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Sooners Face Another October Midterm September 30, 2001 by Jason Waganer Executive Editor
This time last year, the idea was the same, but the teams were reversed. Last season, the Sooners big midterm was against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. This year, the midterm will take place this weekend at the much anticipated Red River War in Dallas. Can the Sooners make it two in a row over the Longhorns? We'll wait until later in the week to give your our official analysis and predictions, but here's some early thoughts on the upcoming big game and a few leftover observations from the big K-State victory.
* Although it hasn't been announced yet, ESPN's College Gameday crew will broadcast live this weekend from Dallas. It will be the seventh time in two years the show has been present at an OU game. And for the record, Bob Stoops is undefeated when Gameday broadcasts from a Sooners game.
* Texas is an early three point favorite for Saturday's game. So far this season, the Sooners have only covered one out of four spreads. However, this is the first time this season the Sooners have been underdogs.
*K-State's Ell Roberson may have had the best performance yet this season by a Big 12 QB in last weekend's loss at OU. Many people, both locally and nationally, are saying the Sooners defense is overrated. That may be true to an extent, but let's not devalue Roberson's performance. He was superb on the ground and more impressive than expected through the air. My bet, next year he's a preseason Heisman candidate.
*How about the performances by true freshmen Tommy Harris and Vince Carter? Harris had several big tackles and hurried Roberson several times. Carter's play was one of the keys to the game. Carter and the OU offensive line only allowed one sack all day -- a remarkable stat considering K-State's blitzing mentality. However, for the Sooners to make another run at a championship, Hybl cannot be hit as often as he was on Saturday. Expect adjustments by Mangino and company to prevent Hybl from taking another beating this weekend in Dallas.
*Here's another amazing stat: The Sooners have now scored defensive touchdowns in four consecutive games. Realistically, the Sooners defense could have had at least eight points yesterday if the refs call the safety in the second quarter like they probably should have.
*For OU to pick up its 18th consecutive victory this weekend, Quentin Griffin must make an impact. Up until Saturday's game, Griffin was arguably OU's offensive MVP this season. However, the Wildcats shut him down on Saturday. You can bet that the Longhorns would like to shut him down this year. Remember that performance he had last year in the Cotton Bowl?
*Worried about OU's rushing game? Don't panic about the Sooners nine yard performance Saturday. Last year in Manhattan, the Wildcats held the Sooners to 11 yards on the ground. The Sooners running game will recover just as it did a year ago.
Well that's it for now, check back with us later in the week for more news, notes and predictions on what will be the biggest game in college football so far this year. It's gonna be a blast!
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