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Bedlam Breakdown

OU running back DeMarco Murray, shown against Kansas State this season, has averaged 6.8 yards per carry since the Texas game. STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World file

 
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 11/28/2008  2:27 AM
Last Modified: 11/28/2008  4:01 AM

 World sports writer Bill Haisten analyzes Saturday's intrastate showdown between No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 11 Oklahoma State



OU RUSH GAME VS. OSU RUSH DEFENSE



Through the first six games of the season, Sooner running DeMarco Murray showed signs that he hadn't completely shaken the effects of last year's knee injury. He averaged 4.7 yards per attempt, but his productivity was, by his standards, ordinary. Against Texas, he ran seven times for 6 yards. In five games since, Murray has been outstanding — 492 yards, 6.8 per carry, eight TDs. OU's Chris Brown (890 yards, 6.0 per carry, 15 TDs) may be the best backup running back in college football. After allowing 156.5 rushing yards per game last season, OSU has surrendered only 118 per game this year. The Cowboys are 26th nationally against the run. Only one opposing back (Texas A&M's Mike Goodson) has reached the 100-yard mark. However, the Cowboys have not faced backs like Murray and Brown (who combined for 233 yards and five TDs against Texas Tech) or an offensive line as dominating as Oklahoma's.

Edge: OU. The Sooners average 203.8 rushing yards per game. A similar performance on Saturday would effectively complement Sam Bradford's passing.

OU PASSING GAME VS. OSU PASSING DEFENSE



OSU has a talented, experienced secondary, but the Cowboys are cursed by their inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks. OSU has only 13 sacks this season. Against OSU, Colt McCoy of Texas and Graham Harrell and Taylor Potts of Texas Tech were a combined 83-of-100 passing for 907 yards, with nine touchdowns against one interception. OU's offensive line has given up only 11 sacks in 11 games. Against Texas Tech, OU's Sam Bradford passed for 304 yards and four TDs on only 14 completions (21.7 yards per connection). Bradford, who has broken the school record for single-season touchdown passes with 42, distributes the football very effectively. Six Sooners have at least 22 receptions. Juaquin Iglesias, Jermaine Gresham, Manny Johnson and Ryan Broyles have a combined 32 touchdown catches. With Bradford as the starting quarterback, Oklahoma is 21-3. In 11 of his starts, the Sooners have reached the 50-point mark.

Edge: OU. The Sooner receivers are tremendous after the catch. If OSU's defenders don't have their best tackling performance of the season, OU could pop several big plays.

OSU RUSH GAME VS. OU RUSH DEFENSE



OSU is eighth nationally in rushing (261.3 yards per game). Cowboy sophomore Kendall Hunter ranks fifth nationally at 130.4 rushing yards per game. He has run for 1,434 yards overall and 6.8 per attempt, and 10 of his 14 touchdown runs have been longer than 20 yards. Hunter has reached the 100-yard mark in nine games this season. QB Zac Robinson and backup running backs Keith Toston and Beau Johnson have combined to contribute an additional 1,407 rushing yards and 18 TDs. Against Texas, currently No. 4 nationally in rushing defense, OSU ran for 217 yards. Oklahoma is 12th nationally against the run, but six of its opponents rank 72nd or worse in rushing offense. Baylor (4.7 yards per attempt), Texas (4.6) and Nebraska (5.8) ran the football fairly effectively against OU. The Sooners steadily have adjusted to the absence of middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in the Texas game.

Edge: OSU. Ground-game success is absolutely critical for the Cowboys. When forced to play catch-up by throwing the football, OSU's offense isn't nearly as effective.

OSU PASSING GAME VS. OU PASSING DEFENSE



Even without injured stars Auston English and Ryan Reynolds, the Sooner defense was sensational against Graham Harrell and the Texas Tech offense. OU was equally excellent in pressuring Harrell (four sacks) and defending against Tech's receivers. Eight of Harrell's throws were broken up (Sooner cornerbacks Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson each knocked away two passes). Red Raider superstar wideout Michael Crabtree netted only 62 yards on six catches and did not score. OSU's five offensive-line starters have made a combined 143 starts. In their last 24 games, the Cowboys have allowed only 23 sacks. OSU QB Zac Robinson is No. 3 nationally in pass efficiency, having thrown for 21 touchdowns on only 160 completions overall. Overwhelmingly, wideout Dez Bryant is Robinson's favorite target. Bryant has 68 catches for 1,222 yards and 16 TDs. No other OSU wide receiver has more than 11 catches. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew (35 receptions, 10.9-yard average) is a weapon for OSU.

Edge: OU. Against Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech, Bryant was neutralized and didn't score. OU has the personnel to effectively cover Bryant and limit his yards after the catch.

SPECIAL TEAMS



Texas coach Mack Brown says Oklahoma State has the best special-teams units in the Big 12. OSU's Dez Bryant leads the conference in punt returns with a 17.9-yard average and two TDs, while Perrish Cox is the league-leader on kickoff returns (29.2-yard average). OU also has big-play guys on returns — most notably, DeMarco Murray on kickoffs and Ryan Broyles on punts. The Sooners have been burned by big kickoff returns. Texas' Jordan Shipley snuffed OU's momentum by scoring on a 96-yard return. Texas A&M's Cyrus Gray broke a 98-yarder and Kansas State's Deon Murphy a 75-yarder. OSU's Dan Bailey is 12-of-15 on field goals, but hasn't connected on one longer than 39 yards. OU kicker Jimmy Stevens has attempted only eight field goals all season. From 30 yards and beyond, he is 3-of-6. Statistically, OSU has the better punter — Matt Fodge averages 44.4 yards per punt, compared to the 35.9-yard average of his Sooner counterpart, Mike Knall.

Edge: OSU. In home games this season, Bryant has averaged 22.6 yards on punt returns. Whether he gets opportunities Saturday depends on the OSU defense forcing OU to punt.
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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7 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Carpe Cerevisi, (11/28/2008 9:23:41 AM)
I really don't know why I even read this page
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Carpe Cerevisi, (11/28/2008 9:27:37 AM)
If I could afford to go to to the game, which mike holder has made impossible, I would watch the cowboys win.
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CaliforniaOkie, Burbank (11/28/2008 12:01:49 PM)
Carpe, not only did you read this page, you came back four minutes later and made another comment. ?
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MexiMike, tulsa (11/28/2008 6:06:06 PM)
Carpe, you could have afforded to go to the game had you bought season tickets for $240. There are two types of OSU fans: those who choose to make the future bright by contributing and those who just want to complain when things supposedly "go wrong." You are in the latter group. Even if you are only a one-game fan (which OSU needs less and less of) you still could have sold every ticket other than Bedlam and made your money back and watched this game live for free. But by all means, continue to gripe and moan instead of coming up with a solution that works for you and the university both. It's good work you do.
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tulsaOUfan, Tulsa (11/28/2008 6:48:42 PM)
Season tickets are $419, not $240 and I don't consider the definition of a fan as only those who can afford season tickets.
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tulsaOUfan, Tulsa (11/28/2008 6:49:10 PM)
Oh, the $419 is from the TW story a couple of days ago
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tulsaOUfan, Tulsa (11/28/2008 6:54:18 PM)
And one more point, those other tickets you say he could have sold, those games weren't sellouts were they? Not much chance for selling them.

Let's face it. If OSU wants to be more than just anti-OU and actually start winning championships, they need to stop turning the OU game into THE game of the year. This ticket selling policy proves just that.
 

 
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