Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford continues to thrive in his first season as OU's starter.
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And Bob Stoops says he's thriving in every way.
"In the end, what he's doing well is he's doing everything well," Stoops said Monday during the weekly Big 12 teleconference.
"He's throwing the ball well, his progressions are great, he's been great at the line of scrimmage and in the huddle. And he's just getting more and more confident and sure of himself in what he's doing, allowing the players around him to make plays.
"He's just directing the offense like we hoped he would."
Reminded that Bradford wasn't highly recruited, Stoops credited former OU offensive coordinator Chuck Long as the first to identify Bradford's skills as a Putnam North prospect.
"There are a lot of quality players out there," Stoops said. "Josh Heupel is one of the best we've had here and I think we were the only one to offer him a scholarship that was I-A. In the end, Sam's a good athlete.
"We had him in camp. Coach Long at that time was the one who really liked him in camp as a youngster. We kept following him and just liked the way he threw the football. He had the size."
The Sooners are 4-0 headed for their Big 12 opener Saturday at Colorado. While last season's early going was marked with rough spots, including a loss at Oregon, OU's 2007 start has been thorough and convincing.
The difference?
"More consistent play," Stoops said. "Early on last year, we played well in a lot of instances, but then we'd have a play or two here or there where we didn't. We're just more consistent this year. And I think more confident in how we're playing."
Stoops also spoke to an explosive offense's role in the start.
"The emergence of those young receivers who are now juniors; all the running backs are complimenting each other, keeping each other fresh, making big plays; and the maturity in the offensive line has been a big factor," Stoops said. "And Sam Bradford coming along, playing like he is."
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Kevin is right! It's not only John but as a whole all of the writing is ridiculous. Use the spell check every now and again.
The kid seems to be more mature, beyond his age. This probably has a lot to do with coaching. However the leadership, the confidence,you cant coach that. Its something you are born with, and Bradford is gleaming with it. Its something that comes from the huddle, the look in his eyes, the determination. It spreads to the rest of the team. There will be pitfalls along the way as witnessed on Saturday, but the way he rebounds from a mistake is a telltale sign of a leader. As for Gundy, I,being a natural Sooner fan initally could have cared less, however upon further reveiw, totally agree with him. Maybe it was a publicity stunt or a ploy to fire his team up.Whatever the case it has worked so far, it got him on Good Morning America.
Some folks comment on wanting to see Bradford in a close game. I don't think he'd do anything different. Everyone on the team and the coaches talk about how calm and cool he is, moving past his mistakes and telling the offense "Ok guys, lets get it going". Those traits are not going to leave him in the 4th quarter of a close game. He's a good leader, and has 4 games under his belt. That first half against Tulsa and coming back for good drives after his interceptions are indicative of his leadership and resilience. Also on a lighter note, I don't see anyone being close to OU in the 4th quarter from what i've seen so far, so we may have to wait two or 3 seasons to get that :). Go Sooners. And P.S. Jenni isn't an idiot, that unprofessional tirade by Gundy makes it look like he is though.
No, Bradford may be a better quarterback, but the difference is the O-line. Colt ain't got it...Sam has. Just like Adrian had it his freshman year but didn't his second. The difference with OU-TX is the line...OU will kill TX this year...write it down.
I can't wait to watch Bradford shoot fireballs at the Longhorn defense, he's a great QB and a lot of fun to watch. Kudos OU for having such a great team!
I'm anxious to see how Bradford does in a tight game, a game that has to be pulled out in the fourth quarter. I have confidence that he will do just fine.
I don't get it. This article has nothing to do with someone regarding another issue and you use a separate forum to voice your personal opinion about someone. Simple to sit behind a keyboard and type insults at someone, huh? I didn't read the article about OSU and really don't care about OSU. Jenni has a right professionally to write her articles as she sees fit. I haven't personally agreed with all of her articles, nonetheless I am not going to disrespect someone by personally calling them an idiot. Get over it!!!
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John, please, you are a professional writer. Although I'm sure the running backs say nice things to each other, I believe you meant "complementing".
but so far he hasnt been tested.
texas game would be a good gauge ... looking forward to it.