Don't dare to compare
Don’t dare do it. Don’t dare compare Joey Halzle to Sam Bradford. There’s a reason Bradford is Oklahoma’s starting quarterback and a reason Halzle is not. This painfully became evident Saturday night during the Sooners’ debilitating 34-27 loss at Texas Tech.
On paper, Halzle’s numbers looked acceptable enough. But on the field, the performance lacked what the Sooners need to keep up with the explosive Red Raiders. Halzle completed 21 of 41 for 291 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. But such a line qualifies as mediocre when you’ve grown accustomed to watching Bradford complete 70 percent of his passing while leading the nation in passing efficiency (which he still does).
Bradford suffered a concussion on OU’s first offensive play of the game after making a tackle. If the Oklahoma playbook is 50 pages thick for Bradford, it might be roughly five pages for Halzle. It is still unclear why the Sooners didn’t attempt to run the ball more than they did after Bradford’s departure — which would have taken pressure off Halzle while burning more clock time.
The longer Halzle played, the more he seemed to relax. What transpired Saturday night in Lubbock will only make Halzle better the next time he is needed. But more than any other player, a healthy Bradford is what OU needs most.
We all knew that already. Saturday night simply proved it.
9 Show / Hide Archive Comments