Turns out, he was right.
Not even those three would've made a difference in the outcome of the Fiesta Bowl as West Virginia's offense dominated in a 48-28 victory Wednesday night.
"They beat us across the board,” cornerback Marcus Walker said. "I don't even think those three could've helped us tonight.”
Walker was right.
Even with Granger, Holmes and Smith, OU would've lost to the Mountaineers.
That's how good West Virginia's offensive performance was.
The 525 yards of total offense were the most allowed by a Sooner defense since 1999.
West Virginia's 48 points were the most given up since Southern California dropped off 55 in the 2004 season Orange Bowl.
"To some degree (we missed those guys),” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "At the same time, it still comes down to basic fundamentals. You've got to get off blocks up front. You've still got to tackle. We let them get some big plays.”
The Mountaineers' dominance was underscored late in the third quarter and early in the fourth when they produced 222 yards over five consecutive plays on gains of 42, 30, 79, 5 and 66 — three of which ended in touchdowns.
Against the Sooners, West Virginia produced its two longest runs and its longest pass in the school's bowl history.
"Playing with those three starters, playing without those three starters, we got beat,” safety Nic Harris said. "It was a collective effort. We didn't tackle and we didn't make the plays.”
OU knew it was going into the Fiesta shorthanded.
Holmes failed to stay academically eligible and didn't travel with the team.
Smith broke his big toe in the Big 12 Championship and was ruled out early on.
Granger was sent home after being arrested at a mall on Saturday night.
But while the absence of Holmes and Smith — and to a lesser extent Granger — wouldn't have made a difference in who won and loss, their presence would've made an impact in the final score.
The major reason West Virginia had so many big plays was due to poor tackling by the OU defensive backs, especially against jitterbug tailback Noel Devine.
That's where the Sooners sorely missed Holmes and Smith, OU's two best tacklers out of the defensive backfield.
On the first big play of the game, Mountaineer fullback Owen Schmitt broke through the tackle of free safety Darien Williams — Holmes' replacement — and rumbled 57-yards down the sideline to put West Virginia ahead 13-3.
On the last big play of the game, Devine cut back across the field — turning Williams and strong safety D.J. Wolfe around — on his way to a game-clinching 65-yard touchdown dash that gave West Virginia a 48-28 lead.
"(Holmes and Smith) are good players,” said Walker, who allowed a big play of his own when Tito Gonzales beat him for a 79-yard touchdown pass. "I'm not going to act like we didn't need those guys. They started for a reason.
"But (West Virginia) just lined up and beat us.”
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If Granger would have been allowed to play, they could have used his hands to recover onside kicks. It may of made the difference.
I think Stoops could learn a lesson from Mangino, who added a couple of wrinkles to the KU offense against VT. Nothing fancy - just enough to make the defense pause a moment before reacting. OU might have employed more misdirection plays against a very quick WV offense that was often overpursuing. I would also like to see them use a power I formation now and again, as that is always an effective way to attack a defense that is smaller and quicker than the offensive line. Clearly the month prep time for the BCS bowls have benefited OU's opponents more than the Sooners - let's hope Stoops means what he says about doing things a little differently from now on.
DAVE, you ought to have the decency to disclaim your involvement in being an OU fan. Dave you are a disgrace. You don't remember the 90's do you? This goes to the rest of you crying babies. OU don't need you. Sorry A$$ fairweather fans.
as a sooner fan you just want to run and hide. Big 12 making a good showing except the big 12 champ that comes out uninspired and undisciplined. in retrospect i'm glad they didn't slip into the championship game. that would've really been embarressing. the other teams take these games seriously.
Let's put the blame where it belongs, right on the back of the players. They are the ones that played (I use that term loosely) the game. They constantly were out of position. On the sweeps, Lewis Baker got caught inside every time. On the fullback touchdown run, he left his position (outside lineback) and went inside just as the ball carrier ran right past where he had been and was supposed to still have been. The defensive back constantly bit on run fakes and were out of position. Tackling (what there was of it) was horrendous. On offense, did you see how many blocks Joe Jon missed? Did you see how many Loadholt missed? Yes, bad coaching. Brody Eldridge was All Big 12 fullback. How many plays did he actually play that position and block for Patrick and Brown and Bradford? Not many. But put most of the blame on the players for not getting off of the bus. I could go on and on with the players that didn't show up, but I won't because there is not enough room here and I don't have the time. Darn it was good to see Stoops in Trent Williams' face after the personal foul call. He could do a lot more of that on holding and false starts.
OSU alumni talking here... First, I apologize for Adam's comments (yes, Adam, someone does need to apologize for you since you're not man enough to do it yourself). But other than Adam's inane lack of insight, you wil notice that there has only been one other "identified" Poke commenting on this game, and that individual indicated a support for not just OU, but all Big XII teams during the bowl season. I also noticed that Fake, Springsteen and Mike, Kingfisher felt compelled to slam the Pokes, uncompelled. To you two idiots, I ask why that is? Sounds to me like a severe case of "little man syndrome." In regards to last night's game, I agree, OU got it handed to them (and that did not "make my night"). I was shocked by how lackluster the defense played -- that was not the same team that handed it to the Cowboys in November. As for calling for Stoops' resignation, don't be ridiculous. Everyone wants to win their bowl games, unfortunately only half of them do. Everyone wants to talk about how uninspired the Sooners played last night, and that is true. However, I don't believe WVU could have been MORE inspired. After their loss to Pitt, their coach bolting for Michigan, and the team's desire to prove that Stewart deserved to be named head coach -- they had a ton of adrenaline pumping. Bottom line, I'm not sure OU could have beat WVU last night. In another week, who knows? Just not last night. Stoops and company, congrats on a great season. You have one more fan from STILLWATER for 12 of your 13 games next season. RIDE 'EM COWBOYS!!!
I am 61 years old and have been a Sooner supporter for most of them. The bottom line is that West Virginia was the better coached team!!! What happened to the team that played smash mouth football with OK State and Missouri? It looked like the Sooners didn't look at any film of the Mountineers. The team just got out muscled and out couched.
Hey Adam how did your cowboys do in the big 12.. oh thats right osu hasn't played in a Big 12 Championship game... EVER!
well what about that BCS... oh thats right osu has never played in a BSC bowl game so shut up.
Would these guys have made a difference? Who knows? What I do know is that WV was very good, and OU looked very ill-prepared. The in-game decisions by the coaches were poor: How long did it take Wilson to roll Bradford out? Why throw deep, long-developing patterns when you're not keeping out the blitzers? Where are the slants and hot reads? Three-step drops and gone is what you do when you're being pressured. When you're successfully running to the left, why go to the right? How can a guy like Gresham be used so sparingly? He should get a look on virtually every series. If you watched USC, you saw a much slicker offensive game plan. What really blows is that if it weren't for the desperation onside kick, OU might actually have pulled it out. I don't think I've ever seen a dumber call.
We were pathetic as a team, Bradford didn't play well, we didn't deserve this game...I am in the air about Venables. he did a great job in the Mizzou game, then this...He has potential, but I am not sure if wondering if its his night or not is worth it. And wilson is way to predictable. We run up the stinking middle everytime...or its 3rd and 15 and we throw for 3 yards when you need 15 what is with that...IRRITATING
ok just one last thing..really. Thank GOD patrick is graduating. Now stoops wont have any reason to not make Murray the starter and give him the ball 20 to 30 times a game. That should have been done this season. Murray is a big time running back. Cant wait until next season to see if the coaches mess up a team with so much talent returning.
OU was missing 5 starters plus Demarco Murray, a super star. Reggie Smith (great CB and team leader), Lendy Holmes (speedster), Granger (pile mover and shoplifter, DE Williams (proto-typical NFL DE) and Malcom Kelly (prototypical NFL WR). Add to that Murray and that English hadn't played in months. Some teams lose less starters to graduation!!!!!!
lol....you peaple, the same ones that wanted to keep venebles when the article came out about him and wilson maybe getting head coaching jobs at another school. you all wanted to keep them both just becouse of there last 2 reguler season games. when that article came out i wrote that i was hoping that they both leave and just maybe we would get 2 coaches that knew a little more and could maybe motivate the players. And now, here are the same peaple putting them down. I remember i caught some flak over what i had said. But i still say it and still believe it....let those 2 coaches go, bring back a mike stoops kinda defencive coach. And one last thing, i wonder who's bright idea it was to go for the on side kick? that was stupid, we were dominating on both sides of the ball when the 3'rd quarter started. we didnt get it and the motivation went flying out. Down by only 5 points and doing an off side kick at the start of the 3'rd quarter....how stupid can you get.
I disagree with this article. Reggie Smith is a great tackler at CB, and would have kept the runs to his side very limited. Holmes is the guy in the secondary with great speed, WVU FB would have been run down by Holmes before he scored a TD. The DL had little penetration, Granger gets a lot of penetration for a DT would have made a difference.
Say, Troy, the problem is that I get real tired climbing that cold,rocky,snowy mountain and just when I get one foot on the summit a flea flicker or mis timed onside kick knocks me back to the bottom
It just dawned on me that all of us have the answer on getting OU back on track. My wife and I discussed what the problem was last night - every coworker today knows what the problem is - everyone that has submitted a thought here knows how to fix the problem. So, after we hire all these smart people (including myself) that will be around a million folks being the new head coach. That means that we couldn't receive more than $3.20 for our years' worth of work or we would be getting more than Bob Stoops. You know what? Bob Stoops has won us several Big XII Championships and even a National Title - what do you say we just give him one more chance to take us to the top?
You are right Misty,this big bad D has leaked like a frozen water hose all year,I guess one positive thing about this bad defense is that we wont have to worry about anyone coming in and hiring any of our coaches away,on second thought maybe that is a negative.
I have seen the defense do worse (Texas Tech game). But did anyone notice the offense? Bradford's passing was off and our linemen couldn't protect him. If it wasn't for Chaney, we would have gotten as far as we did.
I can't believe some of the remarks here by people still raving about OU - like this loss was a fluke. WAKE UP PEOPLE, they have CHOKED for the 4th time in a bowl or championship game - WHEN IT REALLY MATTERED. Doug, in Maize - you echo my sentiments exactly. I get so tired of seeing Stoops on the sidelines with his stupid smug look and showing no emotion - these players need firing up - they need motivation - they need good coaching. He got paid too much and just sits back and is fed all this hype and does not strive anymore. Next year, get ready for another loss at the next bowl game, if they even make it. I am an OU fan, a true fan that hates to see stoops lose it for the team year after year. it's gone on too long!
What has happened to BIG GAME BOB? I think that is what they called him 7,8 years ago,also thought defense was supposed to be his strong suit? I don't know about anybody else but I'm going to think long and hard before I write that $800.00 check for season tickets next year. Oh and what about that $25.00 academic enhansment fee they charge on the season ticket, try using it Holmes I work hard for that money,you guys want to really make a statement about bad coaching? How bout staying home that first game next year?
Excuses, Excuses. Were is the article (unless I missed it) ripping Bob Stoops for his inability to win big bowl games. He is getting paid $2.5 million and should be held accountable. OU had the talent to dominate - but instead got dominated. All of this plus a player getting caught shoplifting - how dumb is that?!?!
I am an OSU fan and will quickly point out that Tramel and Co. would be ALL over Gundy if he were the coach during this debacle.
So why do I care - OU just undid how well the Big XII had been doing this bowl season. Mizzou rips Arky and the conference was looking great until this game. The conference's best team needs to play like it!
Keep recruiting players like Granger. Brainiacs that are 6'5" and weigh 300+ who think they can shoplift and avoid video surveillance. Brilliant! No wonder the defense couldn't remember to stay in their lanes. Heard Granger is going to put on a pink tu-tu and try and sneak onstage with the National Ballet Company. You go, flyboy! Uninspired, unmotivated, overrated. OU 2001-2009.
Pete, with your post, I rest my case. OU fans want perfection and when it is not there, they blame the coaches, the players and the fans. Seldom do they take into consideration that they were definitely out played. By misleading the readers about the quality of OU's personel,the DOk has been contibutor to this idea of OU superiority. Face it, it was the quickness of the Mountaineers that was the ruin of OU, nothing more or nothing less.
Holmes and Granger's reasons for not being in the bowl game was a reflection of last nights poor performance and all the other debacles of this past season and previous BCS games. Complete lack of discipline sprinkled with a heavy dose of arrogance.
Oh yeah, the 2 point conversions...bad idea. That is points left on the field, in the end those 2 PAT's would not have made any difference but who knows???
What really Pi$$ed us off was the fact that midway through the 3rd quarter, the sea of red was leaving!! Why? The ones that stayed till the end, were sitting on there butts doing nothing. Yell for the guys, cheer them on, do something. You paid all that money to go to the game for what, to sit there? Also, what was up with the Sooner sideline? They were sitting on their a$$e$ as well. Get up and fire up the team. Jeesh, what a bunch of babies. You could have watched the game for free if you were going to give up on the team so easily.
HOLDING HOLDING HOLDING!!!! If the refs had been paying closer attention to Phil Loadholdt he could have set the record for holding penalties in a game. I keep hearing all year long about how good this line is but I sure haven't seen it. How is it that being down only 6-0 the camaras show the OU bench and they looked like they were down 60-0. Come on Bob can you get your guy's fired up for at least one national televised game.
I agree that the defense didn't play well. Also the onside kick was not a good decision. However, if I can sit in my room in California, call the offensive plays, why can't anyone else. How many times did OU run, run, then pass? Better play calling might have kept the defense off the field more. This is not the first time I've been able to do this. I also agree that the Sooners were not ready to play. I've had problems getting high school players "ready to play", but these are older players. They should know that you can be beaten by any team.
Stoops is turning into a Lloyd Carr at Michigan- Win a Championship early and a few Conference titles here and there and then underachieve in Big games for 10 years. Do just enough to keep most happy but never really contend like the elite teams of the present (USC, LSU, OSU, Florida)
I don't see anyone else on the horizon to replace him, so let's just hope he sees that he needs to change the way he does things, maybe even change a coordinator or a scheme that has been exposed. I'm excited to see what Landry Jones or Nichol can do next year, I'm not sold on the statue Bradford as a Championship QB. You need a QB that can be more than one- dimensional these days.
MJ in swok... you are wrong. We are not fair weather fans. The weather has not been fair for the last 30 years I have followed OU. I was in Manhattan KS when we lost for the first time in 30 years, I was at Memorial Stadium when we lost the home opener to Tulsa, I saw John Blake have us down the ball at the Missouri 40 with over a minute left in the half in order to avoid losing which we did anyway. All of those teams showed more OU spirit then these highly rated teams without any heart. The players "expect" to win and the coaches don't show any inspiration or desire. We love OU, but that doesn't man we ignore the honest facts. It's time for a change.
Will the real Oklahoma Sooners please show up?!
Like most Sooners fans, I will dig my OU hat out of the kitchen trash just before the garbage truck halls it away, pick off the soggy coffee grounds and wear it again, even smelling like rotten banana peels. We will all dig out our "next year" scripts from the past 7 years running, and hope for our team to show up on game day when the world is watching. What happened? Summary: we choked. Bad tackling, mentally a step behind the opponent, hearts melting in the heat of serious competition, and a complete lack of adrenaline. Yes, we were distracted and hamstrung by the loss of several starters. That changed the way we had to play. But did we even "play?" Or did we "get played?" Speaking for most mature OU fans (all three of us) I am not so much tired of losing bowl games, but tired of wilting. Losing a hard-fought match can still feel noble, even if it hurts, like that Sugar Bowl against LSU. But this kind of absolute shame is getting old. To not even compete, to actually get slapped around by a team that we ought to have defeated makes me want to put on orange and black. At least until I hear that garbage truck coming up the alley. Then I'll willingly smell like rotten banana peels again, looking forward to August, but still dreading January.
Discipline is what the game comes down to. OU has not had that in a number of years and that is why they can't finish. When you O-Line holds all game and a player gets picked up for shoplifting it effects the team. West Virginia played like a team and believed in their leader that is why they won. If a team in the Big 12 would play defense like West Virginia , OU would not have as many conference titles.
John you are probably right about that. I look back over the long history of OU football and see that none of the long term coaches won all their bowl games. Barry Switzer had three bad years in the early 80's for some reason I'll never figure out. I do know that when Barry lossed Jamelle due to injury our team wasn't as good as it was with him playing. Why has OU come out flat for the big games? I don't know, I don't believe for a minute that OU is overratted, I think it's just the way things are. Maybe the problem is the media underrates some of the other teams. Florida was suppossed to kill Michigan, that didn't happen either. Ohio State was suppossed to beat up on Florida last year, but we know what really happened. USC was suppossed to blow out Stanford this year but that game ended differntly than the media said it would. Remember that the team we played last night was pretty good all year, with a very simular season to ours. One team comes out flat, the other rolls them up, it's just the way it is. Unfortunatly for us, we seem to come out flat in big games. In any case...Boomer Sooner... better luck next year Stoops
For some reason, OU has the most "fair" weather fans in college football. OU played a team that was just one win away from playing in the national championship game when their star quarter back was injured. This young man has the quickness of Barry Sanders and Joe Washington combined. OU does not have a player they could have used in practice to immulate his speed. The Sooners left their emotion on the field at the Alamo Dome, the Mountaineers brought theirs with them.
S
The onside kick was way too risky at the time... that's bad coaching on Stoops. But the players are much to blame. They missed tackles and couldn't even run down a fullback (had to be the most embarrassing play of the game). Stoops puts a lot of emphasis on Big 12 titles... and rightfully so... it's a big deal and big accomplishment. But it seems that the bowl games are an after-thought. You can't put your whole season on a bowl game but you can't get embarrassed in bowl games either.
Mike in Yukon, I agree. Venables needs does nee to GO and possibly so does Bobby Jack! In the last three BCS games with Vulnerables as D coordinator we have given up more than 43 points in EACH GAME. Coach Stoops, if this was a company instead of a football team and you realized you lost your three biggest clients to a competitor because of the lackluster ability of your staff, you would fire that person for not learning from past mistakes. You simply cannot have that much Defensive talent and play like they have without acknowledging COACHING as being the major fault.
It's too bad that the season will only be remembered for one game, even if it was a BCS game. From what I saw, there were plenty of mistakes made, across the board, both on the field and on the sidelines. Looked like Bradford played like a Red-shirt freshman; the O-line had problems picking up their blocks; some questionable decisions by the coaches and so on. I am a BIG Sooner fan but guys, its a game. And games usually have a winner and a loser. We won our share this year, and with Bob Stoops on the sidelines, we will win more than we will lose. For those of you so eager to call for his resignation, just who do you think is out there that is better? Stay true to OU!!
Venables needs to GO! The entire staff needs to make sue they prepare the team. This season has been very vanilla when it come to players being prepared for games. Baylor ran all over our defense and Texas Tech flat out exposed them. The offense clicked most of the year but by outstanding play by a few players. Our Left side of the O-line needs to lean to move and block. The D needs to learn about pressuring the QB. It has worked all season the few times they tried it.
Time for Coach Stoops to ake a close look at his coordinators and figure out that it is the Defense that needs a change. For 5 years they have been playing lacluster ball. A for last nights game. Just plain pitifull all around. These comments reflect the play all season long. Don't believe me take a look at the games again, look at the line, the D. Very average and very lucky to have a few Offensive players play exceptionally well to make up for it.
Tom in Bolivar, 0-4 in the BCS. Quit being a homer and wake up! Yeah, they'll be back next year, and lose another bowl game. You can't run the draw, tackle run and screen pass and win anymore. Especially when you're down 20 points in the 4th quarter. Time to air it out. Get real.
Tom in Bolivar, 0-4 in the BCS. Quit being a homer and wake up! Yeah, they'll be back next year, and lose another bowl game. You can't run the draw, tackle run and screen pass and win anymore. Especially when you're down 20 points in the 4th quarter. Time to air it out. Get real.
Tom in Bolivar, 0-4 in the BCS. Quit being a homer and wake up! Yeah, they'll be back next year, and lose another bowl game. You can't run the draw, tackle run and screen pass and win anymore. Especially when you're down 20 points in the 4th quarter. Time to air it out. Get real.
I agree with Gerald! Most of these comments do not show too many OU fans. Stoops is a GREAT coach with morals and values, which is evidenced by the no tolerance attitude. Every team has their share of players who can't seem to abide by the rules. But rest assured Bob Stoops won't let it slide when a player screws up. The baby's who cry every time OU loses a game maybe needs to find another team whose coach doesn't care about players disobeying the rules or laws. Seriously, I have never heard more hatred when OU loses than that I hear from so called "OU fans". Stoops you rule! BOOMER SOONER baby!!!!
I get so tired of you fairweather fans. Dave you are an idiot. Oklahoma has won the most games in the country since 1999. Bob Stoops is a great coach - nobody wins them all and everybody makes mistakes. The fact of the matter is they got beat by a better team last night. West Virginia was hungrier and wanted it more and with two evenly matched teams that was the difference. Bob Stoops is a great coach - one we should be proud of and if he ever leaves OU we will be in big trouble. Pat White was the best player on the field last night - no excuses. OU will be back next year and will be in the hunt for the title - which is what you ask for as a fan - if you are a true fan and not some freaking whining wanabe fan!
Lea, you're nuts. They couldn't have beat anyone with the coaching last night. It wouldn't matter who they had in the game. They had three offensive plays in the playbook last night. run, run, and screen pass. The administration needs to make coaching changes.
Here we go again loosing another bowl game. The missing starters didn't hurt us my foot. I'm friends with a famous former coach from Alabama who will tell you that missing two or three of your best players will get you beat in big games. Having said that, I've maintained all along that not giving your backups any playing time hurts the experience level of your team. I just wonder why Stoops and company never seem to understand that your second and third stingers need to get into games at some point to get game experience. Missing Reggie Smith hurt us way more than loosing Demarcus Granger. Missing Malcom Kelly hurt us a lot, missing Murray hurt a whole lot more. We are snake bit for these bowl games for some reason. Hopefully we'll get back on tract next year. Good job coaches, lets get ready for next year...Boomer Sooner
when it comes to big game performances. I still love and support my Sooners because I'm an Alumni, donor and season ticket holder. But, please give me something to celebrate!
Top 10 recruits every year + Poor performances = Bad Coaching! It was fans like us that OU cleaned house starting with the A.D. back in the 90s. Bob won the National Champioship title in 2000 with John Blake's recruits. It's time for Bob to stop talking about just winning Big XII titles and raise his level of expectation from his players to win National Champiosnhip! We're not asking for much. Just simply win your BCS games and not get embarrassed! There are so many OU haters out there and performances like last night just give them more ammunition to use against OU when it comes to voting, etc. Tired of watching a team that underachieve whe
Top 10 recruits every year + Poor performances = Bad Coaching! It was fans like us that OU cleaned house starting with the A.D. back in the 90s. Bob won the National Champioship title in 2000 with John Blake's recruits. It's time for Bob to stop talking about just winning Big XII titles and raise his level of expectation from his players to win National Champiosnhip! We're not asking for much. Just simply win your BCS games and not get embarrassed! There are so many OU haters out there and performances like last night just give them more ammunition to use against OU when it comes to voting, etc. Tired of watching a team that underachieve whe
There are many things I love about being an OU fan but there are several that I hate. Those things include so-called fans calling for the coach or assistants being fired after a loss, people who aren't OU fans talking trash when OU loses and either of the above not facing reality. No matter what happened last night OU still has 5 Big 12 titles and 1 national title under Stoops and his assistants. There are five head coaches who were Stoops assistants. Obviously he has picked a few decent ones. So please wake up and understand that even Barry or Bud couldn't win all the big games. And you can't win them if you can't get in those big games. How many big games were Gary, Howard and John in? And for all you OU haters who revel in OU losses go root for your own team who probably isn't playing in those big games at all. OU still had a good season; one to be proud of; one that 100 other teams wished
I did not win the lottery either, sure I am disappointed as a Sooner, but it is a GAME. I am more concerned with $100 oil, the war in Iraq and our next President. Come on people ... grow up. Nice SEASON OU. I'll watch in September. I will support you while you throttle Texas and OSU ... lol, so get some rest and go to class.
What a sorry job by Stoops and staff. He should give back some of his $3.5 MILLION. That onside kick showed how scared they were. You fans that screamed about OU should have a shot at the national championship look like fools now. They couldn't beat Colorado!
Two words, "boob" in tulsa: class and dictionary. You have no comprehension of either. "Excile?" How's that Animal Husbandry degree from Stoolwater treatin' ya?
OU came out with a new attitude in the 2nd half. We got a touchdown midway in the 3rd quarter and things were looking up. We then ran a "near zero probability of succcess" onside kick that failed as expected. Were were really that desperate for points so early in the game? WV picked up on that sense....and never looked back. OU has talent....but it needs serious revamping of its coaching staff. This loss is at the feet of Bob Stoops, not the team. I am a fan of OU and always will be....but I have lost my ability to be a fan of Stoops any further.
I can't agree more with Randall, Tulsa. It's the same thing game after game after game...ill-prepared. I was prepared for our defense to look weak. I wasn't prepared to see our offense stopped as well as they were. It was despicable, deplorable, and disgusting to watch. I guess Bowl-Game Bob's magic doesn't penetrate outside of the hollowed grounds of Owen Field. We haven't traveled to a bowl game since the Sugar Bowl. Had we gone to this one, I'd be turning in my receipts to OU and asking for a refund.
we have still won more games than a lot of other places. i dont like our bowl record of late either.
but whining because the other fellow outplayed us certainly isnt very manly, now is it?
grow up people. BOOMER SOONER!!!!!
I watched the game until half time then I went to bed..I knew the Sooners were going to lose the game by the way they were playing...they got their rears kicked from the get go..bad coaching, bad playcalling, no blocking, no passing..ect...
BOOBY Stoops and his "character does NOT matter" thugs and thieves lost AGAIN to "ANOTHER FIRST TIME" COACH.......A pattern here....Yes !!!!! BOOBY is NOT ready for PRIME TIME. He picks whimpy teams like North Texas, Utah State and Tulsa, to run up PHONEY stats, cheap wins. Look at his record against teams OUTSIDE the Little 12. His closed practices, I will not meet the PRESS is a crime, a RIP OFF... COWARD !!!!The nation is waiting for the BLAMING, the childish whining from the SOONER NATION in defending overated BOOBY STOOPS. He ONLY WON with John Blakes talent, and heart, and THUGS !!!!!! Join Barry Switzer in EXCILE BOOBY......who also looked the FOOL. Loved the way Jimmie Johnson rubbed it in Barrys face, about the SHOPLIFTER !!!! The nation heard it !!!!
I keeping hearing a reoccurring them from the OU players and staff: such remarks as out of position, out-played, missed a block, didn't play as hard, etc. All of which leads to an easy summary conclusion: out-coached-- again.
My brother has a standing $100 bet with a friend that OU will not win a National Championship with Wilson and Venables. I used to think he was nuts. Now I think he should have gone $200 that they won't win a BCS game. If I'm Castiglione, I'm certainly not threatening anyone, but I'm asking if anything is going to be done differently in the future. Our coaches have been out performed consistently in big games. Something is wrong with that. When your players are becoming known for coming out flat and emotionless, you are obviously cultivating a culture of complacency, of being better just because of being OU, and that's totally wrong.
What an unbelievable beatdown! Bob Stoops and his staff need to account for how they did such a pathetic job of preparing the team, and executing the game. Apparently they don't learn anything from one year to the next. Those are awfully rich paychecks for a group who won't (or can't) do what it takes to get to the next level.
BOTH coordinators were pathetic! How bout us being dwon 20 with 13 minutes left.....3 straight runs up the middle! Then down 20m again with 7 minutes left....run up the middle! It was a little late to try and establish the run! Isn't it strange that we NEVER went to the hurry up despite being down by so many. Apparently that requires too much coaching.....something we do not have!
Mr Venerable...it's not about the "fundamentals", it's about your sorry coaching. 48 points, over 500 yards. Terrible leadership on your part. Please take a head coaching job somewhere else SOON.
No, those players would not have mattered. What would matter would be for Bob Stoops and the Sooner coaches to properly prepare the team to be ready to play in a bowl game. That's what's been missing ever since the '02 Sooners won the Rose Bowl. The team has not been properly prepared and led in a bowl game since then.
Stoops runs out of magic again, and Sooners' BCS... 01/03/2008 GLENDALE, Ariz. — Bob Stoops came to the desert a year ago and got outfoxed by Boise State's Chris Petersen. Stoops came to this Fiesta Bowl and outfoxed...
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When will they ever learn? Stoops, et al need to forget going to bowl games....... THEY CAN'T WIN!!!!
well what about that BCS... oh thats right osu has never played in a BSC bowl game so shut up.
I am an OSU fan and will quickly point out that Tramel and Co. would be ALL over Gundy if he were the coach during this debacle.
So why do I care - OU just undid how well the Big XII had been doing this bowl season. Mizzou rips Arky and the conference was looking great until this game. The conference's best team needs to play like it!
I don't see anyone else on the horizon to replace him, so let's just hope he sees that he needs to change the way he does things, maybe even change a coordinator or a scheme that has been exposed. I'm excited to see what Landry Jones or Nichol can do next year, I'm not sold on the statue Bradford as a Championship QB. You need a QB that can be more than one- dimensional these days.
Like most Sooners fans, I will dig my OU hat out of the kitchen trash just before the garbage truck halls it away, pick off the soggy coffee grounds and wear it again, even smelling like rotten banana peels. We will all dig out our "next year" scripts from the past 7 years running, and hope for our team to show up on game day when the world is watching. What happened? Summary: we choked. Bad tackling, mentally a step behind the opponent, hearts melting in the heat of serious competition, and a complete lack of adrenaline. Yes, we were distracted and hamstrung by the loss of several starters. That changed the way we had to play. But did we even "play?" Or did we "get played?" Speaking for most mature OU fans (all three of us) I am not so much tired of losing bowl games, but tired of wilting. Losing a hard-fought match can still feel noble, even if it hurts, like that Sugar Bowl against LSU. But this kind of absolute shame is getting old. To not even compete, to actually get slapped around by a team that we ought to have defeated makes me want to put on orange and black. At least until I hear that garbage truck coming up the alley. Then I'll willingly smell like rotten banana peels again, looking forward to August, but still dreading January.
S
Time for Coach Stoops to ake a close look at his coordinators and figure out that it is the Defense that needs a change. For 5 years they have been playing lacluster ball. A for last nights game. Just plain pitifull all around. These comments reflect the play all season long. Don't believe me take a look at the games again, look at the line, the D. Very average and very lucky to have a few Offensive players play exceptionally well to make up for it.
but whining because the other fellow outplayed us certainly isnt very manly, now is it?
grow up people. BOOMER SOONER!!!!!