Williams: Sooners out-execute the Cyclones

[ChrisMWilliams]

Williams: Sooners out-execute the Cyclones | News | Football | Cyclone Fanatic

[MIClone]

This game would have been completely different if our recievers wouldn't have dropped balls.

[CycloneErik]

Drops were the key. The rest was there (enough) to have a shot at this win, even to win.

[Tazzels]

"In every facet of the game, Oklahoma was a better football team than Iowa State on Saturday"

Incorrect.

Kirby Van Der Kamp out punted Tress Way as he did his brother against Tulsa.

[Cycsk]

Is it just drops? I haven't seen the replay, but I've been concerned this season that our WRs not working hard enough to get in position to make catches, help the QB, and fight for the ball. Sometimes, they seem to treat imperfect but catchable passes like it were practice where they can let it go and just line up for the next one.

[2009ChEClone]

Is it just drops? I haven't seen the replay, but I've been concerned this season that our WRs not working hard enough to get in position to make catches, help the QB, and fight for the ball. Sometimes, they seem to treat imperfect but catchable passes like it were practice where they can let it go and just line up for the next one.

I have thought the same thing. Especially on the scrambling plays when Steele/Barnett were needing someone to bail them out. No one around it seems

[SCarolinaCy]

Williams: Sooners out-execute the Cyclones | News | Football | Cyclone Fanatic

I went into the game thinking our biggest problem would be protecting Jantz.

At game's end I thought out biggest problem was not getting any pressure on OU's QB. I do not understand why all game long we put 3 on the line of scrimmage and eight back. When he was pressured he threw incomplete, when not he hit his throws with pinpoint accuracy.

[clonedude]

Is it just drops? I haven't seen the replay, but I've been concerned this season that our WRs not working hard enough to get in position to make catches, help the QB, and fight for the ball. Sometimes, they seem to treat imperfect but catchable passes like it were practice where they can let it go and just line up for the next one.

Good point. The announcers yesterday when Jarvis West laid out to make a catch commented on how that was the only time all day that an ISU WR made an all out effort to catch the ball for Jantz. You hardly ever see our WR's lay out to catch a ball. They won't dive for one if it's not right in their hands. And if it's right in their hands they drop them half the time it seems.

Mike Hlas in the CR Gazette today summed up the game and the Cyclones pretty well I thought. He said that we just don't have a Big 12 offense that can keep up right now. He pointed out how our defense has continually held our Big 12 opponents WAY below their scoring averages every week, but our offense is nowhere good enough to win games for us in this conference right now. I agree.

I just don't know what we can do about it though? It's going to be tough to get better recruits than we are already getting IMO. ISU is just a tough place to recruit to. We need to hope that Sam Richardson or Grant Rohach are the next Sage Rosenfels or Seneca Wallace IMO.

Auburn showed how important a great QB is a few years ago. Look at Auburn since Cam Newton left. You almost have to get lucky and hit the jackpot with one of your QB recruits. Grant Rohach probably has the best chance to be that on paper given the fact he made it to ESPN's elite QB camp. We shall see.

[WeBeJ]

I went into the game thinking our biggest problem would be protecting Jantz.

At game's end I thought out biggest problem was not getting any pressure on OU's QB. I do not understand why all game long we put 3 on the line of scrimmage and eight back. When he was pressured he threw incomplete, when not he hit his throws with pinpoint accuracy.

I agree. The announcers kept saying the same thing. Landry Jones isn't the same when your pressure him. ISU dropped 8 into zone and he had all day to find someone.

[isuforlife]

Not at all satisfied with your defense sets, corners play way to far off lineand what the hell does Wally know what a blitz is? at least once in awhile , when a QB has all that time, makes it so easy to find a reciever

[SplitIdentity]

Good write-up, but I'd add that the game was something else than OU out-executing ISU. OU had their fair share of head scratching mistakes... mistakes you wouldn't expect to see from a team like them. The bad snaps, the horrible play calling on 3rd/4th and short (they need to quit with the monster QB package), and etc... ISU played pretty well in most aspects, other than the drops and lack of surprise on the defensive side of the ball.

Unfortunately, the offense went back to the struggles pre-Baylor. OU's defense is good, but those stats at half time were brutal. Needed to punch those short drives into the endzone, and that didn't happen. OU was begging ISU to tie it up going into half, and couldn't capitalize do to some questionable play calling and bad plays.

[swarthmoreCY]

Good point. The announcers yesterday when Jarvis West laid out to make a catch commented on how that was the only time all day that an ISU WR made an all out effort to catch the ball for Jantz. You hardly ever see our WR's lay out to catch a ball. They won't dive for one if it's not right in their hands. And if it's right in their hands they drop them half the time it seems.

I just don't know what we can do about it though? It's going to be tough to get better recruits than we are already getting IMO. ISU is just a tough place to recruit to. We need to hope that Sam Richardson or Grant Rohach are the next Sage Rosenfels or Seneca Wallace IMO.
.

Well, I am not a fan of this offense, but I think this aspect (WR play and QB) can be better. Also, we do not need an offense that keep up with OU's/WVU/Baylor's, we need an offense that can help keep them down...move the chains and score in the redzone.

We have been better- with less "desirable" recruits. Having a guy like a Money, Hamilton, or Danielsen, etc would have helped a lot this year. We often are just getting abused the whole way down the field. A Jack Whitver would have been a huge help- someone that with great hands and a knack at finding the opening in the defense (better designed offense?).

West is going to get better, and is already starting to show he has "it" (Mess and Co better get more creative). Judging by the redshirt and true freshmen, we see what the staff saw. Bundrage is not there yet, but he already has shown things the smaller guys can not (but surprisingly as much ability to make people miss). Q. West, PJ, and Daley are similar to Bundrage.

[clonedude]

Well, I am not a fan of this offense, but I think this aspect (WR play and QB) can be better. Also, we do not need an offense that keep up with OU's/WVU/Baylor's, we need an offense that can help keep them down...move the chains and score in the redzone.

We have been better- with less "desirable" recruits. Having a guy like a Money, Hamilton, or Danielsen, etc would have helped a lot this year. We often are just getting abused the whole way down the field. A Jack Whitver would have been a huge help- someone that with great hands and a knack at finding the opening in the defense (better designed offense?).

West is going to get better, and is already starting to show he has "it" (Mess and Co better get more creative). Judging by the redshirt and true freshmen, we see what the staff saw. Bundrage is not there yet, but he already has shown things the smaller guys can not (but surprisingly as much ability to make people miss). Q. West, PJ, and Daley are similar to Bundrage.

How about Tad Ecby? Been hearing good things about him too.

Also, what happened to JaQuarius Daniels? Rhoads had thought about yanking the RS's off of Bundrage and Daniels last year, but didn't. If Daniels had that much potential last year, why hasn't he seen the field this year?

[swarthmoreCY]

How about Tad Ecby? Been hearing good things about him too.

Also, what happened to JaQuarius Daniels? Rhoads had thought about yanking the RS's off of Bundrage and Daniels last year, but didn't. If Daniels had that much potential last year, why hasn't he seen the field this year?

Just my opinion, but Ecby as an upperclassman could be a Big 12 WR. Clearly he must need improvement...At the very least with these young guys, defenses should have a harder time preventing them from even being targets by pushing them off their routes. I would not be surprised if Daniels becomes a TE/Hybrid player, or at least I hope Mess is creative enough to utilize guys that way. Mess is largely responsible for whether he is a too slow WR/not big enough TE, or a too big to defend WR/too athletic to cover TE.

As much as I think our offense is not a great fit, it is not innately doomed to be THIS poor. Even with our marginal/poor fitting talent, we have left a lot of plays on the field that had nothing to do with the defense.

[TXCyclones]

It's Overreaction Sunday! Apparently yesterday everybody was still euphoric from not getting blown out, but today we look like we're critical of every aspect of the team, except for our kickers. We knew we'd need to execute a perfect game to win, but we didn't do that. While moral victories suck, I'm OK with how we played yesterday. Not perfect, but we played well. Jantz's second game showed he's continuing to play smarter than we've seen in early season. He needs help from receivers but guys are coming along. I think we win at least two of the next three and likely all three.