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August 31, 2008

A step up

John Shinn

Most figured Oklahoma could name the score in Saturday night’s season opener against Tennessee-Chattanooga. It was pretty apparent after OU scored on its seven possessions and held the Mocs to negative yards during the same span.

But points weren’t necessarily the Sooners’ biggest focus in the 57-2 victory. The little things were.

One first-half penalty. No turnovers by the first team. Assignment busts were minimal by veteran players. Opening the season with a 55-point victory was fine, but showing discipline was better.

“We have a perspective on it,” OU coach Bob Stoops said Sunday. “In the end, where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing. We’ve had teams who weren’t always doing that. I feel positive about it.”

Last season, the Sooners opened up with a 79-10 thumping of North Texas. The big-play capability that characterized the season was unveiled. So were the hints of sloppiness with nine penalties and two turnovers.

If one’s looking for bad omens to the 2008 season, there weren’t many Saturday night.

Lost in the shuffle of the no-huddle offense’s debut or the 72-minute lightning delay was how dominant OU was defensively. It only allowed 36 yards, which was less than one per play. The Mocs spent most of the first half at negative yardage.

“We have to be able to control what we do. We can’t let anything else affect us,” linebacker Keenan Clayton said. “We had a great gameplan and we had to go and execute. That’s what we have to do every week.”

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables was pleased with what his unit did. It was the group that had the question marks entering the season. New linebackers and cornerbacks were causes for concern.

He was pleased with how they stood up their first time out.

“It was a really good performance. Just very consistent, very clean,” Venables said Sunday. “Guys were sure of themselves, trusted each other. Just showed some real discipline that you’re pleased with, particularly with a number of guys in their first time out there.”

Make no mistake, Saturday’s victory was about as easy as it can get for OU. It will be a whole lot tougher from here on out.

Cincinnati, which went 10-3 and finished second in the Big East last season, comes to Owen Field at 2:30 p.m. Saturday fresh off a 40-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky.

“The Big East isn’t taking a back seat to anybody as we saw last year right in front of our faces and on national TV,” OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said, referring to the Sooners’ 48-28 loss to West Virginia in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

The Sooners should have a much better gauge of where they stand in six days. Scoring 50 points in two quarters might happen again. But not with the same ease as the opener.

No one expects it to. But the disciplined play needs to be a gameday cornerstone.

A foundation was laid Saturday night.

“I think the team is at a better starting point at this time of the year than we were at the same time last season,” wide receiver Manny Johnson said. “That is something very promising.”

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