After the OU-Texas game, I half-jokingly wrote that Bob Stoops should squib his kickoffs.
Kansas State's Deon Murphy returns a kickoff past OU's Matthew Moreland Oct. 25. Photo by Bryan Terry
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Anything beats watching an opponent run back a kick for a touchdown.
The other day, I took no chances that Stoops might not be a regular reader.
I asked him straight up, again half-jokingly, why not squib kick?
Last game, Texas A&M became the third team to return a kickoff for a touchdown against OU.
OU’s inability to cover kickoffs likely cost the Sooners the Texas game and could cost them Texas Tech or Bedlam.
Stoops said he’s out of ideas on how to stop the kickoff jail breaks and said he might squib some.
He also said the Sooners won’t give up.
Nor should they.
There is no doubt OU would have come out ahead kicking the ball out of bounds every time and giving A&M possession at its 40-yard line.
But OU’s defense has stuffed opposing offenses more than three quarters of the time this season.
The Sooner defense has taken the field 139 times; it has allowed 28 touchdowns and six field goals.
That’s a success rate of almost 78 percent, winning football in this Big 12 season.
But that doesn’t mean giving opponents the ball at the 40 solves the problem.
OU has kicked off 87 times (an NCAA-high 8.7 per game); the Sooners have pinned the foe at the 20-yard line or deeper 34 times, at the 25 or deeper 47 times and inside the 30 58 times.
That’s very beneficial to a defense. I’ve changed my mind. I wouldn’t squib.
Truth is, one of OU’s kickoff problems is the quantity.
Kick off 87 times, and big returns will happen.
Granted, Texas Tech has kicked off 82 times and has allowed no touchdowns, so this isn’t a pass for the poor tackling and lack of aggression by the Sooners.
But of the 10 teams that have kicked off at least 75 times this season, only two rank in the upper half of the NCAA in kickoff coverage: Oregon 23rd and Utah 36th.
Most high-scoring teams don’t rank well in kickoff coverage: Florida ranks 63rd, Texas Tech 72nd, Penn State 74th, Tulsa 84th, Missouri 88th, Texas 98th, Oklahoma State 102nd and OU 108th.
Also, Colorado ranks 116th and Nebraska 99th, meaning the Big 12 has six of the worst 32 kickoff cover units in America.
Maybe the league just has great kickoff returners.
The Big 12 has seven of the nation’s top 31 teams in kickoff returns.
There seems to be a direct correlation between a lot of kickoffs and kickoff coverage problems.
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I wouldnt personally send an email, but if somebody wants to thats fine. Stoops is making big money coaching at a PUBLIC university. You think people dont bug the President? Are your kidding? The media questions sports figures and politicians all the time, so what gives them any right, well, the first amendment for one. People routinely write to their representatives and are encouraged to do so regardless of their occupation or social stature. Don is probably as qualified to question Stoops as most sports writers in the nation. They majored in journalism, not sports. I am NOT saying that Stoops should listen to his suggestions, its up to him if he wants to ignore it, but it isnt like this guy is trying to sell encyclopedias, he just had an idea, and an idea that is used by many teams in college. If you dont like his ideas, fine, offer something better, but dont act like he is out of line. He has every write to send an email. Stoops has every right to delete it.
James... you're and @@@. Some half-@@@ mini school fb coach ? wow.. that sure makes you the end all. Actually I talked to Bud Wilkinson at a dance in the Petroleum club and he wasn't offended at all. And I believe I am responsible for the record wins of his. Ok.. maybe not all of the wins.. and not the ND loss. Lighten up Baytown boy..just because you don't have the ###### to send an e-mail...
If"if and butts were candy and nuts what a wonderful world this would be". You can write about how many times We have stuffed the opposing
team, and how many TD's we've allowed, but the bottom line is Stats
don't lie. OU is 51st in total defense and gives up big plays in the
passing game and kick and punt returns, weak special teams, thats why
they have to hang "half-a-hundred" by halftime because they can't
stop anybody. Kevin Wilson said it best when he said, "at Northwestern
we had to score often and quick because our defense was so bad".
Bob of signal hill, I don't think I ever belittled Don. It just amazes me that people actually have the audacity to email the head coach of one of the biggest football institutions in the U.S. and offer him advice on how to do his job. I'm sure you guy's wouldn't mind an email from some outsider that has limited knowledge of the work that you do, offering advice to you, about how to do a specific area of your job. The coaching staff at OU is one of the finest in the country, and people from all walks of life want to offer advice? WOW, I'm pretty sure none of the people on this board could do a better job than the staff at OU in spite of their coverage woes. But thanks for the vote of confidence, I needed that! Obama??? I can't wait for him to struggle in an area of his job so you guys can email him with ideas that worked for you in high school when you were class president. I'm sure he'll value your opinion!
J, that was exactly Bob's point. He isnt claiming to be an expert, they are just offering ideas on what they think might work. If you think its a dumb idea, say so, but instead of that you just dismiss them as silly and ignorant. This is a message board, none of us makes big money to coach football.
Tell me this Bob. How would you teach these guys to take on blocks? Which direction should you avoid the block? What landmark do your coverage guys use? These are all questions that a football coach would know. Somehow I doubt you internet second guessers know these answers.
James, of Baytown: Better stick to your whistle and clipboard! According to your logic, NO ONE could ever come up with an idea to do a job if they hadn't done that job before. I guess Obama should resign right now, he's never been a president of anything before! I'm pretty sure you express strong opinions of your own about things you are not an "expert" on. Don simply offered an idea (not a new one, actually) and you should not belittle him for that. Lots of teams use the "spy" tactics offered in his (and Bob's) suggestion. Let's put it this way...anyone posting on this board could probably do as well as the current OU coaching staff at stopping (or not stopping) long ko returns. Even you.
I like your initiative Don. It would be nice to see better results. I kinda like the idea of kicking the begeezus out of the ball in a line drive about 5 feet off the ground and see if you could hit somebody with it. What the heck, it's not like someone may get a big return on us or anything.
lol....Relax Don, don't get all amped up behind that keyboard of yours!I've done plenty of thinking since the 5th grade (not grad) Thanks for asking. I'm assuming you are a football coach.... correct? Ok, since I am a football coach, and a special teams coordinator at that, I would first look at personnel to see if there needs to be changes. Second, since there are a billion different kickoff coverages, I would find at least 4 different coverages that my players could get good at. Lastly, I would tweek my coverages so that they compliment my kickers leg strength, the opponents weakness areas, and put my fastest athletes in position to make the tackle first. If they miss they still funnel the returner to the best tacklers. But hey, that's just me. I just think it's hilarious you actually emailed Coach Stoops with your ideas. What is it that you do for a living again??? I'm glad you emailed Bob though, I can't stand the way the space program in Houston is running things right now, I'm gonna email them my concerns before I go to football practice!!!! lol
Get off Don, he just sees what everybody else in the nation has seen - poor kickoff coverage. As I have seen - when the Sooners kickoff, the other team will probably start on the 20 - which 20 is the question. Okay, the Sooners have improved, but it is amazing how many big returns this group gives up. OU is ranked 108th, enough said.
Yes James, like the plays Boise State used to throughly embarrass us!
Look, football is football no matter what speed you play it at, and continuing to do the same things that brought you poor results just guarantees more poor results. Now, have you done any thinking since the fifth grad? If so how would you fix the poor results of our kick off coverage team. It's easy to be a critic of others ideas, but takes more thought to come up with your own. Perhaps you should ask someone for help with that!
Why not on side kick it every time? At least then we would have a shot of getting the ball back. Besides, when is the last time you saw an on side kick be returned for a TD?
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team, and how many TD's we've allowed, but the bottom line is Stats
don't lie. OU is 51st in total defense and gives up big plays in the
passing game and kick and punt returns, weak special teams, thats why
they have to hang "half-a-hundred" by halftime because they can't
stop anybody. Kevin Wilson said it best when he said, "at Northwestern
we had to score often and quick because our defense was so bad".
Please excuse me, I'm wrong, it's arrogance that's the problem.
Look, football is football no matter what speed you play it at, and continuing to do the same things that brought you poor results just guarantees more poor results. Now, have you done any thinking since the fifth grad? If so how would you fix the poor results of our kick off coverage team. It's easy to be a critic of others ideas, but takes more thought to come up with your own. Perhaps you should ask someone for help with that!