Berry Tramel, Sports columnist
Bad year for OU gets worse in Lincoln
2 plays First half spells Sooners’ doom
By Berry Tramel
Comments 
161
Published: November 8, 2009
LINCOLN, Neb. — The stakes were not as high and the weather not as cold, but this Oklahoma-Nebraska game came down to the same thing as those celebrated showdowns of yesteryear.
A few precious plays.
And on an Indian summer Saturday night, the
Sooners whiffed.
Nebraska beat OU 10-3 and made the Sooners look bad in the process. The Sooners were touchdown-less for the first time in the
Bob Stoops era.
Suddenly,
Andre Ware, predictor of a four-loss Sooner season, looks a little shaky. He might be low as the 5-4 Sooners have matched the ’05 Sooners for most defeats under Stoops.
The offensive progress made since
Sam Bradford’s demise went splat. OU looked confused at times, overmatched at others. The stat sheet showed 23 first downs for the Sooners. It seemed like half that many.
Nebraska’s defense is world-class, but so is
Texas’, and the Sooners performed much better in the
Cotton Bowl cauldron than they did in the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium.
Yet another injury to an impact player, guard
Brody Eldridge, didn’t help. But the Sooners also dropped passes, threw bad passes —
Landry Jones looked more like raw rookie than future star in throwing a school record five interceptions — and committed maddening penalties.
OU’s spent most of the game in Nebraska territory but crossed the Husker 20-yard line only once.
Speaking of elite defenses, OU’s was dominant again, just like at Texas, but the Sooners wasted stand after stand and fell to 5-4, putting themselves on the road to
San Diego or
San Antonio or bowl destinations of even lesser clout.
This game in reality came down to two plays, both in the first half: an interception tossed by Jones and a fourth-down failure from the Husker 20-yard line.
→The first of Jones’ five picks was most costly.
Prince Amukamara, who today probably will be elevated to king in Corn Country, stepped in front of
Adron Tennell on a slant. The interception was important; his 22-yard return to the OU 1-yard line was even more vital.
Nebraska showed no signs of scoring on the Sooners all night. Put the ball at the 6-yard line, and the Huskers probably settle for a field goal. But they got it in the end zone from two feet.
This was a defensive slugfest that clearly was going to be won by the team that didn’t make mistakes. OU is the team that blinked.
"The one turnover, that really killed us,” said Bob Stoops, who seemed more glum that usual after defeat.
→OU’s best chance to reach the end zone came in the second quarter, when it faced fourth-and-1 from the Husker 20.
Burned by two missed field goals already, Stoops went for the first down. OU ran the fling play — a counter sweep to
DeMarco Murray, but safety
Eric Hagg made a one-on-one tackle for a two-yard loss.
"We just felt that they would be really aggressive inside, and squeezing everything off,” Stoops said. "You felt you could get the corner, and we couldn’t.”
Worse yet, the Huskers didn’t pack the middle. The quarterback sneak was open, but Jones stayed with the play.
Epic OU-Nebraska plays historically have come in the fourth quarter. The second period determined this game, and assured the Sooners of a dismal season.
Berry Tramel: 405-760-8080; Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1.
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Huh? Are the media in the post-game interview room the ones calling plays? It would certainly show more ownership and accountability (not to mention be grammatically correct) to say "WE felt WE could get the corner," in speaking on behalf of himself and the coaching staff.
DeMarcco Murray can not do anything but run east and west.
Chris Brown is a much better runner and receiver out of the back field. (That is when Jones can throw a catchable pass)
The defense did all they could do, especially when your QB throws 5 interceptions.
Wilson, yeah, don't even get me started on him. He is so complacent as a play caller. Stop trying to run the no huddle and get back to basics.
Bob, time for you to bring in some fresh talent. Make a freaking decison and stand by it!
This is not our last loss. We will get beaten by OSU too.
ou suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks! I can't wait for bedlam!!!!
"A play like that has two options: quarter back keeper or your biggest downhill runner moving the pile forward."
Yeah -- right over the top of Suh and Crick. You're right. That would have worked great.
Kevin Wilson is still acting mediocre - calling too many screen passes and way to many runs on 1st down and 2nd down. WHERE were the passes to the tight end last nite? any tight ends? or did we not recruit any? i dont think 1 pass went to a tight end. Oh, Brady Eldredge got injured - i know, but DO WE NOT HAVE BACK-UP tight ends?
oU looked horrible.
The play calling was weak again.
Stoops makes WAY WAY too much money, he seems to have lost his 'hunger' and his 'edge' somewhat. He's paid gobs and gobs of money whether he wins or loses, and he has no fear of getting fired. that makes a man lazy, and complacement.
Landry, i dont think, will improve a ton more. We would see some of the flashes of greatness by now, and we havent really.
FIRE KEVIN WILSON. he is still too predictable.
Jolly, Edmond - Nov 8, 2009 at 8:02 pm
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How did you get any kind of "hate" out of a typically appropriate question I asked you? (And which you obviously don't have an answer for, which is why you made that ridiculous and juvenile statement.) Talk about an "ugly side" showing. I would venture to guess that OU has a better record of "quality" football than your Cowboys do, by the way.
Do you have some kind of inside knowledge that you know OU is going to have plenty of losses over the next couple of years? Wow, if you do, please share with us your vast knowledge of the future, genius.
If you OU fans want to see quality football, consider a trip to
Stillwater to watch a real team.
Jolly, Edmond - Nov 8, 2009 at 6:36 pm
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So, you have a couple of "winning seasons" and all of a sudden, Tractor Tech is the "real team?" How many National Championship winner years are listed across the press box of that new trillion dollar stadium of yours?