This was a terrible football game.
Hard to say that, considering I agree with Coach Bob Stoops that his running back Joe Mixon had a game “for the ages.” (263 yards rushing and 114 yards receiving).
Hard to say that considering Baker Mayfield was 27 of 36 for 545 yards passing and seven touchdowns. That’s a school record.
Hard to say that considering Dede Westbrook elevated his stock to an eventual first round NFL draft pick with his 9 catch 202 yard game.
But the Sooners’ 66-59 win over Texas Tech in Lubbock on Saturday night was an embarrassing nightmare for the Oklahoma defense. Tech’s QB completed 52 of 88 passes for 734 yards and five touchdowns.
The Oklahoma defense’s initial inability to slow Tech QB Patrick Mahomes became an inability to stop Mahomes (especially on third downs — Tech converted 20 of 25) as the game developed. By the mid-third quarter the Sooners defense was gassed. Their tackling ability was flag-football caliber. Fortunately, the Tech defense was worse.
Still, the feeble performance by the Sooners defense raises significant questions about coordinator Mike Stoops.
Brother Bob wasn’t a happy camper to say the least.
“We knew knew it was going to be a different challenge,” Stoops said. “But I don’t think we saw this…even in our worst games we’ve always had good plans and made them work, but today it wasn’t good enough in any situation”
“They had guys running free pretty much all night I was very disappointed in our effort and our coaching.”
Me too. I was exhausted. And irritated. Irritated for having to suffer through such a miserably poor performance by the Oklahoma defense. It was like they were playing flag football. And as the game wore on and the defense got gassed, but became worse than miserable.
“To fall on our face like this we have to re-evaluate a lot of things we’re doing.”
“That’s not good football by anybody’s imagination.”
After the game defensive coordinator Mike Stoops looked like a beat puppy.
“Guys were running post routes wide open. I’ve never seen that in my whole life. I’ve never seen that many guys open in one game” – Mike Stoops
“Guys were running post routes wide open. I’ve never seen that in my whole life. I’ve never seen that many guys open in one game” – Mike Stoops
“At no time did we feel good with any aspect at what we were doing (defensively),” he said.
“There was nothing good. We won. Our offense did an incredible job to help us, but it hurts when you don’t hold up your end of the deal in any game.”
“I can’t even begin to try to define it.”
“Guys were running post routes wide open. I’ve never seen that in my whole life. I’ve never seen that many guys open in one game,” Mike Stoops said.
My thoughts exactly.
Now, I’m not one to eagerly jump on the sour fan bandwagon that wants Mike Stoops sent packin’. But, what else do you do after a horrible performance like that? It was utterly ridiculous.
Sure, the sports pundits will say something like, “Well, that’s the way it is in the Big 12 — against an air raid defense.”
Baloney. This wasn’t just a big passing game. This was a bus being driven through a group of pedestrians.
This wasn’t just pass happy Big 12 football. This was bad football. And maybe it is time for things to change.
—Mike
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