Ridiculous and Sublime: Oklahoma 26, Iowa State 6
Well, that was... a game.
Honestly, not a whole helluva lot stood out about the Oklahoma Sooners' workman-like 26-6 win over the Iowa State Cyclones. OU wasn't dialed-in, but the Sooners weren't exactly flat, either. They never blew ISU out of the water, but the game was never really in doubt.
Nothing really stood as a red flag or gold star out about OU's performance. However, heading into the season finale in Stillwater next weekend, a few things were worth noting.
Ridiculously Ridiculous
Frank Alexander's Injury
In college football, a 20-point lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter doesn't exactly constitute a blowout by whatever capricious standards fans tend to use when passing judgment on who's running it up and who's not. However, the chances that OU was going to lose to Iowa State when Frank Alexander went down late in the game with a shoulder injury were slim.
Bob Stoops is a stubborn son of a bitch, so expecting him to change his insistence on playing starters deep into games is foolhardy. That said, it would be nice to see him relent on that one.
Throwing from the Belldozer
(I'm giving into the gimmicky name, under protest.)
Anyway, you have to make the pass a factor out of OU's short-yardage run package. Blake Bell's effort today, however, won't cut it. Chalk it up as a learning experience.
Ridiculous
Ball Security
Yet again, the Sooners put the ball on the turf. This time, it was running back Roy Finch.
Fumbles happen, but this OU team has played particularly carelessly with the ball. The Sooners can get away with that against Iowa State, but they can't afford to give away possessions like that against Oklahoma State.
Drops
Like fumbles, drops happen, too. With Ryan Broyles missing, the reliability of the Sooners' hands is becoming an issue, particularly on third downs.
Sublime
Dejuan Miller
"The Playmaker" had a strong Senior Day, leading the Sooners with 7 receptions for 86 yards. He filled in nicely for the absent Jaz Reynolds as OU's second receiver.
Roy Finch
Fumble aside, OU's diminutive running back put in another solid effort with 15 carries for 85 yards. Since Dom Whaley was lost for the season, finch has come through for the Sooners in a big, big way.
Sublimely Sublime
Landry Jones
OU's quarterback hasn't had a knock-your-socks-off year, but he has impressed me more as a player in the last few weeks than at any point in his career at Oklahoma.
Jones' hasn't thrown the ball as accurately as expected this year, and as seen in his second interception on Saturday, his decision-making can be befuddling at times.
Even so, the Iowa State game was a great reflection of how much Jones has matured as a field general. He was missing a slew of offensive weapons, including the best receiver in school history. The weather was terrible. Yet, Jones handled the adversity in stride, as he has all season.
The confused kid that filled in for Sam Bradford has grown up a lot. Bottom line: His poise and leadership have improved significantly in his time in Norman.
Brandon Wiliams
Get this kid the ball, fools!
Williams was ripping off runs whenever he did get touches, showing the speed and dynamicism that made him such a touted recruit. The problem is that 11 carries won't cut it.