A tendency one must avoid after a big loss like what happened Saturday is to let disappointment and anger color one’s examination of exactly what happened.
Certainly there is more than one reason the Notre Dame Fighting Irish beat Oklahoma 30-13 on Owen Field. Not the least of which is they are a more physical football team and won the game in the trenches.
But as fans we want to blame somebody or some thing.
Before we go too far into this, let it be known this one is not on Landry Jones.
In this case, a significant factor was the fact each time Oklahoma used its up-tempo offense to gain momentum (and significant yards and first downs), it then slowed down — as if to give the Irish defenders a chance to catch their breath.
Or, Oklahoma would run the ball — even though on the 12 times the Sooners ran the ball on first down they averaged only 1 yard per carry. That set up second and long situations, for which the Sooners then ran the ball four more times for 1 1/2 yards per carry.
This, knowing the Notre Dame’s strength was in stopping the run. They had not given up any rushing touchdowns all year.
It was like the Sooners were finding ways to stall their own drives by being bull-headed.
Oklahoma ran the ball against Notre Dame 24 times and netted just 15 yards rushing.
To put that in perspective, Oklahoma only ran the ball 17 times last week against Kansas — four of which were in the waning minutes of the game. Coach Bob Stoops said afterward that Oklahoma threw the ball more and ran less, because Kansas was comitted to stopping the run. The Sooners took what the Jayhawks gave them.
Now, to Notre Dame’s credit, they didn’t need to put eight men in the box to stop the run like Kansas did.
But, frankly, Notre Dame’s pass defense was atrocious. It was like Notre Dame was giving out Halloween candy by the handfuls and the Sooners kept refusing it.
Rarely was an Irish defender within three steps of a Sooner receiver for the entire first half.
To put in mildly — as mildly as a fan could — Oklahoma’s play calling was puzzling.
Hurry up down the field worked. Slow down did not.
Passing worked. Running did not.
Josh Heupel as a QB from 1999-2000 worked.
Josh Heupel as an offensive coordinator, at least on Saturday night, well . . . not so much.
Granted, it’s easy to knock the offensive coordinator when things go bad. I actually hate it when fans do that. Kevin Wilson and Chuck Long got bad raps when OU lost. Maybe we’re putting a bad rap on Heupel now.
It just doesn’t seem like the offensive coordinator (i.e., Heupel) is facilitating success for the offense.
Offensive success would have kept Notre Dame off the field and kept a weary Oklahoma defense off the field too.
Maybe then, despite the fact Notre Dame looked to be a more physical, better tackling, more hard-nosed team in the trenches — well, maybe then the Sooners would have won this tight game between Nos. 5 and No. 7.
Now I am sure after sleeping on it for a day or two I might change my mind.
Meanwhile, I’m angry and disappointed. It will linger for another year, until the Sooners play in South Bend in 2013, with or without Heupel calling the plays.
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Agree, good perspective.
Early in the game it was clear that the ND front could stop the run, and as you said they were stuffing the run without loading the box. Or conversely the OU OL was not opening holes or moving the ND DL, but they were doing a decent job of pass protection. So when do you realize you’re never going to win running game battle and just take the 8 to 14 yd passes?