Open Post | Monday, November 5th
Posted on: November 5, 2018
I’m glad that’s over | TTU
– JY
A win is a win is a win, and the Sooners are 8-1. Only Oklahoma State at home, Kansas at home and at West Virginia Remain.
I had a feeling that it would be crazy out there in Lubbock, but I didn’t think that Kyler would be off like that early on.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why when facing a team that lives off of screens that you give them 10-yard cushions. The DB’s aren’t slow. Tre Brown can run with everyone as can Justin Broiles. Why would you let big receivers get a running start when you’re giving up so much size to them?
The Sooners were fortunate that the starter for Tech went down. It was a good hit by Bolton down on the goal line to knock him out, but that’s poor coaching in my opinion by Coach McDreamy to expose your QB who had a collapsed lung earlier this year.
At times the defensive line flashed. Amani Bledsoe played really well. Marquise Overton had a couple of would-be sacks and tackles for loss that slipped away from him. Ronnie Perkins is a very savvy young player. He got a nice assist containing the passer on the 2 pt conversion that was run back by Robert Barnes. I can’t wait to see him, Redmond, and Michael Thompson next year. I’m not sure why Gallimore didn’t play that much, but he had a huge sack.
Parnell Motley got hosed on the interception he had that was ruled as a pass interference. He struggles at times, but I love his never say die attitude.
Curtis Bolton and Kenneth Murray tackle everything in sight. Bolton seems to have very strong hands. He just grabs people and throws them down a lot. He’s a lot faster than he gets credit for.
Speaking of fast, Kyler Murray continues to wow me. He turned a couple of dead to rights sacks into positive plays. Quietly he threw for 360 yards and ran for another 100. He accounted for four TD’s, and what’s scary is that he didn’t play his best ball.
The guy who did play his best ball this year and as a Sooner for that matter, in my opinion, is Trey Sermon. This guy has just gotten better and better and better. Being RB1 and getting more and more reps has really helped him get in a rhythm. He’s a lot more decisive than he has been, and he’s gotten more and more slippery. He beat the Tech defense into submission after having to tackle him 26 times. I’m sure if you check the Wikipedia page it may show Trey Sermon as Tech’s daddy. He gets my Grown Ass Man award this week.
Speaking of daddy, man that O line is nasty. Word has gotten out though that they’re hotheads, and while it’s important to play with an edge, Ford, Samia, and Evans are marked men. No doubt opponents and officials alike are looking for those guys to get out of hand. Ford was lucky he didn’t get tossed.
The Sooners were lucky to walk out of Lubbock with a win. I think there were four unsportsmanlike calls against Oklahoma tonight, and it seemed everyone, Riley alike was discombobulated. Tech brought it tonight and you have to respect their fight and effort.
I thought Riley got a little too cute in the 3rd quarter. It’s hard to find anything the guy does wrong, but once he settled down and committed to the run game, the O line and Sermon took over and essentially won the game. That O line just mashes people.
I must admit that I’m nervous about Oklahoma State and West Virginia. West Virginia went into Austin and let it all hang out. If both teams win out, it’ll be a top 1o matchup and a possible rematch in Arlington.
The defense has to get better. The secondary baffles me. Tre Brown and Robert Barnes played really well, but they Sorely missed Bookie tonight. There were times that guys looked lost back there, and it was guys who have played a lot. Hopefully, they get healthy and tighten up.
It’s been a heck of a week and a relief that the Sooners came away with a win. This time of year that’s all that matters. Georgia most likely will lose to Alabama, and you need Michigan, Notre Dame or Clemson to drop one.
There’s still a little over a month of football left to play, so we’ll see what happens.
Quick Post-game Thoughts | Texas Tech
– Charlie S
*** Bizarre night, as you would expect, in Lubbock tonight as the Sooners defeated the Red Raiders 51-46.
*** Kyler Murray was not at his best, yet he put up some incredible numbers. Quite possibly the worst half of football he has had as a Sooner in the first half.
*** The two interceptions got OU behind the scoreboard obviously and they spent a large portion of the night dealing with that.
*** Cedarian Lamb is a gifted player…he let his emotions get the best of him and it cost his team tremendously. That has to be addressed and put in check.
*** Cody Ford was lucky to remain in the game after he punched a TTU player in the first quarter. That also has to be addressed.
*** Robert Barnes had a really nice game. A handful of pass breakups and that 2 point conversion return was a real momentum killer for Tech.
*** Penalties as a whole really bit OU in the butt. Mind you, there were some very questionable calls…Motley was robbed of an interception by a phantom pass interference call.
*** TTU came in with an attitude and got away with a bunch of chippies. Lincoln will be the first to say though, the Sooner players cannot sink to that level and retaliate and it almost cost them a game tonight.
*** Trey Sermon does nothing that jumps out at you when watching him…he just piles up yardage and touchdowns.
*** The offense put the defense in some really awkward positions and while the defense was not special, they did not get much help from the offense, at all.
*** No Bookie and no Kahlil obviously put the Sooners in a tight spot in the defensive backfield, but DTY and Parker getting meaningful gameplay could pay dividends down the line.
*** The play calling offensively was also a bit off as it felt like the Sooners could have run for as many yards as they wanted to tonight yet time after time we saw deep balls.
*** Hollywood caught that ball, fumbled, and recovered it. Then went to the sideline gripping his hammy. Came back in and seemed fine. We will check on that.
*** Did NOT understand some of the personnel groupings, particularly in the first half defensively…four defensive linemen PLUS Mark Jackson at some sort of hybrid Jack/OLB position in which he seemingly had coverage duty but mostly just hung out…will have JY look at that.
*** The prevent defense at the end of the game was mind-numbing.
*** Sooners stayed alive in the hunt for the Conference Championship as well as the playoffs, that is about the best thing that came out of tonight.
Sooners host Bedlam this week and it should be a big visitor weekend. We will have you covered!
