Oklahoma-TCU GameDay: X-Factors
John Hoover: Play Special
Just like Kansas State did, TCU has an inherent advantage on special teams: his name is Derius Davis. Coach Brent Venables said Davis might be the fastest player the Sooners face this season, and Davis is special. Like KaVontae Turpin before him, Davis excels at runbacks, scoring on a 60-yard punt return in the opener against Colorado (his school-record tying fourth), scoring on a 100-yard kickoff return last year against West Virginia and running back a kickoff 57 yards last week at SMU. If Oklahoma isn’t disciplined or can’t kick the ball away from Davis, he’ll make the Sooners play — just like Kansas State’s Malik Knowles has each of the last two meetings (93-yard TD last year, a 58-yard return last week).
Ryan Chapman: Limiting Mistakes
Last week, the Sooners committed 11 penalties totaling 87 yards against Kansas State. But it wasn’t just the quantity of flags that hurt Oklahoma. OU seemed to find the exact wrong time to commit mental errors. A holding call on Chris Murray stalled out OU’s first drive of the second half. The Sooners subbed late on a fourth-and-4 and got hit with a delay of game. OU had back-to-back false starts that turned a potential fourth down conversion into a long field goal. And all of that happened at home with the fans on the side of the Sooners. Brent Venables’ team played a relatively clean game two weeks ago in Lincoln, NE, and they need to play another one on Saturday and make the TCU defense beat the Oklahoma offense drive after drive.
Josh Callaway: Confidence
After an offseason where most nationally threw dirt on Oklahoma, the Sooners responded with a fantastic first three weeks of the season — especially on the defensive side. The days of OU being all offense and no defense were apparently over, as Brent Venables' impact was obvious immediately with the Sooners allowing just 30 total points in three games and wreaking havoc in the backfield. And then the Kansas State game happened. Now, the fear is nothing substantial has really changed from a year ago. That fear is surely felt within the locker room as well. The confidence has to be at least partially shaken for a group of guys who had thought a corner had been turned prior to Adrian Martinez's heroics last weekend. It would be huge for Oklahoma to get off a strong start on Saturday to recapture some of that confidence. A big turnover, or even just a big sack, a three-and-out — something, anything to get the players believing again is sorely needed. On the flip side, if TCU comes out and tacks on a couple quick scores, that fear will likely return. The Sooners playing with confidence could make all the difference on Saturday.
Ross Lovelace: Pressure on the QB
Oklahoma’s defense is at its best when the ends are in the backfield, forcing the quarterback to make split decisions. Against Kansas State, Adrian Martinez had all day to throw the ball, consistently beating the Sooners late in the play. Both Reggie Grimes and Ethan Downs were effectively shut down last week by the Wildcats, and Oklahoma’s defensive line clearly struggled because of it. The talent is there, but the Sooners need to find a way into the backfield. Max Duggan is a strong runner, but is also one of the better passers the Sooners have faced to this point. If he has time to work in the pocket, he’s going to make Oklahoma pay. In just two starts and one relief appearance, Duggan has accounted for 695 yards and eight touchdowns, with zero interceptions.
