Fiesta indeed



When Oklahoma was matched up with Connecticut, we already knew two things would happen; the Sooners would end their 5 game losing streak in BCS games, and it would also be a blowout against an over-matched opponent.  They delivered on both accounts.



Fleming's return that effectively iced the game.



Oklahoma executed on both offense and defense, delivering a win that was long overdue.  When Landry Jones found Cameron Kenney in stride for 59 yard touchdown, followed by Jamell Fleming's interception that he returned 55 yards for a score on the next series, it pretty much put the game out of reach for Connecticut; who returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown.  I'll give the Huskies credit though, for hanging in and trying to make the scoreline respectable.

Connecticut hadn't scored an offensive touchdown in 7 quarters of football, and even though the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt, Oklahoma still had enough gas in the tank to stuff Jordan Todman on a 4th & goal from the 2 yard line.  The way the Sooners played, you'd have thought that game was in Norman.  They moved the ball really well on offense, seeming at will sometimes, and their defense played as good as they could have at anytime this season in their run to another Big 12 Championship.

Immediately after the game, UConn running back Jordan Todman declared for the NFL draft.  The next question becomes whether OU stars Ryan Broyles and Travis Lewis will follow suit.  Broyles has set just about every receiving record at Oklahoma.  I've said this time and time again; he is the second coming of Mark Clayton.  Lewis has been a standout at the linebacker position that has featured names such as Rufus Alexander, Curtis Lofton, Lance Mitchell, Teddy Lehman, Rocky Calmus & Torrance Marshall et al.  Whether they return or not, it is likely that Oklahoma will be a preseason top 5 team.  They have a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball, who were key players this past season.



Offensive MVP, Landry Jones

Landry Jones, along with the MVP honors, became the 3rd quarterback in the Stoops era to win a BCS game, joining Josh Heupel (2001 Orange Bowl) and Nate Hybl (2003 Rose Bowl).  He also joins Nate Hybl (who started in 2002 Cotton Bowl) as the only QB's in the Stoops Era to win 2 bowl games.  While his play has been sometimes superb and sometimes shaky, he can only get better as Oklahoma prepares for a run at the national championship next season.

While Jones played exceptionally well, my personal MVP of the game was receiver Cameron Kenney.  A juco transfer, Kenney was the culprit behind a number of dropped passes last season and this season; that saw him move down the depth chart.  He redeemed himself, making crucial catches in the Bedlam and Big 12 championship games and he closed out his OU career with 154 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches; a career night indeed.  Way to go, Kenney!!

The good thing is that now, we don't have to hear about that losing streak in BCS games anymore.  The bad this is that we'll always hear about how Connecticut should have never been in this game to begin with.  I guess that just comes with the territory.


Third time's a charm; Glendale here we come!!!

Hopefully, we have all by now got over the fact that Oklahoma will be playing the Connecticut Huskies, the Big East champions.  I don't think I'm wrong in assuming that most OU fans were hoping for a rematch with Stanford (from last year's Sun Bowl), or maybe a showdown with Ohio State or Arkansas.  What we got instead, was a team with an 8-4 record and is ranked #26 in the BCS standings (I didn't know that they went that far).

Before I get on the "Oklahoma's going to blow out UConn" bandwagon, you'd be surprised at how much these two teams have in common on their road to Glendale, AZ.  Both teams were written off after losing 2 conference games.  They both put in strong defensive performances down the stretch, to go along with a combined 9 game win streak (4 for Oklahoma, 5 for UConn).  They both won their last conference games by a field goal (UConn beat South Florida 19-16 on last minute field goal, while Oklahoma beat Nebraska 23-20).

That being said, if there was anytime that Oklahoma needed to end its 5 game losing streak in BCS games, this would be it.  Oklahoma however is in a "no-win" situation.  If they win, well, they were supposed to.  If they lose, then it's another BCS bust.  Oklahoma's last BCS win was against a Washington State team that has gone 35-61 since that Rose Bowl.  Since then, Oklahoma has been the punchline to many a joke in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Boise and Morgantown.

Last time Oklahoma was in a "no-win" situation like this one, it was against a Boise State team that was making it's first appearance in a BCS bowl game.  In defense of the Broncos, they had posted a record of 85-16 (4-2 in bowl games) going into that match-up.  They were a well coached team and knew how to execute; and I really don't have to tell you how the game ended.

Then came West Virginia.  A team that had lost their coach 3 weeks before playing OU.  Prior to that, they had fallen a game short of playing in the National Championship game.  So you'd be forgiven for thinking that they would be lacking any inspiration or motivation going into the Fiesta Bowl against a red-hot Oklahoma team.  What many people overlook is the fact that the Mountaineers were riding a 32-5 record (2-0 in bowl games), and were very much a championship calibre team.  So they had EVERY reason to show that they still had some fire left.  And did they show up ever!!!  Playing the way they did, they could have beaten ANY team that night.

So in this third trip, I'm sure that Oklahoma will look at where they've failed in their past trips to the Fiesta Bowl.  Whether it may be conservative play calling, execution on both sides of the ball, over confidence; I really don't know.  Even though they'll be highly favored against Connecticut, Oklahoma will be playing with a chip on its shoulder.  And that is when they play best.