A few changes we may see this weekend:
– Yesterday in the post practice presser, Mike Stoops confirmed that Steven Parker will continue to start at the free safety position. Though the defense struggled last week, I do think moving Parker back and brining Thomas up was a way of moving some speed around and simultaneously enhancing the speed on the back end and close to the line of scrimmage.
– Mike Stoops also alluded to the fact that Julian Wilson may not be able to go this weekend. In which case, Jordan Thomas would get the start. We are expecting Jordan Thomas to indeed start. I personally can’t wait to see how he does. He hasn’t had a ton of reps but when things aren’t going well, it’s always nice to see young players get a chance to compete, get better and build for the future.
– I have been told that Oklahoma is practicing a lot of bump-and-run this week in practice. So perhaps we’ll get a chance to see what Mike and Bob have talked about with respect to their desire to play more tighter coverage.
– No word on Trevor Knight but it wouldn’t surprise me if they kept him out for precautionary reasons. I have no information on that one way or another though. If he does play, then again it’ll be another little glimpse into the future.
29 Comments
I’m not sure whether to be glad about the tighter coverages being practiced, or angry about the reactionary nature of the move now that it’s too late to make a difference this season.
Correction: I’m angry.
Yep.
Maybe Mike will stop asking Bo Pelini for advice.
Until next year when Baker Mayfield wins the QB job.
I have supported Trevor Knight since he was named starter last season. However, I am now of the belief he is not the answer and the competition should be fierce this spring. I think you may be right about Baker, but let the best prospect win the job.
I’m always about ‘the team’ and whoever is the best player, plays. If a player is slacking once named ‘starter’, the next man up gets an opportunity. All positions. Am excited to see what CThomas can do this weekend. Looking forward to an exciting, wide-open spring with all positions up for grabs.
I haven’t been a believer in Knight at all. Struggled all year and then has a “break out” game. Hasn’t looked sharp even when he played non conference. It’s been all run game. Also I think he has a decision to make with his injury. It can be serious and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Cole, I understand your position and thoughts regarding TK. As I said, I am now a believer he is NOT the answer to our QB dilemma, hence the reason I want the competition opened up in the spring. As for his injury, you are absolutely on target regarding the seriousness.
He’s young and must realize there is life after football. It’s fun while you’re doing it but nothing is worth the risk. I was proud of Ash stepping away from football before something bad happened to him.
I’m sure that’s what they said about TCU’s QB, he’s no good so put him at WR. In comes a new OC and BOOM, he’s going to New York and final four. Trevor is not a pocket QB which JH tries his hardest to do. However, when he’s moving, he’s very good. Trevor has so many thoughts going through his head, hurry up and pass, don’t make a mistake, don’t leave the pocket to soon, don’t run but if you do, get down. Heck with it, just let him play his style. He wasn’t recruited as a pocket passer.
If TK had a “break out” game, it was against K-State. One bad pass. Then another great game the next game. The only two games this season where everyone around him did his job, ran the right routes, provided protection, didn’t drop throws, he performed sensationally well.
Cole I’m not going to jump all over your comment. But please explain to me and anyone who has yet to crown baker as the starter next year, why should he be the starter?
Is he really that much better? 12 td to 9 int is a better line than knight but not significantly IMO.
I don’t necessarily disagree that mayfield is the best option but I want to see how Thomas does. I think Thomas or Hansen present more upside
Cuz…cuz….the spring game!
With so much focus from the coaching staff on execution, why is there never any changes made due to lack of execution? When was the last time we saw a significant change at a position that wasn’t due to injury? Are the coaches too loyal to the players?
IMO…coach’s are extremely loyal to their QB. Meaning, there is a reason that Landry Jones broke many records. How many times was OU have a big lead and yet play the entire game. Except maybe the back up go in for the last series only to do a couple of hand offs. There were plenty of times I would have like to see the other QB’s get some reps but it just didn’t happen. Maybe that is also why we didn’t see a lot of Roy Finch?
While I realize Trevor has been inconsistant and has made plenty of mistakes, I think its too early to give up on him already. I think guys who have had immediate success like Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston have made people impatient with giving QB’s time to develop. Trevone Boykin was moved to WR last year because of his struggles and now this year he will probably be invited to New York for the Heisman Presentation. Obviously TK needs to make improvements, but we have seen what he is capable of when he plays well and I think given more time/experience he can consistantly reach that high ceiling he has shown before. I think its funny to hear all these calls for Mayfield based off of one good spring game performance 6 or 7 months ago. I guess its a repeating cycle going back to people wanting Blake Bell over Landry and then TK over Blake. The backup QB is always the most popular guy on the team. If Mayfield turns out to be the best option for the team next spring then he should be the starter, but you can count me as one who will be surprised if it plays out that way.
Super K are we starting to see a youth movement or maybe the cream is starting to rise to the top.
Steven Parker-fr
Jordan Thomas-fr.
Dimitri Flowers-fr.
Samaje Perine-fr.
Michiah Quick-fr.
Charles Walker-Rfr. (injury)
K.J. Young-Rfr.
Cody Thomas-Rfr. Maybe-due to TK injury
I’m sure there are other freshmen or R. fr. that have started earning their stripes.
I guess my point being come to OU and play early in your career.
I wish we would use Flowers with some consistency (iowa state yes. baylor, where was he?) and let him bloom. See what I did there?
Question for you Super K: regardless of whether we agree with his evaluation or not, do you think it’s at all possible that MS, based upon what he’d seen in practice, decided that at this point he was not confident in his CB’s ability to play bump and run against receivers of Baylors’ quality, and decided that the lesser of two evils was to try to keep everything in front, try to cause hurried throws/errors with pressure, step in front of some, etc. Then if the offense did its part, and scored regularly, as was assumed they would, have a successful game. I haven’t heard MS comments, only seen the transcript, but his responses about needing to be good in press coverage, seem like they could be interpreted that way. Clearly he wouldn’t want to come out and say that about his players, I’m just wondering if he might have felt that way.
Obviously what he did turned out to be massively unsuccessful in that opening drive of the second half and elsewhere, so this question isn’t so much about that, nor is it about who’s fault it is, if he thought that were the case, it just wondering about the thought process that may have gotten him there…
Yes I believe he doesn’t think his guys in bump and run. But that, in my opinion, is a fundamental flaw in the way they run their defense. Michigan State is going to play bump and run regardless. It’s what they teach and believe in from day one. It’s their DNA. What that yields is long term success. They will fluctuate based on their personnel from year to year (this year they’re weak in the interior part of their line and they’ve got a week corner) but they have a clearly defined identity and they recruit to it and they practice to it over and over. The other fundamental issue I disagree with in OU’s philosophy is the idea that bump and run is more difficult to play than off-coverage. I have rarely met a corner that will concede that. Die by 100 hitches or 10 nine routes…you’re still dead. But one guy made the other team earn it and the other guy didn’t. If Julian can’t or won’t play press, then coach better and get guys in there that will. Whether OU wants to admit it or not, they have a problem in their secondary development. Again, just my opinion.
thanks, Super K. Yeah. so far it’s the only thing I could think of that fits what I saw and read. The only thing that made sense to me in the face of the third quarter debacle, was that he was convinced that trying to do something different, even after seeing that the guys were getting schooled, would have been worse. Maybe we’re lucky we didn’t find out.:-( I hadn’t really considered the possibility that player choice or attiude might have entered into it, as well. Either way, I agree with you that they should not have found themselves in that position in the first place. And if it takes a change in philosophy to prevent it, then they’d better get a new philosophy.
Do you think the development of our secondary guys has been an issue prior to this year? I was just wondering, because I’ve always considered the coaches to be very effective at coaching up the secondary. Even when we used to not get pressure, our back end was still good statistically. I looked it up, just to be sure. Since Mike has been back, our pass defense has been #2 (2012), #1 (2013), and #9 (2014) in the Big 12. Do you think the drop off this year is evidence of this lack of development? Or do you think we’ve just schemed to stop the run more-so than in the past?
The first year he played primarily cover 2 man under even if it meant taking guys out of the box. As a result he got better coverage overall but it cost them in the run game. Last year they played a lot of man 1 and they had some pretty good cover guys anchored by Aaron Colvin. This year they play more zone…perhaps because they don’t believe they can match up man to man as much. Either way it’s been a tough go.
Thanks, SK.
I believe in the old expression, “you don’t practice, you don’t play.”
If CT is getting the preparation all week to start then he should. The same applies to Shep’s and Wilson’s replacements.
As a wise man once said, “in a world of inconstants, change is the only constant.”
Love my Sooners and wishing them success.
I think Thomas should start anyway. Wilson having a bad hand and not able to practice, why take the chance. I like the idea they are moving guys around. I think it was a little late but let’s get these young players some playing time. It will benefit in the long run. I’m looking for them to bounce back this week.
any idea what happened to Dakota Austin & Stanvon Taylor? Is Jordan Thomas that much better than them that they aren’t seeing the field at all?
I may not have paid close enough attention on Saturday… but did we ever get out of the 3/4 when Baylor went 5 wide…? and by that I mean… did we still have 4 LB’s in the game…?? if so, why??
Yes they did. They matched up across the board with cover guys but there coverage just wasn’t tight enough.
What is going in with Dakota Austin? I feel like from everything I have heard his a coverage machine. Am I getting bad information or is he being left off the field strictly because Mike likes bigger corners. They played him as a true freshmen in sugar bowl and now he’s not even sniffing time. I don’t understand!