Some Thoughts On OU vs. K-State

Image via Sooner Sports

* Welp, I know it was a win and at the risk of sounding like an even bigger a-hole than I know some of you already feel me to be….that didn’t do much to dispel my lack of excitement.

Credit the offense for eclipsing the 500 yard mark against what we were led to believe was a pretty good defense. Though I couldn’t help but come away from that game questioning why we were ever led to believe that in the first place. Which isn’t meant to take anything away from the OU offense, who were pretty good throughout in spite of being down one Samaje Perine for the better part of the game.

On the flip side, there was very little, if anything, to take away from the team’s “defensive performance.” Kansas State possesses one of the worst offenses in the Big 12, so holding them to 335 yards as a team really can’t be considered all that much of an accomplishment, at least as far as I’m concerned.

* Joe Mixon is special.  That is all.

* For whatever his issues in two of those first three weeks, Baker Mayfield has been absolutely fantastic in the last three games. Now it’s probably not coincidental those performances have come against Big 12 defenses, but even with that said give credit where credit is due.

* Dede Westbrook has developed into a legit No. 1 threat and his last three games have been ridiculous. But I can’t be alone in my hope that someone, anyone, else prove capable of also emerging as a consistent threat.

Don’t get me wrong, it was very encouraging that Mark Andrews didn’t have a single drop in this game. But his 34 yards receiving were tied for second (with Mixon) behind Westbrook.

It’s not as though Westbrook and whomever else both need to have 100-yard performances every week, but it would be nice if Mayfield had someone else he could consistently rely upon.

For instance, in games like this one, where you’re pretty much in control throughout, I’d really like to see them make an effort to get some of the other guys involved. Throw some of those quick screens to someone other than Westbrook. Like, oh I don’t know, maybe Mykel Jones or AD Miller or even, hell, Jordan Smallwood.

Again, I don’t care who it is but make an effort to get others involved in the offense.

* In my estimation, OU has two, and only two, difference-makers on defense right now.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo & Steven Parker.

When he’s healthy, Charles Walker is another.  Neville Gallimore looks to be on his way there as well. But that’s probably about it, I think.

This is a problem. Signed, Captain Obvious.

* Speaking of Okoronkwo, I think you really have to single out his play, or at least pass-rush ability, to give the proper recognition of just how good he has been.

Is he still prone to make the occasional bone-headed play/mistake/missed assignment? Sure.

But he is so clearly OU’s best pass-rush threat it’s scary*.

(*Scary both in the sense of how good he can be at times, and in that he is virtually OU’s only plus pass-rusher on the entire roster.)

* Would have like to have seen Abdul Adams get a few more touches than he did considering how much time Perine did eventually miss, especially since they’d already burnt his redshirt. But, admittedly, that’s really more nit-picking on my part than anything else.

* I’ve been absolutely blown away at just how little true freshman Jordan Parker has been tested these past two games. Something tells me that changes next week in Lubbock.