The Football Brainiacs

Image via OU Football Facebook

I’ll start by saying I initially had no plans to take in a second viewing of Saturday’s Red/White scrimmage. I went into the game with the mindset there would be very little, if anything, of substance to take away from the ‘game’ and I saw nothing that changed my mind but….

….I’m bored, home alone, and figured why not. So I’m just going to go through this thing ‘running diary’ style. I’m just going to hit play on the ol’ DVR and make some notes as we go, pretty informal.

You may wind up reading something you interpret as a definitive type of statement about a player, or players, and/or this team.

You didn’t.

I’m not forming any opinions — good, bad, or otherwise — based on what we saw Saturday. There are others who have attempted to do exactly that, despite lecturing you as fans not to do the same, and will likely continue to do so in the coming weeks and months. But I’m just not going to take a single practice, and a dumbed down one at that, and try to extrapolate that into a precursor as to what the 2015 season may or may not amount to.

So as long as we’re all on the same page, let’s do this thing.

Q1

* Pretty darn good showing from the crowd I thought.

* I want to believe Bob Stoops sending Cody Thomas out as the first QB to take the field was him trolling all of us as fans, but I’m reasonably confident he doesn’t even know what trolling is so….

* Devante Bond starting to look like the guy we all saw on his JUCO highlight tape. Captain Obvious says that is a good thing.

* Less than three minutes into the game and it’s obviously just one play, but 2nd team CBs on a 1st & 10 giving nearly a full eight yard cushion and even starting a backpedal at the snap. Words cannot describe how much I hate this.

* Trevor Knight misses a WIDE open Sterling Shepard streaking up the seam. Fair or not, it’s throws like that which linger with OU fans.

* This little throwback screen to Dede Westbrook is a great play call and perfectly executed. It looked like if he takes the angle towards the sideline, especially with his speed, rather than towards the middle of the field he scores easily. But as it were, Curtis Bolton makes a pretty nice effort play, avoids a half-hearted block attempt from a lineman way down field. and tackles Westbrook just before he can reach the end zone.

* Speaking of Bolton, I thought he looked great in pads. You can really see the good weight he has put on during that redshirt year.

* The 2nd & goal play where Mark Andrews drops a would-be touchdown. It’s just a little pick play with Andrews running a quick out. He’s pretty much wide open, no reason to have to rush the throw. But Knight guns it, and I do mean guns it, and you know what happens next. I feel like if he puts even the slightest amount of touch on that throw it’s an easy six points. Again, I’m not trying to speak for anyone else but it’s little things like that which frustrate you about Knight.

* I think the biggest thing working in Daniel Brooks’ favor is he’s clearly not like any of the other backs on OU’s roster. Only time will tell just how much they’re able to work him into the offense this season, but it sure looks like there should be some type of role for him.

* Dallis Todd just shook off an attempted Dakota Austin tackle like a lazy Sunday breeze.

* CBs have definitely moved up closer to the line, on some plays, but still not playing what I would call a true ‘press’ technique.

* That long completion to Andrews sure looked like a busted coverage to me. Credit Justice Hansen for putting the ball on the money, then Andrews did Tito Windham wrong dragging him down the field like that.

* Orlando Brown is an absolute monster. And you’re not supposed to be that nimble at that size. Wow.

2Q

* Knight’s INT is just a terrible decision with the football. Nice play on the ball by Ahmad Thomas mind you, but a foolish and unnecessary throw on the part of Knight.

* Jeffrey Mead is a bit of a freak. That is all.

* Hard to tell if it was a true busted coverage on the part of Steven Parker — who also slips a bit on the play only adding to things — allowing John Humphrey to be WIDE open, or if Ahmad Thomas was too slow in recognizing the route and getting over to the near side of the field in coverage. It did look like Parker bit on an underneath route, but again the call may have been designed for him to release Humphrey to the safety. And while had to make a cut to avoid Thomas, all I’ve heard about Humphrey is how he’s a low 4.3 guy but he just got caught from behind here.

* Pretty clear Cody Thomas did not see Tay Evans as he under throws a ball that really should have been an easy TD. Hatari Byrd did not have good coverage at all, but winds up the benefactor with an INT off the Evans tip.

* Much like Bolton, Tay Evans definitely looks the part.

* Neither first or second team d-line getting much of a push at all thus far.

* Me thinks Lincoln Riley is a fan of the shovel pass.

* Baker Mayfield’s first INT was VERY reminiscent of his Texas Tech days and one of the primary critiques from his time in Lubbock. There are three defenders to his one receiver and he literally just throws it up for grabs. Adding to the frustration of that decision with the ball is the WIDE OPEN receiver he has underneath on a simple stop route. Same side of the field, too. No reason he should have missed that guy other than tunnel vision.

* Dwayne Orso has one hell of a grip-and-rip move.

* Easily the best two throws I’ve seen to this point (4:36 remaining in the 2nd quarter) have come from Cody Thomas.

* BREAKING: Bob Stoops has a nice house.

* Man, Bolton just STUCK Alex Ross in the hole! That was impressive. Easily heard the pads pop on TV.

* Mayfield’s 2nd INT was both a bad decision and throw. Jordan Thomas was step-for-step with Todd on the play and Mayfield either didn’t have the arm to make this throw or put way too much air under the ball allowing for the easy pick off from Thomas. Plus, there was a deep safety (A.Thomas) on the play who could have also picked it off. In fact, going for the ball Thomas undercut Todd who came down hard on his left shoulder. Don’t believe he played for the remainder of the day as a result.

* I know everyone is super high on Austin ‘Legatron’ Seibert who will arrive on campus later this summer, but listening to Bob talk about Nick Hodgson I kind of have this feeling he’ll at least start the season as the No. 1 placekicker. Maybe the true freshman comes in and blows everyone away, but I feel like Stoops may prefer the idea of a fifth year senior versus a true freshman.

3Q

* It took all of two quarters for Bob to be ready for this thing to be done. If you had the under on your betting slip, you’re a winner. So, expect these next two quarters to go pretty quickly.

* “One of the reasons the linebackers have gotten so good over the last couple of years is the ILB coach Tim Kish.” Direct quote from the play-by-play guy, offered without comment.

* I really hope we see some true four-man fronts during the season. I’m not a huge fan of this three man front with a LB spun down they’re running a majority of the time in this one. Especially when you’re having a guy like Charles Tapper just stand his man up then read where the play is going. I’d really LOVE to see the coaches put him on the edge in a true four-man front and just let him get after the QB.

* It’s a shame it’s just now coming in his final season, but this offense is going to do a world of good things for Durron Neal.

* No clue what Marcus Green is looking at on this swing pass to Alex Ross out of the backfield that results in a TD. Green was initially lined up on the outside with Mead, who runs a very simple slant route clearing things out for Ross. That’s just bad defense.

* That said, throwing the ball to Ross, Samaje Perine, and/or Joe Mixon out in space will never, ever be a play call I’ll be upset with.

4Q

* Have I mentioned yet I’m a fan of Jeffrey Mead? Because I am.

* Lot of walk-ons getting action right now.

* Didn’t see any of it in this one and not surprising given how vanilla they were, but I’m definitely hoping there are some designed jump ball calls when you have guys like Andrews, Mead & Todd.

* The clock just went from 1:08 to 0:00 so, yeah, I think Bob is done with this.

And now, so are we.