could handle without too much difficulty. While OU did lose they’re all-time leading passer in Cale Gundy, they did bring in a promising JUCO all-American named Garrick McGhee who attended NEO two years after coming out of Booker T. Washington. I had the opportunity to watch him when he was at Booker T. and he was quite solid just as he was at NEO. But once again, a lesson was learned that the difference between high school, JUCO and D-1A ball are several leagues apart. OU did however open the season with what could be a challenging road trip to the Carrier Dome versus the Syracuse Orangemen. Things started out great as OU raced to a 24-0 lead. However, one play can change the entire complexion of a game and sometimes the outcome. P.J. Mills caught a long TD to be pass and as he approached the five yard line a Syracuse DB came from behind and stripped the ball and went back the other way with it before being downed. That play would of made the score 31-0 and Syracuse would have been finished. Instead they gained momentum and immediately scored. Toward the end Syracuse ended up taking a 29-27 lead. OU was able to drive down to the other side of the field to set up a lengthy field goal attempt. While there was no wind to worry about in the Dome, the crowd was certainly going to be a factor. However, OU made the field goal and won the game 30-29. This was the game that in my opinion let the air out of OU for the remainder of the season. For whatever reason, they didn’t accept the game as a willingness to win but instead took it as being fortunate not to lose and seemed to lose confidence. After the emotional win over Syracuse, OU’s next game was against Texas A&M in College Station and you know that A&M had revenge on their minds. Well, they got it and defeated OU 36-14 on a day where OU was able to move the ball, but had a difficult time scoring due to turnovers and penalties. OU’s next game was against Texas Tech, a team, as we know that OU has defeated all but one time in the 90s. This time was no different as OU won 17-11. The following game was against Iowa St. in which OU had little trouble with and won 34-6 in tuning up for the Red River Rivalry. The OU/TX game almost had an old flavor to it as both OU and Texas were ranked in the Top 20. Texas was 15th and OU was 16th in the nation. This was a typical close OU/TX game that was decided on one big play and unfortunately, the play was in Texas’ favor. OU was inside the five-yard line and the play was called for James Allen who just got stopped short of the goal line by the evil Stoney Clark. Final score was Texas 17, OU 10. Several not only questioned that call, but also using James Allen, instead of the stronger Jerald Moore. But, what was done was done and James Allen really lost his confidence after that play and never got it back until one fine October day two year’s later as we all know. OU’s next game was against a stout Colorado team that featured the nation’s best offense including Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook, Charles Johnson, Christian Fuaria and Heisman Trophy winner Rashaam Salaam. This team averaged about 575 yards a game with 300+ in the air and 200+ on the ground, which obviously made them quite versatile. This at the time was OU’s most embarrassing defeat of the 90s’, worse yet, the most embarrassing defeat in over 50 years and was a telltale sign that the OU players had finally given up on their coach. OU got annihilated and could not stop Rashaam Salaam as Colorado won 45-7. I don’t know how many times in the 90’s, I asked myself if things could get any worse for OU football and they did. The next week, the unfathomable happened. Not only did OU lose to Kansas St., they lost by 17 points! Final score KSU 37, OU 20. Once again, OU was reaching that dangerous threshold of having a losing record at that point of the season. OU followed up with the continued series dominance over Missouri winning 30-13. After OU’s dominating performance over OSU the previous year, it was going to be interesting to see how the next game would play out. While not as dominating OU still won 33-14 and Jerald Moore scored 5 tds. That was the game where Pat Jones made the memorable quote of “Jerald Moore kicked our _ _ _!”. OU closed the season with the annual OU/Nebraska game; a game that OU had not won in a few years. It was a typical scenario as OU’s defense held strong, this time for the entire game, but the offense could not score many points and Nebraska went on to win 13-3. OU finished the season 6-5, which still made them eligible for a bowl. As a side note, Gary Gibbs announced his resignation after the OSU game and the bowl game would be Gary Gibbs’ last as head coach of the University of Oklahoma Sooners. I will bluntly admit, I have never liked BYU. A matter of fact, I flat out can’t stand them. Anyway, I always dreamed about OU playing BYU and rushing for over 500+ yards. Unfortunately, my dream finally came true at a time when OU was at it’s worst, and its pass defense was terrible all year. On top of that, how would the players respond that had already given up on their coach? OU had the unenviable task of trying to stop Steve Sarkesian, a typical BYU QB who always got the job done. Well, my dream turned into a nightmare and BYU went on to win 31-6. OU finished the season 6-6, which was OU’s first non-winning season in several decades.
After reviewing what transpired during the six years that Gary Gibbs coached at OU, it was time for him to go. There were simply too many internal problems. I hear from time to time, “that we should not of gotten rid of Gibbs, at least he went to bowl games”, but we must remember the player lockout, the approach taken in the OSU game and most importantly that the kids quit on him. Those are signs that it is time for a coach to go. Gary Gibbs alienated a lot of fans by his laid-back style. Not only did he alienate fans when he fired Bobby Proctor, but a huge chunk of high school coaches in Oklahoma as well. This ultimately hurt OU’s in-state recruiting as high school coaches promoted their players elsewhere. Plus, Gary Gibbs miffed Barry Switzer when he became head coach with his OU was a “Hades hole” comment. I would tend to agree with Coach Gibbs’ on that, but it could have been worded differently. Anyway, I don’t want to focus entirely on the negatives of Gary Gibbs as that would not be fair. He was a sensational defensive coordinator at OU and the bottom line is he held the ship afloat for the most part while OU was on probation and didn’t totally bury the program. Gary Gibbs’ record over his six-year career was 44-23-2 and he should be commended in that regard, considering the circumstances. Let’s face it, that probation was the worst the NCAA could apply without the death penalty. I know we get mad when we see several teams get off with light penalties today even when major infractions are involved, but the reason is the NCAA learned it’s lesson. It realized what kind of impact it had on OU, OSU and even more so with the SMU death penalty of the 80s’. David Swank is a piece of garbage, but I can guarantee you, if OU had some sort of infractions today, they would be on par with what other schools are doing. Times have changed. Unfortunately for OU, probation came when things were still the same. Now the NCAA finally realized the punishment guidelines for probation were indeed too harsh. Well, enough on that. Gary Gibbs is doing very well in the insurance business, so as always, things work out for the best. Let’s move on to 1995.
Things were quite promising for OU in the 1994 season. They had roughly 17 starters returning from a 9-3 ball club and a schedule that they could handle without too much difficulty. While OU did lose they’re all-time leading passer in Cale Gundy, they did bring in a promising JUCO all-American named Garrick McGhee who attended NEO two years after coming out of Booker T. Washington. I had the opportunity to watch him when he was at Booker T. and he was quite solid just as he was at NEO. But once again, a lesson was learned that the difference between high school, JUCO and D-1A ball are several leagues apart. OU did however open the season with what could be a challenging road trip to the Carrier Dome versus the Syracuse Orangemen. Things started out great as OU raced to a 24-0 lead. However, one play can change the entire complexion of a game and sometimes the outcome. P.J. Mills caught a long TD to be pass and as he approached the five yard line a Syracuse DB came from behind and stripped the ball and went back the other way with it before being downed. That play would of made the score 31-0 and Syracuse would have been finished. Instead they gained momentum and immediately scored. Toward the end Syracuse ended up taking a 29-27 lead. OU was able to drive down to the other side of the field to set up a lengthy field goal attempt. While there was no wind to worry about in the Dome, the crowd was certainly going to be a factor. However, OU made the field goal and won the game 30-29. This was the game that in my opinion let the air out of OU for the remainder of the season. For whatever reason, they didn’t accept the game as a willingness to win but instead took it as being fortunate not to lose and seemed to lose confidence. After the emotional win over Syracuse, OU’s next game was against Texas A&M in College Station and you know that A&M had revenge on their minds. Well, they got it and defeated OU 36-14 on a day where OU was able to move the ball, but had a difficult time scoring due to turnovers and penalties. OU’s next game was against Texas Tech, a team, as we know that OU has defeated all but one time in the 90s. This time was no different as OU won 17-11. The following game was against Iowa St. in which OU had little trouble with and won 34-6 in tuning up for the Red River Rivalry. The OU/TX game almost had an old flavor to it as both OU and Texas were ranked in the Top 20. Texas was 15th and OU was 16th in the nation. This was a typical close OU/TX game that was decided on one big play and unfortunately, the play was in Texas’ favor. OU was inside the five-yard line and the play was called for James Allen who just got stopped short of the goal line by the evil Stoney Clark. Final score was Texas 17, OU 10. Several not only questioned that call, but also using James Allen, instead of the stronger Jerald Moore. But, what was done was done and James Allen really lost his confidence after that play and never got it back until one fine October day two year’s later as we all know. OU’s next game was against a stout Colorado team that featured the nation’s best offense including Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook, Charles Johnson, Christian Fuaria and Heisman Trophy winner Rashaam Salaam. This team averaged about 575 yards a game with 300+ in the air and 200+ on the ground, which obviously made them quite versatile. This at the time was OU’s most embarrassing defeat of the 90s’, worse yet, the most embarrassing defeat in over 50 years and was a telltale sign that the OU players had finally given up on their coach. OU got annihilated and could not stop Rashaam Salaam as Colorado won 45-7. I don’t know how many times in the 90’s, I asked myself if things could get any worse for OU football and they did. The next week, the unfathomable happened. Not only did OU lose to Kansas St., they lost by 17 points! Final score KSU 37, OU 20. Once again, OU was reaching that dangerous threshold of having a losing record at that point of the season. OU followed up with the continued series dominance over Missouri winning 30-13. After OU’s dominating performance over OSU the previous year, it was going to be interesting to see how the next game would play out. While not as dominating OU still won 33-14 and Jerald Moore scored 5 tds. That was the game where Pat Jones made the memorable quote of “Jerald Moore kicked our _ _ _!”. OU closed the season with the annual OU/Nebraska game; a game that OU had not won in a few years. It was a typical scenario as OU’s defense held strong, this time for the entire game, but the offense could not score many points and Nebraska went on to win 13-3. OU finished the season 6-5, which still made them eligible for a bowl. As a side note, Gary Gibbs announced his resignation after the OSU game and the bowl game would be Gary Gibbs’ last as head coach of the University of Oklahoma Sooners. I will bluntly admit, I have never liked BYU. A matter of fact, I flat out can’t stand them. Anyway, I always dreamed about OU playing BYU and rushing for over 500+ yards. Unfortunately, my dream finally came true at a time when OU was at it’s worst, and its pass defense was terrible all year. On top of that, how would the players respond that had already given up on their coach? OU had the unenviable task of trying to stop Steve Sarkesian, a typical BYU QB who always got the job done. Well, my dream turned into a nightmare and BYU went on to win 31-6. OU finished the season 6-6, which was OU’s first non-winning season in several decades.
After reviewing what transpired during the six years that Gary Gibbs coached at OU, it was time for him to go. There were simply too many internal problems. I hear from time to time, “that we should not of gotten rid of Gibbs, at least he went to bowl games”, but we must remember the player lockout, the approach taken in the OSU game and most importantly that the kids quit on him. Those are signs that it is time for a coach to go. Gary Gibbs alienated a lot of fans by his laid-back style. Not only did he alienate fans when he fired Bobby Proctor, but a huge chunk of high school coaches in Oklahoma as well. This ultimately hurt OU’s in-state recruiting as high school coaches promoted their players elsewhere. Plus, Gary Gibbs miffed Barry Switzer when he became head coach with his OU was a “Hades hole” comment. I would tend to agree with Coach Gibbs’ on that, but it could have been worded differently. Anyway, I don’t want to focus entirely on the negatives of Gary Gibbs as that would not be fair. He was a sensational defensive coordinator at OU and the bottom line is he held the ship afloat for the most part while OU was on probation and didn’t totally bury the program. Gary Gibbs’ record over his six-year career was 44-23-2 and he should be commended in that regard, considering the circumstances. Let’s face it, that probation was the worst the NCAA could apply without the death penalty. I know we get mad when we see several teams get off with light penalties today even when major infractions are involved, but the reason is the NCAA learned it’s lesson. It realized what kind of impact it had on OU, OSU and even more so with the SMU death penalty of the 80s’. David Swank is a piece of garbage, but I can guarantee you, if OU had some sort of infractions today, they would be on par with what other schools are doing. Times have changed. Unfortunately for OU, probation came when things were still the same. Now the NCAA finally realized the punishment guidelines for probation were indeed too harsh. Well, enough on that. Gary Gibbs is doing very well in the insurance business, so as always, things work out for the best. Let’s move on to 1995.