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| | Sunday, September 3 Sooners' success no passing fancy | |||||
| By Todd Cooper Special to ESPN.com Oklahoma Sooners 1999 record: 7-5 (5-3 Big 12) Coach: Bob Stoops Returning starters: 15 (7 offense, 8 defense) Outlook Is it Boomer Sooner or boomin' Sooners? Forget about the Sooner Schooner - that rickety covered wagon that rolls across Memorial Stadium in Norman. Oklahoma should change its mascot to some sort of sonic. Behind the arm of Heisman Trophy darkhorse Josh Heupel, the Sooners shattered nine school passing records and set five conference marks in 1999. Their 62 percent completion percentage was the highest in league history. And they twice threw for five touchdown passes in a game, tying Colorado for the league record All of that means that Oklahoma fans' expectations have risen like a rocket from the left arm of Heupel. "You hear and feel the pulse of everybody, from the media to the general public, that people are more upbeat and positive," Stoops said. "Expectations now are rising. I like that. I've encouraged it. I've asked for it." Stoops now should be asking for a slightly better running game. Cover your eyes, Barry Switzer and Billy Sims: The Sooners finished dead last in the conference in rushing, with a pathetic 105.5 yards per game. In fact, Oklahoma's most famous active runner might be J.C. Watts, a former Sooner and a Republican representative who is seeking reelection this fall. Stoops said the Sooners need to improve the running game to keep defenses honest -- and to protect Heupel from blitzing linebackers. The defensive guru from Florida wants more stops in the red zone after finishing seventh in the conference in scoring defense. The Sooners blew a 17-point lead to Texas last year and had to blitz to put any kind of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. But the return of four starters on the defensive line should bode well. And the Sooners are strong as ever at linebacker, with All-Big 12 junior Rocky Calmus and senior Torrance Marshall, the Big 12's defensive newcomer of the year last year. After a soft non-conference schedule, Oklahoma's season will come down to three big weeks in October, when they play Red River rival Texas in Dallas, at Kansas State; and Nebraska at home. Keep an eye on ... Heupel. If he goes down, so go the Sooners. It's a good season if ... They can renew the rivalry -- and the Sooner magic -- when Nebraska returns to Norman. Todd Cooper is a staff writer for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald |
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