Berry Tramel

OU football: Statistically historic loss at A&M

Posted November 11, 2010 by Berry Tramel Comment on this article Leave a comment

OU’s 33-19 loss at Texas A&M last Saturday was statistically historical. Here’s why.

In its history, OU never before had run as many as 104 plays, which the Sooners did against the Aggies. The previous school record was 102. You might not believe these stats:

* In games in which OU had run more than 90 plays, the Sooners had been 39-0, according to Sooner stat historian Mike Brooks. The only time OU lost when running 90 plays was the 1968 Bluebonnet Bowl, 28-27 to SMU.

during the college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas A&M University at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
during the college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas A&M University at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

* OU had 29 first downs against the Aggies. TWENTY-NINE. OU’s record in games in which it had made at least 29 first downs? It was 57-0 before last Saturday.

Amazing. Simply amazing. Which means a couple of things are clear. Forget Landry Jones’ miss of  a wide open Kenny Stills. Those things happen. Forget James Hanna’s drop on the fake field goal. Remember A&M’s three goal-line stands. Those things do NOT happen. At least not that I’ve ever seen.

OU lost because A&M was better — much better, much tougher — on the goal line. Goal-line offense had not been a problem for the Sooners on Saturday night, but it was against the Ags.

Bob Stoops said OU’s offensive line had been “maybe overall consistent, inconsistent, little of both. The other night, we didn’t pass block as well as we needed to, either. Little bit of each.”

I disagree. OU pass blocked decently against a vaunted A&M rush. OU lost because it couldn’t make a yard multiple times, despite moving the ball up and down the field.

Stoops said he doesn’t regret the play calls, which relied almost solely on the interior running game near the goal line.

“I’m not a second-guesser,” Stoops said. “I’m not a Monday morning quarterback. I support our coaches fully. Anytime something doesn’t work, ah, you should have done this. That’s not me.”

Again, I applaud Stoops’ staff loyalty. I think that’s a very good thing, not a detriment. And I don’t even have a problem with the play calls, except on the last drive, when the clock was an issue and the Sooners absolutely should have passed.

But there is no denying why OU lost this game. OU lost this game not because its offense failed to move the football or even produce big plays (which it didn’t). OU lost this game because its offense couldn’t make a yard or a foot despite chance after chance after chance.

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