Colorado coach Dan Hawkins could face Oklahoma with worse timing than right after losing his starting quarterback and leading tackler to injuries. Worse timing like, say, oh, now.
The Sooners (6-1, 2-1 Big 12) host Colorado (3-4, 0-3) on Saturday night at a time when they’re angry, when they’re deep in self-examination and when they’re in need of a feel-good, rebound victory.
Oklahoma’s nationally televised 36-27 loss at Missouri exposed some flaws for a team that’s not happy about dropping in the BCS standings from first to ninth.
If Hawkins is looking for cracks in Oklahoma’s veneer, the Missouri film showed him.
To wit:
• Oklahoma has given up more plays of 20 yards or longer than any other team in the Big 12. Missouri gashed the Sooners 12 times for at least 15 yards.
• “Early on in the year, we had some issues,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Monday on the Big 12’s media conference call. “Guys were in position to make plays and didn’t make them, had their back turned to the football on some deep passes and gave some up. And here lately we got caught in a busted alignment against Texas. It’s a little bit of everything.”
• The Sooners are struggling in the fourth quarter. Opponents have outscored them 67-30. Air Force scored the only 14 points of the quarter in a 27-24 loss, Texas got within one score on a 21-yard field goal with 1:39 left before falling 28-20, and Oklahoma led Missouri 21-20 entering the final period.
That’s when Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones went zip-for-7 passing and Missouri went on a 16-6 blitz, gaining 179 yards, propelled by Blaine Gabbert’s go-ahead 38-yard touchdown pass to Jerrell Jackson.
“Schemes don’t change in the fourth quarter,” Stoops said. “That’s where it’s kind of frustrating. Everybody’s game plan is out in the open by the fourth quarter and things haven’t changed. In the end, it’s just maintaining that pace throughout the game.”
• Oklahoma is averaging only 3.5 yards per rush, second-to-last in the Big 12. Missouri held DeMarco Murray, averaging 101.7 yards per game, to 24 yards on 10 carries.
Cincinnati held him to 67 yards on 28 attempts. Missouri’s defense is improved, but is it that improved? For the second straight year, OU has questions on the offensive line.
That affects a quarterback such as Jones, whose numbers have improved (2,094 yards, 17 touchdown passes, five interceptions) but did little in bringing back the Sooners in the fourth quarter Saturday.
“He’s still so young,” Stoops said. “As much as anything, a guy’s always a byproduct of the guys playing around him. The other night, we got pressured a time or two. You’d like to see him make a better decision, take care of the ball a little better.
“That’s a big issue.”
Oklahoma still controls its destiny in the Big 12’s South Division. OU ends the regular season with games at first-place Baylor (6-2, 3-1) and at Oklahoma State (6-1, 2-1).
