Desert Sapper's Blogistan

A few things that would be blatantly obvious to anyone that watched the game:

DeMarco Murray is INCREDIBLE.

The OU O-Line is prime time ready.

None of the QBs is exceptional, but all are capable.  Bradford looks the best.

The OU Defense isn't ready for the season to start.  The OU Offense is (with the exception of QB - but whomever that is should be perfectly fine).  This may be the first time that is true in the Stoops era. 

Whoever Carter Whitson is (I admit, I didn't know before Saturday), he is the best looking receiver for a Sooner receiver corps that I sure thought was loaded before Saturday (but looked like a team of TO dropaholics on Saturday -- which pained me as a Cowboys fan last season).

Now for some less obvious stuff. 

The OU D-Line looks the best it has in 4 years.  The two young DEs - Auston English (33) and Jeremy Beal (44) did very well.  DTs Adrian Taylor (86) and DeMarcus Granger (96) looked very good, as well.  All four were getting great penetration and pressuring the heck out of the QB.  All this without former national high school defensive POY Gerald McCoy, who was on the sideline with a late injury.  If you had in the two senior DEs - John Williams and Alonzo Dotson, this looks like a very impressive D-Line.

The Linebackers looked less certain.  Mike Reed was brilliant at times, slow at others, and out of place on occasion.  Curtis Lofton was similar.  Lewis Baker looked pretty good, forcing fumbles, getting INTs, and staying in relatively good position.  I think he should move to the ROY.  Ryan Reynolds' loss was felt, to be sure. 

The secondary had some good things going for it.  Marcus Walker was the only one that could chase down Murray on the long run.  The secondary was disruptive, as indicated by the amount of dropped balls in the game (although the chilly weather is probably as much to blame).

All told, this was a good scrimmage and the Sooners gave the nation a pretty nice preview, courtesy of ESPN.

Some Links:

YouTube Video

Official OU Page (with Highlight Video)

NORMAN, Okla. -- In each of the first two scrimmages of the spring, redshirt freshman running back DeMarco Murray dazzled with his rushing and receiving ability.  
 
It was more of the same and then some Saturday at the Red/White Spring Game when 21,020 braved unseasonably cold temperatures at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
 
Murray rushed four times for 103 yards and one touchdown as the offense out-scored the defense, 53-30, in a scoring system devised by the coaching staff. The offense, which wore the red uniforms, scored five touchdowns. 

“It was a good day for us,” said OU head coach Bob Stoops. “DeMarco has been special all spring and he was good again today. There were some big plays and I think the fans probably enjoyed that.
 
“We still have a lot of work to do, but I felt there were a lot of positives for us. We’ve seen some guys improve and we’ve also had a chance to see where it is that we need to get better.”
 
Through three scrimmages this spring, Murray has carried 29 times for 327 yards, an average of 11.3 per attempt.
 
A lot of eyes were focused on the three quarterbacks and all three had bright spots. Sam Bradford was sharp, completing 9-of-14 passes for 110 yards and one touchdown, a 23-yard strike to Carter Whitson.
 
Joey Halzle hit on 7-of-18 tries with one touchdown, a 45-yard toss to Adron Tennell, and one interception. True freshman Keith Nichol completed 3-of-7 for 25 yards.
 
“I’m real pleased with all those guys,” Stoops said. “They took better care of the ball today and that’s important for us. We didn’t ask Paul (Thompson) to win game for us last year and we won’t ask any of these guys to that for us either. We just want them to play consistently and keep their mistakes to a minimum. If they can do that we’ll be fine.  
 
Murray scored on an 18-yard run for the first touchdown scrimmage. Later he added a 68-yard non-scoring burst. Allen Patrick later plunged over from 1-yard out to cap that drive, which covered 80 yards in just three plays.
 
Whitson’s TD reception was the third touchdown of the scrimmage. It came at the end of a four-play, 53 yard march.
 
Tennell recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown before capping the offense’s scoring for the day with his reception from Halzle.
 
Safety Nic Harris topped the defense eight tackles. Junior college transfer linebacker Mike Reed added seven stops plus one tackle for loss, a forced fumble and one pass deflection.
 
DeMarcus Granger was credited with three sacks while fellow defensive tackle Adrian Taylor had two. DE Auston English also had two sacks.
 
LB Lewis Baker had three tackles, one interception for 13 yards and one fumble forced.
 
The scoring systems award points to the offense for a first down (1 pt.), a point after touchdown (1 pt.), a play of longer than 30 yards (2 pts.), a field goal (3 pts.) and a touchdown (6 pts.).  
 
The defense scored by holding the offense to a three-and-out (2 pts.), a forced punt (1 pt.), a fourth down stop (2 pts.), a turnover (3 pts.) and a turnover for touchdown (9 pts.).
 
Oklahoma’s spring drills continue Monday and Tuesday with closed workouts at the stadium. Tuesday’s practice will be the last of the 15 for this spring.
 
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Scoring Plays
Murray 18 yard run
Whitson 23 yard pass from Bradford
Tennell fumble recovery in end zone
Patrick 1 yard run.
Tennell 45 yard pass from Halzle
 
Passing
Halzle -- 7-18-162, 1 TD, 1 INT
Bradford -- 9-14-110, 1 TD
Nichol -- 3-7-25
 
Rushing
Murray -- 4-103, 1 TD (18)
Brown -- 11-67
Patrick -- 8-20                                                                                                                                                                     Gutierrez -- 9-15
Nichol -- 6-15
Anderson -- 2-(-3)
Bradford -- 1-(-7)
Halzle -- 1-(-8)
McEachern -- 3-(-13)
 
Receiving
Chaney -- 2-65
Tennell -- 2-64, 1 TD
Whitson -- 2-45, 1 TD
Brow -- 2-35
Johnson -- 2-23
Zaslaw -- 2-19
Gresham -- 1-14
Caleb -- 1-11
Strong -- 1-8
Eldridge -- 1-5
Finley -- 1-5
Murray -- 1-4
Gutierrez -- 1-(-1)
 
Kicking
Hartley -- 4-for-4 PATs, 0-1 FG (52)
Moreland -- 1-for-1 PAT
 
Punting
Knall -- 6 punts, 33.7 avg.
Cohen -- 5 punts, 41.6 avg.
 
Kick Returns
Murray -- 3-60 (20.0 avg.)
Johnson -- 2-24 (12.0 avg.)
Iglesias -- 1-18 (18.0 avg.)
 
Tackles
Harris -- 8
Reed -- 7, 1 TFL (-2), 1 FF, 1 PBU
Lofton -- 7, 1 TFL (-3), 1 FR
L. Robinson -- 6, 2 PBU
Bowers -- 6, 1 sack (-3)
Smith -- 6
Nelson -- 6
Wolfe -- 6
Granger -- 5, 3 sacks (-12)
B. Jackson -- 5, 1 PBU
Holmes -- 4, 2 PBU
Davis -- 4
Franks -- 3
A. Taylor -- 3, 2 sacks (-6)
Baker -- 2, 1 INT (13 yards), 1 FF
Clayton -- 2, PBU
D. Pleasant -- 2, 1 TFL
English -- 2, 2 sacks (-12)
M. Walker -- 1, 2 PBU
Beal -- 1, 1 sack (-3)
J. Williams -- 1, 1 TFL (-3)
Bennett -- 1
Crow -- 1
Box -- 1
Macon -- 1
Taggart -- 1
 
Punt Returns
None
 
Attendance
21,020