Four questions on OU football
Four questions on OU football
Comments 
14
Published: September 29, 2008
How did Oklahoma manage against TCU without injured defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger?
Multimedia
More Info
Sam Bradford pats Manuel Johnson on the helmet after a scoring pass completion during the second half Saturday. By steve sisney, the oklahoman
NewsOK Related Articles
It couldn't have gone much smoother for the
Sooners.
They held the nation's No. 12 rushing team to 102 yards — less than half its average — and constantly pressured Horned Frogs quarterback
Andy Dalton, coming up with three sacks.
The men inside — tackles
Gerald McCoy,
Adrian Taylor,
Cory Bennett and
Cordero Moore — dominated.
Because of TCU's threat in the option game, the Sooners blitzed little, meaning the pressure came mostly from a four-man rush.
"For our guys to get as much pressure as they did and get the quarterback running for his life a number of times out there was extremely encouraging,” said OU defensive coordinator
Brent Venables.
Is the ‘Bradford for Heisman' campaign hitting a new gear?
After Saturday, Sooners quarterback
Sam Bradford might just control his own destiny in the Heisman Trophy race.
Florida quarterback
Tim Tebow took a step back in his team's loss to
Mississippi, leaving Bradford,
Missouri's
Chase Daniel and BYU's
Max Hall as the frontrunners at the quarter post.
Hall's stats could stack up, but he won't be afforded the same national stage as Bradford and Daniel, who could be headed for a
Big 12 title and Heisman collision course in
Kansas City.
Should the Sooners be concerned with their rushing performance, which — after four sacks — produced just 25 yards on 36 carries?
TCU's defense sold out to load the box and stop the run, contributing to Sam Bradford's 411-yard passing day. So the Horned Frogs picked their poison and died a swift death.
Still, the yard-per-carry averages by OU's top three backs are startling:
DeMarco Murray, 1.8;
Chris Brown, 2.1;
Mossis Madu, 2.8.
In retrospect, how good was TCU, which tumbled from the Top 25?
Check back in early November, once the
Frogs have tangled with BYU and
Utah. Their defense is stout, but the offense appears lacking.
For now, even the Sooners don't appear sold.
"The best team we've played so far, I think,” said linebacker
Travis Lewis. "
Cincinnati a close No. 2, but this was the best team we've played so far.”
By John Helsley
Leave a Comment
Sports Photo Galleriesview all
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
Overall, an impressive passing and defensive performance.