oudavid1
4/6/2011, 09:25 AM
Oklahoma football fans probably will feel a lot more comfortable with Landry Jones this spring than they were last spring.
They should. Jones is more comfortable with himself, and with the playbook.
During his redshirt freshman season, when he was air-dropped in to help rescue the Sooners in 2009, he performed well at times and put up some good numbers, but was often himself in need of a rescue.
He even described instances of getting the play-call from the sideline and not knowing what to do.
Those days are over. Now, after a 2010 in which he even broke some of Sam Bradford's hallowed records, Jones knows what to do no matter what the play-call is.
Jones set OU records last year for pass attempts (568), completions (371), passing yards in a game (468, tying Bradford's mark) and career 400-yard games (three). He won the Sammy Baugh Award as the nation's top quarterback, and led the Sooners to a 12-2 record, Big 12 championship and Fiesta Bowl victory.
So what's next for Jones? How close has he come to his ceiling?
"There's always improvement, and he's making it," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "He works hard. But he's a long way from the finished product."
You want a more specific example? Ask Jay Norvell, the co-offensive coordinator.
"We had guys running open last year," Norvell said, "we just didn't connect."
The first part of the 2010 season, the OU offense struggled to produce big plays.
During the first four games, the Sooners' longest scoring plays in the passing game were from 36, 46 and 39 yards - and two of those three were catch-and-run efforts by the receiver.
Then against Colorado, Jones hit Ryan Broyles with an 81-yard TD bomb. They later hooked up from 64 yards against the Buffs. Fifty-nine yards to Kenny Stills against Texas Tech. Forty-nine yards to Stills against Baylor. Eighty-six yards to Cameron Kenney against Oklahoma State. Seventy-six yards to James Hanna against OSU. Finally, 59 yards to Kenney against Connecticut.
And all but one were long-range throws by Jones. Credit his continuing grasp of the offense for that electrical surge.
"I think Landry's taken a step in his understanding of how to create more big plays within our scheme without adding plays," Norvell said. "You know, there's times where we have a takeoff (a deep receiver) and an underneath route (a short receiver). Well, he may take a peek at the takeoff, and that's where he's really growing in his understanding of our scheme.
"We talked a lot about that in the offseason, of really sinking our teeth into our plays and really knowing every big-play opportunity within our scheme. So I think Landry will take a step in that regard. I think Ryan will take a step. I think Stills definitely will. And Trey Franks.
"That's just guys playing together and timing and understanding the whole big-play opportunities."
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20110403_92_B1_CUTLIN766507
Ive been there. Except i was JV backup my sophomore year. And it happened in practice.
I was have been scared out of my mind. But id still wing it
They should. Jones is more comfortable with himself, and with the playbook.
During his redshirt freshman season, when he was air-dropped in to help rescue the Sooners in 2009, he performed well at times and put up some good numbers, but was often himself in need of a rescue.
He even described instances of getting the play-call from the sideline and not knowing what to do.
Those days are over. Now, after a 2010 in which he even broke some of Sam Bradford's hallowed records, Jones knows what to do no matter what the play-call is.
Jones set OU records last year for pass attempts (568), completions (371), passing yards in a game (468, tying Bradford's mark) and career 400-yard games (three). He won the Sammy Baugh Award as the nation's top quarterback, and led the Sooners to a 12-2 record, Big 12 championship and Fiesta Bowl victory.
So what's next for Jones? How close has he come to his ceiling?
"There's always improvement, and he's making it," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "He works hard. But he's a long way from the finished product."
You want a more specific example? Ask Jay Norvell, the co-offensive coordinator.
"We had guys running open last year," Norvell said, "we just didn't connect."
The first part of the 2010 season, the OU offense struggled to produce big plays.
During the first four games, the Sooners' longest scoring plays in the passing game were from 36, 46 and 39 yards - and two of those three were catch-and-run efforts by the receiver.
Then against Colorado, Jones hit Ryan Broyles with an 81-yard TD bomb. They later hooked up from 64 yards against the Buffs. Fifty-nine yards to Kenny Stills against Texas Tech. Forty-nine yards to Stills against Baylor. Eighty-six yards to Cameron Kenney against Oklahoma State. Seventy-six yards to James Hanna against OSU. Finally, 59 yards to Kenney against Connecticut.
And all but one were long-range throws by Jones. Credit his continuing grasp of the offense for that electrical surge.
"I think Landry's taken a step in his understanding of how to create more big plays within our scheme without adding plays," Norvell said. "You know, there's times where we have a takeoff (a deep receiver) and an underneath route (a short receiver). Well, he may take a peek at the takeoff, and that's where he's really growing in his understanding of our scheme.
"We talked a lot about that in the offseason, of really sinking our teeth into our plays and really knowing every big-play opportunity within our scheme. So I think Landry will take a step in that regard. I think Ryan will take a step. I think Stills definitely will. And Trey Franks.
"That's just guys playing together and timing and understanding the whole big-play opportunities."
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20110403_92_B1_CUTLIN766507
Ive been there. Except i was JV backup my sophomore year. And it happened in practice.
I was have been scared out of my mind. But id still wing it