The 22nd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners begin the post-
Sam Bradford era this weekend at home against Kansas State in Big 12
Conference action.
Kansas State is 5-3 this season, including an impressive and somewhat
unexpected 3-1 mark against Big 12 competition. The last two outings and four
of the last five have resulted in victories for the Wildcats, including a 20-6
decision over Colorado last weekend. Bill Snyder has brought legitimacy back
to the program, and K-State can earn bowl eligibility if it can upset the
Sooners. Still, the coach isn't satisfied, especially with the play against
Colorado.
"The name of this game for us is trying to get better," said Snyder. "We got
better on defense and I am proud of that. We did not get better on offense."
Oklahoma's Bradford elected to have season-ending surgery on his shoulder, and
there is a good chance that he will enter the NFL Draft. Therefore, Landry
Jones is now the clear leader of the Oklahoma offense from the quarterback
position.
"Sam has led us to two Big 12 championships and an appearance in the national
title game, and has demonstrated uncommon leadership skills," said head coach
Bob Stoops. "He is an absolute role model as a student-athlete and loyal
teammate. We appreciate the incredible contributions he has made to this
program and university."
Oklahoma is a disappointing 4-3 this season, with losses to BYU, Miami and
Texas. Last weekend, the club managed to knock off Kansas on the road by a
35-13 final.
The Sooners own a commanding 69-17-4 series advantage over Kansas State, which
includes a 58-35 victory over the Wildcats last season.
Kansas State is averaging 26.8 ppg and 356.5 total ypg, and of the 23
offensive touchdowns score by the Wildcats this season, 18 scores have come on
the ground. Daniel Thomas is a true workhorse, as he has rushed for 814 yards
and nine touchdowns on 165 carries. There are other talented backs on the team
as well, especially Keithen Valentine, who has 347 yards and four touchdowns
on a mere 46 attempts.
Carson Coffman has completed 71-of-117 passes for 860 yards and two touchdowns
with four interceptions. Coffman also has a pair of rushing scores, but he has
shared time with Grant Gregory. In addition to three rushing touchdowns,
Gregory has three passing scores with one interception and may be the better
option under center. Regardless of who is throwing the ball, Brandon Banks is
often on the receiving end, as he has 33 grabs for 368 yards.
Opponents are scoring 21.6 ppg against Kansas State this season, and the
Wildcats are permitting 327.5 total ypg. With the exception of a couple of
shaky performances, including a loss to Texas Tech in which 66 points were
surrendered, the K-State defense has played quite well.
The Wildcats are limiting foes to 100.6 rushing ypg and 3.4 yards per rushing
attempt. And while the club has come up with 11 interceptions, 226.9 passing
yards per game and 16 passing scores have been surrendered. With 20 takeaways,
Kansas State has certainly been opportunistic. Tysyn Hartman has four
interceptions to his credit, and Emmanuel Lamur has recorded 41 tackles to go
with two blocked kicks.
In the win over Colorado last weekend, K-State outrushed the Buffaloes,
204-60, and won the turnover battle, 4-1. Those two factors most obviously
contributed to the victory. Gregory took all the snaps under center last
weekend for the first time this season, and while he only completed half of
his passes for 80 yards, he did run for a score. Thomas finished with 145
yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts.
"We have got to play a lot better on offense," said Gregory. "Our defense
played great and gave us good field position throughout the game. We did not
capitalize on those opportunities. We have a huge test next weekend against OU
(Oklahoma) and we have to get our mistakes cleaned up."
Against Kansas last week, Jones connected on 26-of-38 passes for 252 yards and
two touchdowns with one interception. The Oklahoma quarterback relied heavily
on Ryan Broyles, who made 11 catches for 121 yards and no touchdowns. Tailback
Chris Brown, who carried the ball 22 times, finished with just 66 yards, but
he did score a pair of touchdowns.
The Oklahoma defense was on the field for more than 33 minutes against Kansas
last weekend, so the fact that the unit limited the Jayhawks to one offensive
touchdown is impressive. The Sooners permitted a mere 81 rushing yards at a
clip of 2.6 yards per carry. While they did allow 224 passing yards, it took
Kansas 22 completions to reach that mark, and three interceptions were
registered along the way.
"I thought [defensive coordinator] Brent Venables and our defensive guys had a
great game plan," said Stoops after the win. "We were very aggressive in how
we played."
Overall this season, Oklahoma is scoring 31.9 ppg to go along with 419.0 total
ypg. The Sooners are gaining a mere 3.8 yards per rushing attempt, surprising
considering the talent in the backfield. Jones has seen action in all seven
games and has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 1,363 yards with 13
touchdowns against six interceptions. Broyles has turned eight of his 36
catches into touchdowns, and Brown has five rushing scores. As for DeMarco
Murray, he will likely be able to play this weekend with an injured ankle,
good news for the talented tailback and his team.
There are some fans and analysts who believe that Oklahoma possesses the
nation's best defense, and it is hard to argue when considering the stats
through seven games. Despite a tough schedule, the Sooners are only yielding
10.1 ppg and 264.9 total ypg. They are surrendering a mere 70.1 rushing ypg at
a clip of 2.2 yards per attempt. The pass defense has been stellar as well,
limiting foes to 9.9 yards per completion with 12 interceptions.
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