Bedlam 2010 Post Game

Bedlam 2010: Sooners Take Care of Cowboys in 4th, Silence Critics 

Norman - Bob Stoops entered the 2010 Bedlam Rivalry game with thoughts of advancing to his 8th Big XII conference championship game. After one of the more thrilling Bedlam games - surely the most entertaining fourth quarter of a Beldam game ever - and after the BCS moved OU up from the number 13 spot to number 9, Oklahoma will meet up, one last time, with what many fans consider to one of OU’s true rivals, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

After their exciting win over the Cowboys last Saturday, Stoops and his players were extremely jovial and ebullient, prepared for the challenge of getting back to the conference title game, but still relishing proving their critics wrong in picking the upstart Pokes to record their first win against them under the supervision of Mike Gundy. 

Perhaps junior linebacker Travis Lewis said it best after the game. When asked about the performance of his team, Lewis replied, “Hopefully we've silenced all the doubters. We just beat two great teams [Baylor and OSU] on the road so that just goes out to all our players. We're mentally tough, we came here, we did what we needed to do and we got the win."

When asked about the game living up the hype building up to the 7:00 kick, Stoops said, “I really sensed all week that our players were really anxious about it [Bedlam] and looking forward to it, to be in this moment.” Stoops added, “We knew coming in here [Stillwater] we’d have to play well to have an opportunity to win. I’m excited about our team and how we did that. I was so pleased at how we performed offensively and made big plays in the fourth quarter when we had to have them.”

And, as many like to ponder before the game, there usually is that player that comes into a game like Bedlam, flying under the radar and has a break out performance or one that may surprise fans and help their team seal a victory for their team. Little did anyone guess that player for Oklahoma would be much maligned placekicker Jimmy Stevens.

Now, if you feel that Stevens wasn’t quite worth that high of praise, consider first that in the post-game press conference, Stoops first mentioned the play of Stevens, saying “Jimmy Stevens got the first game ball when we got in there [the locker room]. I told him he was the biggest difference in the game making all his kicks the way he did.” Now consider that without Stevens’ field goals, the Sooners would be sitting at home in Norman this weekend. The unassuming kicker that took the brunt of many criticisms over the past two seasons has begun the process of redeeming himself with his performance over the last two games, recording at least 15 points in each.

There were plenty of other notable performers in the Bedlam game as well, starting with Landry Jones record outing as he tied Heisman Winner Sam Bradford with 468 passing yards in a single game. Landry set himself apart among all other quarterbacks in Sooner history, becoming the only Oklahoma QB to record two 400+ yard passing games in a season.

Outstanding wide receiver Ryan Broyles continues to tear up Sooner records and is positioning himself to make a run at becoming perhaps the most prolific wideout ever to grace a Big XII field. With his touchdown grab in Bedlam, Broyles took sole possession of 4th place all-time in the Big XII with 34. He trails former Cowboy wideout Rashaun Woods by 8 scores, and, if he decides to return for his senior campaign, Broyles will almost assuredly become the conference’s all-time receiver.

Broyles was noticeable excited about his team’s victory Saturday as they proved their doubters wrong saying, “Coming in here [Stillwater], being an underdog - we really didn’t fell that, but the media did - it’s a good feeling to be on the winning end.”

Running back Demarco Murray - despite a knee injury that saw him exit the game in the second half, not to return, rushed himself over the 1,000 yard mark for the season making him the 8th Sooner to rush for over 1,000 yards in the last nine years. 

Sooner safety Quinton Carter recorded two interceptions in the first half of the game giving him 4 for the year and 8 for his career. It was Carter’s first game with multiple interceptions. He was rewarded on Monday by the American Football Coaches Association, being selected to first team All-American Honors, making him OU’s 151st All-American honoree. He is the first defensive back to be selected under Stoops since Jim Thorpe Award Winner Derrick Strait in 2003. 

Lastly, senior wide receiver Cameron Kenney had his best outing ever as a Sooner, recording 6 catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns, earning him a “helmet-sticker” from Reece Davis on ESPN’s College Football Final late Saturday night. After the game, Kenney said, “It’s definitely one of the best games I’ve played in, just because everyone came together as a team.”

 Tight end James Hanna also had a career day, catching 4 balls for 130 yards and the final touchdown of the game that sealed the victory for OU, sending them on to the conference title game.

The Sooner defensive front seven was also a point of emphasis for Stoops after the game. OU held All-American running back Kendall Hunter to just over 50 yards rushing - his lowest total of the season. “I thought the tackling was really good,” Stoops said, “I thought their [the defense] positioning and discipline in playing their spots was really solid and I’m sure some of the 5-0 stuff was different than what we’ve done in the past,” alluding to defensive coordinator Brent Venables use of a 5-0 defensive front, sometimes known as the “Oklahoma Defense” utilized in ways to help stuff opposing team’s running attacks. 

Traditionally this season, the Sooners offense and defense has struggled to put together positive plays and hold opposing offenses out of the end zone. OU’s 23 points in the final frame of Bedlam was by far their most in any outing this season. And, while the defense did allow 17 points to the Cowboys in the second half, the offense’s 4th quarter outing proved to be the difference.

Look for the Sooners to be highly motivated to take this final conference title game. For one, when the critics start to pile on to Coach Stoops and his players, one might argue he takes that criticism personally, and, as evinced by the last two games, Stoops and his staff have taken those criticisms and literally shut them up. Also, if there is one point of emphasis for Coach Stoops, it’s the utter importance of winning the conference crown. If they take the win Saturday, the Sooners will - in all likelihood - be accepting an invitation to play in the Fiesta Bowl for the third time 5 years. Check back later for a Big XII Championship Game Preview and my prediction of the title game.