OU 45, Tulsa 0: Postgame thoughts
The Sooners delivered their most impressive performance of the young season by blanking Tulsa, 45-0, OU’s second consecutive shutout. QB Landry Jones was the story of the day with a school-record 6 TDs, but the defense was just as impressive with a season-high six sacks.
Thoughts and observations:
* Jones’ Tulsa game reminded me a lot of Sam Bradford’s Miami game two years ago. Bradford had 5 TDs that game and began to draw a buzz. The same is happening with Jones right now.
* Brandon Caleb is the No. 2 WR. No one else is nearly as capable. He had a great game, and really showed Idaho State was a fluke. If Cam Kenney can come along as the No. 3, the Sooners WRs will be fine.
* Poor Adron Tennell. Can you imagine a longer walk than from the back of the end zone following that TD drop to the sidelines. Adron is a really nice kid. Just has no confidence right now. Still, coaches haven’t given up on him yet, even if the fans have, though I’m not sure how much patience the coaches have left.
* You could make the case (easily, in my opinion) that DE Jeremy Beal is OU’s second best defender by GK McCoy. Beal’s stat line Sat.: 3 sacks, 3 TFLs.
Said defensive coordinator Brent Venables, “He was all over the place. Very disruptive for us. He was a catalyst for a lot of good things that happened for
us.”
* Other notable def. performers included LB Keenan Clayton (11 tackles, was everywhere on the field), CB Brian Jackson (had that big pick) and LB Ryan Reynolds (13 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 sacks).
* Broyles is turning into a star. I got an email from a Texas Longhorn writer today talking about how impressed he has been with Broyles this season. Can’t say I disagree. As long as Caleb continues to deflect pressure off him, I think Broyles is in store for a monster year.
* LB Austin Box had a back flare up of some kind that didn’t seem to fire up Venables. When asked why Box didn’t play, Venables said, ” I don’t know what his issue is. They said that he wasn’t gonna be able to go. I don’t know what that means. He said he could’ve gone, but…”
Box has not played much this year, and as long as OU stays healthy, I don’t see that changing, especially with the emergence of freshman LB Ronnell Lewis.
* RB DeMarco Murray look terrific and needs to keep seeing his touches increase. He only had 12 touches against Tulsa as off. coordinator Kevin Wilson continues to work him back into the flow following a hamstring and toe injury.
* With TE Trent Ratterree’s TD drop, the tight ends continue to be absent from the passing game. Brody Eldridge, that just isn’t his forte. James Hanna had his first career catch, but is a ways away from making a huge contribution.
-JT
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I just want to say this blog has some of the most incredible OU football pics on the web. And you do a great job, Jake.