Surprises and Underachievers: The best and worst of Oklahoma against Texas A&M

Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, left, and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops shake hands after the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, in Irving, Texas. Texas A&M won 41-13. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Another 10-3 season. Another defensive performance Sooners fans are already trying to forget.

But this season isn’t quite like last season when Oklahoma got upset at home by one of the worst teams in the conference. The defense wasn’t marked with three losses that were easily blamed on them giving up big defensive plays. But the season surprises and underachievers will come next Sunday.

This Sunday, it’s time to look at the surprises and underachievers from the last game of the season, the Cotton Bowl.

SURPRISES

Texas A&M's Mike Evans (13) runs for a touchdown past Oklahoma's Javon Harris (30) during the college football Cotton Bowl game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Texas A&M University Aggies (TXAM) at Cowboys Stadium on Friday Jan. 4, 2013, in Arlington, Tx. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

Javon Harris’ last performance. In silver marker on his left biceps were the numbers 51, 50. “Why go 100 percent when you can go 101?” Harris said of the numbers. That’s how he played in his final game for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Yes, written in my notes a couple times are the words “Harris missed,” meaning he missed a tackle. Yes, he still needs to learn better how to not just two-hand touch a defender, but wrap his arms around him and bring him to the turf. However, he also intercepted a pass in the end zone. He batted down another that was intended for Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope that, had Harris not touched it, would have ended in Swope’s arms just before he waltzed across the goal line. Also, some of those missed tackles by Harris aren’t that Harris didn’t try, it’s for the reason Johnny Manziel won the Heisman. He just always seemed to be out of reach.

Ty Darlington and Gabe Ikard’s flexibility. Everyone knows it. Where Gabe Ikard is asked to go, Gabe Ikard goes. Ty Darlington is similar. As soon as he was called on, in a bowl game situation, he was ready and he performed well. Sooners fans truly need to thank the offensive line for being so flexible and still understanding their role and covering their man. Ty Darlington at center was again an almost seamless transition for the Sooners, except for that illegal snap that got called against him at Baylor and again against A&M.