Two plays mirrored OU’s season (George Schroeder, Daily Oklahoman)
Two plays defined Oklahoma’s 17-14 Holiday Bowl win over Oregon. Two plays that mirrored a season.
There was Clint Ingram’s leaping interception near the goal line in the final seconds — “He saved our butts,” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said.
But if Ingram’s interception showed OU’s toughness and resilience, “it also showed the way we foul up a play here or there to allow it to be (close),” coach Bob Stoops said.
Because there was a reason the Sooners’ backsides needed saving. Twelve minutes earlier, OU had moved within inches — OK, a yard — of putting the sixth-ranked Ducks away. Adrian Peterson’s fumble at the goal line prevented a blowout and set the stage for Oregon’s furious rally.
“That’s the whole game,” Stoops said. “Otherwise, it isn’t a game.”
That’s the whole season. After a rough start, the Sooners were good enough to win, but not good enough — or smart enough, or consistent enough, or whatever — to win easily.
There were some other things we saw all season. Inexplicably, the replay crew did not review Peterson’s “fumble” despite the fact that it appeared his forward progress was stopped. The call may not have changed, but it should have at least gotten a review. The replay system was not kind to the Sooners this year.
Also, even as the offense improved and started to show something in the second half of the season, the coaching staff had a tendency to get a lead and go into a shell at times. I can understand that with a young team, but it’s hard to turn it back on when they figure out that they need more points. And Oklahoma’s defense was good but not dominant this year, meaning they frequently needed more points. I suspect as the players gain a year of maturity, the offensive coaches will be inclined to take the shackles off a bit more next year.
In retrospect, Oregon may have been a little overrated. But I would also suggest that Oklahoma improved by leaps and bounds over the team that looked so terrible in its non-conference games. Rhett Bomar began to show why he should have gone through spring practices as the starter (thanks, Chuck Long), and a host of young receivers began to show some promise. And some of the new wrinkles Kevin Wilson installed for the Oregon game really fit the personnel. With a healthy Adrian Peterson, this could be a pretty fun offense to watch next season.
4 comments On A Nice Way To End The Season
Oregon was terribly overrated, but you have much to look forward to next season.
As opposed, to, say, my Hurricanes, led by an incompetent coach.
Please, Vince, come back next year.
TP: What’s your take on the firing of the assistants that was just announced?
Coker seems a little overwhelmed in charge of a national championship caliber program. I can’t help but think he needed to go, not the assistants.
The OC and OL coach had to go, but no less so than Clappy Coker (so named because of his infuriating habit of clapping no matter what play should occurred. Pick six? Clapping. Blocked field goal? Clapping. Down 34-3 in the bowl game? Clapping.)
The real error here was the AD, Paul Dee, who gave Clappy a 3-year K extension coming off a 9-3 year (last year). That was ludicrous, especially when Clappy had no leverage at all.
Thing is, Miami is a small private school, with a small alumni base, and smaller donations. They cannot afford to buy out expensive contracts whenever they wish, as can larger state schools. They just can’t eat 6 million dollars in the coach’s contract, then turn around and hire a new one.
So, there’s no way Clappy was getting fired this year. I predict, after another mediocre season next year, he will be axed, and then finally, we can start talking about champeenships in Coral Gables again.
Because we’re not winning another with him as coach, that’s for damn sure. Looking back on it, and no offense to 2002 OSU, which was a good team, isn’t it obvious they had no business winning that game? We turned the ball over 5 times and still could have won but for a terrible call.
A better coaching job by Clappy and we win that game, easy. Grrrr.
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