• There were fewer plays but it still cracked the three-hour mark
By John Shinn
Transcript Sports Writer
New timing rules will have an impact on the length of college football games. That became apparent Saturday night in Oklahoma’s season opener against Alabama-Birmingham.
The two teams combined for just 110 offensive plays, the fewest over the last 50 years for an Oklahoma game.
The NCAA changed two timing rules for the season. The clock now starts when the ball is put in play on possession changes and when the ball is kicked during kickoffs.
OU coach Bob Stoops was against the changes all along and voiced his displeasure again Monday.
“It’s not what we need in college football or what we want,” he said. “I don’t believe it’s what the fans want. It’s what the networks need to set their programming. I believe 85,000 people pay to see more than 50 plays on offense or defense.”
But the rule changes did cause some interesting twists.
Sooner running back Adrian Peterson played every offensive snap for the first time in his career.
Peterson said he felt fine and never needed a break. Center Jon Cooper, who was playing his first game since breaking an ankle last season against Texas Tech, felt the same way.
“It felt like a short game to me,” Cooper said. “We only had 55 snaps compared to 75 or 80 before. It didn’t seem like we were out there very long.”
Total time for the OU-UAB game was three hours, 16 minutes. Last year, the shortest game by time was three hours, 13 minutes when the Sooners and Kansas played at Kansas City. The shortest OU game under Stoops was two hours, 49 minutes in the 2004 contest against Nebraska.
So it seems all the new rules have done is lessened the number of plays on the field rather than shortened the length of games.
“Hopefully, when we reconvene and look at all this and everyone is kind of satisfied, maybe we can do something about it,” Stoops said.
Running quarterbacks
For the second straight week OU is preparing to face a team with a running quarterback.
Washington’s Isaiah Stanback rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries in the Huskies’ 35-29 victory over San Jose State last Saturday. He also threw for 168 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s a really good player,” Stoops said of Stansback. “He’s a great athlete. He’s got a big arm. He’s really what makes them go.”
Quarterbacks who are effective parts of the running game give defenses fits. UAB’s Chad Hunt certainly frustrated the Sooners. He rushed for 65 yards Saturday night and threw for another 149.
There’s only been one game and OU linebacker Rufus Alexander is already tired of seeing running quarterbacks.
“I think it’s cheating when quarterbacks can run,” he said.
Johnson returns
Sophomore wide receiver Manuel Johnson was held out of Saturday’s game with an ankle injury.
Stoops said Johnson practiced Monday and should be able to play Saturday when the Sooners face Washington at 2:30 p.m. at Owen Field.
“He looked good,” Stoops said.
Johnson caught 10 passes for 170 yards last season, including a 55-yard touchdown grab against Oklahoma State.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
John Shinn's Oklahoma Football Notepad
Fewer plays, still a long game
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