OU Football 2012 | Film Study | Baylor | First Half

If you haven't already, you can read our recaps on the OU offense here and defense here. As for this post, I'm going assume you know the drill by now so we'll jump right into things.

* Little bit of a herky-jerky first drive even as it results in an OU touchdown. The unfortunate Baylor injury, a penalty or two, some stupid and unnecessary stoppages by the refs. Landry Jones finishes it off with an easy touchdown pass to Brennan Clay out of the backfield. I say easy because I could have made that throw to Clay, the Baylor defense isn't within five yards of him when he made the catch. 7-0 OU

* I mentioned the Nick Florence overthrows in my recap and I really should have also mentioned how many balls they dropped in the game as well. Sooners were very fortunate on multiple occasions on what could have been repeated first down receptions had they not been dropped.

* 1st Q, 9:16 - 3rd & 10 BU from the OU 43. Demontre Hurst drops what could have been one of his what, four interceptions on the day? Seriously he had his hands on the ball a bunch of times, but couldn't manage to haul any of them in. This particular one would have been a guaranteed pick six, in my opinion.

* If they didn't officially credit Mother Nature and/or the state of Oklahoma for that 58-yard field goal from Baylor then they were robbed. That thing would have been good from 68.

* Credit to Landry Jones as he was really, really good with this third down throws in this game.

* Mentioned it myself and saw it mentioned a couple other places as well, outside of his two illegal snap penalties (which had no impact on the game) cannot praise Ty Darlington enough. As a true freshman, in his first career start, he was excellent. Has a very bright future at the center position for this Oklahoma team.

* Nice decision by Clay on his second touchdown of the game to bounce the run outside. Looked like it was supposed to go off right tackle, but there was a mass of bodies so he bounces it and walks in untouched. Solid blocking on the edge from Justin Brown. 14-3 OU

* 1st Q, 2:55 - Down and distance don't matter here. Look, I genuinely feel bad about constantly singling out Tom Wort's mistakes but sometimes I just can't help it. If you want to know why, go back and watch this play. If you're not a glutton for punishment like myself, I'll do my best to describe it.

At the snap, the Baylor right tackle immediately releases to the second level of the defense. He can do that because our front four is so supsect, but I'll avoid getting off on that tangent. Anyway, so he gets a free release as just down field Wort is shuffling to his left as the BU running back takes the handoff. So again, this is a big ol' right tackle, out in open space, against your undersized but athletic middle linebacker. You'd think the smaller, quicker guy would have the advantage in space, right?

Wrong. The tackle launches himself at Wort's legs and cuts him to the ground. I can't even begin to put into words how bad a play this is to watch (over and over). With Wort on the ground, there is nothing but green grass in front of the runner, who isn't touched until twelve yards down the field. By who you might ask? Well, it's Tom Wort. Credit him for getting up and chasing down the play from behind, but I think the point has still been made.

* Okay, only fair that I point out on the very next play Baylor does the exact same thing just in the opposite direction and Wort easily evades the left tackle in space. Comes up to assist on the tackle for a modest two yard gain. Good play, but at the same time only emphasizes my point above of just how easily he could have made it the first time.

* 1st Q, 1:54 - 2nd & 17 BU from their 33. Alright, I didn't need much reason before it but watching this play I'm absolutely convinced of it. Frank Shannon should be the starting middle linebacker. Here he comes on the blitz up the middle, but gets gobbled up by the center. However, you can tell he's locked on and controlling his man with his arms extended, picture perfect technique. OU covers the play well and Florence has nowhere to go with the ball. As he tries to take off up the middle, Shannon beautifully sheds his block and sacks Florence for a two yard loss.

Seriously, I cannot put into words how perfectly Shannon played that.

* Oklahoma used five of their allotted six timeouts in this game with their defense on the field. I can't possibly be the only one bothered by this, right?

* Was SO nice to see a healthy Damien Williams again. His little stutter-step move in the open field is flat out lethal.

End of the 1st Quarter, OU up 14-3.

* A couple early throws from Jones in this second quarter, with the wind now at his back, miss their mark. Misses both high and low as he makes the necessary adjustments.

* I can already hear the NFL draft "experts" ripping Jones to shreds for his unwillingness to step into throws when he knows a hit is coming. We've discussed it ad nauseam here so I won't rehash, but the cliff notes version is it's a problem. Oh, and he is VERY lucky not to have just thrown a pick six here at the 11:18 mark in the 2nd Quarter. Then comes right back on 3rd & 10 and tries to force it into Brown who is blanketed with double coverage.

* Tress Way had a horrible game. That is all.

* 2nd Q, 11:00 - 1st & 10 BU from their 20. I'm sorry, Tom. Another really bad missed tackle here. Lache Seastrunk catches the ball out of the backfield and Wort, who has read the play perfectly, has him dead to rights. Seastrunk puts a simple spin move on him and Wort literally goes flying by him, missing the tackle for what would have been about a five yard loss. Instead, Seastrunk outruns a Chuka Ndulue way tackle and turns it up field for a 10 yard gain.

* Dropped INT No. 3 for Hurst here at the 10:14 mark.

* 2nd Q, 10:00 - 1st & 10 BU from the OU 29. Oklahoma is in a 3-2-6 formation here with both Shannon and Aaron Franklin on the field. Both are coming on the blitz, but are lined up on the outside shoulder of the respective defensive ends on the field. Which is another way of saying there is no one in the middle of the field for OU. Credit Florence for recognizing this and immediately taking off on the quarterback draw getting all the way down to the five yard line.

* On the very next play, Baylor goes hurry up so Oklahoma cannot substitute and runs the very next play. What happens after that could be one of the Top 10 worst instant replay decisions I've ever seen. This ball is so clearly out before Florence gets anywhere close to the goal line it's ridiculous. Seeing as this is Fox Sports, and it's OU vs. Baylor, there is no goal line camera available provide the necessary proper angle with which to overturn it. That aside, you have to be freaking blind to have even needed that to begin with. Just an absolutely atrocious call. Horrible. 14-10 OU

* 2nd Q, 7:25 - 3rd & 5 OU from the BU 42. Man, Sterling Shepard walks into the end zone here if he doesn't trip himself up. He kinds of turns his body to the inside as he waits just a tick for the ball to get there and looks to get his feet crossed up. Unfortunate.

* 2nd Q, 6:20 - 1st & Goal OU from the BU 3. Nice little touchdown run here for Williams, but all credit goes to Aaron Ripkowski for a stellar block. Rip takes out two Baylor defenders as Williams bends his run back to the weak side and strolls into the end zone untouched. 21-10 OU

* Two times on this Baylor drive where Terrance Williams has got behind the OU defense only to have Florence overthrow him. Both would have been easy touchdowns.

* Can't even tell you how many times already in this game OU has looked like they have no idea what they're doing on defense. They wasted two timeouts on defense in this half and if they had them, I'd bet you they would have used at least five or six.

* 2nd Q, 0:42 - 1st & Goal for BU from the OU 4. Don't see Tony Jefferson get juked out of his jock strap very often. Credit to Seastrunk for making a pretty sick jump cut here to find the end zone. 21-17 BU

* Another big return from Clay to set up a scoring drive to close out the half. Looked scary for a second as he was slow to get up and the way he went down looked like he could have hurt his collar bone. Fortunately, that was not the case as he came back and played extensively later in the game.

One quick out route to Stills for a first down and OU is on the Baylor 35 yard line. Really nice adjustment on the ball by Brown for the touchdown catch. Oklahoma's return on that investment has been thru the roof. 28-17 OU

Big touchdown to close out the half and completely rip back momentum going into the half for a second consecutive week.