Did Mike Stoops Take Our Mojo?

[FaninAma]

And if he did can Venables Get it back?

Our defense was very disappointing last night but give credit to UAB. They came in with a good game plan, played almost error free ball and has some decent athletes and it was obvious that the defense hadn't adjusted to tackling in full speed.

Coming out of the game there were 3 areas that played way below expectatios: WR, LB and DL. All of those were supposed to be strengths and hopefully will be before the Oregon game. Obviously 2 of those positions were on the defense which , IMO, should be correctable if Brent Venables is the coach I think he is.

BTW, the UAB QB was 6'3" 215 lbs with 4.6 speed. Certainly he's not Vincent Young but neither is he a pocket bound non-running threat. I don't see us playing a QB who is as much of a running threat until maybe TAMU. And as everyone knows, running QBs have always been a headache for OU.

Overall I see the game as a glass half full picture.

[TheGodfather889]

Dennis Dixon for Oregon. He gave OU alot of headaches early in the Holiday Bowl. To this day, I still wonder why Mike Belotti took him out. But he'll be the starter against OU.

[Socrefbek]

Mike Stoops took his mojo and went to Arizona. Venables has no mojo and we are

DOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMEEEDDDDD !!!! :eek:

[Harry Beanbag]

Venables' defenses have appeared to be more of a read and react passive style to me. Mike's defenses seemed to be more aggressive and were able to dictate what the offense did. They both tend to give up some big plays every now and then, so I'd rather have the attacking, in your face, knock your dick in the dirt style.

[Readyfor8]

Me too FaninAma, this game isn't a bright spot but it also doesn't spell doom for our team this year. The defense needs time to gel, plain and simple. I have confidence in the coaches because I know we have the talent to be all world on defense.

Again Paul Thompson exceeded my expectations last night, I was expecting a TCU like game from him and he gave me something closer to a Nate Hybl or Late Season Bomar performance. The OLine did awesome in Pass Protection which is positive although the run blocking for AD was less than stellar (this can also be blamed on running off center when the defense was stacking the box but most of that was due to keeping the UAB Defense honest.)

What we know: All of the positions that we thought were going to be our weaknesses were strong and played up to or above expectations in the first game of the season. We also know that our Defensive Backfield is much improved over last season and the year before even.

What we have yet to see: Our Defense needs time to gel, they need time to figure each other out. Our Defensive line was coming together at the end of the game when we got some sacks, and they showed improvement over the first half. Our Wide Recievers had some good plays but I don't expect any Wideout getting 10 catches, I also don't expect a TFRW's like no effort at the pass catching we got last night on some of the plays.

The future of this team is bright, just one game at a time, wait for the good pitches, and give 110% and all that jazz...

[Ash]

I also don't expect a TFRW's like no effort at the pass catching we got last night on some of the plays.

I thought I noticed the same thing a couple of times.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

to my understanding, the washington qb is every bit as much of a running threat as dixon of oregon.

[MiccoMacey]

The thing that cracks me up about people who say that if we looked bad against player X then we will automatically look bad against player Y because they can both run is that they fail to realize that each game plan is different for opposing teams based on several things, not just "can the QB run". Base formations, tendencies, our strengths versus their weaknesses...all these things go in to make up our defense.

After Hunt started tearing us up on the run, BV stuck Rufus on him and we saw how that worked out...took him out of the game. We made adjustments.

We should be OK.

[jbstrick]

Is it me or is this stupid?

Actually, I am wrong. I think we need at least two more threads on this subject.

[Harry Beanbag]

Is it me or am I stupid?


It's just you.

[StoopTroup]

I think it's a simple answer.

Loosing Mike Stoops was devastating to us.

Was it the right thing for Mike to do?

Yes.

Have we fully recovered?

I don't think you could have had a better situation that to have two Brothers Coach OUr team. I'm sure Bob misses having his Brother around but he's a great coach and he has suffered the loss of more than one good Coach during his current tenure at Oklahoma. I'm sure he'll lose some more too. A great Coach not only delevops great players...he develops great Coaches.

When Bob came to Norman...he had "The Dream Team" as far as his Coaching Staff. Currently the Staff is still made up of some very talented folks IMO.

We are a very lucky bunch of Fans to have the Coaching Staff we do.

Thanks to Bob and all his past and current Coaches.

BOOMER SOONER ! ! !

[HarrisTubbsFan]

He took our experience. We have a very young defense.

[crimson&cream]

Venables' defenses have appeared to be more of a read and react passive style to me. Mike's defenses seemed to be more aggressive and were able to dictate what the offense did. They both tend to give up some big plays every now and then, so I'd rather have the attacking, in your face, knock your dick in the dirt style.
Merv Johnson said the same thing during the OU radio broadcast, stay in your assignment lanes and attack rather than try to read and react where you get fooled to often.

[crimson&cream]

He took our experience. We have a very young defense.
ARe you kidding most of the DB's played last yr, the DE's have all started at one time or another, the LB's all have expeerience and so do most of the DL except for Granger.

[wishbonesooner]

We haven't looked the same since Mike left. Anytime you watched a Sooner game in the Mike era, the announcers would comment on how sound a tackling team our defense was. I think Mike taught basic defensive football, he didn't assume guys were sound in those areas. We do not look as sound the last several years. BV can scheme with anybody tho.

[FaninAma]

Is it me or am I stupid?


If you really find it suprising that posters want to discuss the first Sooner football game on a Sooner football forum then the answer to both of your questions is a resounding "Yes!"

One other observation from the game. The new rules do limit the total number of snaps each team gets on offense which helps a ball control offense like UAB's. I think Stoops and Wilson will make the adjustment quickly and we'll see a version of the hurry up offense to try and increase the touches Adrian gets.

Also, UAB averaged 3.4 yards per rush. Sure we had some missed tackles and assignment breakdowns but the way everybody is dogging the defense one might think that UAB ran up and down the field on the Sooner D.

[Vegas Vic]

We haven't looked the same since Mike left.

As I mentioned in another post, I'm pretty sure that even if Mike was still here, he wouldn't have had any effect on half of the offensive linemen getting run off of the team and the absence of a Heisman caliber quarterback in 2005 and 2006.

[StoopTroup]

As I mentioned in another post, I'm pretty sure that even if Mike was still here, he wouldn't have had any effect on half of the offensive linemen getting run off of the team and the absence of a Heisman caliber quarterback in 2005 and 2006.
:confused: :confused: :confused:

[Texas Golfer]

Our offense was as about as productive as I thoght they'd be so I have no real disappointments with them. I would like to see some holes open up in the middle for AD but I thought the pass blocking was very good.

On defense, however, I was very disappointed. Our defense was touted by many as being one of the best, if not the best, in the country but we had numerous mistackles and busted coverages.

[Egeo]

we changed fronts when he left and also happened to lose many starters that year.
we still blitz a ton

but why do we even care? mike has been gone for almost 3 years now. lets get over it!

[ashley]

The loss of Mike Stoops was the most overated thing that has ever happened around the program. Any insider will tell you that.

[HarrisTubbsFan]

ARe you kidding most of the DB's played last yr, the DE's have all started at one time or another, the LB's all have expeerience and so do most of the DL except for Granger.

But we don't have any star players with experience outside of Rufus. Our DEs are solid players and can make plays. But there's no Dan Cody in the bunch.

Rufus is a stud but he didn't have a very good game against UAB. But outside of him there's a bunch of solid guys. I think the loss of Ingram there really hurts also.

DBs are still young. Darrien Williams is the most experienced guy at his position. We have a freshman, a sophomore, and a Junior in his 2nd year at CB at the other spots. Wolfe is in his 2nd year as a CB. He's okay but still learning the position. He's probably better in shorter routes and in a zone defense then he is man to man. Reggie is playing corner for the first time in his life. Walker has the most experience at corner but apparently the coaches just aren't confident in him.

[rogcoley]

Same logic as "if we played Texas this week, we would have been beat". We didn't play them did we? People like to be scared and like to panic.

[Egeo]

But we don't have any star players with experience outside of Rufus. Our DEs are solid players and can make plays. But there's no Dan Cody in the bunch.
so how many sacks does it take? i think 10 is a good number. are you good if your the big 12 necomer of the year?


Rufus is a stud but he didn't have a very good game against UAB. But outside of him there's a bunch of solid guys. I think the loss of Ingram there really hurts also.
ingram was a good player but lattimer is plenty solid as well is demario (since he almost beat out ingram 2 years ago)


DBs are still young. Darrien Williams is the most experienced guy at his position. We have a freshman, a sophomore, and a Junior in his 2nd year at CB at the other spots. Wolfe is in his 2nd year as a CB. He's okay but still learning the position. He's probably better in shorter routes and in a zone defense then he is man to man. Reggie is playing corner for the first time in his life. Walker has the most experience at corner but apparently the coaches just aren't confident in him.
williams is the worst guy in the secondary... he might be the most experienced class wise - but he's only started like 4 games ever

reggie didnt play corner in highschool? or middle school or anything?
he's never covered a guy man to man?

*rewatching the game and i cant really say williams played any worse than anybody else except maybe smith

[daddywarbucks]

The loss of Mike Stoops was the most overated thing that has ever happened around the program. Any insider will tell you that

owie not sure im gonna buy into that statement

[Hella Sideburns]

the defense only gave up significant drives two times in the entire game. I'm sure the four turnovers+the excessive amount of time they were on the field had something to do with that. Not to mention DJ getting beat deep 3 or 4 times.

Theyll be fine

[Ash]

Same logic as "if we played Texas this week, we would have been beat". We didn't play them did we? People like to be scared and like to panic.

Especially HTF aka NickZepp

[daddywarbucks]

But....if you watched az play the other night you had to kinda miss the sting that Mikes D brought. Sure fun to watch

[jbstrick]

If you really find it suprising that posters want to discuss the first Sooner football game on a Sooner football forum then the answer to both of your questions is a resounding "Yes!"


That was not my point. When the defense plays badly, will it always be because Mike left? Or is it possible there is another reason?

[FaninAma]

That was not my point. When the defense plays badly, will it always be because Mike left? Or is it possible there is another reason?

That was't the assertion of my original post. The contention that OU's defense won't ever be as good as it was under Mike has been thrown out time and time again....especially by the always "objective" horn fans. I really wanted to offer a counterpoint to that specific claim and see what other fans thought.

[goingoneight]

I don't see where Venables' D ranks anywhere near what it was when Mikey was backing him up. The comment about Mikey Stoops being overrated was bullshat and that guy obviously knows nothing about D. OUr DC's continue at this point to bring in big, strong athletic guys, but however, the simple things are killing us.

The over-pursuit on running plays is where we are the weakest since Mikey left. Options against aTm 2005 and UAB are most obvious of that. Remember the reverse Oregon pulled off on us in the Holiday Bowl??? OUr guys always rank high in rush D, but how does that help you if you can't tackle, you leave recievers wide open to pursue the QB (yes, DJ, I saw it)... We've looked sloppy in sooo many games since the start of the 2004 season it's been unreal. This sort of thing should have been corrected before it stretched into three seasons.