OU Football - offense chokes yet again in a big game

This is not meant to take anything away from CC's offensive recap or the countless spot on comments from all our loyal readers, but there was just too much wrong with our offense last night for me to contain my disappointment.

Obviously, short of the team bus being hijacked by a crazy deranged Longhorn fan pushed to the edge of his sanity thanks to his beloved whorns getting embarrassed on their home field by the mighty Iowa State Cyclones and failing to arrive at the game altogether we couldn't have started this game any worse.  So we might as well let the bullets start flying there.

• Allowing the opening kickoff to be returned for a touchdown in a road game, with a crowd just looking for a reason to stay involved in the game early, thanks to yet another god awful kickoff is beyond inexcusable.  So after all that, our offense comes out and goes three and out.  Again, there is no plausible excuse for allowing this to happen.  The problem starts with the fact that Ryan Broyles comes into this game with an apparent undisclosed ankle injury that limited him almost the entire game.  So knowing that now after the fact, does it make sense to start the game with three plays all designed to go to the same guy who is also playing at 85%?  You don't want to mix in a run maybe Kev?
• Let's get into the run game discussion.  23 carries, really?  Mizzou had success stopping the running game (primarily DeMarco Murray) at times, but when OU focused on the run game they did so with continued success.  Considering the way Roy Finch was running the ball, the fact that he only had nine carries is a borderline fireable offense.  Yet for some reason Kevin Wilson decides to put the game squarely on the shoulders of our QB who has unfortunately proven he cannot be counted on in road games courtesy of 50 pass attempts.  
• I mentioned the kickoffs and they continued to be a problem.  First it was O'Hara being very inconsistent and then they went back to Way in the 2nd half who was yet again unable to reach the end zone.  Way also did not have a stellar game punting the ball and at least in my own humble opinion appears to be playing through some sort of an injury.  Call it a tired leg or maybe it's something more serious, but he is clearly not the player he was last season or even earlier this year.  Jimmy Stevens is beyond words bad at this point.  I had zero doubt in my mind that he'd shank that 30 yarder, especially when I saw it was way over on the right hash.  
• There's obviously a kicker bullet above, but I think you'll agree this more than deserves it's own recognition.  I don't care who it is, but the coaches need to decide amongst themselves who is the lowest on the totem poll. Once that person is determined, they can pick up their final paycheck with HR and start searching for new employment.  They will be immediately replaced with a full-time kicking coach.  How many more games does this have to cost us before Stoops realizes what they're doing isn't freaking cutting it?  It's not just missed field goals, even as bad as those are, it is the repeated terrible kickoffs that lead to either touchdowns like last night or outstanding starting field position for our opponents.  Forgive the paranoia, but it is unacceptable that a school like Oklahoma State can have a cold blooded kicker and OU continues to have a guy like Jimmy Stevens on scholarship.
• If Mossis Madu is on the field again as a RB for OU, then Cale Gundy may need to be fired.  Sorry Mossis, you've had a mildly decent career but you cannot be counted on any longer.  And yes to answer your question CC, the only reason he has and will likely continue to see the field is because he's a senior. Honestly, I know he had that huge kickoff return but that was the first time ever he's done anything like that on a kickoff and if he never left the bench again I'd be just fine with it.
• I may be crucified for the following statement, but this offense is significantly more explosive with Roy Finch at RB.  He just has a burst that DeMarco Murray no longer has and proved repeatedly last night that he has the burst to get to the corner (credit to omsooner) another thing Murray can apparently no longer due on a regular basis.  I'm not ready to go so far as to say Murray should be benched, but every effort should be made to get Finch on the field early and often.
• For all you Kevin Wilson defenders out there, I'd like to here your excuse for that 4th quarter.  
• I am stunned that Stoops' decision on that failed two point conversion is not a bigger story.  I suppose it's because of the fact that it proved to be irrelevant to the final outcome, but it was one of the dumbest decisions he's ever made as the coach at OU.  His explanation after the game that he went for it so they would know what they had to do on the ensuing kickoff is quite possibly the most stupid thing I've ever heard.  I'm sure this will illicit the typical "So you think you're smarter than the coach" type comments, but even the casual football fan is smart enough to realize you kick the PAT there and give yourself a chance to be within one score kicking the onsides.  Even at that point, you still have two TOs and could kick it deep and pray that your defense can actually show up for once that night.  By going for it and failing, you're now down two scores so even if you recover the onside kick (odds clearly not in your favor), go down and score, get the two point conversion, you're still down a point.  Now you have to again do an onside kick, defy every all the odds and recover a second time, then likely have to score yet another TD because your kicker sucks like no other.  So that's evidently what Bob considered their best option to try and win?  Really Bob?
• Again, two more major problems with Stoops at the end of this game.  Your down nine, with zero timeouts, and only two minutes remaining and you punt the ball back to your opponent.  I guess I missed it, but apparently with that punt Stoops also threw a big towel somewhere towards the 50-yard line at the same time?  If that's not a complete give up call then I don't know what else is and again I'm sure I'm overreacting but that has to send a very, very bad message to your players.  So then after that abomination, they wind up getting the ball back, again still down nine points, and they call an absolutely retarded lateral play that was apparently designed to either get somebody hurt or score the first ever nine point TD in the history of organized football?  And that might be the defining moment of this game while also being one of the most depressing.  We were thoroughly out coached by Gary Pinkel and Co.
• Kudos to Cam Kenney for having a couple nice catches and most importantly zero drops.  Same to Trey Millard for having a great performance in his own personal homecoming.  To Ryan Broyles for a gutsy performance fighting through an ankle injury.  To Kenny Stills for his continued development into likely the next great OU WR.