Sunday, October 05, 2008
By Brice Cherry
Tribune-Herald staff writer
They don’t call them the Sooners for nothing. Oklahoma’s preference is to put games out of reach “sooner” rather than later.
The top-ranked Sooners scored a first-round knockout by pummeling Baylor with 28 first-quarter points on their way to a 49-17 Big 12-opening win Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium.
It’s been Oklahoma’s game plan all season long: Strike hard, strike fast, strike early. Counting Saturday’s game, the Sooners have now outscored their foes 103-3 in the opening quarter.
- » Baylor Bears football shows rust in 49-17 loss to No. 1 Oklahoma
- » Bear Blog: Vincent Rhodes show his heart vs. OU
Baylor vs. Oklahoma
- » Game story: Baylor football only target practice for top-ranked Oklahoma, 49-17
- » Notebook: Bears 'not that far apart' from Sooners, Briles says
- » Oklahoma receivers have field day against Baylor secondary
- Updated team stats
- Full game summary
ACTION SHOTS
“It’s pretty tough for us, knowing who you’re going up against, to kind of dig yourself into a hole like that,” said Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek. “That’s something that we knew, that they liked to push the tempo early, but we just made too many mistakes from our standpoint. Give them credit, they’re a good football team, but at the same time we can’t make those mental mistakes in coverages and gaps and tackles.”
Oklahoma’s scene-stealing opening act started on its third play from scrimmage. On third-and-5, quarterback Sam Bradford took advantage of the Bears’ busted coverage in the secondary and zipped a pass downfield to Manuel Johnson for a 53-yard touchdown.
After Baylor’s ensuing possession stalled at the Oklahoma 37, the Sooners mounted another scoring march. It actually looked as if the Bears might emerge unscathed when Pawelek picked off a Bradford pass in the end zone and returned it out to the Baylor 13, but an official flagged cornerback Antareis Bryan for pass interference, negating the would-be turnover.
Just like that — poof! — Baylor’s momentum disappeared. DeMarco Murray plowed across the goal line a play later to push the Sooners to a 14-0 edge.
It was a roundhouse to the collective gut of the Bears.
“At that time, it’s 7-0 and they’d moved it back down the field a little bit, and we needed a spark,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “We weren’t doing anything offensively and sometimes you need a little spark to give your team some life and momentum. For a 35-second span there, we felt good about what was happening, until we look back there and see the yellow flag laying on the ground.”
Meanwhile, Baylor’s offense couldn’t match Oklahoma’s first-quarter efficiency. Under a windstorm of pressure from the Sooners’ down linemen, the Bears couldn’t ignite any type of fireworks in their first four possessions, punting three times and turning the ball over on downs once.
In all, Oklahoma outgained Baylor, 226-44, in those opening 15 minutes.
“We didn’t execute plays really well, and that hurt us in the beginning,” Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin said. “We came on a little stronger (after that), but it was too late then.”
Indeed, when the horn finally and mercifully sounded to end the first quarter, it seemed to signal a new beginning for the Bears. Griffin scrambled for 36 yards on the very first play of the second quarter, and the Bears managed to generate 17 points to Oklahoma’s 21 the rest of the way.
The Bears said it was important to send a message that they weren’t going to pack it in and quit.
“Twenty-eight to nothing is a big margin, but our mind-set was, ‘It’s a new quarter,’ ” Antaeris Bryan said. “So we were believing we would win the next quarter and do what we needed to do to win the rest of the game. . . . One thing we always do is play with pride. We never play to lose.”
It’s a mind-set Baylor must carry over into next week’s home game with Iowa State. The Bears said that when they sprint down the ramp at Floyd Casey against the Cyclones, they’ve got to find their stride — and find it quickly.
“We handed Oklahoma 28 points,” offensive tackle Jason Smith said. “We’ve got to execute better at the beginning of the game. We can’t be overwhelmed. Here’s the ball, let’s go play football. We’ve got to do a better job, and it starts right now.”
bcherry@wacotrib.com
757-5714
Comments
By GreenGold75
Oct 6, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this
For those who think Baylor should be "playing in a league with SMU" or "dropped to division III" open your eyes and take a look at some of the other scores from Saturday. "Traditional Powers" Nebraska, Texas A & M, Colorado, and Kansas State all lost by around 30 or so points just as we did. And none of them were playing anyone as good as the Oklahoma Sooners. As a matter of fact I see better hope for Baylor to "get there" quicker than most of those other teams. Baylor is going to compete again
under Briles. This will be borne out in time. It wasn't that long ago that Kansas and Kansas State were both 0 & 10 and played each other to a tie.
By B.T.
Oct 6, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
Ditto on the option, na. Not many defenses know how to defend it, especially when you have as many options as Baylor does.
If Baylor sees improvement in the secondary and at receiver, this team could go a long way in the future.
First, move Kris Buerk back to WR. He was good there and has shown to be better on the field for us at WR than CB. This has to take place to help both positions.
Next, recruit depth for the secondary. Quit converting kids and get some legit DBs with DB experience. After what I saw on Saturday, the secondary depth chart should be wide open come springtime.
By na
Oct 6, 2008 3:26 PM | Link to this
are we going to beat iowa state ?
By zembolist coleman
Oct 6, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
What i don't understand is that you have a lot of talant on the sidelines with you. You also have a runningback who should be given a few snaps behind the center to have the oposing defense unsure of what to do when they face a different QB in a situation. You will be also give the actual starting QB a breather plus looking from the sidelines to see the weaknesses on the defense. Look at the NFL team Miami Dolphins they have a runningback taking snaps in the shotgun as to where he could run it or throw it. Not only that it's a great idea,it's working so far. It has the defense baffled,and it's working the morjority of the time. I like what you have going,but I even know you have a quarterback converted into a runningback. I don't mean to be biased because he's my nephew but he's has God given talent. He also has been a winner since grade school and he knows that he is not the only person on the team,meaning there is no I in team.
By David
Oct 6, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this
This may be the best Baylor team since 1972-1973. Problem is that they are among the best conferences in the country. Make no mistake, OK had the 27 point spread covered in the 2nd qtr. It could have been a 50 point win easily. Bears are coming but have a long way to go before they get ther. Just be thankful that we may beat AM this year.
By Alan
Oct 6, 2008 8:06 AM | Link to this
For the past decade I've been driving to Waco for every Baylor - Oklahoma game. I too saw improvement on the field and believe Coach Briles will 'get it done,' if given enough time.
Baylor fans have to leave that part of the program up to Coach Briles and the players he recruits.
On the other hand, if they want to do their part, they can begin by attending games and supporting their team in the stands.
Traditionally, Baylor fans are the nicest in the Big 12.
I attended my first Baylor game in Waco as a boy in 1974, (OU won 28-11). But I was impressed them when after the game when the announcer asked the Baylor fans to 'step aside and let the OU fans exit first, as they have a long drive back to Oklahoma this evening.'
The kindness and hospitality continues to this day, and it's the primary reason why many fans around the conference root for Baylor to make it.
But Baylor fans have to be in attendance in order to make this hospitality, and their passion for the program, more apparent.
By rr
Oct 6, 2008 4:48 AM | Link to this
Well, there have been a few condescending remarks about Georgia Tech (of the ACC) and the logical implication that Big 12 defenses would take care of GT nicely enough. Dare I point out that the ACC is 4-0 vs. the Big 12? Dare I say that, in ACC country, Kansas State, Baylor, A&M, Nebraska, Iowa State, Colorado, Nebraska, while deserving of respect, do not strike fear in anyone's hearts. The jury is still out on Kansas, TTech, and OSU who have all played astoundingly soft schedules. The only 'Big' in the Big 12, so far, is OU, Texas, and Mizzou.
By timesflyin46
Oct 6, 2008 12:08 AM | Link to this
Briles comments that our Bears are closer to the Sooners than the score showed is a ridiculous statement. We do have a quarterback to build the future on even the Sooner fans who were there were very encouraged about his future, as for Briles, I hope he gets it right but if he thinks we are anywhere in the ballpark with OU or the other powers in the big 12 he is either hallucinating or living in his own little world. GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!
By null
Oct 5, 2008 11:45 PM | Link to this
baylor just needs to go to div-III where they can actually win some games. The big 12 is not for them
By KDF
Oct 5, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
Kyle, I say this in friendliness. Your comment on this being the best Baylor team you've seen in over a decade -- what do you base this on?? Until Baylor begins winning again, especially against ranked teams, I can't imagine them being as good as they once were. Not yet. <
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