MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- This wasn't the way Oklahoma expected its non-conference schedule to go. At 2-2 after Saturday night's 21-20 loss to Miami at Land Shark Stadium, it's hard to describe the Sooners' start to the 2009 season as anything better than disappointing.
Entering the Big 12 Conference schedule at .500 wasn't the way anyone pictured things going for OU this season. Then again, with the exception of the team photo taken in early August, the Sooners bear little resemblance to the team OU thought it would have back then either.
No All-American tight end to rely on. After the second quarter Saturday night, no playmaking wide receiver to wreak havoc in the secondary. For the third straight game, no Heisman Trophy winning quarterback guiding an explosive offense.
No Jermaine Gresham, Ryan Broyles or Sam Bradford dramatically changes OU's offense.
But what was familiar was the way OU lost.
From 2000 through Saturday, the Sooners are 82-17 (80 percent winning percentage) and have won six Big 12 Conference titles. Clearly they know something about winning big games.
What's happened to OU more recently is it has lost the ability to win close tough games. Saturday's loss marked the fourth straight time it was in a game decided by 10 points or less and lost. Since the 2007 season, OU is 2-6 in games decided by 10 points or less.
"In the fourth quarter we needed to play a couple plays better, whether it was on defense or offense," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "We have to keep pushing for that."
It was very evident that the Sooners intended for their defense to win Saturday's game because after OU jumped to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, the offense became more conservative than Rush Limbaugh.
Landry Jones was 18-for-30 on the night with a first-quarter touchdown pass. But what OU did on third down was the difference in the game. OU was just 5-for-15 when it had the opportunity to keep drives alive. But on six of those failed conversion attempts, Jones completed passes short of the first down marker. Two other times, OU elected to run the ball despite needing seven or more yards.
Stoops had no problems with the way his quarterback played.
"I thought he was excellent tonight," he said of Jones.
His only miscue was a fumble early in the third quarter that set up Miami's go ahead touchdown. In Jones' defense, he was hit from the blind side by an untouched defender.
"Turnovers are key in this game. You turn it over inside the 20-yard line and it's obviously not putting your defense in a good spot," Jones said. "I just needed to take care of the ball and squeeze it up when that guy hit me."
Some people point to OU's defense as the reason for its downfall. It's easy to do that when Miami was able to run and collect four first downs in the final four minutes to seal the victory.
"We needed a stop and we didn't get it," defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. "They put the game in our hands again and we didn't take advantage. We didn't do what we're supposed to do."
On the other hand, OU held an explosive Miami offense to 21 points and only gave up two real scoring drives.
Another way to look at the recent injury problems for the team is to consider that had OU gained four more points scattered over both the BYU and Miami games, OU would be 4-0, likely ranked in the top 3 and very much in the national title race.
Instead, the Sooners are 2-2 and ranked No. 19 as they head into Saturday's game against Baylor at Owen Field.
"It's all what your perception wants to be," Stoops said. "We just played a heckuva a game with Miami. If we're average, we're average. Maybe we're pretty good."
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
· If the Sooners won the close games, they would be perfect
- 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
