Q&A: OU's bowl prospects and calls at Kyle Field Q&A: OU's bowl prospects and calls at Kyle Field
Published: November 6, 2006
What does Saturday's win do to Oklahoma's bowl prospects?
The Sooners put themselves a step closer to a New Year's Day bowl game, probably the Cotton Bowl, although the Gator Bowl remains a possibility and holds the first pick after the BCS bowls.
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Winning out would virtually assure OU of being the first selection from the Big 12 outside of the BCS.
The Gator folks would prefer a one-loss West Virginia team over the Sooners, but the Mountaineers still must play at Pittsburgh and against Rutgers among four remaining games.
An OU loss down the stretch likely brings the Alamo Bowl into play. The folks in San Antonio would love to bring in the Sooners, a team they've never had.
And though it's highly unlikely, the Sooners aren't out of the BCS bowl picture. At 10-2 and slowly climbing the polls, OU could sneak into the top 12 spots in the BCS rankings and be eligible for an at-large berth.
Why did Bob Stoops call timeout on fourth-and-1 just before Paul Thompson's first crack at converting the first down?
Like an NBA coach calling a timeout before a final-second inbounds play, Stoops wanted to see Texas A&M's defense. The original play call gave Thompson two options, both of which were covered. An instant before the ball was snapped, Stoops called the timeout.
Thompson said it was a disheartening feeling to learn that his initial game-clinching dive didn't count.
"That was the worst thing," Thompson said. "I was like, ‘Yeah, we got it!' Then I saw the sign still had fourth down on it and found out we had called timeout."
What keyed the Sooners' defensive success?
Stopping the option. They stopped it when the Aggies ran it and they stopped it when quarterback Stephen McGee bluffed the option run and dropped back to pass.
A&M had its most success running the ball when it was creative in getting the ball to Mike Goodson, who had 125 yards, or gave it to Jovorskie Lane and let him power through and over people.
McGee was 8-of-18 passing and a majority of his incompletions were throwaways because he was pressured, the OU pass coverage was too good, or both.
How did A&M get caught with 12 men on the field?
Aggies coach Dennis Franchione doubted Bob Stoops' intention to go for it on the fourth-and-1 play that sealed the verdict.
Worried the Sooners might suddenly drop back and punt, Franchione rushed wide receiver Chad Schroeder onto the field and back deep. An A&M safety, however, never got instruction to leave the field.
"Had a little breakdown in communication," Franchione said.
OU coaches said Sunday the Aggies also had 12 men on the field on the previous no-play, when Thompson's converted sneak was negated by a late Sooner time out.
Why did OU have so much trouble throwing the ball?
A big part of the problem was A&M's defensive alignment, which often had five players in coverage protecting against the intermediate and deep passes.
The defensive schemes were slightly different than what the Sooners were expecting, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said.
"I think they were worried about some secondary matchups," Wilson said. "They were really soft in (pass coverage) and that gave the chance for the run game to be pretty solid."
The wind was blowing hard enough to be a slight factor in the passing game. And the rushing attack was so strong early that Thompson never developed any rhythm in the pass game. He threw the ball only four times in the first half.
By Scott Wright and John Helsley
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OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, right, shakes the hand of running back Allen Patrick (23) after Saturday’s win in College Station, Texas. Patrick gained 173 yards in the 17-16 victory. By NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
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