Different venue, same script.

So it may not have been the Alamo Bowl, but not much seems to have changed between Oklahoma State and Arizona since their last encounter in December.


The Cowboys got off to a fast start, scoring on their first three possessions.   Brandon Weeden looked he was going to complete every pass he attempted, Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith looked like they were going to run over, around or through any defender in sight, and Justin Blackmon looked like he was going to catch everything thrown in his direction.  Oklahoma State operated with surgeon-like precision, and machine-like efficiency jumping to a quick 21-0 lead.


Then either Arizona got a little better, or the Cowboys got bored; but somewhere along the way, someone took their foot off the pedal.  Arizona finally got on the scoreboard in the second half, and had enough chances to actually turn a potential blowout into a contest, but credit to the Cowboys defense for hanging tough and making plays when they needed to.

Arizona really had no answer for Justin Blackmon

The Wildcats suffered from the same problems that plagued them in their last encounter against the Cowboys.  They could move the chains, make some plays, but just could not score.  The running game was held in check, and while they gained momentum with their passing game, they faltered at crucial moments; such as turning over the ball on downs despite reaching their opponents goal line.


What left me scratching my head for a few moments was the Wildcats execution on defense. For some reason they opted for a "man-to-man" approach leaving Justin Blackmon free to take their lunch money.  The end result; 12 catches for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.  They probably forgot that he's the current Biletnikoff Award winner.


If this is any indication, it looks like the sun will be setting on Arizona a little faster than they are planning.  Their next two games will be against Oregon and Stanford; two teams that will  feature heavily not only in the conference title race, but also the in the national picture as well.  Luckily, Arizona plays in the Pac-12 South Division, and with USC on probation, might actually get to make something out of whatever's left.


Oklahoma State's next plays Tulsa next; a game that serves as a great warm-up ahead of their showdown against Texas A&M the week after.  I wonder what uniforms they'll break out next.

OU vs Tulsa: The review

In their first season opener at #1 since 2003, Oklahoma did what they had to do against an overmatched opponent, they dominated.  Not that Tulsa is a "run of the mill" kind of team, but the last time the Golden Hurricane visited Norman in 2009, they were on the receiving end of a 45-0 mauling.  Landry Jones was making his 2nd start in an unexpected, yet speedy acceleration to the reins after Sam Bradford's injury in the season opener a fortnight earlier.

Dominique Whaley was the toast of the town.

It took a while for Oklahoma to kind of settle into the groove, but I guess that's just the result of running a "no-huddle" offense.  It might be just me, but sometimes it seems like the players are on the same field, just not on the same page.  Everything settled down once the points started rolling in.


A major improvement of course was in the run-blocking.  Last season, Oklahoma started off well trying to establish the ground game, but kind of went away from it, favoring the aerial attack more.  That really hurt them in during their 2 losses to Missouri and Texas A&M.  Granted, Faurot Field and Kyle Field aren't exactly easy venues to play in, but Oklahoma's offense became a tad predictable.  That will need to change this season.  They'll need to run the ball a lot more efficiently especially on the road.  Translation?  Let's hope it doesn't come down to Landry Jones having to throw 62 passes just to give the team a chance to win.

I know Bob ain't looking forward to seeing
li'l brother Mark so soon.

The redzone issues are still prevalent, but not as much as last season, when Oklahoma settled for field goals when it seemed easier to score touchdowns.  The Sooners won some close games - that should have never been that close to begin with -, and lost games because they were unable to impose themselves in the redzone.  Considering how many offensive plays the team runs, you can understand why the redzone dominance is a big deal.


When it comes to defense, there's a few loose ends that will need to get tied.  It was great to see them shut down Tulsa's offense for majority of the game, but Hurricane QB GJ Kinney was still able to complete some deep passes.  Some of those went for long gains and one of those resulted in a touchdown.  Tulsa receivers were also able to get open and make catches without a crimson jersey in sight.  Seminoles' QB EJ Manuel is just as athletic if not more than his Tulsa counterpart, and that could pose problems for the secondary.


All in all, it was great start to the season.  The team being able to run 100+ snaps on offense without a single penalty is a huge plus and they'll need to carry that momentum with them against Florida State.  The team will put in some more work and you can expect them to be ready in a couple of weeks.

Off to the races

Coming off the best year in the school history, Oklahoma State showed that they haven't slowed down, and won't be doing so anytime soon; and they have the uniforms to prove it.

Even after Dana Holgorsen's move to West Virginia (eventually ascending to the head coaching job), new offensive coordinator Todd Monken has fit in well as the Cowboys will be looking to settle for nothing less than the 11 wins from last season.  Of course being ranked in the Pre-Season Top 10 - due in part to the return of QB Brandon Weeden and WR Justin Blackmon - helped raise expectations in Stillwater.  After coming oh so close to earning a berth in BCS games the last 3 seasons, not too many people are surprised by the "BCS or Bust" mode.

The Cowboys opened up with a 61-34 win over the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette, and will have a very tricky set of fixtures in their next 3 games.  They play Arizona at home, before taking to the road to face Texas A&M and Tulsa.  None of these games are "gimmes"; they are capable of losing them just as they are of winning them.  That being said, they'll more than likely be favored in all 3.

Outside of Weeden and Blackmon, running back Joseph Randle stepped in to fill the shoes of the departed Kendall Hunter.  During spot appearances last season, Randle showcased his ability as an all-purpose back; he's a very good receiver out of the backfield and can run between the tackles as well as around the corners.  He may not have that "make the first man miss" ability like Hunter, but it's not like there's been a downgrade at the position.

Also making an impact were receivers Tracy Moore, Isaiah Anderson and Michael Harrison. Since Blackmon will more than likely receive a lot of double teams from defenses (not like it'll matter), and Josh Cooper doing a lot of damage underneath, Weeden will need vertical options down the field who are also physical enough to battle for jump balls should the need arise.  Anderson and Harrison did well on the road against Kansas State - a game in which Blackmon was suspended - when they received extended playing time.

There was a some discontent among "Poke Nation" after the Cowboys gave up 34 points to the Ragin' Cajuns.  That would be a concern to anyone, but for what it's worth, this game wasn't much of contest by the time the 4th Quarter came around.  What would the Cajun faithful say about their team which gave up 61?  Just wondering.

Arizona will be the Cowboy's first major test of the season, but they should be fine if they just keep doing what they're doing.  The team has yet to lose a Thursday night game under Mike Gundy, and I doubt that this will change in this fixture.

A Whale of a time.

After the departure of DeMarco Murray to the NFL, many among the Sooner faithful wondered who was going to fill the shoes of the multi-purpose, record setting running back.  Not that there is lack of talent or depth at the position, but we're talking about someone who scored more touchdowns than Steve Owens and Billy Sims (two Heisman trophy winners, I might add).  You just don't replace that kind of production overnight.


All Murray did during his 4 year career was rack up 65 total touchdowns, a number that is made impressive when considering a couple of things: 

1. He suffered season ending injuries during his freshman and sophomore years, and was severely limited by a high ankle sprain during his junior year.
2. In the Bob Stoops era, Oklahoma has been more committed to passing; a completely different mindset from the famed "wishbone" offense that was a staple for the Sooners for almost two decades (from the 1970s and 80's).

The names familiar to fans were the "usual suspects"; Brennan Clay, Jermie Calhoun, Roy Finch (who wowed the crowds during spot appearances last fall), and Brandon Williams (a highly touted freshman).  However, word got out that there was guy named Dominique Whaley who was making waves during spring and summer drills.

Whaley, a walk-on and Lawton, OK native, wasn't even a starter during a stint at Langston University.  At night's end, his numbers were: 18 carries for 131 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Here's just a few of the things he accomplished.

1. 1st walk-on running back to rush for 100 yards in 36 years (Jim Culbreath in 1974) 
2. Most rushing touchdowns by a walk-on in a single game
3. 2nd Sooner to score 4 touchdowns in their debut (DeMarco Murray in 2007)
4. His 100+ rushing effort on his debut saw him join a list that includes names such as Adrian Peterson. 

Simply put, Whaley walked on to campus, onto the football field, and right into school history books.  Given that Oklahoma's running game wasn't exactly a strength last season, it will be interesting to see how other running backs get in the mix, now that we know Oklahoma will employ a "running-back by committee" format.

Oklahoma have the weekend off as they await their September 17th showdown against Florida State.  Until then, take a bow Dominique Whaley, you've earned your spot in the limelight.

New Zealand retain the Bledisloe Cup.

Captain Richie McCaw hoists the Bledisloe Cup

For the 9th year running, New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup after a gritty 30-14 win over Australia in their Tri-Nations encounter last Saturday.

New Zealand didn't look as impressive on offense like they did during their 40-7 thrashing of an under-strength South Africa team, but they more than made up on the defensive end; thwarting the Wallabies on several occasions where they seemed certain to score.  Australia may have had the advantage in time of possession and territory, but couldn't turn that pressure into points.

Not only could they not cross the line, but wing James O'Connor fired wide on each of his 3 penalty attempts at goal; turning a potentially close game into a blowout win for their rivals.  Australia still showed how dangerous they could be, with their two tries (scored by Digby Ioane and team captain Rocky Elsom) coming from quick counter attacks after turnovers in possession.

The All Blacks' biggest enemy though proved to be themselves, turning the ball over when they could have probably put the game out of contention very early.  Their turnovers also gifted Australia their points in the match.  With a rock solid defense however, they played smart, taking whatever the Wallabies could give them.

My "man of the match" award certainly goes to flyhalf Daniel Carter.  It's amazing to think that he holds the record for most points scored in test rugby, yet he's only converted 3 drop goals during this feat.  After an odd "off night" against South Africa, he seemed to have regained his kicking touch, converting on the 3 tries and 2 more penalties.  His best work though was on defense, covering end to end, and helping keeping his opponents off the scoreboard.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry made 7 changes to the starting lineup prior to this game, but it was still a very competitive squad.  With the World Cup looming (New Zealand are the hosts), it's important for every player available to make a case for the final roster spots before the tournament. 

The All Blacks will have the weekend off as South Africa and Australia battle it out, and will resume play against South Africa in fortnight.