We're over using Adrian Peterson

[rhombic21]

I made this point in the "Chasing Billy Sims" thread, but I'm going to re-state it here so that we don't turn the thread about his chase of the record into a debate about how we're using him.

First of all, AD has absolutely NO place returning kicks. I think we call all agree with this. He's not even better than Iglesias as a return man, and it puts that much more wear on his tires. Let Iglesias and Smith return the kicks, with Patrick backing them up. Maybe use AD in end of game situations, like the one we had last week, but don't trot him out there for every kickoff.

Second, I am all for feeding him the ball in the third and fourth quarters, once the defense starts to get tired. I have no problem with riding AD down the stretch of games.

What I do think that we need to do is get Allen Patrick more carries, particularly in the first half. I'm not saying that we don't use AD at all in the first half. I'm just saying that we get Patrick 3 or 4 carries in the first half, and another 2-3 carries in the second half. Peterson isn't getting a lot of yards in the first half, because the OL isn't opening up holes, and the defense is fresh. He's not wearing on the defense when he can't even get into the linebackers, so it's not going to hurt his ability to run in the second half. Peterson was getting something like 3 yards a carry in the first half against Oregon, mostly because there was nowhere to run. I really doubt that Patrick would do a whole lot worse. He might even do better, because the defense might not be as keyed up to stop the run without AD in the game. And Allen Patrick is a very solid back, so it's not like we're pulling AD for some walk-on. I know that Adrian's stamina rivals Owens' as stuff of legend, but he does get tired. On OU's last drive, Peterson has a breakway run and gets caught on the angle. It was obvious that he was tired on that run, and then he ended up having to come out of the game on first and second and goal. A fresh AD right there, and we might have scored, or taken it inside the one, and put the game out of reach.

Finally, Allen Patrick is the odds on favorite to be the starter next year. We are going to field a team next year, after AD leaves, right? Well we need to start getting him game experience, because life will have to go on without AD at some point.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that we stop pounding AD, or that our offense change dramatically. I'm just saying that we need to use our HB depth to our advantage. Everybody in the stadium knows that AD is going to get the ball at the end of the game, unless OU is down by several scores, and I'm not saying that we should change that. But if we're going to ride him like this every game, we need to lighten the load, so that he doesn't end up getting fatigued late, or worse yet, injured. Allen Patrick is a more than capable runner, and he needs to get 5-7 carries, mainly in the first half, so that AD's legs are fresh when we need them most.

[8timechamps]

I happen to be (one of the few) 100% behind the way Stoops is using AD. I need look no further than Reggie Bush to see what a player with AD's abilities can do for a team.

If he gets hurt, then so be it. But, I say put the best people in the best positions to help you win. Whether it be AD returning kick-offs or Roy Williams playing on the Special Teams. Put yourself in the best position to win.

[olevetonahill]

i say get every damn yard out of him we can . while we still have him :P

[Texas Golfer]

This may have been AD's request to enhance his Heisman chances. Reggie Bush won the Heisman last year, not on his rushing stats, but his total yardage stats (rushing, receiving, and returns).

AD may realize that, unless the Sooners finish in the Top 5, his numbers have to be almost inhuman to have a chance for the Heisman.

[rhombic21]

I happen to be (one of the few) 100% behind the way Stoops is using AD. I need look no further than Reggie Bush to see what a player with AD's abilities can do for a team.

If he gets hurt, then so be it. But, I say put the best people in the best positions to help you win. Whether it be AD returning kick-offs or Roy Williams playing on the Special Teams. Put yourself in the best position to win.
What's funny about that example is the fact that Reggie Bush didn't carry the ball every snap. Rather he split a lot of carries with LenDale White, which no doubt allowed him to be able to play as much as he did on special teams.

[Octavian]

What's funny about that example is the fact that Reggie Bush didn't carry the ball every snap. Rather he split a lot of carries with LenDale White, which no doubt allowed him to be able to play as much as he did on special teams.

Yeah, but Bush was a much different back...he got many more touches in the passing and special teams game.

Run Adrian 35 times a game if we have to...he wants the ball as much we can give it to him.

He's the best college running back anyone's seen in a long, long time....give it to him.

[8timechamps]

What's funny about that example is the fact that Reggie Bush didn't carry the ball every snap. Rather he split a lot of carries with LenDale White, which no doubt allowed him to be able to play as much as he did on special teams.

We don't have the luxury of a Lindale White. I know this much, Stoops knows much more about this than either you or I, and if he and AD are okay with it, then I am too.

[rhombic21]

I didn't even think AD looked all that good as a return man. He was solid, but I didn't think he was appreciably better than Iglesias. Iglesias was averaging over 30 yards a return, and nearly took a few back to the house.

[8timechamps]

AD runs a sub 4.4 40. And, there is no question he's strong or can make people miss. I think he is better than Iglesias. But there is no way for any of us to know, sice he hasn't had many chances.

[rhombic21]

Yeah, but Bush was a much different back...he got many more touches in the passing and special teams game.

Run Adrian 35 times a game if we have to...he wants the ball as much we can give it to him.

He's the best college running back anyone's seen in a long, long time....give it to him.
The thing is, Peterson is playing EVERY snap on offense. Even in obvious passing situations.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with trying to get AD a ton of carries in the second half. I'm just saying that it doesn't make any sense to have Adrian get tired at the end of the game, when you have a guy like Patrick who is more than capable of giving him a few snaps off during the first half.

I'm not saying that we don't run the ball either. What I am saying is that you put Patrick in the game for 3-4 plays (maybe more if you count passing situations) to give Adrian a rest. That strategy worked very well his first two years. Peterson still got his yards in the second half, but he wasn't worn out because he hadn't taken every single snap from scrimmage.

[rhombic21]

AD runs a sub 4.4 40. And, there is no question he's strong or can make people miss. I think he is better than Iglesias. But there is no way for any of us to know, sice he hasn't had many chances.
He may be better, or he may not. But I don't think that he's enough better to warrant the extra fatigue and contact that it opens him up to.

[8timechamps]

Maybe I misunderstood your first post. I wouldn't mind seeing someone give AD a break once and a while. But, if he is telling Stoops that he's okay to go, and Stoops feels that hhe is, then all you can do is let him play.

[rhombic21]

Maybe I misunderstood your first post. I wouldn't mind seeing someone give AD a break once and a while. But, if he is telling Stoops that he's okay to go, and Stoops feels that hhe is, then all you can do is let him play.
But come on. You could clearly see that he was tired at the end of the Oregon game. He ended up having to come out of the game anyways on OU's last possession.

You can't rely on the athlete to tell you when he's tired. A guy like Adrian is always going to say that he's good to go, that's just his nature. And he's not getting tired in the first half, so that's not the issue. The issue is making sure that he has enough gas in the tank to carry the ball every down at the end of the game if we need him to, and to try and reduce the chances of injuries so that he doesn't take any more contact than he needs to. If there's a significant competitive advantage to be gained from putting him out there, then yeah, let him play. But if it's not going to give you that much of an advantage, then it's not worth the risk. Especially when he's such a centerpiece for our offense. I'm sure that AD would be a great gunner on punts, and a great kickoff cover man, but there's no reason to play him in those situations, because it's not worth losing him for the year given how little the reward is.

[SoonerGM]

i have to say that... i agree. especially about kick returns. we have proven kick returners on the team. someone else needs to be doing it, so AD can be fully refreshed when they feed him the rock.

i would like to say, if they are wanting him to get more touches, then put him in the slot. this can be good for so many different reasons, even if he is not thrown to.

[rhombic21]

Maybe he'll prove me wrong and turn out to be a fantastic KR man. But if that's the case, then even more reason to get Allen Patrick involved in the offense.

There's just no way that AD is going to hold up if we continue to play him for 65-75 snaps on offense, plus on special teams. I know that he's a freak, but at some point his body is going to break down.

[Fraggle145]

did you ever think the kick return thing was a gimmick used in the oregon game to get more kicks sent reggie's way?

[rhombic21]

did you ever think the kick return thing was a gimmick used in the oregon game to get more kicks sent reggie's way?
It didn't work, considering that they kicked to AD on several of the kickoffs.

[Fraggle145]

There's just no way that AD is going to hold up if we continue to play him for 65-75 snaps on offense, plus on special teams. I know that he's a freak, but at some point his body is going to break down.

It didnt his whole freshman year.... that shoulder thing was left over from high school

[Fraggle145]

It didn't work, considering that they kicked to AD on several of the kickoffs.

well big deal.. whether it worked or not is not the point. lets see what happens for M. Tenn St :pop:

[SoonerGM]

What's funny about that example is the fact that Reggie Bush didn't carry the ball every snap. Rather he split a lot of carries with LenDale White, which no doubt allowed him to be able to play as much as he did on special teams.

again i agree. this also allowed bush to stay refreshed. it has got to be a lot easier to be the "lightning" of the offense when you are only playing for 35-40 min of the game and everyone else is playing for 60.

additionally, since his carries were not wasted on wearing down the defense, his yards per carry increased dramatically. you want to talk about getting stats for heisman, you want this stat to be high!

[Fraggle145]

additionally, since his carries were not wasted on wearing down the defense, his yards per carry increased dramatically. you want to talk about getting stats for heisman, you want this stat to be high!

unless your name is Steve Owens

[rhombic21]

It didnt his whole freshman year.... that shoulder thing was left over from high school
Peterson didn't play anywhere near this many snaps his Freshman year. KeJuan carried the ball 5-10 times a game, and Peterson never was in the game on passing downs (third and long).

Even last year, Peterson didn't play the entire game. And he didn't need to. Remember that even in the Oklahoma State game, when Peterson ran wild in the second half, it was Allen Patrick who scored a first half TD.

[Fraggle145]

Ya but you have to remember there are 5-15 less offensive plays in a game now...

[rhombic21]

well big deal.. whether it worked or not is not the point. lets see what happens for M. Tenn St :pop:
Um....yes it is the point. If you're putting him out there to try and keep teams from kicking away from Smith, and it's not working, then there's no point in putting him out there. And I think that Iglesias would do a fine job of making people not kick away from Smith, given how good he looked returning kicks in the first two games.

[rhombic21]

Ya but you have to remember there are 5-15 less offensive plays in a game now...
Dude, it's not debatable. Peterson did not play anywhere near this many snaps his first two years, because we NEVER used him in passing downs, and because we used KeJuan more often than we're using Patrick.

[SoonerGM]

i love AD as much as everyone else does, but last time i checked this was a team sport. there are other capable players on this team. aside from that, doesnt anyone care about this kids future? you guys want to put all that mileage on him right now so he can be a used up beater by the time he makes it to the pros or what? that's great for sooner fans but last time i checked, this guy isnt getting paid yet(unlike other athletes), and he could probably use a nice long career in the NFL to pad his pockets.

ill take bill parcells advice, who has much more experience than stoops. during julias jones rookie year, he was getting the ball 30-35 times per game. while parcells was pleased with the guy, he was very worried about him having to keep up that pace, and how it may shorten his NFL career. so he went out and found another RB, and they now split the carries.

[Fraggle145]

It isnt the point, whether it worked or not because we only did it for ONE game. Hence, how can we be sure if it did or didnt work. he returned it twice I think. Also it could have been used to make him look even better when compared with stewart who also returns kicks. Since we arent going to get the kid a NC at least we should get him a Heisman.

And ya it is debatable... what are we doing right now? I mean I know we have to prepare for life without AD and blah blah blah... but we also should use him while we have him, and I bet when he finally busts one for a TD (if he ever returns again) you will be screaming your *** off just like I will. I didnt think he looked tired I think he looked like he ran out of bounds and got choke slammed with his head bouncing off the turf. He used to get that same tired look before he would bust one his freshman year. Overall, I am not convinced by any of these arguments. Stoops gets paid 2 mill to figure this out I'm sure he has a pretty good grasp on things.

[Texas Golfer]

i love AD as much as everyone else does, but last time i checked this was a team sport. there are other capable players on this team. aside from that, doesnt anyone care about this kids future? you guys want to put all that mileage on him right now so he can be a used up beater by the time he makes it to the pros or what? that's great for sooner fans but last time i checked, this guy isnt getting paid yet(unlike other athletes), and he could probably use a nice long career in the NFL to pad his pockets.

You're saying we don't care about his well being or longevity? My phone stays on all of the time and Bob didn't call me to get my opinion. I'm betting he didn't call you either.

The decision to put AD on the returns is not ours to make. I'm betting, with the new rules resulting in fewer offensive plays, AD probably requested it.

[SoonerGM]

You're saying we don't care about his well being or longevity? My phone stays on all of the time and Bob didn't call me to get my opinion. I'm betting he didn't call you either.

The decision to put AD on the returns is not ours to make. I'm betting, with the new rules resulting in fewer offensive plays, AD probably requested it.

your right, he didn't call me or you. but it hasnt stopped you from providing your opinion on this board anyway, just like me. why? because thats what it is here for. its a completly ignorant argument when someone states that bob and the coaching staff are not asking for our opinions. thats right, they didnt call me, and i didnt call them to give it. i came on this forum to give it, and will continue to do so.

so here is another one. bob is a great coach. he is not god, he is still a human being and therefore will make suspect decisions sometimes, period. in my opinion, this may be one of them.

bob makes 2 mil a year... so? this makes him right on everything? bill parcells makes a nice chunk of money too and he believes in not running your back in to the dirt. especially a very physical back. and do they get more physical than adrian?

and yes, i think you could care less about his health. i am sure you have not had ill thoughts of him, or willed him to get hurt. but looking at the comments and thought process coming from this thread, i dont think some of you have actually taken a moment to really think about it. and i deffinatly think that some of you are clueless about the wear and tear the human body can suffer in a physically brutal environment, and the actions necessary to take care of yourself so you can remain competitive for a long period of time.

additionally, i am glad that with 0% evidence, you have concluded that not only did AD request to be in kick returns, but it was because of the new rules which result in fewer offensive plays. your power of insight there is giving me goosebumps...

[olevetonahill]

your right, he didn't call me or you. but it hasnt stopped you from providing your opinion on this board anyway, just like me. why? because thats what it is here for. its a completly ignorant argument when someone states that bob and the coaching staff are not asking for our opinions. thats right, they didnt call me, and i didnt call them to give it. i came on this forum to give it, and will continue to do so.

so here is another one. bob is a great coach. he is not god, he is still a human being and therefore will make suspect decisions sometimes, period. in my opinion, this may be one of them.

bob makes 2 mil a year... so? this makes him right on everything? bill parcells makes a nice chunk of money too and he believes in not running your back in to the dirt. especially a very physical back. and do they get more physical than adrian?

and yes, i think you could care less about his health. i am sure you have not had ill thoughts of him, or willed him to get hurt. but looking at the comments and thought process coming from this thread, i dont think some of you have actually taken a moment to really think about it. and i deffinatly think that some of you are clueless about the wear and tear the human body can suffer in a physically brutal environment, and the actions necessary to take care of yourself so you can remain competitive for a long period of time.

additionally, i am glad that with 0% evidence, you have concluded that not only did AD request to be in kick returns, but it was because of the new rules which result in fewer offensive plays. your power of insight there is giving me goosebumps...

dude coach and AD call me daily :P so suck it.
as far as Bob not being a God :eek: Blasphemy :eek: God also calls Daley and says when hes out of the office he lets Coach take his calls ;)
as far as Bob versus parcells ? see above
number whatever :P As far as AD s health is concerned i "could" care less :eek:
cause you see i care one hell of a lot :cool:

now as to if AD requested the additional duty or not
your last statement is iggy !
an oxymoran if you will
so think about your last statement
was it because AD wanted it or was it because of the new time rules that AD wanted to make sure he got all the plays he could ? :P ;) :pop:

[Vaevictis]

It might just be that AD has set certain goals for himself on the year, and with Bob's blessing, he's doing what he needs to do to meet those goals.

[wishbonesooner]

If he gets injured on a return, we're going to wonder why he was back there.

[swardboy]

Love AD to death...he's not a good return man. Danced too much. Oregon game is NOT the time to mess with a proven performer at kick-off return, which we already had. The team was hurt by this decision, regardless of how it came about.

[KingDavid]

If Iglesias is in there, the kick goes to him and we don't even get a chance at the field goal. Guaranteed.

Opposing team's fear factor:

1) AD
2) Reggie Smith
3) Juaquin who?

[The Maestro]

Go back and watch Reggie's kick return. When he took off, AD was five yards behind him. By the time he broke midfield AD was the one who made a great block, freeing up Reggie to get inside the 30. Without AD, we are not even lining up to kick that field goal. He is a TEAM guy and wants to be on the field to help the TEAM win. Having him on the kickoff squad was beneficial already in his first game.

[TripleOption14]

I agree that the kick returning is a bit much. And further evidence of this on top of everything else is the fact that he was brought to one knee in the 4th quarter because he was so tired. Has anyone EVER seen AD brought to one knee before this weekend? And its only week 4 of a veryyy long season.

[RedstickSooner]

Problem with "saving" AD until the defense is worn down is that having him in there is a huuuuge part of what wears the opposing defense down.

If AD isn't on the field, they're going to change their defensive personnel, and their schemes. We want them doing what they're going to do to stop him - because that's how we'll wear down their ability to do so. We don't want them in a base defense with safeties hanging back and avoiding contact, we want them crowding the line, trying to avoid blockers, and trying to bring down the most punishing back in college football.

Yeah, it'd be nice if we could save him a bit, because combining a tired defense with an even more energetic AD would be a sight to behold -- but I just don't think it's practical.

(Although it does annoy me every time he's there in the first half, and these nimrod announcers blather on and on about how AD has been neutralized, and hasn't been able to run at all on the "mighty" or "underrated" or whatever defense we're playing)

[rhombic21]

My point is that Allen Patrick is good enough to gash them for big yards if they don't respect him as a runner, so I think that either way it would work out for us. Either the defense gets worn down without wearing out AD quite as much, or Allen Patrick averages 7-10 yards a carry, and our offense puts some points on the board early.

[Egeo]

Go back and watch Reggie's kick return. When he took off, AD was five yards behind him. By the time he broke midfield AD was the one who made a great block, freeing up Reggie to get inside the 30. Without AD, we are not even lining up to kick that field goal. He is a TEAM guy and wants to be on the field to help the TEAM win. Having him on the kickoff squad was beneficial already in his first game.
thats bull. ad did make a block, but it wasnt great and it was on the kicker whom almost made the tackle after being blocked.

and it was obvious AD was tired on our last possesion
on that last big run, he gave up and walked out of bounds where he was tackled violently

[msteudem]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We were fine on KR in the first 2 games so don't go changin it. Putting AD out there to return KOs every once and while isn't so bad. Just not on everyone of them.

[C&CDean]

This is just another stupid thread - in a whole board of incredibly stupid threads.

When a major university hires you to be their coach, then you are qualified to have an opinion. Sure, you have a right to an opinion, but that doesn't mean your opinion is worth a ****.

If we didn't lose this game, everybody would be "ooh, AD got over 200 yards - way to go" or they'd still be like all the threads from the last couple weeks. You know, the ones where people are saying "Stoops doesn't use AD enough in the first half, etc." Give it a ****ing rest people.

[rhombic21]

No, I said in the Washington game that we were using him too much.

I'm not even saying that it's the reason we lost. And I'm not discounting Bob Stoops as a head coach.

I'm just saying that I think it's a mistake to use Adrian this much, this early in the season, especially when we have such a quality backup.

Please don't get me twisted. I'm not saying that we lower AD's carries from 34-20. I'm saying that we lower them from 34-27, and try to spell him in the first half so that he can finish the game strong, and not be as vulnerable to injury.

Of course AD is going to get the ball every down with the game on the line. I have no problem with that. My concern is that it's the third game of the season, and Adrian Peterson has already put almost 200 snaps from scrimmage on his body, plus returned 3 kickoffs.

We need to be getting him some rest when we can. There is no point in having AD being driven to the point of exhaustion every game, when we have a backup that's as good as Allen Patrick.

[gnostic19]

Agree 100%.
Using him on returns is stupid. Also, if Patrick gets some touches early in the game he won't be so clueless later in the game if and when he gets his hands on the ball...say during an onsides kick late in the game where the recovery is paramount and the idea of making such a recover would result in vibrant celebration of which no one on the field, including incompetent refs, could possibly ignore.

[gnostic19]

This is just another stupid thread - in a whole board of incredibly stupid threads.

When a major university hires you to be their coach, then you are qualified to have an opinion. Sure, you have a right to an opinion, but that doesn't mean your opinion is worth a ****.

If we didn't lose this game, everybody would be "ooh, AD got over 200 yards - way to go" or they'd still be like all the threads from the last couple weeks. You know, the ones where people are saying "Stoops doesn't use AD enough in the first half, etc." Give it a ****ing rest people.

zanax is good. valium is better.

[MikeInNorman]

Well, I wish we would have overused him some more on our last possession. If we had taken a time out when he got banged up, so that he could return sooner, the only logical play sequence would have been:

1st down: AD up the middle.
2nd down: AD up the middle.
3rd down: AD up the middle.
4th down: AD up the middle.

If we do this, the game is over. It was FAR more important to run clock than score on that possesion. If we don't score, Oregon has had to burn its TO, and we still run huge clock, because there is no danger of us throwing a pass or running out of bounds. If we do this, best case scenario is we score a touchdown, and the game is over, period. Worst case scenario is Oregon has the ball on its own 1 or 2 yard line with a minute and a half to go, behind 10 points. This strategy was a no-brainer.

Who ever was in charge of clock management and play-calling on that last possession, whether Kevin Wilson, Bob Stoops, or both should be rightly criticised for blowing it, big time. I think this gaffe has been overlooked due to the epochal officiating fiasco and the defensive meltdown, however.

[bixby28]

I made this point in the "Chasing Billy Sims" thread, but I'm going to re-state it here so that we don't turn the thread about his chase of the record into a debate about how we're using him.

First of all, AD has absolutely NO place returning kicks. I think we call all agree with this. He's not even better than Iglesias as a return man, and it puts that much more wear on his tires. Let Iglesias and Smith return the kicks, with Patrick backing them up. Maybe use AD in end of game situations, like the one we had last week, but don't trot him out there for every kickoff.

Second, I am all for feeding him the ball in the third and fourth quarters, once the defense starts to get tired. I have no problem with riding AD down the stretch of games.

What I do think that we need to do is get Allen Patrick more carries, particularly in the first half. I'm not saying that we don't use AD at all in the first half. I'm just saying that we get Patrick 3 or 4 carries in the first half, and another 2-3 carries in the second half. Peterson isn't getting a lot of yards in the first half, because the OL isn't opening up holes, and the defense is fresh. He's not wearing on the defense when he can't even get into the linebackers, so it's not going to hurt his ability to run in the second half. Peterson was getting something like 3 yards a carry in the first half against Oregon, mostly because there was nowhere to run. I really doubt that Patrick would do a whole lot worse. He might even do better, because the defense might not be as keyed up to stop the run without AD in the game. And Allen Patrick is a very solid back, so it's not like we're pulling AD for some walk-on. I know that Adrian's stamina rivals Owens' as stuff of legend, but he does get tired. On OU's last drive, Peterson has a breakway run and gets caught on the angle. It was obvious that he was tired on that run, and then he ended up having to come out of the game on first and second and goal. A fresh AD right there, and we might have scored, or taken it inside the one, and put the game out of reach.

Finally, Allen Patrick is the odds on favorite to be the starter next year. We are going to field a team next year, after AD leaves, right? Well we need to start getting him game experience, because life will have to go on without AD at some point.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that we stop pounding AD, or that our offense change dramatically. I'm just saying that we need to use our HB depth to our advantage. Everybody in the stadium knows that AD is going to get the ball at the end of the game, unless OU is down by several scores, and I'm not saying that we should change that. But if we're going to ride him like this every game, we need to lighten the load, so that he doesn't end up getting fatigued late, or worse yet, injured. Allen Patrick is a more than capable runner, and he needs to get 5-7 carries, mainly in the first half, so that AD's legs are fresh when we need them most.

I wish they would put in Patrick to spell him, as well. It's a long season and AD doesn't need 30 carries every game. I realize i'm not calling plays or subbing players but he's earning his yards...

I'd like to see any of the freshman backs. Are any of them going to play?

[Texas Golfer]

and yes, i think you could care less about his health. i am sure you have not had ill thoughts of him, or willed him to get hurt. but looking at the comments and thought process coming from this thread, i dont think some of you have actually taken a moment to really think about it. and i deffinatly think that some of you are clueless about the wear and tear the human body can suffer in a physically brutal environment, and the actions necessary to take care of yourself so you can remain competitive for a long period of time.

additionally, i am glad that with 0% evidence, you have concluded that not only did AD request to be in kick returns, but it was because of the new rules which result in fewer offensive plays. your power of insight there is giving me goosebumps...

Wow. You obviously don't know what you're talking about. I was one who was complaining last year when WE DID play AD while he was still hurt. I said I'd rather him sit out for about 4 or 5 games to get healthy. I do care about his health.

As for 0% evidence, AD has repeatedly mentioned during interviews that he'd like to return kicks, too. Apparently, you care about his health but don't pay attention to his desires.

As for the # of reduced play, it was mentioned in one of the interviews that AD will have difficulty getting the 2200 yards he, initially, said was his goal because of the reduced touches due to the new rules.

You really should pay more attention.

[rhombic21]

He isn't going to get to 2200 yards if he's physically exhausted or injured halfway into the season, either.

[olevetonahill]

He isn't going to get to 2200 yards if he's physically exhausted or injured halfway into the season, either.
he isnt gonna get those yards sitting on the side lines either . now is he ?;)

[ashley]

I think the decision on this should be made by the guys that go to practice every day and not by a bunch of guys that can't even draw the trap against the split 6.

[Dr. Jelly Finger]

What's funny about that example is the fact that Reggie Bush didn't carry the ball every snap. Rather he split a lot of carries with LenDale White, which no doubt allowed him to be able to play as much as he did on special teams.

What is also funny is that we don't have a Lendale White on our team. Lendale was arguably as dominant as Reggie was at USC.

Here is a novel thought as well....

Next week, how about the O-Line dominating for the first half, get AD his 175 yards, and let the entire first team rest. AD can have as many carries as we need in the big games, but we need to dominate against the lesser teams on our schedule in order to provide him with some healing time.

I know we have an off week after MTSU, but the more rest the better for this team. Plus we need the confidence of a very dominant performance in all aspects before we make the trip to Dallas.

[mightysooner]

AD has no business returning kicks. Reggie Smith is three times better than AD returning kicks. You saw the difference in the Oregon game between the two and Smith only got one touch. As far as I'm concerned, it was tactically stupid as sh*t by Stoops and company to replace a return man superstar with AD in a big game. Smith almost scores every time he touches the ball. Stupid, stupid, stupid Stoops.

[gnostic19]

Go back and watch Reggie's kick return. When he took off, AD was five yards behind him. By the time he broke midfield AD was the one who made a great block, freeing up Reggie to get inside the 30. Without AD, we are not even lining up to kick that field goal. He is a TEAM guy and wants to be on the field to help the TEAM win. Having him on the kickoff squad was beneficial already in his first game.

I noticed that too. AD was leading the way.

[SoonerGM]

Wow. You obviously don't know what you're talking about. I was one who was complaining last year when WE DID play AD while he was still hurt. I said I'd rather him sit out for about 4 or 5 games to get healthy. I do care about his health.

As for 0% evidence, AD has repeatedly mentioned during interviews that he'd like to return kicks, too. Apparently, you care about his health but don't pay attention to his desires.

As for the # of reduced play, it was mentioned in one of the interviews that AD will have difficulty getting the 2200 yards he, initially, said was his goal because of the reduced touches due to the new rules.

You really should pay more attention.

well, first of all, i want to appologize for my over use of sarcasm in my previous post. looking back it it, i look like a complete jerk. that being said, i still have a different opinion than you. :D

as for not paying attention, i try to read the articles that i can, but i do not have the time to read them all, nor do i have time to read all the posts in this forum. there are just other priorities in my life. so, my mistake there.

and now, for all of those making fun because i am not on the coaching staff and stoops knows more than me, blah blah blah... here is a direct quote from him, i think from today.


With Adrian, when you have one of the best players in college football, everything revolves around him and it should. He carried a heavy load the other night and after three games, he's averaging about 30 carries a game, that's about what you want. I think it's fair to give him a few more breaks in the game. Not that he needs them, but to keep him fresh.

so, once again, nobody said to sit him down through a quarter of the game, just basically give him a break.

back to my other opinion, i think it would be exciting if they lined him up in the slot more, instead of putting him in as KR. i mean, even if they do not throw to him on a couple of plays, maybe he will draw some attention and we can get some huge plays from one of the recievers. and then if they see that we are not throwing to him, maybe that will open him up for a huge gain. and of course, if he has a couple big plays from being in the slot, maybe that would open up a big run play with AP in as backup. i dunno, i just think there is a lot of opportunity there.

i know they lined him up for at least one play and we got a good gain from throwing to someone else. maybe they will do it more often. i dunno how great of a route runner AD is though. this week would be a great experimental game though! :D

[Stitch Face]

He isn't going to get to 2200 yards if he's physically exhausted

While injury is always a possibility, I somehow don't think "AD" is at much risk for exhaustion.

Opposing defenders during the 4th quarter, on the other hand...

[OldGuyinStudentSection]

There is no other back in college football that touches the ball 40 times a game like AD is doing. He's the greatest physical specimen of them all, but he's not immortal and he will break down at some point. It is extremely arrogant and foolish to think otherwise.

Why chance an injury from a player running at full speed down the field when we have comparable players to handle the kick return duties that serve a lesser role in the rest of the game?

[BIG_IKE]

The problem of playing AD will come when we play a decent team with depth. Especially a team like tOSU or saxet that rotates a ton of guys on defense. UAB and teams of that nature might be wore down in the 2nd half, but when we play top notch teams they are gonna have fresh guys in and out all the time.

And honestly, AD may have the fastest 40 time on the team, but he is NOT the most agile player on the team. He is not the "quickest" player on the team either. Who actually runs 40 yards in a game without contact or having to change directions? Very few people. In fact a guy that runs a 4.3 but is a straight ahead runner with very few moves is less likely to get more yards returning than a 4.5 guy with some shifty feet. I would much rather have Iglesias back there. If AD gets hurt doing stuff that other guys we have can do, that is gonna put immense pressure on our offense and the team as a whole.

[kruss1971]

On OU's last drive, Peterson has a breakway run and gets caught on the angle. It was obvious that he was tired on that run, and then he ended up having to come out of the game on first and second and goal. A fresh AD right there, and we might have scored, or taken it inside the one, and put the game out of reach.


But come on. You could clearly see that he was tired at the end of the Oregon game. He ended up having to come out of the game anyways on OU's last possession.


And further evidence of this on top of everything else is the fact that he was brought to one knee in the 4th quarter because he was so tired. Has anyone EVER seen AD brought to one knee before this weekend?


and it was obvious AD was tired on our last possesion...on that last big run, he gave up and walked out of bounds where he was tackled violently

Were any of you really paying attention on that play? The announcers called it as if Peterson was tired when he took a knee. What they failed to focus on was the fact that Oregon's Chung was headhunting. His "tackle" should have been easily called as a personal foul as it was nothing less than a sleeper hold that he rode all the way to the ground. Watch the play again (shameless plug...Tivo is really great) and you will see Chung jump up and wrap his arms around AD's throat and ride him to the ground. You will also see, just before this, that Peterson was clearly taking an angle to go OOB (not uncommon in the game of football) which typically receives a "courtesy" shove or hit out of bounds by the opposition.

I'm not saying that AD was not tired to, at least, some degree, but the fact that he took a knee is hardly a case for proving Peterson's "over"use. Because an official timeout was used for checking on Peterson, the rules dictate him sitting out for at least one down. At that point, I'm sure that KW had already selected the play after that in the case that Stoops, the team doctors, trainers etc., held him out for any additional downs to ensure that he was truly not injured from the sleeper hold.

Fraggle145 has it right...


I didnt think he looked tired I think he looked like he ran out of bounds and got choke slammed with his head bouncing off the turf.

Regarding AD's kickoff return ability, he did do a great job as a lead block for Reggie. In addition, he averaged about 23 yards per return...works for me. If he had more than 1.2 returns per game, he would be ranked 38th in KR average for all D1 schools. I say this not to mean that he is better than Iglesias (9th nationally with 31.75 ypr) in KR yards or anything (he is great)...just to make a point that AD's KR performance certainly didn't hurt the Sooners.

Sure, it would stink if he was injured...BUT HE CAN GET INJURED ON ANY PLAY OF THE GAME! This is a given...it's the nature of the game.

He wants to play...he CAN CLEARLY PLAY...Stoops says it's okay...let him play!

P.S. - I believe that we are overusing PT. Doesn't anyone think that it's probably a good idea to bring in some relief once in awhile?

[rhombic21]

What's hilarious about everybody who said that I was somehow being ridiculous for bringing this up, or that I'm out of line for second guessing the coaches, is that the coaches have apparently agreed with my assessment, and have made comments about how they need to rest AD more and get some other guys in the game occassionally.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

do you remember when colorado used their starting QB (darian hagan) on punt returns? i thought they were nuts. i'm not too far from that on this issue.

[rhombic21]

That was Virginia, not Colorado, I believe.

[Tear Down This Wall]

rhombic,
I'm not so much worried about his health from the running, but from the fact that too many times he is having to create his own space because the offensive line blocking is so inconsistent.

I think he's physically ready to carry 30+ times a game. But, during the Oregon game, he looked frustrated when the line gave him nothing. At times, it looked like he wanted to say something to them (scream), but held back.

It's not all physical, it's mental as well. If he has to make his own open spaces every game, it may wear on him mentally and cause him to try to do things his body can't do, to press too much to make things happen to compensate for the line not doing its part.

Let's just hope for the best - we whip Middle Tennesse, and Patton and Wilson work the OL into shape the two weeks leading up to the Texas game. It'd be neat if AD gets 250 versus MTSU, then surpasses the 1,000 yard mark in Dallas against the 'Horns.

The upside is that the blocking doesn't have to be perfect. He does well enough in most situations with just a little time to get past the line of scrimmage. If the line could just take their 10 and, you know, push it to 11....

http://members.iinet.net.au/~carlm/misc/char08_nigel.jpg

[bixby28]

AD runs a sub 4.4 40. And, there is no question he's strong or can make people miss. I think he is better than Iglesias. But there is no way for any of us to know, sice he hasn't had many chances.

I never played a down of college football, so i don't want to come across as something i'm not, but, the kick returning game takes a little while to get back into if you haven't worked with it in a long time. I was a TB/FB in High school and returning kicks can be difficult if you don't get a lot of work. AD is just a little rusty back deep, that's it.

In my opinion, i don't think AD should be returning any kicks when Kevin Wilson is running him 30+ times a game. The cheap shots/big hits double in special teams play.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

That was Virginia, not Colorado, I believe.

http://web.dailycamera.com/buffzone/hall_of_fame/hagan/hagan_sm.jpg

uh, no. anyone who went to OU during the gibbs era remembers this little fart

[rhombic21]

Oh, Virginia had a QB named Hagans who returned punts as well. He played a season or two at WR, and then finished his career at QB, but also returned punts several times during his senior season.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Oh, Virginia had a QB named Hagans who returned punts as well. He played a season or two at WR, and then finished his career at QB, but also returned punts several times during his senior season.

well, by god, if there is a recruit named darian hagan out there lets go after him.

[Scott D]

Oh, Virginia had a QB named Hagans who returned punts as well. He played a season or two at WR, and then finished his career at QB, but also returned punts several times during his senior season.

http://www.ncaafootball.com/images/virginia_marqueshagans_200w_ap_122802.jpg

Marques Hagans

[rhombic21]

Yeah, that's him. Sorry that I got him mixed up with Darian Hagan.

How about we get the conversation back on track, and talk about how I was right and the coaches now agree with me (not because of this thread).

[CrimsonChampion]

I made this point in the "Chasing Billy Sims" thread, but I'm going to re-state it here so that we don't turn the thread about his chase of the record into a debate about how we're using him.

First of all, AD has absolutely NO place returning kicks. I think we call all agree with this. He's not even better than Iglesias as a return man, and it puts that much more wear on his tires. Let Iglesias and Smith return the kicks, with Patrick backing them up. Maybe use AD in end of game situations, like the one we had last week, but don't trot him out there for every kickoff.

Second, I am all for feeding him the ball in the third and fourth quarters, once the defense starts to get tired. I have no problem with riding AD down the stretch of games.

What I do think that we need to do is get Allen Patrick more carries, particularly in the first half. I'm not saying that we don't use AD at all in the first half. I'm just saying that we get Patrick 3 or 4 carries in the first half, and another 2-3 carries in the second half. Peterson isn't getting a lot of yards in the first half, because the OL isn't opening up holes, and the defense is fresh. He's not wearing on the defense when he can't even get into the linebackers, so it's not going to hurt his ability to run in the second half. Peterson was getting something like 3 yards a carry in the first half against Oregon, mostly because there was nowhere to run. I really doubt that Patrick would do a whole lot worse. He might even do better, because the defense might not be as keyed up to stop the run without AD in the game. And Allen Patrick is a very solid back, so it's not like we're pulling AD for some walk-on. I know that Adrian's stamina rivals Owens' as stuff of legend, but he does get tired. On OU's last drive, Peterson has a breakway run and gets caught on the angle. It was obvious that he was tired on that run, and then he ended up having to come out of the game on first and second and goal. A fresh AD right there, and we might have scored, or taken it inside the one, and put the game out of reach.

Finally, Allen Patrick is the odds on favorite to be the starter next year. We are going to field a team next year, after AD leaves, right? Well we need to start getting him game experience, because life will have to go on without AD at some point.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that we stop pounding AD, or that our offense change dramatically. I'm just saying that we need to use our HB depth to our advantage. Everybody in the stadium knows that AD is going to get the ball at the end of the game, unless OU is down by several scores, and I'm not saying that we should change that. But if we're going to ride him like this every game, we need to lighten the load, so that he doesn't end up getting fatigued late, or worse yet, injured. Allen Patrick is a more than capable runner, and he needs to get 5-7 carries, mainly in the first half, so that AD's legs are fresh when we need them most.I didn't get to read your whole post because I'm in a hurry, but i did get your main point. It's great that we can have AD in there every play, but it seems like we are better when we use rotations whether it be o-line, d-line, secondary, or tailbacks. Let Patrick come in for a play or two, rest AD, throw in a few screens and draws, basically just get the defense confused.

One more thing, is there any chance we can get D.J. Wolfe back in the RB mix? If he could come in and spell AD that would be nice. D.J. was the best back out of Oklahoma coming out of high school and we can't afford to have talent like that sitting on the sidelines or getting toasted in our secondary. If AD's gone next season, it sure would be nice to have someone with that kind of talent taking over, and the rotation would be great with Demarco Murray, Patrick, and Wolfe.

[rhombic21]

I think that the coaches still feel strongly that Wolfe can be a good cornerback. You'd hate to see his career be ruined ala Brandon Daniels because the coaches never just picked a position and stuck with it.

I imagine that with our increased depth at CB (we had a number of good CB recruits last year, plus we have both Reggie and Marcus coming back next year, along with Lendy, and Brian Jackson who is only a RS Freshman) that the coaches will give DJ a choice at some point. But I doubt that he switches positions this season. Given how little we're using the backup HBs this season, I'm not sure that he'd even get on the field any more at HB than at CB. The competition at RB isn't exactly thin either, with Patrick, Murray, Brown, and Gute all coming back next year.

[CrimsonChampion]

Very true, but I do believe Wolfe could contribute more at tailback if he's as good as once expected. I remember rotating Griffin, Jones, and Works a few years back and that would get D's on the backs of their heals. Wolfe, Murray, and Patrick could be SICK.

[rhombic21]

Very true, but I do believe Wolfe could contribute more at tailback if he's as good as once expected. I remember rotating Griffin, Jones, and Works a few years back and that would get D's on the backs of their heals. Wolfe, Murray, and Patrick could be SICK.
We don't know how good he is at HB. Plus the coaches are apparently very high on Gute and Brown already, so adding ANOTHER guy to the mix might make things very complicated, and we'd probably end up seeing somebody transfer.

Let's see how things work out at CB. He's showed some serious promise there, and you can't ever have too many corners or DBs, especially with OU's style of defense. Marcus Walker hasn't exactly been the pillar of durability, and Lendy Holmes looked less than stellar in his road debut.

[CrimsonChampion]

I agree, that kind of talent HAS to be on the field. However, if things don't work out in the secondary for him, we should definatly try him out at tailback considering he was such of a high recruit coming out of high school as a tailback. We don't know how good he could be obviously, but if he was the #1 ranked rb going into OU he's gotta have some promise. I don't know how true this is, but it comes from a pretty reliable source. When Wolfe got on campus he was at a party with one of my friends that attends OU, Wolfe said he was gonna start over AD!

LOL he definatly thinks he's good, so he may just be worth putting him back at tailback to take over when Peterson leaves.

[kruss1971]

How about we get the conversation back on track, and talk about how I was right and the coaches now agree with me (not because of this thread).

Agree with you by thinking that they are overusing him?


When you have one of the best players in college football, everything revolves around him. And it should.

We talked as a staff to give him a few more breaks in the game, not that he needs it, but just for the long haul, to give him some breaks in the game, to spell him a little bit and to make sure he's fresh late.

Is that where you think they agree with you? If you gleaned their "agreement" with you from the OU Football Notebook on the DO, why wouldn't you also admit that you were wrong about Peterson being tired on our last drive of the 4th quarter against the Ducks?


To this point, Peterson has missed only two offensive snaps, those because of a minor neck injury suffered in the fourth quarter against Oregon.

[opksooner]

I'm not over it yet.

I don't think I'll ever get over it.

[rhombic21]

Actually, I was referring to this:


On if the offense has been close to having some really big games

Stoops: We are close to having some really big games. I'm very pleased at the way we're managing the game, the way Paul is, the way coach Wilson and his whole offensive staff are trying to move the football, and the way Adrian's being used on the field.

When you have one of the best players in college football, everything revolves around him and it should. Through three games, he's averaging 30 carries a game. That's about what you want. You're crazy not to as long as he's feeling good.

I think we need, and we've talked as a staff, to give him a few more breaks in the game. Not that he needs it, but I think just for the long haul to give him some breaks in the game to spell him a little bit and make sure he's fresh late.

But here's a guy that rushes for 140-something yards away from home in the fourth quarter. That's pretty strong.


Where in my initial offense did I say that the offense should stop revolving around him? I said that we ought to give him a few breaks throughout the game to keep him fresh and to use our depth to our advantage.

Peterson pulled up prior to the tackle on that play, and was obviously tired.

[kruss1971]

Where in my initial thread did I say that the offense should stop revolving around him? I said that we ought to give him a few breaks throughout the game to keep him fresh and to use our depth to our advantage.

Peterson pulled up prior to the tackle on that play, and was obviously tired.The offense revolving around Peterson is not at issue. Here is the context that I was addressing:

What's hilarious about everybody who said that I was somehow being ridiculous for bringing this up, or that I'm out of line for second guessing the coaches, is that the coaches have apparently agreed with my assessment, and have made comments about how they need to rest AD more and get some other guys in the game occassionally.You assert that Peterson is wearing thin as the game goes on and then attempt to support your position by pointing out that AD "pulled up" because of obvious exhaustion. I'm trying to point out that there is no agreement from the coaches on the basis of resting Peterson because his performance is suffering due to exhaustion. You must have missed the "not that he needs it" part of the quote. In addition, saying that he is "obviously tired" because he pulled up on a play when running out of bounds is hardly evidence that he needed to sit out for 10 earlier plays in the game. It's not the first time, or the last, that he, or other ball carriers, will take a run out of bounds before getting tackled...sometimes, it's the smart thing to do.

Look at AD's yards in the 2nd half, and better yet, in the 4th quarter...it's obvious that he is too tired to go on.

[rhombic21]

Are you serious? When was the last time a fresh AD didn't fight for every possible yard? The issue isn't about whether he was too tired to go on.

The issue is whether he can keep this up all season, and whether he would have been better in the fourth had he been given a few breathers earlier in the game.

How much do you want to bet that Allen Patrick gets a few carries this week?

[Vaevictis]

Didn't Bud Wilkinson say something about how you should have your best athelete on the field every play if at all possible? I vaguely recall something like, "If your best athelete only plays defense or only plays offense, then your best athelete is on the bench half the game!"

Why do you hate Bud Wilkinson? ;)

[BigDeezy]

You must have a point because I noticed in this week's press conference Stoops said they are worried about tiring AD too much, so they are going to cut back on using him a bit. Still will use him extensively but will spell him a bit. We shall see.

[SoonerGM]

this is getting kind of silly. i still agree with you rhombic. unfortunatly it seems like people are taking your comments and blowing them out of proportion. i dont think anyone ever said that he was too tired to go on. the idea behind the original post, i thought, was to just give him a couple of breaks here an there in a game to keep him more refreshed.

btw those two sentences by stoops had 53 words in it. 48 of them supported that adrian needs a few breaks. 5 of them support that he doesnt. obviously, its a bit contradictory, but but considering the lopsidedness, which do you think stoops believes in? i took his statement to mean something like, of course AD can stay in the entire game and still be effective, but he might be at his best with a couple of breaks and breathers.

someone also stated that AD may be a bit rusty on KR. i think that is a reasonable assessment. that being said, i still think it is uneccessary to have him there. its nowhere near a need position at the moment.

[washington's fave]

If I were the OU offensive coordinator AD would be the focus of every offensive play. AD would either be used as a decoy or I would (I hate to say this) be like USUC and get it to him in more ways than a hand off 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage!! AD is a MANCHILD and it is time for the OC to understand that and use him to his FULLEST potential!!!

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Didn't Bud Wilkinson say something about how you should have your best athelete on the field every play if at all possible? I vaguely recall something like, "If your best athelete only plays defense or only plays offense, then your best athelete is on the bench half the game!"

Why do you hate Bud Wilkinson? ;)

because he was talking about darrell royal...

[sooner13f]

I dont have a big problem with putting the best players on the field. AD is our best player, as was Bush for USC. I have read people using the Bush example on this thread. Bush played almost all USC plays last year as well. White did give him a break at RB but he just fell over as a WR. Bush stayed on the field most of the game and that helped him put up the numbers he needed last year. It was Bush's all purpose yards that stood out.

[rhombic21]

Bush wasn't even on the field on USC's infamous 4th and 2 play in the NC.

He did not play anything close to every snap on offense. Most of the time, when White came in, Bush went to the bench.

[TrophyCollector]

How ever much or little the coaches decide he should play, I agree.

[Blue]

How ever much or little the coaches decide he should play, I agree.

No kidding. Everybody's a freakin coach.

[GDC]

Also, Pat Forde on ESPN had AD first and said it's his to lose.


OU loss hinders Peterson
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
9/21/2006

View in Print (PDF) Format



The Heisman candidate may lose appeal if Sooners drop more games.
NORMAN -- The final blow in Oklahoma's painful Saturday in Eugene, Ore., was delivered around midnight outside the Los Angeles Coliseum.

That's where ESPN's GameDay crew recapped the day in college football. Where analyst Kirk Herbstreit determined running back Adrian Peterson had fallen behind in the Heisman Trophy race as a result of the Sooners' 34-33 loss to Oregon.

Never mind that a few hours earlier, Peterson had pounded for 211 yards on 34 carries, 145 and 16 of which had come in the fourth quarter alone.

Was it possible? Could the final outcome, controversy and all, have outweighed Pe terson's individual performance?

The response from Norman was predictable enough.

"How can that be?" OU coach Bob Stoops asked incredulously.

"The Heisman is a team award. But the numbers he put up, and the way he helped his team by us feeding him the rock and him punishing defenders . . . " said quarterback Paul Thompson. "He didn't hurt himself, he helped himself."

"People are entitled to their opinions," Peterson said. "Hey, that's (Herbstreit's) opinion. There's a million other people that have different thoughts."


Eighteen of them were contacted by the World this week. They were 18 of the 20 Heisman Trophy voters who considered whether Peterson was, in fact, damaged in defeat.

And the only two who hinted at trouble did so with asterisks.

"Sure, (losing) doesn't help. I voted (Peterson) third this week," said John Lindsay of Scripps Howard News Service. "But if the two guys I had above him (Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith and Florida quarterback Chris Leak) falter, he might get to the top."

"Unfortunately, wins and losses and regional bias do affect Heisman Trophy ballots," said Harold Bechard of the Hutchinson (Kan.) News. "But Peterson still has plenty of opportunities."

That was a chord struck by several of the 18 voters who dismissed the OU-Oregon outcome altogether as it related to Peterson's Heisman chances.

"Troy Smith is probably the frontrunner, but let's play out the season," said Rick Bozich of the Louisville Courier-Journal. "I'll give Peterson every chance to impress me, and I'm already impressed."

For some, all it took was the effort at Oregon.

"If anything, Peterson's performance against a ranked team elevated his Heisman stock," said Joe Person of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. "I don't believe the Heisman should go to the best player on the best team. I'm voting for the best player. Period."

What concerns the Peterson campaign is that others may not share Person's criterion. Thirteen of the last 15 Heisman winners played in what are now considered BCS bowl games. Ten contested for national championships.

The last time a spate of Heisman winners came from multiloss teams was the 1980s. Back then, performances by Andre Ware, Doug Flutie, Marcus Allen and George Rogers overwhelmed the lower profiles of their teams.

But is that the case anymore? Does Peterson run a risk with every OU loss?

"Losing hurts quarterbacks more than running backs," Aaron Fentress, the Oregonian writer and Heisman voter who watched Peterson firsthand Saturday, pointed out. "I'd say his 200-yard performance helped more than losing hurt. If at the end of the season he has 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns and the Sooners are 8-4, he'll still be a very strong candidate."

Peterson is actually pacing toward a 2,060-yard season. And while OU is, in fact, trending toward 8-4, will that matter in relation to Peterson's Heisman bid?

"Absolutely not," said Aditi Kinkhabwala of New Jersey's Bergen County Record. "I've never subscribed to the idea that the Heisman winner has to come from one of the top teams in the country. A few years ago, I gave my vote to Larry Fitzgerald (the wide receiver on an 8-5 Pitt team). In my mind, he was the single most dynamic collegiate athlete."

Sooner fans who would have hated hearing that in 2003, the year Fitzgerald challenged OU quarterback Jason White for the Heisman, love it right now.

They'll take all the pleasantries they can get, given the debacle at Oregon, and what some said on national TV in its aftermath.

Not everyone agrees with Herbstreit. Not even everyone at ESPN, whose official Heisman poll this week placed Peterson a close second behind Smith.

And those who see the point are quick to make another.

"Peterson still has an Oct. 7 date with the Longhorns on national TV to wipe clean any residual damage from a one-point loss," Bechard said.

"Ring up Texas for about 240 yards and four TDs," Lindsay said, "Peterson might just get to the top."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Guerin Emig 581-8355
[email protected].

[ashley]

Lets rest himmore so hewon't make that last 70 yd. TD run. You may never know when it is gonna come.

[Fraggle145]

Originally Posted by SoonerGM
additionally, since his carries were not wasted on wearing down the defense, his yards per carry increased dramatically. you want to talk about getting stats for heisman, you want this stat to be high!

Quote: Fraggle145
unless your name is Steve Owens

Love it when you make a good point and someone negs you without the balls to sign it... whether or not we are over using ad isnt up for you to decide. and Owens carried the ball 50 friggin times a game and lived to tell the tale... whatever

[rhombic21]

Upon reflection, I am fine with AD at KR, if we get Patrick a few carries (or at least snaps) a game to rest AD. He seems to have all the tools necessary for KR (straight ahead speed, break tackle, vision), and it might result in more kicks for Reggie. Plus he's a better lead blocker when Reggie does get the ball (see last week). Once he gets used to it, he could be a major weapon. And KR yards are a great way to get him more all purpose yardage, which will enhance his statsheet and make it easier to win the Heisman.

[SOONER44EVER]

Maybe I misunderstood your first post. I wouldn't mind seeing someone give AD a break once and a while. But, if he is telling Stoops that he's okay to go, and Stoops feels that hhe is, then all you can do is let him play.
He told Stoops he was ok last year when he could barely jog in pre-game warm-up and Stoops played him. He missed extra games because of it. If he makes it through the entire season playing every offensive snap, having 35 carries and returning kicks without getting injured it will be a miracle IMO.

[Fraggle145]

did you ever think the kick return thing was a gimmick used in the oregon game to get more kicks sent reggie's way?

AD wasnt returning kicks Saturday was he? I think that was just a gimmick for Oregon, but I wouldnt be surprised to see it again vs. Hook 'em but I wouldnt mind it if it got more kicks sent towards Reggie... especially after the return he had this week :pop: