NORMAN - After watching their son throw for more yards than any first-time starting quarterback in Oklahoma history, after watching him pump life into a dead passing attack and defeat Tulsa 51-20, Mark and Sherry Bell threw their arms around each other a couple rows up at Owen Field. When they finally unclenched, they kept blinking tears from their eyes.
"We just wanted him to get his chance," Sherry said.
Blake Bell got his chance, all right. After two years in OU's Belldozer package, and one game and three quarters behind Trevor Knight to open this season, Bell went 27-for-37 passing for 413 yards and four touchdowns.
Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel did him a favor, removing running backs from the formation and sending receivers out wide instead. Tulsa helped out with an aggressive pass rush which left defensive backs exposed.
"A little bit of what they were doing defensively and matchups," Heupel said of the formula. "A little bit because of Blake, as well."
Actually, this was a lot because of Blake.
He withstood Tulsa's blitz like he did on the 35-yard touchdown strike to Sterling Shepard that put OU up 34-7 early in the third quarter.
He dug in and showed poise in helping the Sooners convert 12 of 16 third downs. His 9-yard pass to Shepard and 11-yard scramble converted third downs on OU's first drive. The two plays set up Brennan Clay's 4-yard TD run and a lead the Sooners would not give up.
Bell showed off his right arm some, most prominently on that 35-yard shot to Shepard. But more than anything, he did what Knight could not. He completed simple passes that his mercurial receivers turned into big gains.
"We just nickeled and dimed," explained wide receiver Jaz Reynolds, who latched on to Bell's quick pass and ran 82 yards with it in the first quarter, the longest non-scoring pass play in OU history.
The Sooners went against their recent offensive grain in pounding away at Louisiana-Monroe and West Virginia. This was more familiar.
"Yeah, that's why we came to Oklahoma," Reynolds said. "We break records with the passing game."
Bell broke one of Sam Bradford's, his 413 yards eclipsing Bradford's 363 from his 2007 debut against North Texas. Bell helped turn Shepard and Jalen Saunders into 100-yard receivers. He thoroughly outplayed Tulsa quarterback Cody Green (17-of-33 for 226 yards and an interception).
OU coach Bob Stoops summed it up about a minute into his postgame news conference: "Blake Bell was the story of the game."
"It was awesome," Bell said. "I had a great time, first of all, just getting out there and playing ball. There's nothing better. The coaches did a great job of getting us ready and getting us prepared. That was one thing I wanted, to be ready. I didn't not want to be ready for this game."
He was ready all right. He went 3-for-4 on his first drive, converting those two third downs along the way. The Sooners were slow starters against ULM and West Virginia. Saturday, they took it 72 yards to that 7-0 lead.
When he found Shepard for a 3-yard TD on third-and-goal early in the second quarter, Bell was 9-for-11 for 195 yards. OU led 17-7. He was 11-for-13 for 233 after Roy Finch turned a screen pass into a 29-yard touchdown to end the next drive. OU led 24-7.
Tulsa showed some offensive spirit in the second half, first on two Carl Salazar field goals in the third quarter, then on Ja'Tarian Douglas' 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
Trey Watts, who Stoops called "fabulous," was a threat running, catching and kick returning throughout.
All that spark did, though, was allow OU to keep Bell on the field. He kept throwing, too, until he had a stat line worthy of Bradford and Landry Jones.
"We've always said he's a good thrower," Stoops said.
Saturday's opposing coach could vouch.
"We have some coaches that actually recruited him out of high school when he was a very productive passer," Bill Blankenship said. "I think he had gotten put into a little bit of a niche of a guy that didn't throw."
That will happen when you are Jones' backup and used more as a fullback than a quarterback, then when you lose a competition to start the season.
All Bell needed was the chance his parents so badly wanted for him, the opportunity to run an offense, not just the Belldozer. When it finally came Saturday, it was everything he, and his folks, hoped.
"You lay in bed the night before and visualize positive things happening," Bell said. "I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself. I just wanted to come out there and show everyone what I could do."
NO. 14 OKLAHOMA 51, TULSA 20
OU UP NEXT: At Notre Dame 2:30 p.m. Sept. 28 TV: KJRH-9/2 Radio: KMOD fm97.5, KTBZ am1430 TU UP NEXT: Vs. Iowa State 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26 TV: FSOK-27 Radio: KRMG am740, fm102.3
Guerin Emig 918-581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com
OU
Quarterback Blake Bell was asked to assess good things and bad things he did during his first start in last weekend's 51-20 victory over Tulsa.
Oklahoma senior middle blocker Sallie McLaurin was named National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday.
