Bedlam before the storm
A few random Bedlam leftovers before we start the wait for the BCS announcement:
1. The biggest plays of the game, I thought, were these: DeMarco Murray’s kickoff return, which gave OU an easy touchdown drive after OSU drew within 37-44, and Keenan Clayton’s first-down sack of Zac Robinson after OU took a 51-41 lead.
OU’s offense, for all its success, still wasn’t gashing the Cowboys easily. Sammy B. was having to work for everything he got, unlike last week against Tech, and the kickoff return gave the Sooners a little breather. Clayton’s sack eventually forced a punt, the first defensive stop by either team since the first quarter.
2. Someone made a great point late in the game. Mike Gundy should have onside-kicked after Perrish Cox’s kickoff return for a touchdown made it 44-41.
And you know what? That’s a good idea. Truth is, OSU might have been better off onsiding after every second-half TD. Whenever Gundy realized that the Cowboys weren’t going to stop the Sooners — maybe he never realized it; he doesn’t watch half the game — a better plan was to steal a possession. What did field position matter? The Sooners were scoring anyway. Of course, like I said, OSU’s defense at least made OU work for it. OU faced 18 third downs Saturday night; that’s a huge number.
3. The 2-point conversion return by Frank Alexander was a momentum swing. OSU had a chance for a 21-21 tie; instead it was 23-19 OU and the Cowboys never again had the ball with the chance to tie or take the lead.
That being said, what an awful rule. Stupid, silly. Sounds like it was made up by fourth-graders playing on a sandlot. How did rulemakers ever allow that one to pass?
4. I don’t know which team has the better tight end. I might take Brandon Pettigrew; better blocker and doesn’t drop near as many balls as Jermaine Gresham does. But I know which team better uses its tight end. Gresham must have had 12 passes thrown his way. I think Pettigrew had two thrown to him.
5. Chris Brown is rising up the list of Bedlam heroes. In three Bedlam games, all as a backup, Brown has 248 yards rushing without a 100-yard game. You know how hard that statistical feat is?
6. For most of the game, Zac Robinson was the best player on the field. In the fourth quarter, Sam Bradford was the best player.
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