John Shinn
EUGENE, Ore. — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops tried to downplay the significance of today’s game at Oregon.
OU’s first road game? No big deal.
OU’s first game against a ranked team? Again, no big deal.
“It’s the third game of the year,” Stoops responded when quizzed about the importance of Saturday’s game. “We've got a long season in front of us. You guys can label it how you want. Our seasons are always built on progressing through the year trying to get better as we go, and that's what we're doing this year.
“It's no different than any other. We've had a lot of big games non-confernce over the years and it's just like all of those.”
Of course, it’s his job to steer the ship through the rough waters of a 12-game regular season.
The rest of the Sooners don’t have his view. They see the Oregon game as one that can change the complexion of the season.
Quarterback Paul Thompson had no problem laying the cards on the table.
“The team has some doubters out there,” Thompson said. “I think this will be one of those games that can step us up and put us up into the forefront more instead of, you know, an underdog as the season has started out.”
The 15th-ranked Sooners (2-0) are in a strange position. They’re undefeated, but they’ve also dropped five spots in the Associated Press Top 25 in the process.
OU started the season by slipping past UAB 24-17, then appeared to find their stride in the second half in last week’s 30-17 victory over Washington. But both games were tied at half-time.
It seems mere wins against teams the Sooners were supposed to beat doesn’t give a great impression.
Winning was overshadowed by lackluster play, particularly on defense.
But against the 18th-ranked Ducks (2-0), winning is the only thing that matters.
This is OU’s chance to prove it belongs among the nation’s elite. A victory would quiet the critics and the Sooners are well aware of it.
“It’s going to be a statement game,” wide receiver Malcolm Kelly said. “We’re playing against a high-quality team and we’re going on the road into their stadium. We’re winning games and dropping in polls. We just have to come out and play and just let everybody know that we’re for real. If we come with our ‘A’ game, we’ll be able to show everybody that.”
And provide a huge momentum boost for the rest of the season. The Sooners’ next road trip is their annual showdown with No. 8 Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
OU has dates at Missouri, Texas A&M;, Baylor at Oklahoma State in the Big 12 slate.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson remembers the way OU struggled away from Owen Field last season. Early losses at UCLA and against the Longhorns brought the Sooners’ toughness into question.
The same question will be part of today’s test.
“We need to be tough enough, as a young team, to win on the road,” Wilson said. “It's just tougher on the road. It's tougher mentally and it's tougher physically to win on the road … Are we tough enough to win on the road? That's our challenge.”
It’s one the Sooners have been chomping at the bit to attempt. They’ve taken the slights in the polls and heard all the snickers about the way they’ve started the season.
There’s no doubt OU has been pointing to this game as a proving ground. Winning at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is huge obstacle.
“It’s a big challenge going on the road, especially to a place like Oregon,” Thompson said. “It can be a defining point in our season.”
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
