Inside The Huddle, Thursday, October 24 by OU Daily

G A M E D AY TA B L O I D F O R S O O N E R F O O T B A L L | F R E E

INSIDE THE HUDDLE OCT. 26

NO. 17

Oklahoma vs.

NO. 10

Texas Tech

COVER STORY

The Air Raid What makes this vaunted offense so difficult to stop? P 6 FEATURE

Finally, Finch In his senior season, Roy Finch has accepted his role on the team P 9 COLUMN

Where do we go from here? The Sooners face the difficult back half of their schedule P 12

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BLAYKLEE BUCHANAN

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• Thursday, October 24, 2013

PAGE TWO

Week eight sharpens title picture INSIDE THE HUDDLE EDITOR a Student Media publication in association with

160 Copeland Hall 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052 phone: 405-325-3666 email: dailysports@ou.edu

CONTRIBUTORS Dillon Phillips Inside the Huddle editor Twitter: @DillonPhillips_

Julia Nelson Sports editor Twitter: @julianelson33

Joe Mussatto Assistant sports editor Twitter: @Joe_Mussatto

Kyle Margerum The Oklahoma Daily editor Kearsten Howland Advertising manager

Dillon Phillips dillon.phillips@ou.edu

here is no better time of year for college football than October. Sure, the nonstop action of December and January’s bowl month is entertaining, as is the anticipation and excitement aroused by opening weekend. But come October, autumn becomes autumn — leaves turn from green to vibrant red and orange, temperatures drop from sweltering summer highs to cool fall lows and college football’s national title picture begins to come into focus. It’s as if God himself created fall for college football: And on the sixth day, God watched college football, and it was very good. That’s in Genesis, right? Well, it should be, at least. Last week gave us arguably the most pivotal slate of games so far this season, as well as the first set of always-controversial BCS rankings. It started Thursday night when

ORLIN WAGNER/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OU quarterback Blake Bell looks for a receiver while being pressured by Kansas linebacker Jake Love during the first half of OU’s 34-19 win on Saturday in Lawrence.

then-No. 8 Louisville fell to No. 21 Central Florida, 38-35, at home. The Knights — who almost upset No. 20 South Carolina earlier this season — trailed by three touchdowns in the third quarter before coming back and taking their first lead of the game with 23 seconds remaining. Saturday, several top-10 teams suffered setbacks while a few sleepers emerged as possible contenders. Among the losers, LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M lost their second games of the season, effectively eliminating them from cham-

pionship contention, and Clemson got embarrassed at home by Florida State. At the other end, unbeatens Missouri, Baylor and Texas Tech all leapfrogged into the top-10, bringing some fresh faces to the summit of the rankings, which have been dominated to this point by traditional powers Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Oregon. One of those aforementioned fresh faces — Texas Tech — has been tasked with taking its unblemished record to the road to face No.

17 Oklahoma in Norman. The Red Raiders have navigated their schedule with relative ease so far, with their closest game coming in a 42-35 victory against a one-win Iowa State team. But the honeymoon is over, as three of their final five games are against ranked teams. No doubt, Saturday presents Tech with its first true test of the season and just its second game against a ranked opponent this year — its first was a 20-10 win against then-No. 24 TCU in Lubbock, and the Red Raiders have yet to play a ranked opponent on the road. With Tech’s undefeated record on the line and the Sooners still reeling from a loss to Texas and an underwhelming performance on the road against Kansas, plenty will be at stake on Saturday. A win for the Red Raiders keeps them in the hunt for a national championship. A win for OU gives it traction in the five-horse Big 12 title race and a chance to regain control of its own destiny with another Texas loss. High stakes, intriguing storylines and drama in droves — nothing in this beautiful world of ours beats college football in October. Nothing. Dillon Phillips is a professional writing senior and Inside the Huddle editor at The Daily. You can follow him on Twitter at @DillonPhillips_

INSIDE THE HUDDLE COLUMN

Tech focused on Sooners GUEST COLUMNIST

Michael DuPont

Former Red Raider reinvigorates program

Joe Mussatto jmussatto@ou.edu

STEPHEN SPILLMAN/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks with his team during a timeout against Iowa State in the Red Raiders’ 42-35 win on Oct. 12 in Lubbock. Kingsbury has led Texas Tech to a 7-0 record this season.

schedule-watching or projecting victories. Instead, he consistently reminds the Red Raiders where they were picked in Big 12 preseason polls (eighth) and challenges them to continue getting better as a team. One area the Red Raiders continue to see improvement is from the quarterback position. Walk-on true freshman Baker Mayfield passed for more than 400 yards in his opening act as a Red Raider. Since his Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week performance, Mayfield has been sidelined with injuries, preventing him from being 100 percent. In his absence, another true freshman quarterback, Davis Webb, staged on opening act against Iowa State (1-5, 0-3)

KEY OPPONENT Jace Amaro Year: Junior Position: Tight end Statistics: Leads the Red Raiders with 56 catches for 742 yards and three touchdowns

deserving of an encore. Webb passed for 415 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the 42-35 win against the Cyclones. His performance earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors as well, making Webb and Mayfield

the first freshmen quarterbacks from Tech to win the award since Kingsbury did it in 1999. The duo also comprises two of the three Big 12 quarterbacks to pass for 400 yards this season. Junior quarterback Blake Bell also accomplished the feat this season following a sound, 51-20 victory against Tulsa. Tech’s four conference wins occurred against teams in the bottom half of the Big 12, so it’s safe to assume the Red Raiders are going to see a significant jump with regard to level of competition during the second half of their season.

SEE TECH PAGE 4

COLUMN

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

michael.dupont@ttu.edu

s the weekend ended, many fans’ dreams of ESPN College GameDay covering a Big 12 game began to fade as Longhorn coach Mack Brown put what many assume will be his final exclamation point on the OUTexas series. When the Sooners (6-1, 3-1) fell to the Longhorns in week seven, a new team emerged as the top Big 12 team. Although Texas Tech (7-0, 4-0) has a one-game advantage over Baylor in the win column, the Red Raiders have no intentions of resting on their laurels with the toughest four-game stretch of Tech’s schedule rapidly approaching. The senior leadership provided by the likes of hybrid defensive back Terrance Bullitt and defensive end Kerry Hyder, among others, continues to challenge the Red Raiders to remain focused and not to be trapped in the moment. Bullitt even regularly tweets the remaining number of days, games and practices remaining in the 2013 season. First-year coach Kliff Kingsbury refuses to let the Red Raiders fall victim to any signs of

Thursday, October 24, 2013 •

fter Mike Leach’s pirate ship was forced from the plains of Lubbock, all Tommy Tuberville did was make waves. A proven winner at Auburn, Tuberville was chosen to lead the wayward program back on track after the ugly circumstances that transpired following the firing of Leach. But Tuberville, who currently coaches Cincinnati, bolted after just two seasons and a subpar 20-17 record. Now one of Leach’s old shipmen is back and so too is the Texas Tech program. In the offseason, Texas Tech looked to make a splash by bringing a little bit of Leach back. As it turned out, Kliff Kingsbury just might be even better. Kingsbury was Leach’s first quarterback at Tech, and in his four-year career from 1999-2002, the signal caller accumulated over 12,000 passing yards. He was awarded the Sammy Baugh Trophy in 2002. But that was Kingsbury the player. Meet Kingsbury the coach. He took the job after vacating Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator position and has led the Red Raiders from the bottom

of the Big 12 to a top-10, undefeated team. He also has more Twitter followers than KLIFF Bob Stoops KINGSBURY and Mack Brown. Kingsbury even has a bobblehead doll with his signature shades, five o’clock shadow and perfectly parted hair. Red Raider Outfitter sells shirts with the hashtag “Our coach is hotter than your coach”. It’s fair to say the 34 year old — the third-youngest coach in college football — has achieved rockstar status in Lubbock. He has reinvigorated the Red Raider fan base and done nothing but win. But while Kingsbury’s transformation from touchdown thrower to play caller has been an easy one, the strength of Texas Tech’s schedule is still in front of them. Tech’s trip to Norman will be the toughest of its season so far, and if the Red Raiders come out on top, look for the Kingsbury madness to continue. He’s righted the ship, and it looks to be smooth sailing ahead for Texas Tech. Joe Mussatto is a journalism sophomore and assistant sports editor at The Daily.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• Thursday, October 24, 2013

TECH: Freshmen QBs, senior leadership propelling Red Raiders Continued from page 3 However, the Red Raiders also are the only team to have four receivers with more than 25 catches on the season. Junior tight end Jace Amaro has 56 catches through seven games and is on pace to catch 100 passes this season. Senior receiver Eric Ward has moved into Tech’s all-time top 10 for career receptions this season. The list includes NFL notables such as Michael Crabtree, Wes Welker and Danny Amendola. Sophomore Jakeem Grant has 30 catches and three touchdowns on the season, while junior receiver Bradley Marquez has 33 catches for 454 yards and five touchdowns through seven games. Sooners coach Bob Stoops boasts an illustrious home record, but the last time the Red Raiders traveled to Norman, they returned victorious — although they had to TERRANCE wait quite awhile after BULLITT a rain delay suspended play for almost two hours. In an effort to provide you with more information you already know, the Red Raiders have a potent offense, and the Sooners have a stout defense. Oklahoma’s defense ranks ninth for points against among all FBS programs, according to ESPN.com. Tech’s defense ranks

BY THE NUMBERS Texas Tech’s Two Freshmen Quarterbacks

2,915

Webb and

Mayfiled have combined to throw for almost 3,000 yards.

The freshman duo has thrown 19 touchdown passes, which ranks fifth-best in the nation.

139.3

The frosh tandem’s combined quarterback rating Source: ESPN.com

16th in the same statistic, but the Red Raiders defensive success on the road may be the key to this matchup. Currently, Tech’s defense ranks first among Big 12 schools for opponent third-down conversions and second in sacks. However, the Red Raiders allowed SMU to score 23 points in Dallas, and the Jayhawks (2-4, 0-3) jumped out to an early 10-0 lead during their homecoming loss in Lawrence. If the Sooners are going to be victorious, they will need to either utilize more aggressive play-calling and move the chains on first or second down, or use a situational approach to create more third-and-short opportunities. Defensively, the Sooners gameplan last season effectively discomforted Seth Doege. If either freshman is named the starter, I’d imagine defensive

coordinator Mike Stoops is going to look to make them equally as uncomfortable as Doege was a season ago. Sophomore quarterback Michael Brewer earned snaps last season in the closing minutes and systematically led the Red Raiders down the field for a touchdown. Brewer and Mayfield provide a mobility aspect that enhances their pocket presence. If Brewer is named the starter, expect for him to have a bit more composure in Norman. If the Red Raiders are victorious, it will be because the defense contained Oklahoma’s rushing attack and fared well on third downs. Tech has depth at the defensive line positions, so look for them to utilize that to keep Hyder and company fresh for the fourth quarter. Offensively, Kingsbury has adamantly expressed the Red Raiders will do whatever is necessary to win the football game. If the running game presents itself, he will utilize it. If Tech has to pass the ball 75 times, he is not opposed to that, either. Simply put: Whatever the Sooners give is what the Red Raiders will take. My gut tells me four quarters will not be enough to decide a victor in this contest. My gut also told me Oklahoma State was the best team in the Big 12. Stupid gut. Michael DuPont is a journalism senior and sports editor at The Daily Toreador.

Texas Tech’s depth chart OFFENSE LT

62 Le’Raven Clark

So.

58 Josh Outlaw

Fr.

56 Alfredo Morales

So.

77 Trey Keenan

R-Fr.

75 Jared Kaster

So.

65 Baylen Brown

Fr.

72 Beau Carpenter

Jr.

63 James Polk

Jr.

71 Rashad Fortenberry

Sr.

67 Matt Wilson

So.

22 Jace Amaro

Jr.

85 Jordan Davis

So.

11 Jakeem Grant

So.

8 Sadale Foster

Sr.

4 Bradley Marquez

Jr.

2 Reginald Davis WR

DEFENSE DE

BAN

WILL

MIKE

RAID

BCB

R-Fr.

18 Eric Ward

Sr.

19 Derreck Edwards

So.

7 Davis Webb

Fr.

6 Baker Mayfield

Fr.

34 Kenny Williams

Jr.

21 DeAndre Washington

So.

FCB

91 Kerry Hyder

Sr.

51 Demetrius Alston

So.

96 Dennell Wesley

Sr.

43 Jackson Richards

Jr.

9 Branden Jackson

So.

54 Dartwan Bush

Sr.

10 Pete Robertson

So.

2 Andre Ross

So.

7 Will Smith

Sr.

27 Zach Winbush

Jr.

13 Sam Eguavoen

Jr.

18 Micah Awe

So.

1 Terrance Bullitt

Sr.

30 Austin Stewart

Jr.

24 Bruce Jones

Sr.

4 Derrick Mays

Sr.

5 Tre’ Porter

Sr.

15 Keenon Ward

R-Fr.

3 J.J. Gaines

So.

16 Dorian Crawford

Jr.

29 Olaoluwa Falemi

Sr.

23 Jeremy Reynolds

So.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

Thursday, October 24, 2013 •

Oklahoma’s depth chart OFFENSE LT

DEFENSE

71 Tyrus Thompson

Jr.

72 Derek Farniok

So.

74 Adam Shead

Jr.

77 Dionte Savage

Jr.

64 Gabe Ikard

Sr.

56 Ty Darlington

So.

68 Bronson Irwin

Sr.

54 Nila Kasitati

So.

79 Daryl Williams

Jr.

72 Derek Farniok

So.

11 LaColtan Bester

Sr.

5 Durron Neal

So.

8 Jalen Saunders

Sr.

16 Jaz Reynolds

Sr.

3 Sterling Shepard

So.

12 Derrick Woods

R-Fr.

10 Blake Bell

Jr.

9 Trevor Knight

R-Fr.

24 Brennan Clay or

Sr.

26 Damien Williams

Sr.

33 Trey Millard

Sr.

48 Aaron Ripkowski

Jr.

OLB

MLB

NICK

RCB

LCB

85 Geneo Grissom

Jr.

99 Chaz Nelson

Sr.

93 Jordan Wade

R-Fr.

94 Torrea Peterson

Jr.

98 Chuka Ndulue

Jr.

95 Quincy Russell

Jr.

91 Charles Tapper

So.

90 Matt Dimon

Fr.

42 Dominique Alexander

Fr.

25 Aaron Franklin

Jr.

20 Frank Shannon

So.

19 Eric Striker

So.

2 Julian Wilson

Jr.

23 Kass Everett

Sr.

15 Zack Sanchez

R-Fr.

22 Cortez Johnson

Jr.

10 Quentin Hayes

Jr.

13 Ahmad Thomas

Fr.

9 Gabe Lynn

Sr.

32 Trey Franks

Jr.

14 Aaron Colvin

Sr.

6 Stanvon Taylor

Fr.

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inside the huddle

• Thursday, October 24, 2013

Thursday, October 24, 2013 •

Cover story

WIND

Breaking down the Air Raid Potent offense has evolved over time Dillon Phillips

Inside the Huddle Editor

From its humble beginnings in a rural, southeast Iowa town bookended by a meat packing plant and a state prison, the Air Raid offense has grown to revolutionize football. The brainchild of SMU offensive coordinator Hal Mumme and Washington State coach Mike Leach, it started as a way for Iowa Wesleyan, an NAIA school with a weak football team, to compete with the big boys — to reduce the disparity in talent and athleticism by out scheming opposing teams. The Air Raid now has become perhaps the flashiest, most productive style of offense in college football. Without delving too deeply into the history of the offense (SmartFootball.com’s Chris Brown, who provided the play diagrams for this article, already did an excellent, thorough job of documenting the offense’s creation and evolution in an article he wrote last summer), it’s worth noting that the Air Raid looks a lot

different today than when it was first developed. Back then, the offense was based on the passing concepts of Norm Chow’s West Coast Offense at BYU under legendar y coach LaVell Edwards. But Mumme and Leach substituted under-center exchanges for shotgun snaps to allow for better quarterback protection. Now, teams that run the Air Raid go four- and fivewide nearly every down, a far cry from the two-back personnel of the original offense. When Mumme first brought the Air Raid to bigtime college football after becoming the head coach at Kentucky in 1997, it was written off as a gimmick — sure, you could put up video game numbers in the novelty offense, but it wouldn’t win you many football games. A year later, the Wildcats played in their first January bowl game in 47 years, and their quar terback, Tim Couch, was a Heisman finalist before going on to be selected first overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. From there, the offense exploded. Today, its influence can

ONE

BY THE NUMBERS Texas Tech’s Offense

41.1

The Red Raiders average points per game, which ranks 15th nationally

The Red Raiders rank nationally in passing yards per game with 416.4

be seen across the country and in the NFL. Even teams that don’t necessarily run a pure Air Raid offense still use many of its concepts in their passing games. The idea behind the offense is to substitute high-percentage, short passes for a downhill running game. It values receivers who can pick up yards after the catch and is designed to spread defenses out, isolate matchups and get the ball to playmakers in the open field. While many teams have adopted the no-huddle iteration of the offense — which acts as a sort of double-edged sword by prioritizing quick scores over long drives and exhausting its own defense as a result — when run correctly and efficiently, it can

The Red Raiders rank nationally in total offense

548.1 yards per game

Tech’s average

Source: ESPN.com

be an effective ball control offense despite its pass-heavy tendencies. Thanks to Leach-andMu m m e d i s c i p l e s l i k e West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen and Baylor coach Art Briles, who both have added wrinkles to create their own distinct versions of the offense, the Air Raid continues to evolve — Holgorsen preferring the pistol to the shotgun, and Briles utilizing quick screens and a potent spread running game. In general, though, the Air Raid is built around the same handful of plays. Here’s a rundown of the offense’s core plays and the concepts behind them. Dillon Phillips dillon.phillips@ou.edu

Play: Y Cross (Weak Flood)

Play: Verticals (Four Verts)

Play: Middle Screen (Jailbreak/Tunnel Screen)

Concept: Floods the weak side of the field while stretching the defense vertically with three levels of routes

Concept: Stretches defense vertically, pressures safeties to “pick” receiver to cover and open up the middle of the field or seams

Concept: Gets the ball to receiver in open field with a wall of blockers

Read: If cover three, hit H. If cover two, hit Y.

Read: If cover three, throw opposite of middle safety. If cover, two hit H on post.

—FOR THE—

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Read: If tagged with a Y vertical, look for safety in the box. If safety is walked up, hit vertical.

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Play: H Shallow (Shallow Cross)

Play: Mesh

Play: Snag (H Corner)

Concept: Stretches defense horizontally and creates space in the middle of the field

Concept: Designed to beat man coverage by “rubbing” crossing routes across the middle

Concept: Stretches defense horizontally and vertically with slant-corner route combo

Read: If middle linebacker follows Y, hit H. If he drops underneath H, hit Y. Check down to F if blitz/other receivers are covered.

Read: If zone, throw opposite of middle linebacker. If man, read “rub” and hit open receiver

Read: If slant beats outside linebacker inishde, hit him. If not, read corner. If corner drops, hit F in flat. If corner sits on F in flat, hit H on corner.

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inside the huddle

• Thursday, October 24, 2013

column

Bell’s recent mediocre play must improve sports columnist

become a lesson in mediocrity at his position. That’s not to say he didn’t have his moments. He came out for the second half in Lawrence and led some solid drives down the field that resulted in scores, creating momentum that wore Trent Crabtree out the Jayhawks and altrent.j.crabtree-1@ou.edu lowed the Sooners to escape he man known as with a victory. the Belldozer — a There are, however, innickname quickly explicable flaws in Bell’s becoming played-out — has game that seem to prevent been OK as of late. him from being an efficient Nothing more, nothing quarterback in a spread sysless. tem. Don’t even begin to ask Coming off a third-straight me why he tends to shuffle game in which he failed to back out of the pocket under throw for 200 yards, junior minimal pressure, causing quarterback Blake Bell has off-balance throws that are

interceptions waiting to happen. It’s anybody’s guess why he seems to have plenty of protection, yet is indecisive at times when checking receivers. Even when his playmakers are open, especially in the red-zone, he tends to overthrow them. Now, it is well understood that Bell is no Sam Bradford or Landry Jones when it comes to being a stereotypical QB. None of that rhetoric, however, changes the fact that he must be better than he has been. If the Sooners still plan on winning the Big 12, Bell must be able to step up and make big plays with his arm the same way he does with his feet.

With all of this being said, the questioning from Sooner Nation has been unanimous in nature: What has happened to him since Tulsa and Notre Dame? Unfortunately, the answer is a lot simpler than they would think. TCU and Texas used simple defensive schemes to expose Bell’s deficiencies, taking him out of his comfort zone. They took away the Sooner’s bread-andbutter run game by stacking the line while incorporating a generous amount of blitzing. This forced Bell to become something he simply isn’t — a pure pocket passer that fits the ball into tight

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— one of the most efficient quarterbacks in OU history — can impart some of his knowledge onto Bell’s game, maybe there is room for a turnaround. If this doesn’t happen, the Sooners likely will lose more games. With a gauntlet of a road schedule ahead, it is that simple. In other words, the season is becoming a lot more interesting for Kendal Thompson and Trevor Knight. Trent Crabtree is a journalism sophomore and sports columnist at The Daily.

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inside the huddle

Thursday, October 24, 2013 •

feature

Maturity defines explosive senior running back Finch comes into his own during his senior season Joe Mussatto

Assistant Sports Editor

You just can’t take Roy Finch seriously. The senior running back might cut back four times on one run. He might change directions quicker than a tennis ball in Wimbledon. Or he just might be sprinting so quickly that you can’t even tell who has the ball — until of course you remember only Finch could create such a blur. But still, fellow senior running back Brennan Clay said, “Man, don’t take him seriously.” Perhaps it’s because Finch has had a tumultuous past at Oklahoma. The fans wanted him on the field, but the coaches didn’t. There was a perception that he didn’t practice hard — he was a waste of talent, a forgotten back, just Roy being Roy. Now that’s all over. Clay was just joking. Roy Finch has grown, and he wants to be taken seriously.

A Fast Start In 2010, Sooner Nation caught its first glimpse of the Floridian, and he could fly. Finch finished second on the team in rushing his freshman year despite playing in just eight games. In 2011, Finch took over as the starting back for seven games. He averaged more than five yards per carry and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. But then, a year later, Finch disappeared from the rotation.

PLAYER PROFILE Roy Finch Year: Senior Position: Running back Statistics: Compiled 407 allpurpose yards and a touchdown in 2013.

The back earned just seven carries in 2012 and is only on pace for 40 carries in his senior campaign despite averaging nearly seven yards per touch. While it’s still a wonder why the coaching staff fails to use Finch more often, the running back has matured and accepted his role — something he had trouble coping with in the past. “I could be mad that I’m not touching the ball,” Finch said. “I could be blowing up in the paper and saying all that stuff, but I’m being chill.” The back is calm, yet still determined. And in his senior year, Finch’s off-thefield leadership has finally caught up with his on-field talent. “He’s a lot more focused as a senior and he does what he needs to on the field,” Clay said. “I’m proud to call him my teammate.” But it’s not over for Finch just yet. The speedy back did admit he wished he would’ve had more opportunities in his time as a Sooner, but he said he can’t look back on the what-ifs. “Everything that I’ve been through here, I’ve just got to take it in stride and be like, ‘I

Josh Bascil/The Daily

Senior running back Roy Finch stretches before the Sooners’ 35-21 win against Notre Dame on Sept. 28 in South Bend, Ind. Finch carried the ball three times for 15 yards and caught a pass for six yards against the Fighting Irish. Finch has gained 407 all-purpose yards this season.

learned this I learned that, I did that wrong and I don’t want to do that again,’” Finch said. There’s still a few games left for Finch, and he doesn’t plan on letting them go to waste. “I feel like I’ve had an OK career,” he said. “I still have some games to play, though. I’m going to still go out there and prove myself. “I’m going to do the best that I can in the situations [the coaches] put me in and you guys see whenever I get those opportunities, it’s special.”

A Bright Future Special is a good word to describe what Finch is able to do on the field. It’s the slight build, uncanny speed and explosive ability that have OU fans salivating at the sight of No. 22 with the ball in his hands.

“I could be mad that I’m not touching the ball. I could be blowing up in the paper and saying all that stuff. But I’m being chill.” Roy Finch, Senior running back

Finch, who models his game after NFL backs Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles, said people tell him they love his style of play and frequently ask why he doesn’t play more. “He’s fun to watch, and I can see why the crowd loves him,” Clay said. Finch makes his living as a back when he’s out in space. Whether it’s catching a pass or bouncing out a carry, he knows he can make a defender miss. The back brings

a style of play that’s different from the typical Sooner rusher. “O k l a h o m a h a s b e e n known for powerful running backs, but that’s not me,” Finch said. “You see me run over people when I have to but that’s not what I do all the time. “I’m a very instinctive player, I just love being out in space,” he said. And off the field, when Finch isn’t dodging defenders, he said he’s been able to stay positive despite all he has gone through. “I’m always smiling and doing my thing,” Finch said. “If your mind’s right, then everything else will follow.” And his mind does seem to be in the right place because he said above all else, his goal is to graduate and get his degree. “Football is always going to have a special place in

my heart,” Finch said. “But you’ve got think about it, football comes to an end sometimes.” But how soon football will come to an end for Finch remains to be seen. While his stats alone may not warrant a team taking a chance on him, Finch believes his talent and drive will land him on an NFL roster. The running back is just looking for a fresh start and a new environment. “I do feel like I’ll have an opportunity at the next level,” he said. “Whatever team picks me up is going to get a very explosive player, a player who works hard and a player who cares about the team.” Roy Finch has matured. Now he can b e taken seriously. Joe Mussatto jmussatto@ou.edu

inside the huddle

• Thursday, October 24, 2013

analysis

column

Frosh running back adds depth

Sooners should consider starting Thompson at QB

Ford emerges as Sooners’ runnig back of the future Julia Nelson Sports Editor

Keith Ford is a wrecking ball. At least, that’s what the coaches seem to think. The freshman running back easily could have redshirted this season. The backfield already is crowded enough. The Sooners have three senior running backs who can all run the ball effectively. The decision not to redshirt him might confuse some. Why not let him grow a year on the scout team, then let him loose next season? Ford is the real deal. He’s drawn comparisons to former Sooner Adrian Peterson, and they might have some merit. He could easily leave OU a season early to join the NFL. He’s currently the best between-the-tackles back on the Oklahoma roster, and that deserves some major recognition. He’s broken into the mix and demanded playing time. And so far, he’s been effective. Ford had played in six games this season, running for 119 yards on 20 carries. That’s an average of 5.9 yards a carry. For a true freshman battling for playing time, that’s impressive. His emergence couldn’t have come at a better time. When seniors Brennan Clay, Damien Williams and Roy Finch graduate, there will be little to no drop-off. Ford will be able to pick up where they left off, in part because of his playing time this season.

sports columnist

Carson Williams carson.williams@ou.edu

chris james/the daily

OU freshman running back Keith Ford carries the ball during the Sooners’ 36-20 loss against Texas on Oct. 12 in Dallas. Ford was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 7 high school running back in the nation in 2012.

It all started so suddenly. First, nobody knows who Ford is, and then there’s a video of him in the preseason on Instagram of him running over sophomore defensive tackle Jordan Phillips in practice. Next thing we know, Ford gets some playing time in a game, and the rest is history. Against Texas, he was a key player when Oklahoma was trying to get a drive going. In drives to end the first half and open the second, Ford played a huge part in moving the ball downfield. Without him, the game could have been an even bigger blowout than it already was. Ford deserves more attention than he’s getting

next season. Ford’s future is bright at Oklahoma, there’s not question about that. The Year: sky is the limit on his abilFreshman ities, but in order for him to reach his full potential, Position: he’s going to have to have Running more support at quarterback back. The Sooners’ reliStatistics: ance on the QB run could Ford has carried the ball prove problematic for 20 times for 119 yards Ford’s number of carries, and a touchdown this but that’s the only probseason. lem I see in Ford’s future. He’s surprised us so at the moment. While he’s far this season — expect not having the Heisman- the surprises to keep on worthy freshman season coming. that Peterson had, it’s hard not to wonder what he could do if he were Oklahoma’s Julia Nelson featured back. julia.nelson@ou.edu Fans will get a taste of that

PLAYER PROFILE Keith Ford

oes Kendal Thompson deserve a shot? Before his preseason injury, Kendal Thompson was very much in the mix to be Oklahoma’s next starting quarterback. But the way the cookie crumbled, Thompson injured his foot on the first day of fall practice and was sidelined for the first few games of the season. Now healthy, Thompson sits in the third slot in the depth chart behind starter Blake Bell and backup Trevor Knight. Seven games in, the quarterback position is arguably the biggest concern — something Oklahoma fans are not used to hearing. Bell tends to have “happy feet” in the pocket when being rushed. Knight, on the other hand, proved to coaches he could play in practice but has not really showcased that same performance in games. During Big 12 Football Media Days in July, coach Bob Stoops praised all three guys, saying each of them was doing “really well.” It is clear something

is not exactly clicking on offense as far as the air attack goes. So why not give Thompson a chance? Aside from his running ability, one of Thompson’s best qualities is his field vision. The Southmoore alum does a tremendous job surveying the field and making decisions based on that. Thompson’s passing ability often goes unnoticed, though. Coming out of high school, Thompson was widely praised for his touch with the football — something the other two quarterbacks have failed to show very much this year, especially as of late. Giving Thompson a chance has low risk and high reward. Nothing regarding the offense will change; the quarterback still will be a dual-threat, the run game still will continue to be dominant. However, Thompson could be the answer the Sooners are looking for in the passing game. Tucking him away at the bottom of the depth chart does no good. While the other two quarterbacks had an advantage while Thompson was out with an injury, his abilities cannot be pushed to the side. He may just be the solution to the Sooners’ problems. Carson Williams is a journalism freshman and sports columnist at The Daily.

inside the huddle

Thursday, October 24, 2013 •

The Daily’s Sports Desk 2013 Pick ’em Challenge

WEEK NINE

sports editor

assistant sports editor

Sports Reporter

sports columnist

inside the huddle editor

Julia Nelson

Joe Mussatto

Demetrius Kearney

Joey Stipek

Dillon Phillips

julia.nelson@ou.edu

jmussatto@ou.edu

demetrius.v.kearney-1@ou.edu

joey.stipek@ou.edu

dillon.phillips@ou.edu

SEASON RECORD

14-6

15-5

13-7

15-5

No. 12 UCLA at No. 2 Oregon

Oregon

South Carolina

Missouri

South Carolina

Stanford

Oregon State

Texas

TCU

Texas

Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Oklahoma

No. 20 South Carolina at No. 5 Missouri No. 6 Stanford at Oregon State Texas at TCU No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 17 Oklahoma

• Thursday, October 24, 2013

inside the huddle

column

Sooners’ toughest games of season still lie ahead sports editor

They’ll get an extra week to prepare for a high-octane Baylor team. Tech’s offense will be a warmup for what the Sooners will face in Waco on a Thursday night. It easily will be Oklahoma’s toughest game of the season. Julia Nelson After facing the Big 12’s julia.nelson@ou.edu best offenses, Oklahoma he Sooners have will get to take a small their hands full breather against Iowa State with what’s coming and Kansas State. in the next couple of weeks. The Cyclones are curNonconference play is rently winless in conference done, and they’ve reached play and have notched only the meat of their schedule. one win this season. It’s Early on, it looked like highly unlikely at this point Oklahoma’s toughest streak that Iowa State will even would be its three games be bowl eligible at season’s against Notre Dame, TCU end, but it will be a game for and Texas. Once the season the Sooners to make changopened, that turned out to es in preparation for their be not completely true. last game of the season. Oklahoma’s toughest They should easily walk games are still ahead of away with a win. them. The same can be said It starts with this week’s for Oklahoma’s matchup matchup against Texas against Kansas State the Tech. Nobody thought following week. Without the Red Raiders would be former quarterback Collin anything in the Big 12 this Klein, it’s shaping up season, but with some solid to be a rough season in coaching and a pair of suc- Manhattan. Coach Bill cessful quarterbacks, they Snyder has experimented are at the top of the Big 12 with a two-quarterback sysstandings. tem featuring junior college They have the nation’s transfer Jake Waters and No. 2 passing attack, which sophomore Daniel Sams. has been led by two true If Snyder is smart, he will freshman this season — one give the reigns to Sams — of which, the injured Baker the more mobile of the two Mayfield, was a walk-on. quarterbacks. Oklahoma’s Tech’s offense could prove defense has struggled a major headache for the against the run this season. Sooners this weekend. It will also be a good test for After facing Tech, the Sooners, despite Kansas Oklahoma gets a bye week State’s struggles this season. at the best possible time. This should be another easy

AT A GLANCE OU’s Remaining Games in 2013 Nov. 7 – at Baylor Nov. 16 – Iowa State Nov. 23 – at Kansas St. Dec. 7 – at OSU

victory for Oklahoma. If they can find a way to quiet the two-quarterback system at Kansas State, they should be able to tackle whichever quarterback Oklahoma State decides to start the next week. OSU quarterbacks J.W. Walsh and Clint Chelf have each taken a turn manning the Cowboy offense, and neither has been particularly effective this season. But both are comfortable using their legs and could prove to be a headache for the Sooner defense. In Bedlam, all the rules change. This game will be a toss-up, but will be exciting, as it has been in recent years. Oklahoma is just now hitting the rough patch in its schedule this season, but if it can make it through these next three weeks alive, it will still have a chance at the Big 12 title and a BCS bowl. Julia Nelson is a journalism senior and sports editor at The Daily.