Jake Trotter, OU reporter
OU Insider: Red-zone failures killing Sooners
Close doesn’t count: Sooners a bust once they get inside the 20-yard line
By Jake Trotter
Comments 
73
Published: October 12, 2009
NORMAN — It happened against Brigham Young.
OU kicker Jimmy Stevens kicked four field goals against Baylor, but field goals won’t be enough to beat Texas on Saturday. PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
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It happened against
Miami.
Heck, it even happened on one goal-line series against
Idaho State.
Despite making overall progress offensively during a 33-7 win over
Baylor, Oklahoma’s red-zone woes continued.
Woes that continued, even with
Sam Bradford returning at quarterback.
Woes that will doom any chance the
Sooners have of beating
Texas come Saturday.
Settling for field goals, instead of touchdowns, is a formula for defeat against any quality opponent, like
Florida or Texas. Try as they might, the Bears don’t qualify.
"The most frustrating thing was how we played in the red zone,” Bradford said Saturday. "Obviously, we can’t kick field goals the way we did.”
In 2008, the Sooners rarely kicked field goals, leading the nation in converting red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. One major reason why they also led the nation in scoring.
But this team is missing two key advantages from last season: tight end
Jermaine Gresham, who has 16 career red-zone touchdown receptions to his name, and an offensive line that overpowered opponents near the goal line.
Without those two advantages, OU hasn’t been nearly as efficient inside the 20 this season.
In eight total red-zone attempts against BYU and Miami, the Sooners managed only three touchdowns.
Both ended in one-point losses. Punch in just one more of those red-zone possessions each game, and OU, for all its shortcomings due to injuries, is 5-0 and in the national-championship race.
With Bradford back at the helm, the Sooners have a legitimate shot to knock off the third-ranked Longhorns and put this runaway season back on the tracks.
But for all the optimism about Bradford’s return, red-zone ineffectiveness continued to be a problem against Baylor. In seven red-zone possessions, four ended with field goals, while two others eventually resulting in touchdowns were revived with third-down, roughing-the-quarterback penalties inside the Baylor 10.
"When that ball crosses the 15, 10, you have to get some 7-ups, and we didn’t,” offensive coordinator
Kevin Wilson said. "So we’ll look at our scheme, our thought process, our execution, what we need to do.”
It’s been a different problem every game. Against BYU, it was penalties; against Miami, inconsistent run game; against Baylor, poor completion percentage (2 of 14) due in part to dropped passes.
It’s up to Wilson,
Bob Stoops and the rest of the coaching staff to deliver a solution.
Run the ball more? Run the ball less? Target different receivers? Call another
Carter Whitson fake field goal?
Whatever the answer, the Sooners need to uncover it this week.
Because field goals are good enough to beat Baylor.
But not good enough to beat Texas.
Text "SOONER” to 65360 for your chance to win an official OU t-shirt and hat. OU news text updates from NewsOK sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts.
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As for the Sooner defense, here's the formula for defeat. Stop the run on first down. Stop the run on second down. Give up a slant pass over the middle (because you left all the linebackers--who can't cover my mother--in rather than going to a nickel or dime package) for first down. Repeat until the opponent completes that third down pass in the end zone.
Score more field goals. Give up more touchdowns. Lose game.
a first down inside the 1 yard line against Florida, and couldn't score, with what was judged
one of the best offensive lines in the nation, in 4 tries. Should Wilson and Stoop's get the blame
or congratulate a great Florida Defense. Correct me I'm wrong, but they had 2 other trips
inside the Red Zone in the first half, with a chance to put Florida down big-time, and muffed
it. Was it Stoops, Wilson, or what about the primo-crony that Wilson brought in from
Ohio State, Patton, the Greatest Offensive line coach since Merv Johnson, which Merv points
out line mistakes on the radio 10 games into the season. When you play middle of the pack
teams, especially at home, Red-Zone is no problem. Big-Time games on the road or neutral
fields are Stoops down fall since his brother left, and he and Brent baby, are in charge of
the defense. Venables might as well set in the stands since Stoop's is the Def. Co. Stoop's
record in BCS games and Texas lately has proven his staff can't get the job done. He's got
an offensive line coach from Ohio State, have they done anything in BCS games lately? He's
got an offensive co-ord. from the Big-10 has he done anything in big games lately? Has the
Big 12 beaten the PAC. 10, SEC, WAC, lately. You make the call.
You dont have to run for 10 yds a carry to be successful in the run game, that opens up the pass. Then when you throw and your WR's (if they can catch the ball) make plays the defense softens up and you run it because they cant focus on one element of the game. But you have to run the plays that the defense is giving you. If they are putting 10 guys in the box are you going to run it up the middle, or play action and hit someone streaking down the field? I think Kevin Wilson is TOO predictable, if I know the play from the couch, the guy in the press box thats making the BIG $$$ knows whats coming !!!
Even so, what's 3 X 2.5? How many first downs.
The whole point is that this OU team cannot run the football...hence the problems scoring in the red zone. Six tries from the two? Against Florida, seven shots from the eight? You guys are happy with 33rd against the competition you have faced? Give me a break, homers.
Why do you think this article was even written?
A fullback should be big & heavy. I remember Jermaine "Gumbo" Fazande. Gumbo was listed at 6'2" & 255 lb (but looked more like 270) & could run over DLs like a tank! I say take an OL off the practice squad, teach him to carry the ball, & put him in at FB in goal-line situations. You need a big heavy fullback who can just punch it in the end zone or get that 1-2 yds on 3rd down when you need it.