NORMAN — Pro, college, prep, sandlot, backyard, living room, heck, maybe even video. Doesn't matter. Most football offenses start slowly.
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That's why scrimmages and exhibitions and cannon-fodder games exist. Let an offense ease into execution, so that when showdowns that really matter arrive, catchers and pitchers and runners and blockers are ready.
Yet the 2007 Sooners have zoomed out like a jet-fuel dragster, despite a rookie quarterback, Sam Bradford, who 17 days ago excited no one outside the OU practice moat.
How did this happen? How did Sudden Sam lead an offensive explosion that pales the getaways of Josh Heupel in 2000, or a fifth-year Jason White in 2003, or even a sixth-year Jason White in 2004?
The Sooners stumbled upon an elixir that pays unseen benefits. Offensive chief Kevin Wilson told us in August that coaches turned up the fire on OU's trio of quarterbacks.
Not just in scrimmages, but practices, too. More full-speed drills. More 11-on-11 drills. Less coaching, less listening, more doing.
"We've tried to escalate it by playing as much as we can,” Wilson said in August. "That's our answer, not to be coachaholic. We're coaching them on the run. Coaching them off the field.”
In other words, Bradford — and Kid Nichol and Joey Halzle — got a souped-up August camp. More real snaps. More real looks. More experience for guys who had virtually none before.
And those other 21 guys on the field, every time that ball was snapped, got the same.
"It did sharpen us, I think,” Bob Stoops said. "We are so competitive all spring and all through our early camp, until we get in that first game week. We're going good against good, everything we do.
"We do a lot of that work against each other, to try and make each other better, and put ourself in as tough a situation as you ought to see and work yourself out of it.”
There is no question Bradford's toughest assignment of the last six weeks has been trying to move his offense in scrimmages. The OU defense spouts sharp fangs and knows well its pals on the other side of the ball.
Bradford played OK in scrimmages but nothing special. Nothing at all foretelling the coming of Sudden Sam.
But he had a talented and veteran offensive line, many of whom have been playing since 2005, and great ballhandlers. Put in a microwave on the August practice fields, this offense was in mid-season gear on opening day.
The Sooners pinned 79 points on North Texas and 54 on Utah State, no big deal in either case, but 51 on Miami, was a very big deal considering the Hurricanes always play defense and still have pure-bred dobermans manning their huddle.
"It's hard to say what reason there is for it,” Stoops said. "There's a lot of maturity and experience now on both sides that's showing up, whether we did that or not.”
But the Sooners did turn up the heat in August. And it has paid off famously. I suggest the Sooners do it every year.
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Scott: Don't see anywhere where I ever said you were a UT fan. Try yet again Einstein. Just like a Texan though...ignore the facts and screw up while doing it. I suppose when you can't dazzle with brilliance, just baffle with bull, huh Scott? Why don't you, for just two seconds, forget you are a Texan, and speak intelligently about the issues raised in my post. I really can't wait to see it you know...I know folks like you. When you really have no ability to win an argument, you just start talking about something else. Wow, what a genius you must be. Congrats to you as I know you will go far in life.
Scott's a closet aggie, the best kind, who probably hangs out with Chris Collins and will never man up to any of you who his team is. And I doubt he lives in Tyler now but agonizes over the local coverage he must endure of the Sooners.
Hey Scott from from Tyler - If you hate the Sooners so much why are you wasting your time and ours commenting about them. Why don't you comment about the team you root for when someone writes about them instead of being a hater. But that's OK. You'll just be eating crow later, hater. This team has a chance to be something special regardless of what you think or say. Very few QB's can complete 79% against air so Sam Bradford's accomplishments are real no matter who OU has played. Go hide and watch!
Hey Marty from Claremore - Why do you think that I'm a UT fan? Just because my location is in Tyler doesn't mean I like them or that I went to UT. Maybe I'm an A&M fan or a Tech fan. Or maybe I'm none of those and just can't stand the Gooners.
Hey Scott from Tyler: You say the combined record is 2-6 for OU opponents. HMMM...let's see...that figures to about eight games. Two wins six losses. Seems like the Sooners have accounted for half of those losses. Try again Einstein. I have no problem acknowledging the fact that OU really hasn't played anyone. I can also see that Mr. Bradford might fold up like a shotgun the first time he is put in the fire but I doubt it. It's a long season and time will tell much. We might still go 8-4...doubt that too but who knows. But your anemic effort to demean OU when UT has been quite underwhelming is laughable!
Hmmm...let's see. Who have the Horns beat? TCU with no offensive imagination at all and who turned around and got beat by Air Force. Central Florida, which strikes fear into the hearts of everyone in the college football world. They were lucky to get past Arkansas State, who definitely strikes fear into the hearts of all football giants everywhere. The Shorthorns could very easily be 0-3 against very mediocre competition. Granted, they got 3 players back this week that they sorely need, but I guess they will probably lose that many more to criminal offenses by the OU game. Boomer Sooner!!!!
Thus far, OU has had one of the easiest schedules in all of college football. The combined record of North Texas, Utah State, and Miami is 2-6. The two wins came from Miami who beat Marshall (0-3) and Florida International (0-3). So really Bradford does deserve the nickname, "So far I've been good against sucky teams" Sam
I'm personally not too concerned about nicknames, Sooner Nation or any of that. I just want to go 13-0 and all of that will take care of itself. This really seems to be a magical season, much like 2000. Granted we aren't going to 'surprise' anyone this year. But it seems a lot of people outside of the great state of Oklahoma have written Sooner Magic off. Uh oh!! One of those goofy monikers. I still think it is alive an well. I respect Tulsa and the rest of our schedule. But realistically if we can beat Tejas, not a mis-spell. we stand a very good chance at getting one step closer to our goal. Let's take it one game at a time and not worry about the little stuff....
KEITH Nichol for the love of whatever give up the stupid Kid Nichol crap!!! And sudden Sam???? How about Barry the Bore. Some people were excited about Bradford starting even if you weren't. What he did in scrimages was complete a high percentage, but all you daily oklahoma folks again are obsessed with the slingin' lasers hype machine even when those lasers only hit their targets thiry percent of the time.
Yeah, forget the stupid nicknames. I agree that Sam Bradford may come back to Earth before the season is over. Last year we saw the same thing from Colt McCoy of Texas, he waited until the last 2 games to play like a freshmen, but it ended up costing them a Big 12 title. I hope Sam can play consistent enough through the rough Big 12 schedule to bring home another Big 12 Championship Trophy and a shot at the National Championship. The schedule is set up for it; A&M, OSU, & MU are at home. The only tough road games are Texas in Dallas and Texas Tech in Lubbock. Go Sooners!
I'm happy that Bradford is playing well, but I may be even happier that I'm not the only one who finds Tramel's nicknames for players to be corny. Berry, you're a good writer. You don't need to be that lame.
Ok, so we are off to a hot start. Things will come back to earth and Sam will get a taste of reality, but seeing the calm ,cool and collectiveness in this kid is really fun to watch. For all you nonbeleivers, you are certainly entilted to your own opinions,but you have to give it up to this kid.He has the rest of the team beleiving and that my freinds is the true recipe for success. Not only that, I sense a fear factor due south of Norman. That hasnt happened since the Jason White era. "Bookem Horns"!
This article was simply pointing out that the Sooners have gotten off to an extremely fast start, and have been clicking since day 1, which face it, is pretty rare for a football team to do. I don't recall reading in here where he wrote that the Sooners are the greatest team ever, so give Sam and the team a break, and just enjoy the season. Maybe we'll win out, maybe we won't. The fact is, the Sooners have started strong against weak opponents. We could have struggled against them, like texas, but we didn't.
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Last I checked nobody.
Am waiting for the texas game - a true gauge of how good OU is.