By John Shinn
Monday, Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly said he was frustrated with only catching one pass against Texas A&M;, but winning cured all ills.
However, it isn’t an issue of him going out on a limb and expressing displeasure with the Sooners’ recent lack of a passing game.
From Bob Stoops on down, no one is happy with the way the passing game has disappeared.
“We weren’t as successful (passing) last week as we want to be or need to be,” Stoops said. “I think that’s rare. I think we got caught in the game and at the way it was going. We felt we could win it this way, why take a chance? We’re going to still throw the football more than we did the other day.”
Last Saturday at Texas A&M;, the Sooners became enamored with the run in a way rarely seen since Barry Switzer roamed the sideline. Quarterback Paul Thompson only completed three passes for 39 yards. Perhaps more important, OU only put the ball in the air 12 times.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson understands the frustration players like Kelly may be feeling.
“I was really disappointed after the game and disappointed for our guys,” he said. “Everyone wants the ball and the quarterback wants to throw it. Guys are battling so hard and you want each player to have some individual success.”
Few would have expected a 17-16 victory being that one dimensional. But in a surprising twist, that’s what the Sooners have become since Adrian Peterson went down with a broken collarbone.
Wilson always says the goal is for OU to have a balanced offense. But he’s never claimed that meant a 50-50 split. Certainly the play-calling scale has shifted dramatically toward the run.
Who’d have thunk it?
OU averaged 36.8 rushing attempts in its first six games with a healthy Peterson. It’s averaged 48.6 attempts over its last three.
In terms of play-calling, the Sooners have run the ball 63 percent of the time and 50.4 percent (1,651 yards) of their total yards (3,271) have come on the ground.
But over the last three games, only 30 percent (271 yards) of 892 total yards have come through the air and only 28 percent (57 of 203) of the plays have been passes.
There’s a number of reasons for the shift away from the passing game. A heavy wind was the culprit against Colorado. Also, OU jumped out to a double-digit first half leads in all three games.
Also, opponents have been hesitant to sell out to stop the run. Texas A&M; stubbornly kept its safeties 15 to 20 yards deep throughout the game.
The Sooners just took advantage of what was given them.
“We saw that they kept the safeties high the entire game and we were real successful running the ball,” Thompson said. “So we stuck with that and did take some shots at times … and we weren’t too successful with that. The O-line did a great job and we were able to run the ball and get the win.”
No one knows for sure what Texas Tech (6-4, 3-3 Big 12) will face when it meets the 17th-ranked Sooners (7-2, 4-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Owen Field.
It could very well be another night where receivers spend more time blocking defensive backs than trying to get away from them. But if the opportunities are there, Thompson said, there’s no loss of confidence in what he or the receivers can do.
“I believe it has been slow last week and a little bit in the week before, but I believe the guys are still confident in it,” Thompson said. “I’m still confident in it and the receivers are. I think we’ll be able to pick it up.”
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
