The Norman Transcript

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Discussion

September 4, 2007

Sooners seem to believe they're special

Commentary

By Clay Horning

Bob Stoops can’t stop talking about it. What’s more, he talked about it in the preseason, then he talked about it the week before North Texas and then he talked about it the week after North Texas.

There’s just something about this bunch of Sooners. Something about how even the second and third teamers came into a game long since decided the other night and still played with focus, intensity and, virtually, mistake free.

Sam Bradford wowed the nation with the best statistical half ever completed by a Sooner quarterback in his very first half as a Sooner quarterback. Meanwhile, the Sooner coach was taking much more in.

No problems at the line of scrimmage.

No problems with defensive communication.

No problems with recognition.

Really, just about no problems.

Not even from the reserves.

“Even in the second half, even in the fourth quarter, the young guys that were three and twos that were in there were really playing hard and playing well,” Stoops said. “That’s pleasing as a coach. I’ve pulled my hair out countless number of games. Late in games, it just aggravates you when they’re not ready to play.”

Of course, those reserves were in there because the guys in front of them did just about everything right.

No stupid penalties.

No letdowns.

No busts.

Recall the recent past, when Stoops has questioned whether or not the players really understood what it took. Now recall the immediately recent past, like the last month, when he’s gone on and on and on about the way this team practices, pays attention, buys into the program.

Last week, I asked him if it was the seniors, some special blend of leadership. Basically, he just said it was everybody. This time around I asked him if this team reminded him of any of his other teams.

Not that he could remember.

How about 2000?

“That group really had just something to prove,” he said, “I don’t know, maybe this group feels the same way.”

I don’t have the first clue how to decipher that exactly, I just know the head coach sees some kind of parallel. And that 2000 team did all right.

Next in line, defensive end Alonzo Dotson.

He said the players spend so much time together. They stay in town for summer conditioning, for voluntary workouts, for everything being a Sooner football player requires. It’s no wonder they grow close. But that could apply to every team, and Dotson’s been around.

Is this team different?

“It is a special team and we do seem to hold each other more accountable for the things we do on the field and off the field,” he said. “The way we prepare for games, trying to do every little thing we can do right, so we can go further and reach the goal. That’s why we break it down into little things like focus and no turnovers and the simple things … A lot of teams don’t focus on the little things.”

Maybe any player would say that about any team. But maybe not. Maybe not every team breaks it down.

Last in line, defensive back Nic Harris.

According to Harris, this is just what they do.

Ahead by 50, they play like they’re behind.

“We just have that undivided focus,” he said.

It’s like Harris had memorized his answer, like Alec Baldwin in Glengary Glen Ross. No four letter words, but straight ahead, no nonsense

“We just try to be perfect. And anything less than perfect is unacceptable.”

So, where you guys perfect?

“We were pretty close,” Harris said.

And that’s hard, even against North Texas.

Maybe it is a special team.

Clay Horning

366-3526

cfhorning@normantranscript.com

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