ONE LAST LOOK BACK AT 2013 / PART II

2013
Unpredictable, Unusual & Unforgettable

Part II

(#18) OU 34 @ Kansas 19

Starting QB: Blake Bell

Yawn.  Rock, Chalk…when does basketball start? Thank the scheduling God’s for this one because if OU had been playing anyone but the Chickenhawks, the Sooner season might've ended in Shreveport instead of The Big Easy. 

One quarter into this game and OU had 23 yards offense and had given up more rushing yards to KU than the ‘Hawks normally averaged per game. Score 13-0.  

What sparked the Sooners? A blocked extra point and a beautifully thrown touchdown pass from…LaColston Bester…a wide receiver, of course.  Bell had a 121 yards passing with an interception, but none to a lineman on the opposing defense. Trevor Knight, unless you count when he was running to and from the locker room, never got on the field. 

That sound you hear…that’s the cry from the Sooner Nation for Kendal Thompson.

Season Excitement Meter: 6-1 (unchanged) 
The equivalent of watching a C-Span rerun

@ (#17)   OU  38 (#10) Texas Tech 30

Starting QB: Blake Bell

The Red Raiders arrived in Norman with a new rock star cool head coach and an undefeated record.  Unfortunately for Tech fans, what wasn’t new was the way their team plays defense.  Big time plays from LaColston Bester and Jalen Saunders helped the Sooners rack up over 500 yards total offense.  The Sooners ran the football on 16 of their last 18 plays…which took time off the clock and kept the Tech offense off the field.  Bell was better, 250 yards and 2 TD’s with no INT’s.  Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson = Clipboard and headset.

Season Excitement: 7-1 (couple upticks) 
You want to believe, but you kind of know better.  It’s like playing Black Jack with a hand of 20…but the dealer has an Ace showing and of the last eight cards dealt…none were face cards. 

(#12)  OU  12 @ (#5) Baylor 41

Starting QB: Blake Bell

What the hell & why QB: Trevor Knight

QB Witness Program: Kendal Thompson

This one was there for the taking.  The big stage and bright lights seemed to have the Bears a little to jacked-up for their own good.  Senseless personal foul penalties combined with a knee injury to stud running back Seastrunk and an effective defensive game plan from Mike Stoops had Baylor fans restless and the Sooners in position to steal one…for a while anyway.  The Sooners actually lead 5-3 in this one before the wheels came off (Yes, that's right: 5-3).  

A key penalty, OU’s inability to score inside the Baylor 5 yard line and what might have been the worst pass ever thrown by a Sooner QB lead to Baylor scoring 14 points in the final minute of the second quarter to take a 21-3 lead to the locker room.  Basically, it was all over but the bad dancing in Waco.

Blake Bell’s QB rating in that game was 5.7.  That’s on a scale of 1-100 by the way, not 1-10. 5.7…How the hell is that even possible? He might’ve gotten a higher rating by not even playing.  I got a 1.7 QB rating just for successfully driving to Waco; or maybe that was my blood alcohol level...but regardless...5.7 sucks. 

Trevor Knight…remember him? He was the guy that ‘won’ the QB battle in fall camp.  He came in to the game 5 times.  Every one of those time were obvious running situations, all five times he ran.  Tricky.  Who knows where we’d have been without those 15 yards. How bad must Kendal Thompson be if he can’t even get a snap? But, hey…there is a bright side for KT. Three hours of  doing nothing every week gives him plenty of time to fill out his transfer paperwork.  

This just in: Waco still sucks.

Season Excitement Meter:  7-2 (falling)
On scale of 1-10 = 2.  Driving home you want to fire Stoops, cancel the remainder of the season, then hope they give up football all together. Then the next day when you sober up and calm down, you remember that you should be thankful because it could be worse…you could be an OSU fan.

@ (#22)  OU  48 Iowa State 10

Starting QB: Blake Bell (hurt in second quarter)

Because you’re not Kendal: Trevor Knight

OK, are you happy now: Kendal Thompson

Senior day. Bell gets hurt.  Knight runs wild.  Thompson sets down paperwork and goes in for mop up duty.  Whatever, it’s Iowa State.  Three OU QB’s combine to produce the following passing stats: 12 of 23 for 118 yards for an average of 5.1 yards a heave.  Almost enough to make you long for Landry.  Almost. 

Season Excitement Meter: 8-2 (unchanged)
Hey, at least it’s not soccer.

(#22)  OU  41 @ Kansas State 31

Because someone has to start at QB: Trevor Knight

Brennan Clay rushes for 200 yards and Zack Sanchez returns an INT for a touchdown, helping the Sooners hold off the Wildcats on a cold, windy day in Manhattan, KS.  Trevor Knight was efficient if not effective.  On the day he totaled 181 yards and a score through the air and another 82 and a TD on the ground.  In what has become a consistent theme, the big play ability of Jalen Saunders plays a huge role in the win.
QB Blake Bell: out with injury.  QB Kendal Thompson: His consecutive game streak over at 1.

Season Excitement Meter:  9-2 (a few upticks)
The win made you feel bad that you momentarily emotionally abandoned these guys two weeks ago…but you also can’t help knowing that a gutsy win over teams like Tech and KSU makes us nothing more than the “King of the melting pot of mediocrity.”

PART III to follow