Scoop27
10-08-2013, 07:28 AM
By Randy Riggs - American-Statesman Staff
The latest two editions of the Red River Rivalry were over long before the final gun echoed through a half-empty Cotton Bowl.
After all, the final scores in Oklahoma’s recent routs of Texas were 63-21 and 55-17, as the games ended before primarily OU fans — since most UT supporters had long since retreated for the exits. It’s not as if the Sooners needed a 30-point scoring explosion in the final minutes to clinch.
Related Photo
+ Recent Texas-OU games have been over Sooner, not later photo Ricardo B. Brazziell
Oklahoma’s Tony Jefferson (1) and Demontre Hurst (6) celebrate a Longhorns turnover in last year’s 63-21 win over Texas. The play was one of several first-half examples of things breaking the Sooners’ way.
In those games, the Longhorns were the embodiment of Murphy’s Law long before the halftime break. If it could go wrong for coach Mack Brown’s teams, it did in the first half. And Texas never came close to recovering.
“It’s really been the second quarter that’s killed us,” quarterback Case McCoy, who will get his third start of the season in the absence of David Ash, said Monday. “The point difference is unbelievable.”
But seeing is believing.
Related Links
Bohls: When it comes to Texas, Sooners saying the right things
Golden’s Nuggets: McCoy shows moxie; Ash should do what’s best for Ash
Longhorns notebook: Our staff takeaways from Monday
At halftimes of the previous two games in the Cotton Bowl, the Sooners have led by a collective score of 70-12.
In the second quarters, Texas has been outscored 51-7.
Even in the 2010 game — the starting point for the three-game losing streak to OU that the Longhorns bring into Saturday’s game — Texas trailed 21-7 at the half. The Longhorns at least made a game of that one, pulling close in the second half before a lost fumble with 62 seconds left ensured Oklahoma’s 28-20 victory.
Nevertheless, a large part of the reason Brown is in the pickle he’s in with a disgruntled fan base is the horrendous starts the past two years against Texas’ No. 1 rival now that Texas A&M is off the schedule.
Both times, the Sooners landed the first punch. Both times, the Longhorns responded by, well, getting punched again. And again, and …
“We can’t let those guys punch us in the face first,” defensive back Quandre Diggs said. “We’ve got to go out and try to get the first punch in, and go in with the mindset that we’re going out attacking and we’re going to swing each and every play.”
The No. 12 Sooners are about a two-touchdown favorite to make it four straight victories — and seven of the last 11 — over Texas. The Longhorns haven’t lost four in a row to OU since dropping five straight from 2000 to 2004, including two other blowout losses (63-14 in 2000 and 65-13 in 2003).
Last year, the Sooners set the tone early when they took the opening kickoff and chewed up the first 6 minutes, 12 seconds, driving 75 yards on 14 plays to score on the first of quarterback Blake Bell’s four touchdown runs. The Longhorns could still find a slight silver lining, however, when Chris Whaley blocked the extra-point try and Diggs returned it for a safety.
Later in the quarter, however, there were no silver linings when OU, backed up on its 5-yard line, sent tailback Damien Williams around right end and he didn’t stop until he crossed the goal line 95 yards away. The Sooners scored touchdowns on five of their first seven possessions to build a 36-2 halftime lead.
“I wouldn’t say we were overwhelmed,” said defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, whose season ended that day with a pectoral injury. “We just made too many big mistakes, and when you make too many big mistakes, it can just get worse and worse.”
In 2011, it was offensive mistakes that helped doom the Longhorns. The Sooners converted five Texas turnovers into 31 points, including a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Demontre Hurst off of Ash to help build OU’s halftime lead to 34-10.
“We’ve gotten down, and it’s been more because of our mistakes and turnovers,” said McCoy, whose fumble on UT’s first possession of 2011 led to a Sooners field goal. “I know the turnover ratio hasn’t been in our favor.”
Diggs noted the Longhorns always practice getting off to fast starts by beginning each practice with a drill called, logically enough, “fast start.” After opening practices with special teams work, they immediately go into work between the first-team offense and defense.
“Those drills are implemented just for us to start out fast,” Diggs said. “We’ve got to take those drills into the game.”
If they don’t, history shows the game is likely to be over long before the clock hits 0:00.
- See more at: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/sports/college-football/recent-texas-ou-games-have-been-over-sooner-not-la/nbHwY/#sthash.GvXYkTnE.dpuf
The latest two editions of the Red River Rivalry were over long before the final gun echoed through a half-empty Cotton Bowl.
After all, the final scores in Oklahoma’s recent routs of Texas were 63-21 and 55-17, as the games ended before primarily OU fans — since most UT supporters had long since retreated for the exits. It’s not as if the Sooners needed a 30-point scoring explosion in the final minutes to clinch.
Related Photo
+ Recent Texas-OU games have been over Sooner, not later photo Ricardo B. Brazziell
Oklahoma’s Tony Jefferson (1) and Demontre Hurst (6) celebrate a Longhorns turnover in last year’s 63-21 win over Texas. The play was one of several first-half examples of things breaking the Sooners’ way.
In those games, the Longhorns were the embodiment of Murphy’s Law long before the halftime break. If it could go wrong for coach Mack Brown’s teams, it did in the first half. And Texas never came close to recovering.
“It’s really been the second quarter that’s killed us,” quarterback Case McCoy, who will get his third start of the season in the absence of David Ash, said Monday. “The point difference is unbelievable.”
But seeing is believing.
Related Links
Bohls: When it comes to Texas, Sooners saying the right things
Golden’s Nuggets: McCoy shows moxie; Ash should do what’s best for Ash
Longhorns notebook: Our staff takeaways from Monday
At halftimes of the previous two games in the Cotton Bowl, the Sooners have led by a collective score of 70-12.
In the second quarters, Texas has been outscored 51-7.
Even in the 2010 game — the starting point for the three-game losing streak to OU that the Longhorns bring into Saturday’s game — Texas trailed 21-7 at the half. The Longhorns at least made a game of that one, pulling close in the second half before a lost fumble with 62 seconds left ensured Oklahoma’s 28-20 victory.
Nevertheless, a large part of the reason Brown is in the pickle he’s in with a disgruntled fan base is the horrendous starts the past two years against Texas’ No. 1 rival now that Texas A&M is off the schedule.
Both times, the Sooners landed the first punch. Both times, the Longhorns responded by, well, getting punched again. And again, and …
“We can’t let those guys punch us in the face first,” defensive back Quandre Diggs said. “We’ve got to go out and try to get the first punch in, and go in with the mindset that we’re going out attacking and we’re going to swing each and every play.”
The No. 12 Sooners are about a two-touchdown favorite to make it four straight victories — and seven of the last 11 — over Texas. The Longhorns haven’t lost four in a row to OU since dropping five straight from 2000 to 2004, including two other blowout losses (63-14 in 2000 and 65-13 in 2003).
Last year, the Sooners set the tone early when they took the opening kickoff and chewed up the first 6 minutes, 12 seconds, driving 75 yards on 14 plays to score on the first of quarterback Blake Bell’s four touchdown runs. The Longhorns could still find a slight silver lining, however, when Chris Whaley blocked the extra-point try and Diggs returned it for a safety.
Later in the quarter, however, there were no silver linings when OU, backed up on its 5-yard line, sent tailback Damien Williams around right end and he didn’t stop until he crossed the goal line 95 yards away. The Sooners scored touchdowns on five of their first seven possessions to build a 36-2 halftime lead.
“I wouldn’t say we were overwhelmed,” said defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, whose season ended that day with a pectoral injury. “We just made too many big mistakes, and when you make too many big mistakes, it can just get worse and worse.”
In 2011, it was offensive mistakes that helped doom the Longhorns. The Sooners converted five Texas turnovers into 31 points, including a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Demontre Hurst off of Ash to help build OU’s halftime lead to 34-10.
“We’ve gotten down, and it’s been more because of our mistakes and turnovers,” said McCoy, whose fumble on UT’s first possession of 2011 led to a Sooners field goal. “I know the turnover ratio hasn’t been in our favor.”
Diggs noted the Longhorns always practice getting off to fast starts by beginning each practice with a drill called, logically enough, “fast start.” After opening practices with special teams work, they immediately go into work between the first-team offense and defense.
“Those drills are implemented just for us to start out fast,” Diggs said. “We’ve got to take those drills into the game.”
If they don’t, history shows the game is likely to be over long before the clock hits 0:00.
- See more at: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/sports/college-football/recent-texas-ou-games-have-been-over-sooner-not-la/nbHwY/#sthash.GvXYkTnE.dpuf