OU game plan misfired vs. Nebraska
Remember after the Miami game, how disgusted OU fans were that Kevin Wilson employed such a conservative game plan? That he didn’t open up the playbook and let Landry Jones fire the ball all over the field?
Now you know why. That’s exactly what Jones did Saturday night in Lincoln, and you know the result. Nebraska beat the Sooners 10-3. OU called 60 pass plays and scored only a lone field goal.
This game produced amazing statistical results. The Sooners reached NU territory 11 of its 16 possessions but penetrated the Husker 20-yard line only once and never got inside the 10.
OU ran 47 of its 87 plays in Nebraska territory, yet the Sooners never really came close to scoring a touchdown. No near-miss. No almosts. No what-ifs. The Huskers built a fortress at the 20-yard line and defended it well. Truth is, the Sooners could have played another four quarters and might not have scored a touchdown. Might not have kicked a field goal, either, from longer than 39 yards.
Which gets us back to the game plan. Nebraska’s only touchdown came on a 1-yard scoring drive, following an interception. The Huskers’ field goal came on a 33-yard drive to the OU 11-yard line after an interception, with the help of a 15-yard personal foul penalty against Frank Alexander. Nebraska, too, could have spent all night trying to score a TD, to no avail, without the help of turnovers.
So think about this. What if OU hadn’t passed all night. What if OU had just run the ball all game long. Draws, counters, power, that crossbuck stuff with DeMarco Murray in motion and Chris Brown knifing up the middle. Try to make first downs on the ground, and if not, punt.
It’s kooky, I know. But think about it. How many points would OU have scored? At the worst, three points less than it actually did. How many points would Nebraska have scored? Harder to say, but it’s not a bad guess to say perhaps 10 fewer.
This was a game destined not to be won, but destined to be lost. Whichever team made critical mistakes and let the opponent have easy points in a game when the defenses were not going to allow much of anything. OU made those mistakes, Nebraska didn’t.
Go back to the Miami game. Landry Jones actually played a decent game. But Miami got a gift touchdown when the Hurricane pass rush popped Landry for a sack, causing a fumble at the OU 11-yard line. Final score: Miami 21, OU 20.
Miami gave OU no free points. OU gave Miami seven free points. Saturday night, OU gave Nebraska seven free points and you could argue that it was 10, courtesy of those two interceptions (Jones threw a school record five in all).
This was the perfect example of why coaches sometimes go conservative and why other coaches sometimes should.
Nebraska might have won a punting war with the Sooners, anyway. The Huskers have the better field-goal kicker, obviously, and this might have been a 3-0 final if the Sooners had done what the Huskers did, which was commit to no mistakes on offense and be completely content to punt. Nebraska punted 11 times, which is not a record but is an absurdly high amount in 21st-century football.
I’m not really serious about putting the passing game completely in the can. But I am serious about OU adopting a game plan, at least against these Huskers, in which the Sooners are bound and determined not to commit a turnover and feel perfectly satisfied to punt. That was OU’s best chance to win.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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Comments
Nice article Barry. I was one of the many fans upset that the Sooners did not throw the ball more against Miami and now I know why. Last nights game did remind me of the great Sooner – Husker games of the past. Both teams were evenly matched, not top 10 teams but evenly matched, and the team to make the fewest mistakes wins. In the past it was fumbles that killed the Sooners, today it’s interceptions. The pain of loss is the same regardless of the method.
Do you think Oklahoma and Bob Stoops are about to experience a 2-3 year period of 4 losses similar to Switzer’s 1981 – 1983. I’m not sure how you can fix the problems Oklahoma has with their offensive line/wr’s in one season.
I am sorry, Mr. Tramel, but you are showing your ignorance. The real story was the lack of balance in play calling by Wilson. When you plan a 58-30 pass to run ratio, the defensive coordinator was ready for every formation and every play called. Further, I believe this offense is not smart enough or talented enough to run the hurry-up. They need to huddle (as is indicated by the final play). Wilson took this loss as his own as he should have.
Any offensive game plan misfires that does not keep the defense guessing. I agree with John’s comments. When was the last time OU showed a wrinkle on offense, much less a “trick” play?
Barry,
How many play action fakes did we run on first down? When the average fan knows on first down with one back in the backfield that we are going to run the ball, don’t you think the defense does too? It’s not the amount of run and pass but the mix. Too predictable play-calling! We can’t discipline the penalty offenders on the O-line because we don’t have anyone to put in their place!
Hmm, I guess Heupel was the only OU QB in the Stoops era that could man an agressive offense. New coaches have something to prove, tenured coaches has a $2 million salary to protect.
Bob Stoops, on his TV show after this loss, was asked if there were adjustments made at half time. His answer, as always, was hard to follow, but said something to the effect of “if we would just execute better……”. Seems they don’t make changes as the game goes along and they have more information. What about misdirection, if they don’t feel like they can do higher risk plays? Why not take advantage of the Nebraska team speed? Bob Stoops is too stubborn.
Tramel’s “hindsight wisdom” is comical. Going into the Nebraska game, Jones was coming off a 294, 4 touchdown, zero turnover, Big-12 Player of the Week performance that sparked a 42-point night against K-State. What offensive coordinator on this planet would anticipate his QB taking a huge step backwards, and decide to handcuff the passing game a week later after an outing like that?
Look people…There’s such a thing in this world as a coach giving his players a game-plan they’re fully capable of succeeding with, and those players going out and failing to do so because they lack the mental toughness to execute. Anybody who has coached at any level knows this, and that’s exactly what happened in Lincoln on Saturday. This loss is on Jones and his offensive teammates, not Kevin Wilson.
Your logic kind of makes sense depending on what the end goal is. If you want to sacrifice all long-term development to win a game, then going Ohio State is a feasible option.
But I think the game was called just fine. And as opposed to the Miami game, this one could HONESTLY be blamed solely on execution (rather than bad strategy / play-calling).
If our teams over the next 2-3 years are to resemble the 2001 or 2005 team, we should not be paying Kevin Wilson that much money simply to call running plays.
Setting sights further out and focusing on developing the team that we all want to see is the best approach. That would mean the players need to execute the plays that were called. And in this game, I think they were predominantly the right plays.
As much as I despise Tim Tebow’s pathetic tear-filled apology after losing last year, at least he owned up to his own mistakes and promised to work harder…
I’m sick of the media in this state giving everyone excuses for how they play. The game plan didn’t misfire. The QB misfired. Throwing an interception is one thing, throwing the ball to the opposing team is another. Wilson somewhat owned up. If Landry wants to be a leader, he needs to own up, rather than just saying he was a “little off”.
Stop making up your own idea of what happened and actually ask the coaches and players the tough questions. Maybe one day they’ll tell us why they’re performing or not performing the way they are.
The whole team and coaches should have been lined up in front of mirrors and looking at them selves on Sunday morning and asking, ” is this the very best I can do?” Strangely, they played pretty darn well against Texas without Sam in the whole game. Sadly, Landry Jones doesn’t have what it takes to lead the team. He proved himself to be medicocre at best!
I’d like to think the Husker defense had something to do with Oklahoma’s difficulties in moving the ball.
Its hard to decide whether to laugh, cry, complain, point fingers, or donate heavily to religous groups and start praying that we don’t get beat by O-State much less any of our other games. So whats to blame? Is it Kevin Wilson who can’t call a decent play without a 35 point lead? Is it injuries because our players have no recovery time and can’t get healthy? Does our offensive line coach know what a wind sprint is, or a block for that matter? Or is it that the Gaylord’s didn’t donate enough for us to buy uprights to practice field goals? Whatever the case I do know that wisdom is gained through the recognition of fault in a series of mistakes and you would have thought OU/Landry would have learned something by the third interception. Tram’s your just run game plan certainly would have been worth considering. Maybe dig up some of those old Kenyan Rasheed plays and run it up the middle. Oh wait that would still require blocking. In all due respect,know the players work and coaches work hard, but for myself who isn’t a wealthy person, Sooner Football is a very expensive hobby and one that hasn’t been very enjoyable. I feel for those that traveled to Lincoln to enjoy those long lasting memories of that fine record setting performance. All aside I do wanna say thanks to all our current and past service men and women. Thank you for giving me the chance to whine about my lack luster football team.
if the guys playing cant do the job put in different players. try calhoun in the backfield. murray and brown are not breakaway threats anymore. why not try maddu in the gameplan?sub more on the defense. did stevens fall off the map that far he doesnt kick anymore?
Can we Sooner fans finally admit to somthing….That this coaching staff of Stoops, Venables and Wilson are consistently out coached in big games….The lack of innovation in play calling, in-game strategy, and half-time adjustments or lack thereof are so obviously consistent.
Talk about overrated….Especially Stoops….
BIG-GAME-BOB……WHAT A JOKE!!! I’d gladly take an old worn out Switzer with his play-calling, ability to evaluate talent and player’s coach personality ability to recruit any day………
I’m beginning to question our ability to recruit high-quality athletes anymore. Every year, we supposedly bring in a class of studs, but lately those “studs” don’t seem to be producing on the field.
Another issue that needs to be addressed is exactly the one brought up by Tom earlier: the OU coaching staff makes no adjustments during game situations. What you see in the first half is exactly what you’ll see in the second half, regardless of whether it’s working or not.
Landry Jones couldnt hit the broad side of a barn with a football, its recruits like this that makes me say no wonder we cant win, we went from choklahoma in the bowl games to no bowl games and choking all season, Stoops its time to rethink your plans totally
Oklahoma fans are absolutely unbelievable.
1) “The OU coaching staff makes NO adjustments during game situations….”
Why do all OU fans think they are smarter than college football coaches? This drives me crazy. You are not a coach. Yes, they make adjustments at halftime. They do. There is not a coaching staff in the country that does not make adjustments at halftime. Even crappy high school coaches make adjustments at half time. Just because you think you can’t see what they are doesn’t make it the coach’s fault. Players have to execute for game plans to work. This statement is outrageous.
2) “I’d gladly take an old worn out Switzer with his play-calling, ability to evaluate talent and player’s coach personality..
Well, if that’s true, you’re an idiot. I hope you’re just venting and not being honest, though the fact that you came on and responded to an article means you had time to think about what you were saying. Who cares if he’s a “player’s coach”? If that’s really what you are worried about, go watch USC. The players obviously like him well enough, or they wouldn’t come here.
3) “Sadly, Landry Jones doesn’t have what it takes to lead the team. He proved himself to be medicocre at best!”
He’s a redshirt freshman. Why do OU fans think that they have the ability to see into the future with every player, and why do they have to make such ridiculous statements about players after one bad game? Stop with the reactionary thinking people, and just watch the game. This is not life or death.
And my personal favorite of the asinine OU fan comments on this article…
4) “In all due respect,know the players work and coaches work hard, but for myself who isn’t a wealthy person, Sooner Football is a very expensive hobby and one that hasn’t been very enjoyable.”
You know what? This is not the NFL. These are not professionals. They get their school paid for to do this, but this is not their job. This is how most of them are getting through college, and hopefully graduating after they are done. So you know what buddy? If you don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on this particular extra-curricular activity…DON’T. There are plenty of other people who would love to have your seat. These are not the Cleveland Browns. You do NOT have the right to imply that you should be getting a better product for your money. So if you aren’t enjoying yourself, then stop watching and go bowl. I hear you can play over at Sooner Bowl for 25 cents a game during OU games. That would fit your budget AND you could have fun and have nothing to gripe about. Except you would inevitably find something wrong with the lane you were on I’m sure.
Lastly, Berry Tramel, what exactly is your point? That OU should play not to lose every game, instead of playing to win every game? You are nothing more than a shock jock at a bad newspaper.
Fans, here’s the deal. OU can’t win every game. They cannot win the national championship every year. They can’t win the Big 12 every year, or even the Big 12 South every year. It’s not going to happen. That will NEVER happen. No team in the nation will ever even touch the 47 game win streak. College football has changed too much for that to happen. There are more people playing football now, and less scholarships to give at each university. College programs are going to go through periods where 1) they aren’t as good as they usually are, 2) have a rash of injuries to All-Americans that hamper their ability to be play up to their potential, or 3) a little bit of both, like we’re seeing now. Stop calling for coaches’ jobs and hurling insults at 21 year olds. The simple fact is, there are going to be years like this. It just happens, and there’s nothing that can ever change that. Every team in every sport on every level goes through cycles of winning and losing, so when OU’s downturn comes, take it with a grain of salt and understand it’s not going to last. Drink a beer, take a deep breath, and remember that this is Oklahoma football, and this season is not the norm, and this won’t last. Relax, stop with the vitriol, and understand that college football is not life, nor is it worth getting so angry about. I’m sure your wives and kids will love you for it.
I’m not going to blame the players. I am, however, going to blame the coaches. Namely Kevin Wilson and Bob Stoops.
While Chuck Long’s play calling was at times predictable, at least he seemed to change his play calling in reaction to the defense. Kevin Wilson doesn’t seem to do that. He seems completely set in is game plan. It’s almost like he scripts the entire game, as some of the plays do not seem to take down and distance into consideration.
I believe that Kevin Wilson should step down. And if he refuses to do so, he should be fired. This is certainly not a one season issue. This has been an issue during his entire tenure as offensive coordinator.
I blame Bob Stoops for appearing to take a completely hands-off approach to the offense. He is the head coach and is 100% responsible for the play of the team. I realize that his knowledge is in defense and game management, but he needs to be aware of what is going on (or supposed to be going on) offensively. In college football today, you cannot win with a great defense and a subpar offense. In OU’s case, they have the weapons offensively, but lack direction and consistency. That isn’t a player problem, it’s a coaching problem.
If Bob Stoops can’t recognize that and can’t realize that the appropriate move is to make a change at offensive coordinator, then I question his leadership. Stoops consistently get a pass in the blame game for OU’s woes, and I for one cannot understand why.
I do not think I am a coach, but I do know football. I am a former player (college). OU does not have the talent anymore on offense. Their line is weak, their receviers are weak, with the exception of Broyls and they have no TE. Over the last 2 seasons, the TE has been huge in thier scheme. As far as next year…lets see, worst case..McCoy, Beal and Franks leave…OU still has Taylor and some decent DT’s. They still have Alexander at DE and have a couple of young ones that will step in. They will be read deep at LB, even without Reynolds. Thier safeties will be strong and they have some good young CB’s. On Offense, they have Muarry back, and all of thier WR’s will be better. They will have a solid team! Nothing stays great forever..even the shorthorns will have a tough time, even though the whole purpose of the Big 12 was to ensure texas as a dominant program. I wish somebody would discuss that? Why would Tech Baylor be part of the Big 12 and not Houston and TCU?? because the top recurits of Texas would not all go to texas, just like in the 1970’s when SMU and Houston got lots of top Texas recurits.
Yeah, let’s forget Kevin Wilson calling the offensive plays last year and OU’s offense being the most prolific in the history of college football and Wilson winning the Assistant Coach of the Year. It’s been a real problem over the years…
After reading last week’s article, I agreed that OU/NU should be an annual affair. After watching last night’s game, I want to change my opinion. If they are all like this one, I had just as soon remember how it used to be! That was too hard to watch.