It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to analyze why Oklahoma lost on Saturday night to Kansas State, 24-19.
Landry Jones’ fumble became a Kansas State touchdown. A Landry Jones interception late in the third quarter – a pop-fly lob thrown off his back foot into the hands of a Kansas State safety playing center field — led to another KSU touchdown.
“I played pretty terrible. the majority of this game is in my hands,” Landry Jones said. “I didn’t take care of the ball . . . this one is on me.”
When the sports writer pundits re-hash this game, it will become fashionable to point out mistakes elsewhere on the team. Certainly the defense, after holding the Wildcat offense to no points for three-fourths of the game, caved to a strong K-State run game in the 4th quarter. They also didn’t get a pass rush on Collin Klein.
Certainly the offensive line had some busts, which may have put greater pressure on Jones. And don’t forget backup QB Blake Bell’s fumble in the red zone also cost the Sooners a score.
But, frankly, if this fifth-year Senior, playing like an inexperienced freshman, had not made those two huge turnovers, the Sooners probably would have won this game by the 14 points Vegas predicted.
Jones is making us reminisce fondly for Nate Hybl.
We thought going into the Kansas State game that the Sooners needed to run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense. All that assumed that Jones, who had thrown 518 yards against Kansas State last year in Manhatten, would have just an average, but not spectacular game.
We didn’t think in Landry Jones’ final year at Oklahoma he would have his most mistake-filled game.
Few teams could ever overcome the mistakes the quarterback(s) made on Saturday night. That’s asking too much of this, or just about any team.
The defense played good enough. The running backs played good enough. The receivers played good enough. Even the offensive line, though not perfect, played good enough.
Jones didn’t.
It began with a lousy pass at the goal line to a wide open TE Brannon Green, causing the Sooners to settle for a field goal. Then a second quarter pass to a wide-open Kansas State defensive back was “saved” only because that defender can’t catch. Then there was the third quarter fumble inside the 10 yard line that was called an incompletion due to a generous replay official. That’s not to mention the fumble and the interception that did count.
As if to draw some of the bad attention away from Jones, his back-up Blake Bell fumbled a snap in the red zone that cost the Sooners a score.
Whether it be in the Big 12, the NFL or in a junior high conference, when the quarterback plays so poorly and accounts for three turnovers, that spells loss.
At the end of last season I suggested Jones should turn pro because he had improved as much as he could at OU. He’s maxed out.
The statistics suggest he may have regressed. Jones has only eight touchdown passes his last eight games. He has eight interceptions during that same span. Still, he will set all Sooner records for passing yards by the time his career ends.
Don’t get me wrong, Jones has been a good quarterback. He’s a great young man.
But he does not respond well to pressure. It’s almost as if he tries too hard sometimes. He is not the performer under pressure that Oklahoma needs in order to compete for a conference championship (we won’t even bother talking about any national championship now).
Jones is making us reminisce fondly for Nate Hybl.
But Landry Jones is our quarterback. The challenge will be for this coaching staff to develop an offense that takes more of the pressure off him. The challenge for the players whose last name is not Jones will be to keep composure and confidence.
If they do that, then Oklahoma can likely finish this season with only one more loss. If they don’t, then Oklahoma can finish a disastrous season with four more losses.
That’s pressure neither Jones nor this team really needs right now.
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