Dez coming through
Dez Bryant just caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Zac Robinson, and finally we’re seeing what all the fuss was about. Bryant has been largely a bust so far; a freshman phenom who drops passes and can’t learn the playbook, even though he’s sorely needed at wide receiver. But Bryant now has three catches for 38 yards.
OSU is running an offense that needs four or five flankers, and Larry Fedora has only two or three at his disposal. And only Adarius Bowman has been playing well. But maybe Bryant is coming around. On the first TD drive, Bryant made a leaping catch of a Robinson pass. And on the TD catch, Bryant displayed excellent footwork, barely getting one foot down just inbounds in the end zone.
Easy to spot
OSU freshman Kendall Hunter reeled off a 9-yard gain in Tech territory, and from the luxury suite next to the pressbox, which housed a Texas Tech contingent including athletic director Gerald Myers, came this cry of dismay: “Hey, Tech, they’re wearing orange, they’re not that hard to see!”
The Cowboys indeed are running well on the Red Raiders, who don’t play much defense themselves. OSU has 60 yards on 13 carries as the first quarter ends. Dantrell Savage has 6-for-31, and Hunter has 4-for-23. If I’m the Cowboys, I’m running right at Tech.
Tech quarterbacks circle the date
Graham Harrell has 166 yards passing with 3:16 left in the first quarter. If OSU’s offense keeps scoring, Harrell could throw for 800 yards. Tech just faced 3rd-and-13 from its 19-yard line, and Harrell just heaved a deep ball. Sort of a backyard throw. No, no backyard could hold that kind of throw. Call it a sandlot throw. Michael Crabtree ran past cornerback Calvin Mickens, which probably was no great crime of Mickens’ in the zone, but free safety Ricky Price tripped as the ball descended, and Crabtree caught the ball stumbling, arms outstretched, and regained his footing for a 75-yard gain. Texas Tech quarterbacks have been doing this to OSU since coach Mike Leach arrived in 2000. Tech QBs must circle the date of the OSU game every year the schedule comes out.
Is it a bird…?
No. 14 lined up in the slot after OSU reached first down at the Texas Tech 16-yard line. Some identified the player as Bobby Reid, but no way it could be. Mike Gundy told us quite clearly that Reid would not be used at any position besides quarterback. So No. 14 must be an impostor
Punters go home
OSU’s defense is improving. It made Texas Tech wait 87 seconds before scoring. The Red Raiders went 69 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead. OSU’s overmatched secondary was apparent in the drive. Martel Van Zant was turned around by Tech freshman Michael Crabtree, making a short slant a 30-yard gain. Then Crabtree broke a tackle from Calvin Mickens for a 9-yard TD reception.
But the Cowboys answered with the kind of drive needed against Tech, a 13-play, 71-yard drive. OSU ran nine times, with Zac Robinson throwing four times. Dantrell Savage carried five times for 28 yards; Savage is what OSU has been missing. He’s an excellent tailback, and on his 4-yard TD run, Savage should have been stopped far short of the goal line. But he kept his feet and staggered into the end zone.
Robinson and Bobby Reid might be a wash at quarterback, but there’s no doubt that Savage is OSU’s best tailback.
Tulsa proves potent
Tulsa is not going to win this game. OU leads 42-21 with 5:50 left in the third quarter and will win going away. But Tulsa has proved its worth. The Hurricane has an excellent offense. Almost 400 yards of offense right now. Paul Smith is a salty quarterback; I don’t know how he plays against anyone else, but I’ve now seen him live twice, against OU two years ago and again tonight, and he’s a wonderful player. Ranks with Chase Daniel as the best quarterbacks OU will face this year; yes, better than Graham Harrrell or Colt McCoy. Tulsa’s non-conference success — playing the Sooners tough and beating Brigham Young — positions TU as the favorite to win Conference USA.
Crazy stats, high score
Here’s betting that Bob Stoops and Todd Graham don’t sleep all that well Friday night. Of course, neither head will hit a pillow until well into Saturday morning, not after a game that’s headed for an 11 p.m. finish. But fatigue will give way to dismay. A couple of old defensive coordinators, head coaches who still like to dabble in defense, won’t rest easy after statistical fireworks like this.
With 9:33 left in the third quarter and OU leading Tulsa 35-21, TU quarterback Paul Smith has 301 yards passing and has completed 18 of 24. TU receiver Jesse Meyer has seven catches for 114 yards. OU tailback Allen Patrick had 130 yards on 16 first-half carries. Quarterback Sam Bradford completed 11 of 16 for 162 yards in the first half, and both Sudden Sam and Patrick await their first chance in the second half, and after DeMarco Murray’s 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, they will wait longer.
This game is headed for a high score and crazy stats. Defensive coordinators Brent Venables and Keith Patterson will be troubled. Their bosses will be the same.
Complaining about Notre Dame
Billy Tubbs, watching the game at home, just called our man John Rohde in the pressbox. Rohde and Tubbs are radio partners on WKY. Tubbs had a mission for Rohde. “Go up there and kick Bob Davie’s butt,” Tubbs told Rohde.
Tubbs was miffed that Davie was talking about Notre Dame, and Lou Holtz phoned in and talked about the Irish, too, and ESPN showed the Notre Dame schedule. Tubbs has a pet peeve about announcers not talking about the game they’re watching. Some games, I don’t blame them. But this one is pretty entertaining. It’s not a rout yet.
Better yet, while I was writing this very blog, my cell phone rang. An Oklahoma City reader, Don Smith, who described himself as a 50-year season-ticker holder, called to complain ABOUT THE VERY SAME THING. Talk about karma. Smith said ESPN spent an inordinate amount of time talking about Notre Dame, then shifted to Arkansas, which at least ties into to TU offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn, who coached in Fayetteville last year.
Now, if this score is 63-21 in the late third quarter, I don’t care if ESPN talks to Beano Cook about Slippery Rock. But when it’s 21-14, 28-14, and both teams are moving the ball, save the Irish and the Hogs for GameDay Saturday morning.
Gresham’s big play
Jermaine Gresham is one heck of a talent, but his finest moment as a Sooner might have come with 8:50 left in the second quarter at Skelly Field. Gresham just caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford, and Gresham caught the ball at the goal line, between two Tulsa defenders, one of whom, Randy Duncan, delivered a big-time hit on Gresham as the ball arrived. But the big fella held on for the touchdown. That sound you hear is the scribbling of pro scouts, jotting down a note about the wondrous talent playing tight end for the Sooners.
TU’s new Garrett Mills
Hey, what’s Garrett Mills doing in this game? The ex-Tulsa tight end came up big the last time TU and OU met. Mills had 13 catches for 152 yards as TU quarterback Paul Smith kept hitting the clutch receiver who now is with the Minnesota Vikings and keeping the Hurricane in a game it eventually lost 24-15.
Meet the new Garrett Mills. Tulsa receiver Jesse Meyer has six catches for 97 yards with 9:57 left in the third quarter. His catches are for 28, 15, 18, 9, 9 and 18 yards. His first catch set up his second catch, a touchdown. Meyer is headed for a big day.
Meyer is a sophomore from Jenks. Any guesses on where Mills was from? Yep. Jenks.
