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Strides taken by OU, but Nebraska looms

DeMarco Murray helped the Sooners' ground game gain 164 yards during Saturday's win. MIKE SIMONS / Tulsa World
 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 11/2/2009  2:24 AM
Last Modified: 11/2/2009  11:22 AM

Saturday night's developments in Stillwater — specifically, rejuvenated Texas looked better than ever — did nothing to improve Oklahoma's already long odds to win a fourth straight Big 12 title.

But in Norman, encouraging strides by the young OU offense helped send the Sooners to a 42-30 victory over Kansas State.

"I thought the line held up and protected," said coach Bob Stoops. "Landry (Jones) threw good balls. Those guys (receivers) came up in open spaces and caught the ball better, and we made more competitive plays that way. It was good to see our running game be productive."

On Sunday, the Sooners (5-3, 3-1) were up to No. 20 in the polls, but with the daunting prospect of a road trip to Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) looming this week, there is the realization that much is left to be done.

"They're progressing and making improvement," Stoops said.




Up next

At Nebraska

7 p.m. Saturday

TV: KTUL-8

Radio: KMOD fm97.5, KTBZ am1430

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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20 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!

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Pepito, Norman (11/2/2009 6:46:56 AM)
Coaches always say, "We're progressing and making improvement." How else can they pat themselves on the back? Unfortunately, the coaches are not progressing and making improvement. Yet again, we kick off the the conference leader in return yardage. The predictable happens. He takes it to the house. After that, we wake up and deep on-side.
Report Comment
sooner mike, Out in BFE (11/2/2009 7:40:25 AM)
if we are progressing and improving then why cant our Recivers catch the ball. that is still a problem and will always be. And our d looked good in the first but in the second K State made us look bad. It should have been a blow out and it wasnt. I was at that game and alot of people is not Happy with Kevin Wilson maybe its time for him to leave. I say Put some one up there with a brain that can call plays. We cant run the ball bc of our O line but we still try on 1 and 45 whats that about come on man get your head into the game. I love the sooners and always will but some of our coachs need brains like Kevin Wilson.

BOOMER SOONER
Report Comment
AtlantaSooner, Atlanta (11/2/2009 7:43:08 AM)
If all you can do is bash our coaches and players, do NOT call yourself a Sooners fan. You're an Aggie or a moron!
Report Comment
AtlantaSooner, Atlanta (11/2/2009 7:44:11 AM)
SoonerMike, change your name to AggieMike and grow up! Wilson is a great coach, and you're an example of what is wrong with sports, too many idiots in the stands.
Report Comment
soonerman37, Broken Arrow (11/2/2009 8:16:40 AM)
Hey Soonermike, or okiemike, Jones finished the game with incredible numbers including going 14-14 in the 4th quarter. If the receivers are dropping balls, how can he complete 14 straight passes. Watch the game for once, if you are really at the game. The D had a bad night, but our offense carried them. Wilson ran the ball when it was 1st and 45 to get to the 4th Quarter. We then finished off the drive for a TD. What do you want? He called plays for two 4th Quarter drives that won us the game.
Report Comment
Unbiasedfan0315, (11/2/2009 8:52:38 AM)
I'd like to take a step back and look at OU's performance this year. Most fans think that they should remember all of the glory years from many years ago for OU. That's fine, but this year's team has nothing to do with previous years' glory. From an unbiased opinion, I see a team that is only one win above .500 for the year. OU will get into a bowl game, due to their mediocre performance, but also because of their "glory days" reputation. For future years, OU is lucky in the fact that the teams that get invited to play in the BCS games are decided on a relatively unbiased decision (albeit debatable). If there was much bias put into the decision for BCS bowl game selection in the years to come, OU will suffer dearly, as they have embarrassed their fans and themselves in the last several years, and BCS bowl selection folks would likely not choose them, as they don't want a team that will embarrass themselves year after year. The swagger is gone, for a while anyway........
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (11/2/2009 9:04:47 AM)
Great game. I can see the team coming together. We lose very little for next year, from what we have right now on the field. The future looks bright.

BOOMER SOONER!!
Report Comment
CowboyBobDog, Neamh (11/2/2009 9:14:15 AM)
Time to shuck some corn.

(Bobdog doesn't like Aksarben.)
Report Comment
imahick, tulsa (11/2/2009 9:19:51 AM)
go huskers!!!
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (11/2/2009 10:19:41 AM)
Remember, the "N" on Nebraska's helmet stands for Nowledge.

LOL!!

BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Comment
Jt4OU, mohnton (11/2/2009 10:40:44 AM)
well lets see, OU played a pretty good game and WON their game , but can't say the same for the game in stillwater...

OU-Neb will be a good game,,, OU-31-21
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DieHardSoonerFan82, Out in the sticks (11/2/2009 10:56:14 AM)
i know i am beeing hard on the greatest team and university in the country and i dont mean to be I didnt mean to bash the coachs i was just a lil disapointed in the game i know we won and we did what we had to do. Kevin wilson is a good coach.
Report Comment
unbelievable11, (11/2/2009 11:08:18 AM)
sooner mike, umm....they still made a 1st down after the 1st and 45
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DieHardSoonerFan82, Out in the sticks (11/2/2009 11:46:35 AM)
I know they did Unbelivvable11 i was just being a lil hard on them because i was a lil ticked that we were in that situation and that we didnt get more yards on the first down. but we did get the yards and we did score on that drive.
Report Comment
CowboyBobDog, Neamh (11/2/2009 12:30:11 PM)
Arf, Arf Arby.

(Bobdog forgot that one.)
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (11/2/2009 12:37:56 PM)
Unbiased, we haven't been embarrassed, we have lost in the NC game. A game everyone wants to be in but only 2 can go, so we've been the envy of all but 1 team in the country in those title game years. And the BCS or bowl committees don't care if you get beaten by 1 or 50. They only care about how well you travel and how relevant you are on a national interest level. OU travels well and does well in the ratings nationally. End of story. If you think OU has lost it's swagger then it's obvious you need to get a clue.
Report Comment
JR, (11/2/2009 12:56:11 PM)
You Kids would have thrown up your lunch in the WISHBONE YEARS at OU..... Games were close.... Won in the last minute... Give these kids a break... Boomer Sooner!!!!!
Report Comment
pat, Kiefer (11/2/2009 2:42:47 PM)
BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!

I only wish we could adjust on D, O, and S quicker than later.
Report Comment
KenP, Keifer (11/2/2009 3:55:18 PM)
I'm real real real happy about our Sooners. The whole thing with Bradford kinda sucks and we lost 2 games by ONE POINT EACH GAME and lost to Tex by a fieldgoal. Yeah 3 games stinks and other have been hurt but look at Landry. I guess im the only one thinking (doubt it) but that dude is awesome. He has a good look about him and I think we're covered the rest of the year and next year is looking killer.

BOOMER!!!!!!!!
Report Comment
Soonersteve50, Aberdeen (11/3/2009 11:19:34 AM)
Some points.
So far, to date I would grade OU's Defense with a B+ for the season. IF they could manage to pull off some big goal line stances during the big games then I would grade them an A,. I saw lots of good tackling against K State. However I still see too much jumping and screaming in of signals by Venables.... at about one milisecond before the ball is snapped. You can't play Defense that way and be consistently good. Players need a few seconds to look over the field and get set and make their own adjustments. I just do not see this with Florida, or Penn State or USC and others top 10 schools on D.
Also OU needs to be able to substitute more than one or two guys on the D at any one time with CONFIDENCE. They must be able to roll in 3 or 4 players including D linemen to give other guys a BLOW...Hands on hips by players is the first big sign of fatigue!!!
Seems to me that the more $$$ a head coach and some assistants make, the more the focus on winning goes away only to be replaced with EXCUSES....to the tune of Million(s) per year.
Seems like OU does not have enough qualified guys to come off the bench and make a difference at (any) given time or opportunity.
Why in the heck do you recruit guys who cannot come off the bench and play lights out. I would want ALL of my 2nd team guys to be as ready as any starter to come in given any situation and make a difference. HEll their are too many guys out there who would cut off their nose for the chance to play for OU and make big plays when asked to do so.
 

 
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