There’s a lot of sports adages that preach the importance of the finish over the start. But Oklahoma isn’t interested in hearing any of them.
The Sooners learned the hard way just how important the beginning can be, to a season, and even a game.
Almost exactly a year ago, TCU came into Owen Field a decided underdog, but didn’t play like one. The Horned Frogs took advantage of three Sooner fumbles and a lackluster offensive performance to claim a stunning victory.
OU hasn’t forgotten.
“The first couple of series just kind of shook us up a little bit, but I don’t know if I saw it coming,” said Adrian Peterson, who was held 63 rushing yards. “Even though things happened the way they happened, I don’t think we should have lost that game.”
No. 10 OU opens the 2006 season against another underdog at 6 p.m. tonight when unranked Alabama-Birmingham comes to Owen Field. The Sooners are bound and determined not to have a repeat season-opening performance.
A lot of that burden will fall upon quarterback Paul Thompson. After beating out Rhett Bomar in a preseason duel for the job last season, he struggled against the Horned Frogs and lost the job.
He knows things might have gone differently with a better performance. He also knows a strong showing tonight will quiet the doubters.
“That’s big. That’s real big,” he said. “I think that any team wants to come out, wants to start the season off real strong. It definitely brings confidence and it helps the team get motivated and get rolling on throughout the next couple of games. It’s definitely big.
“It’s not just the first win. You want to start the first drive, the first quarter, you want to start those off strong as well. That momentum and that energy can build and carry throughout a game and a season.”
The Sooners didn’t do that last season.
They played sloppy early, losing three of their first five games. They didn’t really start to get cleaned up until OU exited the Cotton Bowl after a 45-12 thrashing at the hands of Texas.
Of course, that team had several first-year starters. Most of them are back with a better understanding of what’s required.
“Experience makes us better this year,” linebacker Zach Latimer said. “There were a lot of first-time guys out there, including myself. It’s about communicating with each other and talking to each other, telling what you see and help the next guys recognize the formations and process it. Once you keep seeing it, it starts to come to you and becomes second nature.”
The experience should pay off and many believe it already has.
Players say offseason workouts were more intense because of the experience of last season. Each player knew a lackluster workout in June could result in sloppy play in September.
Coaches say preseason practices were better. Players came to the practice with better focus.
Those traits were missing in September of 2005.
The Sooners saw the cracks in the foundation last year and believe they’ve been repaired.
But no one will know for sure until tonight. It has to happen on the field.
“You have to get it out there on the field and play with some discipline, some toughness and some effort,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “That’s really what we’re looking for. I want to see our guys come out and play in a disciplined way and in a physical way, and play with great effort and play smart. That’s what we have to do.
“I felt, especially early on a year ago, we did not do that. Hopefully, we’re a little more schooled in how (to) play fundamentally to start the season. If we do, we’ve got a chance, hopefully, to have a good year.”
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Last season's lessons still fresh
- OU Sports
-
-
Sooners did not show up to play
Texas had something to play for. So there’s that. If the Longhorns are to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, this was just the kind of game they absolutely had to win....
-
With W.V. set free by Big East, Big 12 schedule’s out and it’s backloaded for Sooners
With West Virginia finally receiving its release from the Big East Conference on Tuesday, the Big 12 Conference was finally able to release its conference football schedule for the 2012 season....
-
Red River rut
The rut Oklahoma has been trying to escape for the last two weeks continued to grow deeper with a 69-58 loss to Texas Tuesday night at Lloyd Noble Center....
-
OU gearing up for Texas’ Brown
If Oklahoma guard Steven Pledger had his way, tonight’s meeting with Texas will come down to two players: himself and Longhorn guard J’Covan Brown....
-
Sooners will have a dramatically new look up and down the order, on the mound
The clubhouse at L. Dale Mitchell Park hasn’t changed over the last year. Just about everything else has since the 2011 baseball season ended. The locker stalls have 20 new nameplates. The coaches’ locker room has two new ones as well. ...
-
Despite hard fight, UConn wins big
By its own standards, the Connecticut team that took the floor Monday night at Lloyd Noble Center was not in the same class as its previous incarnations. But a down year for the seven-time national champions is still better than just ...
-
Believe it or not, OU women are progressing
Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma appeared plenty willing to embarrass Oklahoma for a third time in seven games....
-
OU reeling from stunning loss to Texas Tech
As Oklahoma’s players headed toward the exit at United Spirit Arena on Saturday night, most had dazed looks on their faces. The 65-47 loss to Texas Tech was something they didn’t see coming....
-
Husky challenge
No time might seem like a good time to face Connecticut. The Huskies are always terrific and this season will enter Lloyd Noble Center likely ranked No. 2 following Notre Dame’s Sunday loss to West Virginia....
-
Sooners put finishing touches on perfect opener
Oklahoma capped off a perfect opening weekend of softball on Sunday with an 11-1 victory over Kent State. The Sooners were led by another strong outing from pitcher Keilani Rickets and an offensive explosion by Allee Allen....
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Sooners did not show up to play
