Desert Sapper's Blogistan

This is such a cool deal.  I wish I could put the prettier map up there, but you can find it here.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  It lets you put in the places you've been and add in places you want to go.  It's like the Myspace for travel junkies.  I'd like to be a travel junky, but my resources are limited (the Army only pays so much), my job doesn't let me take much time off (even though it gives me a ridiculous amount of time to take off -- go figure), and my limitations are evident (as in three kids, three cats, and two dogs).  I sure would like to visit all of Europe, most of Asia, and selected parts of Africa.  I would really like to visit southwest and central asia for all the cultural significance, but eh...it's a little 'unsafe' right now.  I wouldn't want to be in, say, Babylon visiting Nebuchadnezzar's old palace, only to get kidnapped and beheaded by people with a pretty sick sense of God's wisdom and grace.

But I digress...

Adrian Peterson has his own website... and it's quite cool.  I know he is going to light the league on fire.  Should be a fun season for the Vikings this year.  I know the Vikes fans only have a slight idea of what AD brings to the table, but this video should help clear things up.  BTW, his shoulder is fine.

I can't wait to see him rip open a game for the first time in the NFL. 

Go to Meez to make your own.  I thought it was pretty funny, so I included it for your pleasure.  Not much to say.

AD extended the Sooner streak of 1st rounders to 6 years.  Tampa Bay picked Davin Joseph in the first round in 2006 while Jammal Brown and Mark Clayton were drafted in the first round in 2005. Tommie Harris went to Chicago in 2004, Andre Woolfolk was selected by Tennessee in 2003 and Roy Williams went to Dallas in 2002.  Not bad at all.

Ruuufus joined AD in Minnesota and CJ Ah You went to the Bills.

Larry Birdine signed as a UDFA with the Packers, Zach Lattimer with the Redskins, and Paul Thompson with the JETS-Jets, Jets, Jets!  Overall, that ain't bad for the least stacked class in Bob Stoops' tenure.  It would bring me great joy if they all ended up making the cut.

So, this is what I've got for new NFL Sooners:

Minnesota
AD
Ruuuufus

Green Bay
Bird

Washington
Zach

Buffalo
CJ

JETS-Jets, Jets, Jets
PT

The POTUS vetoed the 'cut and run like screaming little girls' bill, which was good, but expected.  Also, unsurprisingly, our enemy used even the mere mention of cutting and running as propaganda, making sure that the entire Islamic world knows that we are the same namby pamby little sissies that cut slingload on Somalia.  But wait, you say, we've been fighting in Afghanistan since 2001 and in Iraq since 2003.  Well, our enemy has a slightly longer time frame in mind for a 'sustained fight'...something in the neighborhood of a few thousand years.  They actually lament us pulling out of their 'historic trap'.

Of course, Ayman Al-Zwahiri (Al Q #2), in his address to suicidal maniacs everywhere, also mentioned that he wants to see us lose 200-300,000 people on the way out as an 'unforgettable lesson'.  According to him, this would force us to 'reevaluate (our) entire doctrinal and moral system which produced (our) historic criminal Crusader-Zionist entity.'  You just keep thinkin', Butch.  That's what you're good at.

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