Are points the point? Sooners scoring at blistering pace, but Stoops focused only on improvement Sooners scoring at blistering pace, but Stoops focused only on improvement
TULSA — Twice in Oklahoma's 102-year history have the Sooners scored 50 points or more in four straight games.
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With a 62-21 victory over Tulsa on Friday, these Sooners joined the 2003 squad as the only teams to achieve that feat.
The 2003 Sooners played LSU in New Orleans for the national championship.
The 2007 Sooners hope to play in New Orleans for the national championship, too.
"As much success as these guys are having we're trying to keep them focused and working to be a great team,” said offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "As well as we're playing, we can still be better, even as good as it is.”
So far, it's been good.
Through four games, OU's offensive numbers are staggering.
OU leads the nation in scoring, averaging 61.5 points per game. Coming into Saturday, no other team was scoring more than 55.
OU is averaging 562 yards of offense per contest, good enough for fourth in the nation heading into Saturday.
After beating Tulsa, though, coach Bob Stoops downplayed OU's offensive output during the non-conference.
"I don't care what the scores are, what statistics say,” he said. "Everybody's statistics at this point in the year are eschewed because of strength of schedule, so I don't pay any attention to that.
"For me, it's about are we improving, are we getting better?”
But OU has proven it can score against talented defenses, too, pouring in 51 points in week two against Miami, which blanked future opponent Texas A&M for three quarters in a 34-17 win Thursday night.
Individually, too, OU is among the nation's leaders.
Quarterback Sam Bradford, who has 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions, was third in passing efficiency after Friday.
Receiver Malcolm Kelly's seven touchdown receptions trailed only Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech for the nation's lead.
And receiver Juaquin Iglesias, OU's most improved performer from last year, is among the top 10 in the nation in catches (27) and receiving yards (444).
"You saw it out there, some of the moves he was putting on after he had the ball in his hands,” Bradford said of Iglesias, who had eight catches for 142 yards against Tulsa. "When you have players around you like that, it's really nice.”
But even though the Sooners finished with 62 points Friday, OU sputtered offensively at times in the first half against Tulsa.
On its opening possession, OU moved inside the Tulsa 5-yard line in five plays.
But following a penalty that set up third-and-goal from the 16, Bradford tossed an interception trying to force a pass underneath to Kelly as Manuel Johnson broke wide open in the corner of the end zone.
"We were a little sloppy, we gave them a chance to be in the game,” Wilson said. "We left some points out there.
"But we're doing good.”
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Stoops said all week that the Tulsa quarterback was the best they had faced this year. What a great effort by TU. If OU can handle him, they should be able to handle anyone. OU always seems a little week in the secondary but you always give up something when you are tough, as they are, on the run.
Cmon, Credit the OU defense for adjusting to Tulsa's complex offensive scheme. That's a hard one to work as a coach, and you're gonna get burned a few times. I give the defense at least a B+ for staying disciplined, and adjusting to cover that. Like the Coach said, did we learn anything? Heck yeah. We learned how to handle a super complex air-mail offense. We already have excellent coverage from the run, and pass defenses as well. Credit Tulsa for giving OU a little bit of school time on an all out Air Assault. Good job Sooners! Good job TU as well!
Needs new defensive coaches??? Spare me. Look at the offense they were going against in Tulsa. I don't know anyone who thought OU would go in and shut them out. Something you failed to mention is that the defense got much better as the game went on, which is the sign of a team playing an offense they had not seen before and the coaches seeing things and making the proper adjustments. If anything you should be giving the defensive coaches some props for great adjustments.
I agree. The offense looks terrific but the defense has holes to fill. Tulsa made the OU secondary looks not just ordinary but at times awful. Think back Sooner fans at Texas A&M and OSU a few years ago and how they did against an OU defense that seemed great. And what about the Fiesta Bowl last year. I am not sure if OU needs new defensive coaches and I sure do not know how bad the players blew assignments but something must be done. It is a good thing Colorado does not have a great offense as the Sooners will have another week to set things right. But just wait until Oct 6th with Texas and look out for Texas Tech again. There are still lots of things to get right before anyone starts thinking about championships.
I wasn't as concerned with OU's temporary lapses on offense as I was the 3 or 4 busted assignments in the secondary. That has killed us in the past several years because they go for first downs if not touchdowns. However, our defense is so above anything I've seen in the Big 12 thus far. How can a team (Tech) have about 750 total yards on offense and lose a game?!? Leach is a great offensive mind but he needs to do what Barry did, and that's hire great defensive coaches and recruit great athletes to the defensive side of the ball. What made Switzer so successful was even though he was an offensive mind, he knew defense won championships. That is why he won so many, including 3 national championships.
Steve, the word falls within quotes. Jake is attributing it to Coach Stoops. I've not heard the audio; perhaps Jake heard "eschewed" when Stoops actually said "skewed." But let's let the quote stand. Can't we agree that early-season statistics might be shunned because strength-of-schedules then often are weakest? And, Lloyd, point well taken.
Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham caught a 21-yard touchdown pass in a 62-21 victory at Tulsa on Friday night, his third TD catch of the season. By STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
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Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.