55-14 win over Huskies shows Sooner toughness
The thing that has impressed me about this Oklahoma football team is the thing which some have questioned following two BCS bowl losses: toughness.
Oklahoma hammered a quality Cincinnati team last week; and dominated a young but physical Washington team on the road on Saturday. And in each case the offensive and defensive lines have controlled their respective scrimmage lines and physically beaten their opponents. They fight and scratch. They push and shove.
These Sooners are playing with the swagger of a Switzer team and the hardnosed meanness of a Wilkinson team.
OT Trent Williams is one of those brutes on the line being very physical. Travis Lewis is one of the guys on defense doing the same.
Even RB Demarco Murray seems to be running with more aggressiveness this year.
“I’m trying to be more physical. I’m not trying to make a lot of guys miss as much, but I’m trying to run guys over. I’m wanting to improve my power skills,” Murray said after the game Saturday.
This physical trait for the Sooners could serve them well when it is time to go on the road in the conference — and then, especially, in any bowl game they earn (something that has been a problem of late).
And it has been the plan. This summer the Sooners wore t-shirts that said: “Built Road Tough.”
“Our whole mindset was, be dominant wherever we go,” said defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
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Penalty yardage: Oklahoma 110 Washington 8
Next time you find me complaining about Big 12 officials, just remind me of the Pac 10. The officiating crew that worked the Washington game seemed quick to flag the Sooners and quick to call fumbles against the Sooners. But then again after the Oregon fiasco two years ago, who was expecting anything else.
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If Ty Willingham’s first name became “embattled” after last year’s losing record, the 0-3 beginning to Washington’s 2008 season doesn’t serve well to erase that. I don’t know if Willingham is a good coach or not. He was booted from Notre Dame prematurely, but as we’ve seen that team under Charlie Weis it is pretty evident Wilingham wasn’t the problem.
— Mike