COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In a 38-point road victory, it’s hard to imagine a measly 42-yard field goal being a big deal. But it was for Oklahoma in Saturday’s 66-28 victory over Texas A&M.;
The Sooners’ special teams, which have struggled mightily this season, were at their bottom-of-the-barrel point late in the second quarter. Jimmy Stevens had already missed from 30 yards early in the game. OU coach Bob Stoops went with Matt Moreland for a 42-yard attempt with about 9 minutes left before halftime. Moreland sent it wide left.
To make matters worse, the glaring problems with kickoff coverage flared up like a black eye in a wedding photo when Cyrus Gray returned one 67 yards to set up the Aggies’ first touchdown.
To say there was a crisis of confidence is an understatement.
Stevens knew what little faith Stoops had in him was just about gone when he sent him out there for a 42-yard attempt with 3 seconds left in the first half.
“I knew if I made this I could still keep my season alive. If I don’t make it, I might lose my job,” Stevens said.
He hit one of his best kicks of the season — long and right through the uprights to give the Sooners a 38-14 halftime lead.
Teammates poured out on the field to congratulate him. Their handshakes and pats on the head were a relief to a redshirt freshman who minutes earlier had been in a heated discussion with backup defensive tackle Cordero Moore after his first kick.
“We talked about it. We’re cool,” Stevens said of the confrontation with Moore.
Stoops evened seem cooler afterwards. No telling what he would have done if Stevens’ second attempt missed. He was just 3-for-5 on the season. OU has true freshman Tress Way redshirting, and Stoops has shown he’s willing to wave a kicker’s redshirt late in the year. He did it when he benched Trey DiCarlo for Garrett Hartley with one regular-season game left in 2004.
The Sooner coach still thinks that won’t happen this year.
“It was big. I think it gave him a boost,” Stoop said of Stevens’ make. “I just think there’s more in there. Jimmy shows it in practice consistently. Hopefully, he’ll settle down and be more comfortable in games.”
Perhaps he will. Or at least he knows he isn’t OU’s only special teams problem.
Gray’s kickoff return for a touchdown was topped by a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown midway through the third quarter. It was the third kickoff return for a touchdown OU has allowed this season.
“You want to be perfect,” Stoops said. “We can’t practice them a whole lot harder than we already do.”
OU Sports
Related Photos
-
JERRY LAIZURE
Discussion
Even Stevens
- OU Sports
-
-
Sooners make winning look easy
As Oklahoma’s players locked arms around the pitching circle, coming together for what passed as a celebration following Saturday’s 7-1 NCAA Super Regional-clinching victory over Arizona, three gloves remained near second base....
-
There are no easy outs in the lineup
Looking for a gameplan to stop Oklahoma? Well, one may or may not be available, but walking two of the first three Sooners you face certainly isn’t part of it. Just ask Arizona’s Kenzie Fowler....
-
Sooners will play for Big 12 championship
OKLAHOMA CITY, — It’s been 16 years since Oklahoma won the Big 12 tournament. It’s closer now than its ever been to ending the streak. The Sooners rolled through Baylor, 7-2, on Saturday at Bricktown Ballpark to advance to the tournament’s ...
-
Sooners send five more to nationals
AUSTIN, Texas — Oklahoma track and field teams had five more individuals qualify for the NCAA Championship on Saturday evening at the NCAA West Preliminary. The men’s 4x100-meter relay team also advanced to the national semifinals....
-
OU sophomore Jao-Javanil wins NCAA golf title
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil made Oklahoma golf history Friday, becoming the first Sooner, man or woman, to win an individual NCAA national championship....
-
Pitching staff is exactly where Golloway wants it to be
When the Big 12 tournament began, Oklahoma felt like it had the pitching staff to make a deep run. Dillon Overton, Jordan John, Jonathan Gray and Damien Magnifico gave them four quality starters and a closer — Steven Okert — capable of ...
-
Sooners shut out Wildcats, need one more win for WCWS entry
Oklahoma might have scored more runs, not committed an error and starting pitcher Keilani Ricketts could have been just a little more efficient along the way....
-
Sooners send 4 more to NCAAs
AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma’s track and field teams added four individuals to the list of Sooners advancing to the NCAA championship Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary. In addition to the four new qualifiers, Brittany Borman advanced to the ...
-
Big 12, SEC deal breaks the mold
It is unclear what the on-the-field product of the game-for-which-there-is-not-yet-a-name will be. Indeed, all we really know is the Big 12 and SEC plan to play a game on Jan. 1, 2015 (and on every Jan. 1, thereafter) that will include ...
-
Rivalry helped shape program
For coach Patty Gasso, it goes all the way back to 1995, her first year at Oklahoma. That was when her Sooners played Arizona six times throughout the season. Those Sooners were “annihilated” in all six of those contests....
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Sooners make winning look easy
