Open Post | Tuesday, September 17th
Posted on: September 17, 2019
Post-game thoughts | JY
– JY
I have to admit, three games in, I’m not a kool-aid drinker of the defense. I’m a full on chugger. Turnovers, Sacks, pressure all night etc. I liked that Grinch adjusted after the tight end was gashing the secondary, and went to doubling them.
Jaden Davis is a ball player. He most likely saved a td blowing up the screen while fighting off two blocks. We haven’t seen that happen, and at this point, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him start. He was in the game very early tonight, and looked really, really good.
Speaking of ball-players, I’m very impressed with Trejan Bridges. He’s always the first one down there on kickoffs. Tonight he ran down and it it looked like he was going to get an immediate tackle. Well, he missed the tackle, but didn’t quit on the play. He got up, got involved with the play, and ended up hustling and still making the play. K and I talk about guys having that dawg in em, and he’s definitely got it.
The early game holding penalties struck again. This time, Tyrese Robinson got whistled for two of them. Again it looked like once the game got going, the offensive line settled down. I’ll have to watch the tape, but it seemed like Swenson had a solid game, and Creed Humphrey looked good as always. Adrian Ealy is quietly getting off to a really good year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Coach B shuffle some guys around a bit more over the next few weeks.
The Sooners are off next week, and then have Texas Tech and Kansas before going to Dallas to meet the Longhorns. With a week off to heal up, it will give some time to potentially iron out some kinks, focus on fundamentals, and continue to build on the success so far.
While this team is not as flashy without Hollywood or a guy like Kyler or Baker, this offense led by Jalen Hurts is amazingly more productive. Tonight he almost hit the 300 air and 150 ground mark again. He’s such a powerful runner in the open field, that you have to believe he’s going to terrorize defenses in the big Xii.
Charleston Rambo is steadily becoming the Beta to Lamb’s Alpha. It seems like every game he hits a long ball. While he’s not as sudden as Hollywood, he continually outruns people and finds himself behind the defense.
Someone who has been surprisingly quiet so far this year is Calcaterra. He did have a nice catch in the 2nd half, and I have to believe that Riley will look to get him more involved as the season wears on. I think that it’s more that the Sooners seem to keep hitting big plays, especially tonight.
I know I hit on it early on, but I really enjoy watching this defense. While they seem a bit vulnerable to the screen, they get stops and make teams work for everything they get. Two turnovers tonight, and another Jalen Redmond sighting. Ronnie Perkins made another knifing play for a tackle for loss.
It’s interesting to watch Riley adapt the offense year in and year out. The bread and butter counter play is still the basis of the offense, but he’s definitely tailored it to Jalen’s strengths. A lot more draws and qb power than I remember seeing.
It’ll be fun to see if they’re keeping everything vanilla leading up to conference play. It’s been a heavy dose of counter, power, draw, seams and posts. Different game same design. Deep down I gotta believe that Riley has some tricks up his sleeve for a rainy day. We’ll see, but early returns are definitely promising. Hard to believe that the 1st quarter of the season is already in the books. You wait all year for the season to get here and then it flies by. I guess I’m just getting old. Boomer!
Sunday Morning Brunch | Post Game Thoughts UCLA & Big Picture
– Charlie S
On UCLA
*** Big win for the Sooners in their first road game of the year as they go to California and beat the Bruins 48-14.
*** Jalen Hurts was a monster (15-20 passing for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns and 14 rushes for 150 yards)
*** In all the Sooners ran the ball 41 times for 309 yards and averaged 7.5 yards per carry.
*** Sooners passed the ball 23 times with 16 receptions for 302 yards. Incredibly balanced.
*** The defense held UCLA to 7 points and 116 yards in the first half.
*** UCLA finished with a total of 311 yards of offense as the second half was truly garbage time and Alex Grinch was using heavy substitution and being a bit less aggressive with his play-calling and positioning as the DBs were playing off the ball a lot in the second half.
*** Rambo had a big night as he hauled in 5 catches for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns.
*** Now, the obvious not so good…there was very poor tackling in the secondary if your name wasn’t Jaden Davis.
*** DTY had a nice stop on the first drive but after that, it went south real quick. Bookie had been solid to this point, he had a rough game tackling.
*** Tre Brown had an interception, but also missed on several tackles and was replaced by Jaden Davis right after he missed a tackle which gave the Bruins their second score.
*** DTY and Pat Fields had a rough night in coverage (against some good tight ends but still) and they do not seem to have shown much progression and that is worrisome.
*** Robert Barnes came in late and had a nice open-field tackle, you have to think he gets on the field more at some point but it was rough all around in the secondary.
*** Let’s talk about Jaden Davie, He had a pick last week and this week he played on both sides of the field and he played early. He subbed for Motley midway through the first and he subbed for Brown in the second. Will be interested to see his snap count.
*** At one point Motley and Davis were on the field at the same time. In my opinion, that needs to be the norm and not the exception.
*** Davis made a huge play in the third quarter where he fought off two blockers on a WR screen and made a low tackle to stop what would have been a huge gain. He got my game ball on defense.
*** Ryan Jones didn’t have a great night in my opinion at least initially at WILL when he was out there, but he did get the Sooners second interception which will make Grinch happy.
*** Sooners front 7 was very active and put a lot of pressure on UCLA and came away with a pair of sacks. I went into the game thinking they would have bigger numbers, but they were very disruptive and effective.
Big Picture Stuff
Offense
*** Look, the offense has shown through three games that while it may be different, it is still largely the same.
*** OU leads the country in ‘Big Plays’ and they basically average a first down every time they snap the ball. It’s kind of ridiculous in a good way.
*** Hurts, in my opinion, had his best game against UCLA and that is a good sign as he is getting better. I was looking for a jump between Houston and South Dakota, the jump came against UCLA. He went through his progressions better and while he still does not look completely comfortable in the pocket, he is getting better and better.
*** The offensive line had their best game against UCLA which is saying something, in my opinion, as UCLA had the best front seven that the Sooners have faced this year. Was it perfect or even ‘good’ for OU? Probably not, but it was good enough and showed signs of getting better once again.
*** Once the OU OL gets their hands on you, you are going to be moved and you will be lucky to not find yourself on your backside with a 300 pounder on top of you.
*** You have a ton of youngsters getting their feet wet and flashing. Haselwood, Bridges, Wease, Stogner, Stevenson, Wilkins…big picture, the OU offense isn’t going anywhere. They may look different but the results are as impressive as ever.
*** Through three games you have to give the offense an ‘A’ no matter how you look at it. They can run, they can pass, they can do whatever they want to you. It’s good.
Defense
*** Here is where you’re going to really have to look at the big picture because the defense is completely different from anything you have seen over the past 5 years or so.
*** Thnk about what you (and me) are complaining about at this point…or rather how you are complaining.
*** Alex Grinch, Brian Odom, and Roy Manning inherited a train wreck. There is no denying it.
*** A train wreck can not be totally cleaned up overnight. It takes time. It takes some heavy lifting. It takes getting dirty and getting banged up a bit.
*** I am here to tell you I am in for the cleanup and from the looks of it, things are going much better than anticipated.
*** The very fact that the majority of the complaints are based around 2 – 3 positions…after three games…is pretty astounding.
*** Safeties are a problem right now. The safeties have shown issues with tackling, coverage, and angles.
*** Nickel took a hit against UCLA as Bookie had a decent game against Houston, a very good game against South Dakota, and a pretty poor showing against UCLA. He did have some bright moments against UCLA however so those of you who are ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater may need to rethink things because I am also here to tell you that if you are looking for another option at nickel, Chance Sylvie ain’t it chief. Bookie had a few TFL last night and while he also had 2-3 missed tackles, the effort is there and he did build some credit with his play over the first two weeks.
*** Back to Safety…I don’t have the answers. Pat and DTY have struggled in basically every facet of the game. Grinch had them locked in as starters very early in camp. There is a reason for that, I do not know what that reason is. I do know that something needs to change and I am positive Grinch knows that as well. Is it getting Barnes on the field more? Maybe. Is it about getting Broiles on the field more? Perhaps. All I know is I can almost guarantee you that the safeties will be a focus over the next two weeks.
*** Now let’s talk about what you have seen at corner. Wow! If you had told me going into the season that Parnell Motley was being schemed around by opposing offenses, I would have laughed. He is. Opposing offenses are now making conscious decisions to not throw at him. He’s playing that well right now. That could all change with a rough night, but he is playing with tremendous confidence and at a very high level.
*** Then you have Jaden Davis, the true freshmen who many wrote off before camp even started based on what we heard about Grinch’s preferences. People were even speculating if he would be a portal candidate before the season even began. Give a lot of credit to Davis for doing what he is doing and you also have to give credit to Roy Manning for developing both of these corners. Davis is closing in on earning the starting job over Tre Brown. Against UCLA you had Motley and Davis on the field at the same time at one point. In the first two games, Davis had strictly been rotating in at right corner and giving Motley relief. Against UCLA, he lined up at left corner which is where I think you will see him get a start in the near future. Feeling pretty good about the bold prediction I made prior to fall camp.
*** The front seven is something I don’t even recognize from past years. The defensive line is disruptive and the linebackers are not being screamed about every third or fourth play.
** DaShaun White had a rough game against Houston. He has shown tremendous growth since that game and played a terrific game against UCLA.
*** Kenneth Murray started the season looking like a man possessed. Against UCLA he kind of got lost on some assignments but still had no major busts. Progress people. Lot’s of progress.
*** And last but not least…big picture stuff still…look at all the young players and transfers who are contributing at a high level. Stripling, Stokes, Bonitto, Ugwoegbu, Asamoah, Davis, Redmond and more.
*** Big picture…the defense was so bad that you cannot expect them to be at an elite level after three games, but you can see signs, serious signs, that they are moving in the right direction. There are some issues, but the turnaround to this point is honestly more than I expected.
Through three games, I give the defense a solid ‘B’. If the safety situation improves, and I believe it will, you are really cooking with Bacon Grease.
Quick Hitter | Cautious Optimism: Collins & Foster
– Darius Terrell
*** I’ll start this update off with Bastrop Cedar Creek DL Alfred Collins, who many have had penciled in as a future Texas commit for a while now. I’ve spoken to Collins directly more than a handful of times and never once have I come away with the impression that he was leaning anywhere. In fact, Alfred has gone out of his way multiple times to let me know that his ties to Texas will “have nothing to do with me or my decision.” That came straight from the horse’s mouth.
Collins was very close to being “blown away” during his official to Norman last weekend and in my opinion, the Sooners have as good of a chance as any of his remaining finalists, which consist of Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and Texas. For my money, Collins is the best Defensive prospect in Texas that remains uncommitted and he would be a huge pickup for any of his remaining finalists at 6’6 270+ lbs. and still growing. He still has visits to take (he’s never been to Bama or LSU) and those trips could throw a big wrench into this thing, but as of right now Sooner fans should feel good about what their staff has done with this one.
*** Moving on to 2021, a big name that everyone is keeping an eye on his 5-Star Offensive Guard Bryce Foster of Katy Taylor. Foster is arguably the top interior Offensive Line prospect in entire 2021 class and many have him slated to attend either Texas A&M or Texas. Foster has family ties to A&M with his mother being an alum. He has multiple friends already committed to Texas and has visited both Austin and College Station numerous times.
One place that he wants to spend more time is in Norman. Foster was legitimately “bummed out” that he had to change plans at the last second during the spring and miss the Oklahoma spring game. He instead visited Texas for their Orange-White game.
He finally had a chance to get to OU and as Charlie reported following his visit to Norman for the Houston game, he really was quite taken with how the Oklahoma offensive line performed in their first game of the year while replacing four starters.
With so much attention being given to A&M and Texas, I can’t help but feel like Oklahoma could be the middle ground in his recruitment that everyone can agree on and be happy about. Lincoln Riley and Coach Bedenbaugh have made it clear to Bryce how he would fit into their system and continue their run of OL being drafted, as well as continuing to win Big XII titles and compete for championships. Foster is a bright kid that strikes me as the type that will do what he feels is best for himself. That very well could be Oklahoma.
Post Practice | Monday, September 16th
– James Hale
*** It’s a bye week for the Sooners with OU expecting to practice through Thursday morning and then the players will be given the opportunity to head home. No press conference today but we had a chance to talk to with Head Coach Lincoln Riley and defensive players and coaches.
*** Coach Riley acknowledges that senior quarterback Jalen Hurts is playing well and that production is there but that he still has a long way to go. He has to keep getting better for the team to get where they want to go. He’s still young within the offense and getting in sync with the wide receivers, and still getting to know Coach Riley and how he coaches a game.
*** Coach Riley says in this offense you do not target receivers and that the defense dictates who catches balls. He also says the explosive plays that OU has will sometime keep catches down for certain receivers. If receivers are good, ,they will get open in this offense and Jalen is reading the offense and throws to the target that he feels is open and usually that is a number of different receivers.
*** There are times that OU will try to get the ball to a particular receiver but for the most part in this offense they just throw to the receiver that is open and there will be times when a good receiver won’t have many catches because the defense has worked to take that player away, When that happens in this offense, other good receivers are open.
*** Hurts has had a good feel in the pocket and is tough so he’s always looking downfield to make a play, but because of his feel in the pocket he knows when to run. He’s developing a better trust level within the offense which is improving his feel for the game and what to do in the pocket.
*** Coach Riley does not feel that Hurts will end up being the Sooners leading rusher this year. OU has executed their offense so well that they have been able to save their running backs this year so far, but once they get into Big 12 Conference play they will be used more and take over the bulk of the running game. There is a run game for Hurts, and he’s such a good running back that he will get carries, but right now a lot of his yardage is coming off scramble plays.
*** Coach Riley says junior Trey Sermon, Kennedy Brooks, and Rhamondre Stevenson are all doing well and are good running backs and he indicated the sophomore T.J. Pledger will be returning soon (next two or three weeks). He said that Pledger was playing some great football when he got hurt.
*** Coach Riley feels the defensive line was violent against UCLA and played very strong up front against the Bruins resulting in four sacks.
*** He said that DeShaun White had a good game and is beginning to get a feel as to just how good he can be. He pointed out that sophomore Ryan Jones, redshirt freshman Brian Asamoah, and junior Brian Mead all played well, taking advantage of the good play of the defensive line.
*** He also indicated that it went without saying that Kenneth Murray played well and that he’s having a good year.
*** Coach Riley says he never lost confidence in sophomore kicker Calum Sutherland and that even when he missed a kick he was hitting the ball well, and he was hitting the ball well in practice and that he always felt that he could make kicks. He said he kicked very well against UCLA and even though Gabe Brkic is pushing him Coach Riley has never felt he needed to change the kicker for OU this year.
*** Coach Riley has been in pleased with the H-back play of sophomores Jeremiah Hall and Brayden Willis and even though they are still leaving some yardage out there and can play better it’s a good position for OU.
*** Coach Riley feels the offensive line play was better but they are still a young offensive line at times which causes some mistakes and penalties that will clean up as the season progresses.
*** Coach Riley says during the bye week they have some ace core values that they try need to try to get better at and improve during the week. The fact that the bye week is so early in the season is great because the team is not beat up and can really get after it at practice this week. OU will work to get better all week.
*** As far as playing depth or certain guys not playing much now getting time Coach Riley said they are not going to play guys just to play them and that they have to practice well to get on the field.
*** Coach Riley says that redshirt freshman Nic Bonito is starting to come on at Rush Linebacker and along with Jon Michael-Terry they are doing well and that’s great because they’re not going to play a player 90 plays a game in this defense. They need more players to step up and he feels that the coaches have shown that they will play players if they’re ready and they will give a lot of players a chance to play if they can be productive.
*** Coach Riley is excited about the direction of the defense this season. It’s early and they need to keep coming but they still have a lot of things with this season that they need to get better at and this defense still has a long way to go.
*** Kenneth Mann is expected to be back for the Texas Tech game.
*** Coach Riley feels the Big 12 is a much better conference in college football than at times it’s given credit for.
*** Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch feels for a defense to be as good as it can be in college football against the offenses of today that OU has to develop depth. He said that players are better at playing 40 plays than 80 and that’s what is unique about college football.
*** However, players have to prove they can play without a major drop off in production and that a sub has to keep the production up to a level that the coaches will accept. That’s why a Murray may be rotated out early in the game because they feel that Mead or Jones or whoever can hold up and play well.
*** Coach Grinch says that the two long drives by UCLA are still bugging him especially the long drive in the third quarter where they could have got off the field but didn’t. He said that there were some positives and they handled the power run game well despite giving up a few big plays. He was proud that they saw some different things from UCLA and they stuck to their rules and stayed within the concepts of the defense.
*** Coach Grinch says that injuries and what the offense is doing create more opportunities for the defense to shift around and play more guys. That’s a reason why more players or certain players could get into the game in the future.
*** Coach Grinch says the defensive line is playing well and a young guy like freshman Marcus Stripling is showing up and playing well. He said the TFL’s are great and he loves those and feels they are difference-makers in the defensive line. He loves the fact that the DL seems to be living in the opponent’s backfield and that is a big plus for the defense moving forward.
*** Coach Grinch feels at safety he doesn’t feel that the depth has been where it needs it to be and that they’re trying to develop more depth. He pointed out that they are looking at some different position groupings this week, some different combination and looking at some ways that they can develop a better overall unit in the secondary.
*** He said that freshman Jaden Davis has played so well that now he’s considered a starter and will start getting equal reps with starters junior Tre Brown and senior Parnell Motley.
*** Coach Grinch says he tells the players that they want to play a bunch of players and that if a player is not playing that he can turn on the practice film and show that player why he’s not playing. They have to earn the right to get on the field and that they have to produce at practice to get on the field.
*** Coach Grinch says the corners have played well playing aggressive coverage and that doesn’t always mean playing in press coverage but playing aggressive and playing physical and that thus far the corners are playing aggressive and it’s paying off for them through three games. Playing corner is a very tough position and this team is playing well and seems to be improving every day.
*** Junior Jordan Parker and Davis give OU four corners that are playing well and four corners that can play.
*** Coach Grinch feels that the defense is beginning to take on the personality of the type of defense that he wants but they are still developing their overall identity. He said that they’re beginning to believe in the defense.
*** Coach Grinch said it was good to see sophomore Justin Broiles make a couple of good plays and that he played well against UCLA. Now he needs to step up and play well at practice to secure more playing time for him in the future.
*** Sophomore Pat Fields said if we still want to call him Patrick we can because at this point he really doesn’t have a preference.
*** Fields feels the secondary is playing well and the defense is playing fast. He praised senior nose tackle Marquise Overton who recognized a screen but was behind the play and at 304 pounds he ran down the play to make the tackle. He said that was crazy to see but is a perfect example of the speed and the desire that the defense is playing with right now.
*** Fields says that he is progressing and so is the safety group but at times give up plays they should not give up. He said that’s football and at times they will miss tackles or give up plays because the offense has good players. He said that he can never dwell on that because they have to always be looking at the next play but always give great effort and if they do that then they will be fine.
*** Fields has been amazed at how well that Jalen Hurts has played. He said that he is one of the most intelligent players that he’s ever played with.
*** Sophomore nickel back Brendon Radley-Hiles said it was a great experience for him to go back home and play in the Rose Bowl. He got to see his mom and pops and got to see so much family that it make the game and the weekend very special for him.
*** Junior cornerback Tre Brown says that getting a chance to play some man coverage is working well with his skill set and that the front seven is doing such a great job getting pressure that the corners are benefiting from it.
*** Bookie feels that sophomore Delarrin Turner-Yell is the glue to the defense.
*** Bookie said that he and Broiles have stayed the course and got a clean slate this year and that they have come back harder to earn playing time this year.
*** Redshirt freshman Nic Bonnito says the game is slowing down for him this year. He has always felt he has the talent to play well and things are coming together for him this year.
*** Bonnito said that that the way that Davis is playing at corner is the same way that he saw back in high school in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area. Bonnito says that he always knew that Davis would be a good player.
*** Bonnito says the bye week will be great for the team because it will allow them to get their bodies healed up.
*** Bonnito says he expected Hurts to have this kind of impact on the team because the first few days he was on campus he was a leader and this kind of player.
*** Bonito is going home this week back to Florida and he says he can’t wait to get back home for a few days
*** Junior Kenneth Murray says he’s not concerned about stats and that the only thing that he’s concerned with is winning. (Murray made five tackles against UCLA).
*** Murray likes the fact that linebacker Coach Brian Odom is playing more players and that he’s getting a rest every once in a while in the game.
*** Murray said that when they get into a tight game he is pretty sure he will be on the field but that it’s been great that they have played so well that they have been able to play a lot of guys. He’s only concerned about doing his job and the defense playing well and not his stats.
*** Texas Tech quarterback Alan Bowman will miss several weeks because of a shoulder injury which means he will not be playing when the Red Raiders come to Norman on September 28th. Grad transfer Jackson Tyner and junior Jett Duffey will battle for the job this week. Not having Bowman is a big blow for the Red Raiders and hurts there chances to have a good season. The Red Raiders have a bye this week so they will get an extra week to get the new quarterbacks ready. Tyler is a walk-on from Rice that didn’t play that much for the Owls but he is considered the likely starter against OU.
Trench Warfare | Oklahoma Vs. UCLA
– JY
Almost weekly, Jalen Hurts pulls off a big play on the 1st drive, and normally it’s in the run game. If you count the UCLA players in the frame, there are 7. That leaves only four on the back end, and they’re playing man. The Bruins ran a slant to the field (wide side), and that left the boundary (short side) side of the field wide open.
After Hurts eluded the rush that Jeremiah Hall almost gave up, he found himself all alone down the numbers. Looking at the psychology of the game, UCLA is feeling good about themselves at this point after stuffing the return with really good kickoff coverage. Then, on the 1st play from scrimmage, the Sooners are out past midfield.
Like last week, the Sooners got called for an early holding penalty. Tyrese Robinson gets whistled for this one. His right arm is draped across the chest of the edge defender right next to Trey Sermon. Usually you can get away with holding down inside, but when you’re pulling and the ballcarrier’s right behind you, it’s tough to hide.
On the 4th down touchdown, this is just a hat on a hat and outnumbering them…not sure if I ever mentioned that. You can see every Sooner is blocking a blue jersey. The red arrow player (safety) is the only guy who can make the play here since Riley ran everyone off outside the hashes. Jalen does a great job as he dekes outside to get that player caught up behind Creed Humphrey’s block. Then he’s heading down the 5 to San Diego for the 1st score.
I continue to be impressed with the improvement we see defensively. This is just assignment sound option football. The dive is taken care of. The QB is getting blown up, and Bookie has the pitch man outside. As Grinch continues to recruit and get personnel on par with who Riley’s getting offensively, it’ll be a juggernaut even more so than it already is.
Speaking of Personnel. How about LaRon Stokes?! I played a little D line in high school, and let me tell you, this is the play that you dream about. He throws a quick move off the line, and blows up the mesh point (where the QB and RB meet in the option game). He takes em both out for a five yard loss. That’s one of those wow plays, that somehow got overlooked by the announcers but was really cool.
This ended up being a tackle for loss. See #81? He should be blocking down on that defender I notated with the red arrow. Brayden just blocked the wrong guy. If he blocks down like he’s supposed to, then Jalen is reading the defensive end while Hall goes up to the safety. Then it’s a numbers game, and either Jalen or Kennedy Brooks walk into the end zone.
This was just grown man time. I’m really impressed with the work that Trey Sermon appears to have put in over the spring and summer. Not many backs can do this. You want to get your back one on one with defenders, but this is just ridiculous. After he body slams the defender with a monster stiff-arm, he gains 31 yards. Pretty impressive stuff.
Felton, the UCLA back is a pretty good player. He’s one of those fast guys who Riley could give fits to other teams with. On this play he broke, the D line just gets caught up down inside. Right before this, Stokes was trying to get off a block and tried to shoot down inside, when he did it opened up the outside lane, and Stokes was flying.
This is Tyrese’s 2nd hold, and it negated a good catch and run by CeeDee Lamb. Players and coaches aren’t the only ones who watch tape. Referees do too, and he’ll have to clean this up before he develops a reputation. On another note, Swenson looked pretty good out at left tackle this week. I thought he played pretty well.
Jalen Redmond is a freak. He seems to get bigger and bigger, and quicker and quicker. He played Basketball most of his time in HS until football came knocking his Junior year. He is still learning how to throw pass rush moves, and that’s the scary part. How quickly he beat this offensive lineman and applied quick middle pressure just isn’t fair. Keep in mind he’s still a redshirt freshman. Imagine what happens in a couple of more years when he gets some experience and that grown man strength.
The Bruin QB is pretty quick, but not quick enough to get away from Jalen. Man that kid is gonna be good.
Something that Kennedy Brooks is amazing at is setting up his blocks, and knowing by formation where the lanes are going to be. Trey Sermon is no slouch either. As big Ealy pulls around, Trey does a great job dipping outside to pull that linebacker outside a step.
When he does that, it makes Ealy’s block easier, and it sets Adrian up to block two people essentially. Since the Bruins bought the fake and went outside with Sermon’s fake, #1 in blue can’t get through Adrian to get to Trey. The only person who can make the play then is the backside corner or the ref.
A couple of years ago at Kansas, Baker Mayfield had a scramble and TD throw to Rodney Anderson, that really bolstered his Heisman run. While this wasn’t as dramatic, Jalen had a couple of those moments Saturday. He just buys enough time to allow Rambo to break loose and showcase his speed. Trey is also open if needed at bottom.
Something that has been very good early this year is the Sooners blocking in the red zone. I’d like to see Swenson swing his hips over to the left a bit more to close that gap between him and Hall, but really this is a pretty well-blocked play.
I touched on it a bit after the game, but I’m impressed with these young receivers. Especially Trejan Bridges. He hustles his tail off down the field, and almost makes the tackle at the 18.
He ended up missing the tackle initially, but got up and hustled over to the other hash and still made the tackle seven yards later. That’s effort you don’t see all the time from 5-star recruits. When Grinch is preaching running to the ball as he and his staff do, that’s contagious on a team. You can see it in the coverage teams, and here specifically.
This was just a 3 man rush with Kenneth Murray spying. I thought it looked kind of cool with Gallimore and Redmond running down the Bruin QB with him staring down K-9 for a short gain.
Nik Bonitto is a guy who by the end of the year everyone is gonna know. He almost made a couple of plays that he was just a half step short of. Here if you look closely you can see the QB with the ball drawn back and ready to throw. Nik swipes at it and barely, and I mean barely missed it. He and Ronnie Perkins are some young rushers who are gonna continue to make this team better and better and better.
This is the TD after halftime for the Bruins. You can see everyone is playing zone. I think this is a case of Tre Brown just trying to do too much at the bottom. If he stays in his zone like the other defenders I pointed out with blue arrows, then there’s nowhere to go with the ball, and maybe Ronnie Perkins gets to the QB. He peels off a little deeper than he should and leaves the receiver wide open.
Ronnie Perkins got tremendously quick pressure on this play. Look at how quickly Redmond (31) and Bonitto are back there as well. Nik ended up getting the sack as Ronnie forced him right into Bonitto’s rush. Keep in mind this is just four man pressure. Grinch has these boys playin and I like it!
Another freshman who may find himself starting soon is Jaden Davis. This young man has had a couple of really good games in the last couple of weeks. What I love is that he can tackle in the open field probably better than most players on the team already. He’s insanely talented. Just like Trejan Bridges though, he gives great effort. On this screen that UCLA had set up for a HUGE gain, he fought off of two blocks and made the play short of the first down. He’s really good.
Exhibit B. here with Jaden Davis. What looked like was going to be a big, big gainer for the Bruins saw several Sooners converge just a couple of yards past the line of scrimmage. While everyone is broke down ready to make sure they don’t miss, Jaden comes in like a missile and just hammers Felton. It’s a wow play for sure.
To finish it off, Rhamondre Stevenson was able to pick his lane. He’s another guy who I think we may end up seeing earlier in the game. Still, there’s nothing like having a guy as big, fast and powerful as him to be the closer. This was a very, very good game overall by the Sooners. They contained a mobile QB who can hurt you, and pretty much moved the ball at will against a front 7 that’s pretty decent. It’ll be good to watch the film, polish some things up and heal up this week with the bye week.
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