stoops the eternal pimp
8/24/2012, 11:32 AM
Throughout the season as i have time, I'll go back and give some highlights from the2000 season..Some things remembered, some things forgotten. As time passes and legends grow, we tend to forget the reality of the season. I find it fitting that we begin with the first game of the 2000 season..OU-UTEP
Things forgotten: Brandon Everage and Torrance Marshall were both suspended for the opener and did not play..Stoops said the suspensions were for "unspecified reasons."..I have my own suspicions.
Bad offensive play..Heuple..Griffin..Mackey..Not much of a day for 3 guys that many expected big days from.
Things remembered: Renaldo Works huge 4th quarter that made this game's final look better than the game itself went..I remember thinking, "We are watching the next great runningback at OU."
It was the hottest game I think I've ever been to.. Over 105 degrees at kickoff.
Sec 18, row 34 is where I watched this game. After finishing out the 99 season 7-5, there was a sense of expectancy in the air as nearly 75k showed, the largest for a home opener since '88. The final score was 55-14 but it was an ugly game.
UTEP,realizing how overmatched they were, opened the game with an onside kick..And it didn't work out very well for them.
The defense played well against a pretty lousy offense. Not to take anything away from the defense that day, but UTEP did what it could to keep themselves out of this game, turning the ball over 7 times, 5 fumbles and 2 INTs. Some forced, some just the Miners being sloppy, but a turnover is a turnover.
OU struck first and Heupel scored from a yard out after UTEP fumbled a reverse on it's first play from scrimmage..it only took 3 plays to capitalize and it looked like the route would be on..But Damien Mackey who had a not-so-great game fumbled a reception away that UTEP was able to capitalize on and the game was 7-7. OU would answer back and Heupel would put OU back ahead 14-7 moments later..Tim Duncan chipped one in to make it 17-7.
The 2nd and 3rd quarters for the offense did not fair to well. But Roy Williams would get the Sooners back to the endzone with a 35 yard INT return to make it 24-7. Duncan would chip another in and go in to the lockerroom up 27-7..
The offensive struggles were pretty ugly in the 1st half..Heupel went in to the lockerroom 12-25 including at one point 7 straight incompletions..Luckily since he hadn't followed up any other passing quarterbacks, no one was begging for his benching. But that kind of half 10 years later would have had this board begging for Mangino to sit him down.
Penalties were a huge part of this game..9 of them for 70 yards went against the Sooners including a Damien Mackey offensive PI call that negated a TD..The mistakes made were the kind that made you think back to the Blake days.
One of the most disappointing aspects of the game so far was the inept running game. It could barely get going and Griffin struggled with breaking tackles. It seemed that if anyone got a hand on him, he was going down..He did set up the 2nd score with a nice catch and run.
The 3rd quarter started out OUs way with JT Thatcher intercepting a badly thrown pass and Antwone Savage catching a 20 yard pass from Heupel.
UTEP answered in the 3rd and the 3rd quarter ends with the score 34-14..At this point for Sooner fans, a win is a win but everyone can tell this is a game that shouldn't be this close.
Enter Renaldo Works. The Sooners enter the 4th quarter with 43 yards rushing on 17 carries(this could be off a carry or yard somewhere).Works, a 6'1 208lb RB, is called on to finish this game out as the team is struggling running the ball. Works had carried the ball 4 times total in the first 3 quarters but carried 15 times in the 4th quarter for 79 yards..He set up his own 19 yard TD with a 20 yard run and then scored again on a 6 yard run draggin defenders into the endzone..He punctuated his outstanding 4th quarter with a 5 yard run...15 for 79 yards and 3TDs in one quarter had the fans excited for what they would see from him the next game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wibjhur0Ygk
Things forgotten: Brandon Everage and Torrance Marshall were both suspended for the opener and did not play..Stoops said the suspensions were for "unspecified reasons."..I have my own suspicions.
Bad offensive play..Heuple..Griffin..Mackey..Not much of a day for 3 guys that many expected big days from.
Things remembered: Renaldo Works huge 4th quarter that made this game's final look better than the game itself went..I remember thinking, "We are watching the next great runningback at OU."
It was the hottest game I think I've ever been to.. Over 105 degrees at kickoff.
Sec 18, row 34 is where I watched this game. After finishing out the 99 season 7-5, there was a sense of expectancy in the air as nearly 75k showed, the largest for a home opener since '88. The final score was 55-14 but it was an ugly game.
UTEP,realizing how overmatched they were, opened the game with an onside kick..And it didn't work out very well for them.
The defense played well against a pretty lousy offense. Not to take anything away from the defense that day, but UTEP did what it could to keep themselves out of this game, turning the ball over 7 times, 5 fumbles and 2 INTs. Some forced, some just the Miners being sloppy, but a turnover is a turnover.
OU struck first and Heupel scored from a yard out after UTEP fumbled a reverse on it's first play from scrimmage..it only took 3 plays to capitalize and it looked like the route would be on..But Damien Mackey who had a not-so-great game fumbled a reception away that UTEP was able to capitalize on and the game was 7-7. OU would answer back and Heupel would put OU back ahead 14-7 moments later..Tim Duncan chipped one in to make it 17-7.
The 2nd and 3rd quarters for the offense did not fair to well. But Roy Williams would get the Sooners back to the endzone with a 35 yard INT return to make it 24-7. Duncan would chip another in and go in to the lockerroom up 27-7..
The offensive struggles were pretty ugly in the 1st half..Heupel went in to the lockerroom 12-25 including at one point 7 straight incompletions..Luckily since he hadn't followed up any other passing quarterbacks, no one was begging for his benching. But that kind of half 10 years later would have had this board begging for Mangino to sit him down.
Penalties were a huge part of this game..9 of them for 70 yards went against the Sooners including a Damien Mackey offensive PI call that negated a TD..The mistakes made were the kind that made you think back to the Blake days.
One of the most disappointing aspects of the game so far was the inept running game. It could barely get going and Griffin struggled with breaking tackles. It seemed that if anyone got a hand on him, he was going down..He did set up the 2nd score with a nice catch and run.
The 3rd quarter started out OUs way with JT Thatcher intercepting a badly thrown pass and Antwone Savage catching a 20 yard pass from Heupel.
UTEP answered in the 3rd and the 3rd quarter ends with the score 34-14..At this point for Sooner fans, a win is a win but everyone can tell this is a game that shouldn't be this close.
Enter Renaldo Works. The Sooners enter the 4th quarter with 43 yards rushing on 17 carries(this could be off a carry or yard somewhere).Works, a 6'1 208lb RB, is called on to finish this game out as the team is struggling running the ball. Works had carried the ball 4 times total in the first 3 quarters but carried 15 times in the 4th quarter for 79 yards..He set up his own 19 yard TD with a 20 yard run and then scored again on a 6 yard run draggin defenders into the endzone..He punctuated his outstanding 4th quarter with a 5 yard run...15 for 79 yards and 3TDs in one quarter had the fans excited for what they would see from him the next game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wibjhur0Ygk