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Next, please

OU tight end Jermaine Gresham pushes through Chattanooga defensive back Raeshon Ball as Tony Swafford closes in. Gresham had two dropped TD passes in the game, mistakes the Sooners can't afford to make next week. michael wyke/ Tulsa World

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 9/1/2008 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 9/1/2008 3:35 AM

OU to go from dominant display to feisty foe

Rarely does an opening night go as planned.

But Oklahoma's season opener on Saturday was one to remember. Sort of.

The joy of a 50-0 halftime lead — just the second by OU in 71 years — was tempered by a long and downright frightening halftime show of lightning and rain. What came next was a second-half funk by the Sooner offense and backups.

And all this against a I-AA program hovering near the bottom of its conference.

"We have a perspective on it," said head coach Bob Stoops.

Indeed, Saturday's 57-2 victory over Tennessee-Chattanooga amounted to little more than the Sooners' first open scrimmage of the preseason. Of course, No. 4-ranked OU will take it. No offensive coordinator will discard 487 yards total offense and 27 first downs. And no defensive coordinator will turn down 36 total yards and two first downs, regardless of the opponent's talent level.

But just like last season, when OU opened with a 79-10 thrashing of North Texas, it is hard to get a gauge on just how good the Sooners are. Last year, a 51-13 memory-maker against Miami in week two told the tale. This year, the Sooners face a similarly stern test in Cincinnati.

The Bearcats on Saturday routed I-AA Eastern Kentucky 40-7. UC won 10 games last season and finished the year ranked No. 17.

"Excellent program," Stoops said. "(Teams) don't win 10 games and not be really good. Always looked at them as a good team."

Sam Bradford, Auston English and other players said they thought they should have been better in an uninspired second half against the Mocs. The Sooners won't have the luxury of taking a second-half siesta against Cincinnati.

"They have players. They're going to be stout," OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "They're going to be experienced and they're going to be strong. They have couple of corners that can make plays; led the nation in picks and turnovers. They get a lot of notoriety on offense, but they'll be one of the better defensive teams we play. It will be a challenge."

Sooner defensive coordinator Brent Venables sounded similarly impressed with the Bearcats' offense.

"They're a very explosive football team with a tremendous amount of talent. We recognize that," Venables said. "It's going to be a formidable challenge. We'll need to play really, really, really well on defense. They're a team with the no-huddle, it's kind of in vogue now. They run it as good as anybody if not better."

As easy a time as the Sooners had with Chattanooga, they're in for the real thing for at least the next month. After Cincinnati comes OU's first road trip, an evening game at Washington. Oklahoma struggled in road games last season, losing at Colorado and Texas Tech and winning narrowly at Iowa State. After an idle Saturday, the Sooners host TCU on Sept. 27, and the Horned Frogs — 1-0 this year and bowl participants nine of the last 10 years — are no pushover, evidenced by an epic 17-10 upset in Norman in the 2005 opener.

But refocusing on Big East Conference contender Cincinnati is the Sooners' most immediate concern.

"I know a lot of the background of how those kids have been coached," Wilson said. "They played West Virginia (28-23) a heckuva a whole lot better than we did (48-28) last year."

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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ZipLoc, (9/2/2008 7:16:45 PM)

Why? LOL Why?

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