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Posted on Thu, Nov. 20, 2008 10:15 PM
Texas Tech has rarely scored a lot on the Sooners
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In last season’s 34-27 victory over Oklahoma, the Red Raiders hit their high-water mark against the Sooners since Leach arrived in 2000.
And even that output comes with an explanation from Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.
“In other years we worked better together as a team, managed the game better,” Stoops said.
But a Tech team like no other visits Norman on Saturday for a landscape-shifting contest. The second-ranked Red Raiders, 10-0, have added a solid running game and an improved defense to a typical dynamic passing attack.
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables has noticed.
“Their efficiency on offense is second to none,” Venables said.
From a scoring standpoint, this isn’t a typical Oklahoma defense. The Sooners have surrendered at least 28 points in each of their last five conference games.
Still, Oklahoma leads the Big 12 in total defense (345.6 yards), sacks (34) and takeaways (24), and historically no team has played Tech tougher.
In eight meetings against Tech, Oklahoma has surrendered an average of 20 points to the Red Raiders. It is Tech’s lowest average output against a South opponent, and second lowest against anybody in the Big 12. In four games against Colorado, the Raiders have averaged 17.8 points.
What happens to the high-flying Red Raiders against the Sooners?
“They’re good,” Leach said.
Correct. In the Stoops era, Oklahoma has led the Big 12 in the major defensive categories — fewest points and yards allowed — more than any other program. The Sooners have produced more league defensive players of the year and more consensus All-Americans than any in the Big 12.
Oklahoma has stopped most opponents, not just Tech. But holding down the Red Raiders is noticeable because under Leach they’ve averaged nearly 29 points against Texas, 35 against Nebraska and 37 against Texas A&M.
Saturday’s game feels like a shootout. Both teams rank in the top five nationally in scoring offense, passing offense and total offense.
In past years — Stoops’ teams have won six of eight against Leach’s teams — Oklahoma usually has succeeded in controlling the close and keeping Tech’s offense off the field.
“We’ve kept them on the bench by us being able to move the ball and score,” Stoops said. “And defensively in other years we haven’t given up the big play, and we’ve gotten our own turnovers and three and outs.”
The opposite happened last year. Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford was lost for the game because of a first-quarter concussion and Oklahoma fell behind.
“We’ve played them one-handed,” Stoops said after the game.
Oklahoma is short-handed this season. Injuries to middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds and defensive end Auston English, the Big 12’s preseason defensive player of the year, forced some adjustments.
“I haven’t noticed a lot of difference,” Leach said. “Just kind of a typical, really good solid defense.”
1. TEXAS TECH AT OKLAHOMA (7 p.m. on Chs. 2, 9): What does it mean? A Texas Tech victory means the Red Raiders win their first South division championship and will face Missouri in the Big 12 title game on Dec. 6 at Arrowhead. An Oklahoma triumph leaves the South in a three-team deadlock with Texas. If the South remains that way — every team will have one regular-season game left — the BCS standings break the tie. The winning team’s quarterback should become the Heisman favorite.
2. IOWA STATE AT KANSAS STATE (2:35 p.m. on Fox College Sports): The Ron Prince era comes to an end. He’s 16-20 in his three-year career, and, win or lose, he’ll finish with the second-best winning percentage of any Kansas State coach since World War II except Bill Snyder. Prince is the 15th coach in that span. Iowa State looks to avoid its second winless conference season in Big 12 history.
Posted on Thu, Nov. 20, 2008 10:15 PM
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