Sooner Gameday
Game day thoughts as Oklahoma opens Big 12 Conference play against West Virginia on Saturday night ...
*** Jay Norvell expects more out of his wide receivers in Saturday’s 6 p.m. contest against West Virginia.
How did he rate the group following last week’s 34-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe?
“It was average,” Norvell said. “I just think we’re building continuity. We’re trying to find our personality and we’ve got to play better. We’ve got to play harder. We had three drops in the game; we have to execute, the deep ball especially, better.
“We did a lot of good things, but we’ve got a lot to build on. It’s kind of a typical first game. We didn’t have a lot of major mistakes, but we had a lot of little things that we’ve gotta clean up execution-wise.”
Quarterback Trevor Knight did throw some errant passes on his debut, but settled late.
With the installation of a zone-read package, it’s highly unlikely the Sooners will throw 51 times like they did to eke out a win at West Virginia last season.
The run package could possibly make life easier for the wide receivers.
”It is putting a lot of the corners on an island and forcing the safeties to play the run more,” Saunders said. “I think the offense is looking a lot better with the style that we switched up to. I’m real excited for it.”
While there’s not more opportunities in the pass play, there are opportunities for bigger plays.
“(The run game) brings the safeties to the box to help up the run and helps out the lineman for the pass play and it helps our play action,” Saunders said.
*** Over/under for Trey Millard touches? Over/under for Roy Finch carries? Over/under for Sterling Shepard receptions?
*** West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen is breaking in a new quarterback in junior Paul Millard. There could be some growing pains early in the season.
Holgorsen has had success coaching QBs during his career. He’s recently worked with Geno Smith, Brandon Weeden and Case Keenum, all who are on NFL rosters.
*** Oklahoma is encouraging fans to “Stripe the Stadium” during Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against West Virginia.
Fans who have tickets in even-numbered seating sections are asked to wear crimson and fans in odd-numbered seating sections are asked to wear white. The general admission student section should all wear crimson to this contest.
*** Bill Hancock, executive director of the BCS and the College Football Playoffs, will speak at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord Hall at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The session, which is open to the public, will be at the Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation Auditorium.
Hancock, a 1972 OU graduate, will speak about the legacy of the BCS and the beginning of the new playoff system.
*** Oklahoma’s Memorial Stadium was a silent venue 31 years ago.
Jeff Hostetler, a then-unknown quarterback making his first college start for West Virginia, led the Mountaineers to a 41-27 victory over the Sooners in that season-opening 1982 contest.
“Jeff Hostetler just put it on us,” Barry Switzer said earlier this week. “It was him that year and (John) Elway the next year. Our fans didn’t know who we were playing, but our players did. We knew their talent and recognized it.”
The Sooners, coming off a 7-4-1 season, took an early 14-0 lead before Hostetler took over. The Mountaineers scored 20 consecutive points, including a touchdown right before halftime, to enjoy a 20-13 lead at intermission.
OU led 21-20 when Kelly Phelps scored on an third-quarter option run and the game was tied at 27 entering the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers took charge, scoring on a Hostetler 9-yard TD throw and Curlin Beck’s 43-yard TD run.
Hostetler, a future Super Bowl-winning quarterback, finished that game 17-of-37 passing for 321 yards and four touchdowns.
It was Switzer’s only loss in a season opener in 16 years. That OU team would finish 8-4 with a 32-21 setback to Arizona State in the Fiesta Bowl.
“We knew their talent and recognized it, but the key thing was (Hostetler) was a great player and we were in a transition period,” Switzer said. “That was a time when the talent level was down a little and we just weren’t quite where we needed to get back on top again.”
*** What’s Switzer doing these days? The 75-year-old will be in his backyard interacting with fans online during the West Virginia-OU game.
Switzer will be making his season debut during Saturday’s game. Fans can log onto www.coachescabana.com to hit Switzer up with in-game questions.
Switzer, Oklahoma State Pat Jones and other former coaches from schools like Auburn (Jack Crowe), Clemson (Danny Ford), Penn State (Jay Paterno), Tennessee (Johnny Majors), Texas A&M (Jackie Sherrill) and Texas (Fred Akers) will discuss games in real-time with fans.
“I did seven games last year,” Switzer said. “We have 14 coaches doing it now and we did five or six games last week. We tested it last year and it was accepted well.”
Switzer said it’s neat to get someone close to the program that knows the school and the team involved with fans.
“There are so many stories that relate to the school and the coaches,” Switzer said. “We’re not doing play-by-play. We’re doing color on the school and the game. “It’s something that I’ve enjoyed doing and something people are interested in seeing.”
Follow OU Sports Writers Guerin Emig and Eric Bailey on Twitter.
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