random thoughts game 3

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

If you are an OU QB, you want Tulsa on the schedule. I think every QB over the last 15 years has had their best game of their career against Tulsa
We lose this game with last year's offense. The biggest weakness to the power run game is when you cough up the ball in the opponents red zone and lose momentum. It typically takes 1-2 series to get your mojo back which is why you'd better have a great defense.
The defense (including staff) experienced Shane Falco's "quicksand" at the end of the 1st half
All in all, I thought we played pretty well outside of the fumbles. If we punch either one of those in this game is a typical 52/10 OU/Tulsa game. Turnovers do funny things to momentum
There are 13 teams with a worse turnover margin than us.
Much more worried about Tulsa's rushing yards than their passing yards. Linebackers were a no show and the secondary support I mentioned in game 1 came back to bite us.
Nice game plan mixing pass and run
Briles scheme puts a lot of pressure on your corners to leave their man and come up in run support (leaving the WR with a safety). We didn't do so hot early.

[Soonerjeepman]

Agree with most...

I'd conclude that the last statement had as much or more to do with the statement in giving up rushing yards, from what I remember we didn't have but 1 lber most of the time...yes/no?

[badger]

If you are an OU QB, you want Tulsa on the schedule
Perhaps under Bill Blankenship, a nice guy who couldn't recruit the talent Doug Graham Steve Kragthorpe could to TU. Under new guy, get your licks in now because if he's not hired away first, he'll have TU competing with everybody.


We lose this game with last year's offense
We were losing to TU in the third quarter in 2005, until Adrian Peterson happened. I'd have to think that a hero would have stepped up late in the game


There are 13 teams with a worse turnover margin than us
This cannot be emphasized enough! Why are we fumbling?! Why are we not taking the ball away from offenses more?! Argh a thousand times.

[hawaii 5-0]

All Tulsa coaches get hired away.

Stepping stone job.

5-0

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Agree with most...

I'd conclude that the last statement had as much or more to do with the statement in giving up rushing yards, from what I remember we didn't have but 1 lber most of the time...yes/no?

More to do with passing yards. Your corners are always having to peek into the backfield or release their guys to safeties (where they are totally out-athleted).

[FaninAma]

More to do with passing yards. Your corners are always having to peek into the backfield or release their guys to safeties (where they are totally out-athleted).Why doesn't OU just recruit CBs out of HS and use them as our safeties. Would that make the defense more vulnerable to the run?

[BoulderSooner79]

Perine has proven he is not a fumbler, so shouldn't be a worry going forward. He dinged his hand on that play, but not sure if that caused it. Mixon's fumble was a ball security issue, but not a blatant one. He didn't lock it up as he got into traffic and was tackled by a couple of guys. Looks very correctable and he certainly has the size/strength to hold on tight. I'd be a lot more worried about turnovers if it was INTs from QB bad decisions. The lack of forced TOs by our D is a red flag for me.

[dwarthog]

The couple of times I did the slow motion reply when TU's running back made a big run, I notice the LB's shooting inside gaps and we didn't have anyone on the edge. It was free yards for the most part when the runner jumped to the edge and took off.

I would think the LB would want to maybe delay an extra moment to keep an eye for that bouncing out so they would have a shot at covering it better. But I'm not FB coach. Maybe they made the correct read.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Perine has proven he is not a fumbler, so shouldn't be a worry going forward. He dinged his hand on that play, but not sure if that caused it. Mixon's fumble was a ball security issue, but not a blatant one. He didn't lock it up as he got into traffic and was tackled by a couple of guys. Looks very correctable and he certainly has the size/strength to hold on tight. I'd be a lot more worried about turnovers if it was INTs from QB bad decisions. The lack of forced TOs by our D is a red flag for me.

Perine's fumble was painful to watch. His fingers got caught in the guy's facemask as his helmet went off the ball. Had that happen once and had sympathy pains :D

[champions77]

There is a glaring shortage of experience on this team, and probably talent too, in some very critical areas.
Corner. We normally start a sophomore Jordan Thomas, who started as a true freshman last year, he gets in trouble, then we start a true freshman, PJ Mbanasor, he gets burned, then bring in a redshirt freshman, Marcus Green. So where are the redshirt juniors or seniors in this program at corner?
The fumbles is an area that concerns me. Cale Gundy stressed that so much. You fumble, you don't play, ask Keith Ford last year. New coach this year. Don't like the early results. Hopefully it doesn't continue to be a problem. Kept Tulsa in the game last Saturday.
Similar situation exists on the offensive line. Where are the experienced players to step up?

[BoulderSooner79]

You want to bench Perine because of a fumble? I think he had 1 fumble all last season. And that was during a gang tackle that twisted his ankle and shouldn't have been ruled a fumble anyway as he had been driven back 3 yards. Another fumble was Shepard on a punt return. I understand the concern over him returning punts in general, but I sure as heck wouldn't bench him.

[SoonerMarkVA]

And continuing with Perine, the fumble Saturday was when his hand was injured enough for him to head to the locker room. I think he gets a pass.

[champions77]

No, we don't have the luxury of benching Perine, but I'm saying that time will tell if you see more fumbles this year than in the past. And if one of him or Mixon cough it up, while the other doesn't, then I would hope the one that fumbles less Gets more carries than the other one. Mixon had the other fumble I believe. Bet you could count on one hand the number of times the last ten years that Our running backs have had two or more fumbles in a game.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

And continuing with Perine, the fumble Saturday was when his hand was injured enough for him to head to the locker room. I think he gets a pass.

Getting your fingers caught in a facemask is bad juju

[swardboy]

Seems like we fumbled 4 or 5 times a game back in the wishbone days. But Switzer wouldn't bench the thorobreds.

[BoulderSooner79]

Seems like we fumbled 4 or 5 times a game back in the wishbone days. But Switzer wouldn't bench the thorobreds.

I've actually disagree with how fumbles have been handles in the Stoops era - I think it takes away how aggressive some of our backs have run. It also keeps young backs on the bench when they could be getting valuable reps during garbage time. Fumbles are going to happen even if the ball carrier does everything right. But it's often hard to determine the cause during the game, so I understand why coaches just make a blanket rule and sit a player after a fumble. It a matter of degrees, I guess. If Joe Washington had played for Stoops, he may have never started with the way he carried the ball.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

There is a safety epidemic in college football these days. All of your good coverage athletes are put at corner and your linebackers who aren't big enough to play the position are being put at safety...