Half of my mistakes I swear I should've known better … You get a little distance on it, the truth is clearer. Oh, and half of my mistakes I'd probably make 'em again”- Radney Foster, Half My Mistakes
Wow, I didn’t see that coming. But in retrospect, why the
hell didn’t I? Sadly, those last two-lines
might be etched on my tombstone someday.
Yes, the Sooners ascension to all things special in the new Brent
Venables era took the night off last Saturday … the result was a 41-34 loss at
home to Kansas State. It was the first loss for the Sooners in the Venables
era, dropping OU to 3-1 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. KSU, fresh
off a loss to Tulane, has now won 3 of the last 4 against OU. Talk about a buzzkill.
SLOW START
These slow starts to games by the Sooners are now officially
an issue. Other than the opening game against UTEP, not only have the Sooners failed
to score on their first drive of the game, they’ve fallen behind in all three –
and frankly, they’ve looked bad doing it.
Kent St. led 3-0 until a minute to play in the first half.
Nebraska marched down the field on their first drive of the game to take a 7-0
lead … the Sooners response was 5-plays and a punt. The first two times that
KSU had the ball Saturday night, they marched down the field like Grant went through
Richmond. Back-to-back drives of 15 and 12 plays had the Wildcats up 14-0. Meanwhile, while the Sooners defense is
sucking oxygen on the sidelines, the OU offense goes 5 plays and a punt, and
5-plays and a punt, rinse, repeat on their first two drives.
Look, if I know what time the game starts, then I think it’s
only fair that the team does as well. When the ball is kicked – I’m ready to go,
why aren’t they? I’ve got snacks in place, I’ve checked the batteries in my
remote, I removed any expensive fragile decorative accessories from the
immediate area, and I have my blood-level alcohol at the proper percentage for
cheering/screaming. I don’t know if Venables is reading Ole Yeller, or Steel
Magnolias or Where the Red Fern Grows to the team or what –
but whatever he’s doing – it might be time to try something different.
SIGNS OF MATURITY
It was nice to have a night game for a change. I’m not saying
I don’t mind having a Bloody Mary with my pop tart at 9AM, but every once in a
while, it’s nice to be able to ease into the day.
Having had pizza the week prior, we went with wings this
week. The wings, boneless for me, were fine … but I regret not calling an audible
when Wing Stop told me they no longer had the rolls I love – “only sides are carrot
and celery sticks”. What? Which one of my chins tells you that I’d prefer a vegetable
over a butter-soaked roll? What next - McDonald’s deciding to nix their fries
in favor of sprouts in their combo meals?
I do have to give myself some credit in regard to my overall
behavior. In seasons past, a loss like the one Saturday night would’ve been met
with expletive laced tirades, a broken nick-nack of some unknown origin, and anything
that wasn’t tied down being launched into the pool. Other than some strongly
worded encouragement, a quickly retracted declaration about Gabriel’s mom after
he over-threw a wide-open Stoops on 4th down, and a broken whiskey
glass that didn’t bounce well – I was pretty much an adult. Hey, it’s progress.
Don’t tell anyone, but maybe I’m starting to grow up. Right.
GAME CHANGER
With a little under 12:30 to go in the second quarter, Gabriel
hit Marvin Mims on a 50-yard go route to tie the game at 14. When Sooners
kicker Zach Schmit launched the ball in the air down toward the KSU goal line,
momentum was clearly wearing crimson and cream. But a Malik Knowles 58-yard
return found KSU taking the field with first and 10 in OU territory. 14-plays
and 42-yards later, it was 21-14 KSU. On the drive, the Cats converted twice on
third down, twice on 4th down, and drained over 6-minutes off the
clock. Momentum, which only moments earlier looked like Barry Switzer’s closet,
now looked the color of Prince, eggplant, and whatever that big Barney thing is
that kids like.
PENALTIES
Want the recipe for losing to what was perceived to be an
inferior opponent? (1) Allow them to convert 50% of their 3rd downs and
both 4th down attempts (2) Let them win the time of possession by 10
minutes (3) Commit 11 penalties – seeming all of which were pivotal in stalling
your own drives or extended theirs (4) allow over 100+ yards rushing to two different
players (4) miss a wide-open receiver on 4th down, game changing
play. (5) Order Wing Stop when they don’t have rolls anymore.
SPY?
Look, I only know two things about defense: It is played
with 11-guys and we haven’t seen one in Norman in 15 years. But that said, I have to question why the F didn’t
Venables employ a spy on KSU QB Martinez? If he said he did, then he was
undercover.
KSU’s ability to convert on 3rd & 4th
down absolutely killed OU. Not only did that allow KSU to extend drives and wears
down the OU defense, it also toke the crowd out of the game and the ball out of
the hands of the OU offense.
Speaking of a tired defense …
NOW YOU SEE HIM .... NOW YOU DON'T
Jaren Kanak. A week ago, I watched the gifted freshman
linebacker come off the bench and play like Lawrence Taylor. While only playing
a little over half the game, Kanak led the team in tackles (10), while also
forcing and recovering a fumble. Then a
week later, Kanak might as well have been Elisabeth Taylor, because he never
played a snap. How can he go from being all over the field – to not being able
to get on it?
Seriously, what was the downside to putting Kanak in the game
to spell White or another linebacker? It’s not like the starters were having
the games of their life. With his speed, Jaren Kanak, could very well have been the answer for Adrian Martinez, but now we’ll never know. Instead,
I can't unsee a totally gassed Dashaun White lumbering after KSU QB Adrian Martinez, like Kirsti Alley plodding after an ice cream truck, as Martinez scrambled on third-and-16 for 52 yards. From
3-and 16 ... to ... 1st and goal Wildcats. From undefeated to 3-1.
Better days ahead, I hope.
Next up – Sooners come here to Fort
Worth to take on TCU.
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