Monday, November 9, 2009
1B
Annelise Russell, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051
« BASKETBALL Tomorrow, The Daily previews OU’s upcoming game. OUDAILY.COM
FIVE INTERCEPTIONS TOO MANY JONO GRECO Daily Staff Writer
learning experience. “I don’t like something like this to happen, but I think he’s the type of kid who LINCOLN, Neb. – Landry Jones played can grow and learn and keep moving in like a freshman Saturday evening. a good way,” Wilson said. “He’s going to In the Sooners’ 10-3 loss, Jones looked need to.” uncomfortable in the pocket and threw Sophomore wide receiver Ryan Broyles ill-advised passes, resulting in five inter- said despite Saturday’s performance, ceptions. He completed 26 of 58 passes people should not stop supporting Jones for 245 yards with the five interceptions, because he is a young quarterback. and Saturday’s game was the first game “I know you guys are going to jump where he did not throw a touchdown on Landry for doing that,” pass. Broyles said. “He’s a young “You can’t have turnquarterback, and he’s still overs and expect to win learning it.” the game like that,” Junior Gerald McCoy, • 26-58 passing Jones said. “Ideally, defensive tackle and team w h e n y o u t h ro w 5 8 co-captain, said he would • 245 total yards passes, you’re going to advise Jones to keep a short want to complete more • Five interceptions memor y because these than I did and take care kinds of games happen to of the ball better than I • 0-3 fourth downs everyone. did, too,” “People just have off • No touchdowns The five intercepgames,” McCoy said. “We tions were among the lost as a team, so don’t get • 4.2 yards per pass multiple factors that down on yourself. Keep limited OU to just three working hard, and put this points, the lowest point one behind you.” total during the Bob But this is a hard game for the Sooners Stoops Era and the first time since 1998 that the Sooners’ offense did not score a to swallow, especially since the defense played well. touchdown in a game. The defense gave up just 180 yards “Offensively, we moved the ball quite Saturday, the second time this season the frequently, but then didn’t produce points,” head coach Bob Stoops said. defense has given up less than 200 yards “We didn’t execute well enough, or they in a game. “Just got to look each other in the eye executed better than we did in the red and say, ‘Man, we came up just a little zone.” Prior to the game, Jones had thrown short for you,’” Jones said. “You all played a total of six interceptions, and in eight a great game.” Jones will have a week to fix any metotal games – six starts and two backup games – he has thrown 11 interceptions. chanical and mental problems before The interception total is the most for Texas A&M rolls into Norman for a Big 12 a quarterback since quarterback Paul South showdown. “It’s just one of those things where Thompson threw 11 interceptions during I was just a little off tonight with my the 2006 season. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson throws,” Jones said. “I wasn’t as accurate said this kind of game can be used as a as I need to be.”
JONES’S STATISTICS
ELI HULL / THE DAILY
Redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones (12) warms up by throwing passes before the game saturday evening. Landry completed 26 of 58 passes in the 10-3 loss to the Cornhuskers.
Missing the mark JAMES CORLEY Daily Staff Writer
LINCOLN, Neb. – OU let another game slip right through its fingers Saturday in its 10-3 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Sooners failed to convert five fourth downs in Nebraska territory into points, two missed conversions and three missed field goals. Tress Way, who in his first attempt since replacing Jimmy Stevens as starting place kicker, missed his first attempt wide right from 46 yards early in the opening quarter. Later in the quarter, Way’s 45-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Because of Way’s troubles in the first quarter, OU head coach Bob Stoops elected to try on fourth-and-inches from Nebraska’s 20 yard line. Running back DeMarco Murray was stopped for a loss on the conversion attempt, leaving the Sooners without any points to show from a promising drive. “We had the ball, I think, the first three possessions inside the 50 to start the game and ended up with nothing,” Stoops said. “Zero points.” In the third quarter, OU had an identical fourth-and-one opportunity from just inside Nebraska’s red zone, but left tackle Trent Williams jumped offside to push the Sooners back five yards. To add further to his disastrous evening, Way missed the ensuing 42-yard field goal attempt wide left. Way finished 1-for-4, scoring OU’s only points with a 28yard field goal. With just under nine minutes left in the game, OU had another chance to convert a fourth down deep in Nebraska’s territory, but Sooner quarterback Landry Jones’ pass to wide receiver Adron Tennell was overthrown. For the first time in 11 seasons, OU failed to score a touchdown. The last time the Sooners were held out of the end zone was in a 28-0 loss to Texas A&M in 1998, the last year John Blake was OU’s head coach. “You’ve got to credit them,” Stoops said. “On third or fourth down, we had our opportunity, and they made plays, they covered us or pressured us or whatever it was to get out of it.” The Huskers only turned the ball over once. OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy recovered a fumble by Nebraska running back Roy Helu, Jr. at the Sooners’ own 10 yard line, but OU failed to convert the opportunity into points. Jones threw five interceptions in the game, two of which Nebraska turned into points. “Obviously I didn’t take care of the ball enough for us to win tonight,” Jones said. The only touchdown of the game came after Jones was intercepted by cornerback Prince Amukamara and returned to OU’s goal line, setting up a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ryan Hill. In the third quarter, Nebraska safety Matt O’Hanlon grabbed the first of his three interceptions and returned it into Sooner territory, setting up a 28-yard field goal by Alex Henery. “[Their] team played a hard-fought game and really played well and had an excellent game defensively,” Stoops said. “Overall, just made the plays that they need to win the game.”
OU BY THE NUMBERS
3
Missed field goals
1998
Last time OU failed to score a touchdown
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