Berry Tramel, Sports columnist
Read more columns by Berry Tramel. Or visit Berry's blog
Contact Berry -- E-mail: btramel@opubco.com. Phone: (405) 475-3313.
Contact Berry -- E-mail: btramel@opubco.com. Phone: (405) 475-3313.
OU’s dilemma: To squib or not against Texas Tech
After closer examination, it’s probably best not to squib KICK
By Berry Tramel
Published: November 20, 2008
After the OU-Texas game, I half-jokingly wrote that Bob Stoops should squib his kickoffs.
Kansas State's Deon Murphy returns a kickoff past OU's Matthew Moreland Oct. 25. Photo by Bryan Terry
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Your thoughts!
looks to me like sumbodies got sum ants in there pants
Barney, poppycock - Nov 21, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I gotcha matt, Mike go @@@@@@@@@ yourself.
James, Baytown - Nov 21, 2008 at 11:24 am
I wouldnt personally send an email, but if somebody wants to thats fine. Stoops is making big money coaching at a PUBLIC university. You think people dont bug the President? Are your kidding? The media questions sports figures and politicians all the time, so what gives them any right, well, the first amendment for one. People routinely write to their representatives and are encouraged to do so regardless of their occupation or social stature. Don is probably as qualified to question Stoops as most sports writers in the nation. They majored in journalism, not sports. I am NOT saying that Stoops should listen to his suggestions, its up to him if he wants to ignore it, but it isnt like this guy is trying to sell encyclopedias, he just had an idea, and an idea that is used by many teams in college. If you dont like his ideas, fine, offer something better, but dont act like he is out of line. He has every write to send an email. Stoops has every right to delete it.
matt, Moore - Nov 21, 2008 at 10:56 am
James... you're and @@@. Some half-@@@ mini school fb coach ? wow.. that sure makes you the end all. Actually I talked to Bud Wilkinson at a dance in the Petroleum club and he wasn't offended at all. And I believe I am responsible for the record wins of his. Ok.. maybe not all of the wins.. and not the ND loss. Lighten up Baytown boy..just because you don't have the ###### to send an e-mail...
Mike, Oklahoma City - Nov 21, 2008 at 10:26 am
jo, u 4got 1 stat. ou's defence is #1 in our conference. :-P
Barney, poppycock - Nov 21, 2008 at 9:28 am
If"if and butts were candy and nuts what a wonderful world this would be". You can write about how many times We have stuffed the opposing
team, and how many TD's we've allowed, but the bottom line is Stats
don't lie. OU is 51st in total defense and gives up big plays in the
passing game and kick and punt returns, weak special teams, thats why
they have to hang "half-a-hundred" by halftime because they can't
stop anybody. Kevin Wilson said it best when he said, "at Northwestern
we had to score often and quick because our defense was so bad".
jo, edmond - Nov 21, 2008 at 8:58 am
Leave the coaching to the coaches that make over 5 million $ a year combined coaching. Leave the fans to the fans that don't!
Robert, Denver - Nov 21, 2008 at 7:44 am
Bob of signal hill, I don't think I ever belittled Don. It just amazes me that people actually have the audacity to email the head coach of one of the biggest football institutions in the U.S. and offer him advice on how to do his job. I'm sure you guy's wouldn't mind an email from some outsider that has limited knowledge of the work that you do, offering advice to you, about how to do a specific area of your job. The coaching staff at OU is one of the finest in the country, and people from all walks of life want to offer advice? WOW, I'm pretty sure none of the people on this board could do a better job than the staff at OU in spite of their coverage woes. But thanks for the vote of confidence, I needed that! Obama??? I can't wait for him to struggle in an area of his job so you guys can email him with ideas that worked for you in high school when you were class president. I'm sure he'll value your opinion!
James, Baytown - Nov 20, 2008 at 8:33 pm
sure are a lot of Bobs posting. I might have to change my name, maybe to an anagram of Bob.
Bob, Edmond - Nov 20, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Need to return a couple of our own to cancel it out.
bob, anadarko - Nov 20, 2008 at 5:26 pm
J, that was exactly Bob's point. He isnt claiming to be an expert, they are just offering ideas on what they think might work. If you think its a dumb idea, say so, but instead of that you just dismiss them as silly and ignorant. This is a message board, none of us makes big money to coach football.
matt, Moore - Nov 20, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Tell me this Bob. How would you teach these guys to take on blocks? Which direction should you avoid the block? What landmark do your coverage guys use? These are all questions that a football coach would know. Somehow I doubt you internet second guessers know these answers.
J, Claremore - Nov 20, 2008 at 4:33 pm
James, of Baytown: Better stick to your whistle and clipboard! According to your logic, NO ONE could ever come up with an idea to do a job if they hadn't done that job before. I guess Obama should resign right now, he's never been a president of anything before! I'm pretty sure you express strong opinions of your own about things you are not an "expert" on. Don simply offered an idea (not a new one, actually) and you should not belittle him for that. Lots of teams use the "spy" tactics offered in his (and Bob's) suggestion. Let's put it this way...anyone posting on this board could probably do as well as the current OU coaching staff at stopping (or not stopping) long ko returns. Even you.
Bob, Signal Hill - Nov 20, 2008 at 4:10 pm
put bradford in there....hes got butter vision and can see thangs happen the best!
Barney, poppycock - Nov 20, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Forgot one thing, always leave Holmes at the 50 to chase down the return guy.
Bob, Edmond - Nov 20, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I like your initiative Don. It would be nice to see better results. I kinda like the idea of kicking the begeezus out of the ball in a line drive about 5 feet off the ground and see if you could hit somebody with it. What the heck, it's not like someone may get a big return on us or anything.
Bob, Edmond - Nov 20, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Jim;
Please excuse me, I'm wrong, it's arrogance that's the problem.
Don, Corpus Christi - Nov 20, 2008 at 3:16 pm
lol....Relax Don, don't get all amped up behind that keyboard of yours!I've done plenty of thinking since the 5th grade (not grad) Thanks for asking. I'm assuming you are a football coach.... correct? Ok, since I am a football coach, and a special teams coordinator at that, I would first look at personnel to see if there needs to be changes. Second, since there are a billion different kickoff coverages, I would find at least 4 different coverages that my players could get good at. Lastly, I would tweek my coverages so that they compliment my kickers leg strength, the opponents weakness areas, and put my fastest athletes in position to make the tackle first. If they miss they still funnel the returner to the best tacklers. But hey, that's just me. I just think it's hilarious you actually emailed Coach Stoops with your ideas. What is it that you do for a living again??? I'm glad you emailed Bob though, I can't stand the way the space program in Houston is running things right now, I'm gonna email them my concerns before I go to football practice!!!! lol
James, Baytown - Nov 20, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Okay, let's punt on 3rd down too.
Ryan, Broken Arrow - Nov 20, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Get off Don, he just sees what everybody else in the nation has seen - poor kickoff coverage. As I have seen - when the Sooners kickoff, the other team will probably start on the 20 - which 20 is the question. Okay, the Sooners have improved, but it is amazing how many big returns this group gives up. OU is ranked 108th, enough said.
Jim, Wichita - Nov 20, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Yes James, like the plays Boise State used to throughly embarrass us!
Look, football is football no matter what speed you play it at, and continuing to do the same things that brought you poor results just guarantees more poor results. Now, have you done any thinking since the fifth grad? If so how would you fix the poor results of our kick off coverage team. It's easy to be a critic of others ideas, but takes more thought to come up with your own. Perhaps you should ask someone for help with that!
Don, Corpus Christi - Nov 20, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Why not on side kick it every time? At least then we would have a shot of getting the ball back. Besides, when is the last time you saw an on side kick be returned for a TD?
David, Edmond - Nov 20, 2008 at 12:53 pm
What about the old double reverse, flea-flicker? We ought to dial that up.
Chris, Hesston - Nov 20, 2008 at 12:07 pm
This one time in the 5th grade, me and my buddies were plaing backyard football and we ran the old fumblerooskie play for a touchdown. I think I'm gonna email coach Stoops and advise him of this play for sat. Cmon Don are you serious!!!!!
James, Baytown - Nov 20, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Squibbing is fine, as long as they don't automatically get to start at the minus forty or more every time. Why can't we just kick the ball high and deep?
Grow a set, Moreland.
Chris, Hesston - Nov 20, 2008 at 12:01 pm
There are many fixes for the kickoff issues. Most of 'em involve our guys "manning up" and playing some frickin football. And the crock that Berry is spewing about "more kickoffs equal more returns for TDs" is hogwash. Way to be an apologist, Berry. Nothing like accepting mediocrity. That will win us another NC!
It's either taught or allowed.
I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin.
Chris, Hesston - Nov 20, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Don't need a job, just want a better job done!
Don, Corpus Christi - Nov 20, 2008 at 11:45 am
Come on boy! Kick that ball out of the zone! You can do it!!!
Eric, Norman - Nov 20, 2008 at 11:41 am
Kick the dern ball out of the endzone!
Jeff, Tulsa - Nov 20, 2008 at 11:31 am
hey barry,
have you done any research on how well we return kicks? considering
we kick the ball off more than we are kicked to, that we are better today at returning kicks than at the beginning of the year. anyway, one last point, bob stoops needs to start acting like he believes in his team, and talk positive about playera and fans. i see not excitation from his personality.
doane, mililani - Nov 20, 2008 at 11:21 am
Oh, I forgot...I played basketball in 9th grade and was a good defender. Maybe I need to tell PJ how to coach the Thunder's defense.
JJ, Okc - Nov 20, 2008 at 11:04 am
Tru, If Bob from Anadarko gave the idea, why not ask Coach Stoops to make HIM the special teams coach? Obviously since he played HS FB he can coach because there is no difference in HS ball and D1 ball. That's what you guys are getting at, right?
JJ, Okc - Nov 20, 2008 at 10:08 am
Coach Stoops, with all due respect, track down Don from Corpus Christi, and let him be your special teams coach or at least assistant. Seriously. No sarcasm. Do it. Please.
Stretch, Ada - Nov 20, 2008 at 9:06 am
Squib would be committing suicide.
eudell, Virginia Beach - Nov 20, 2008 at 8:51 am
Here is the email I sent to Coach Stoops:
I am no expert but two questions occur to me concerning kickoff coverage:
1) Why do our kickoff team players seem to be looking for a blocker to take on rather than trying to run through those blocks? We appear to be running a zone defense coverage scheme that leaves our guys flat footed while the kick returner is accelerating past them. Also, it means our guys are strung out across the field in a line allowing the 3 or 4 lead blockers to pick two guys to blown up and then there is no one to fill the hole. Except a terrified Kicker.
2) Why don't we have two guys (who are good open field tacklers i.e. like D.J. Wolf and Allan Patrick were ) trail the first wave by 10 yards so they can fill the holes being blown up by the other teams lead blockers and meet the returner at full speed in the hole (see the comments from Bob from Anadarko below).
I realize that execution is part of the problem, but I think the zone type defensive scheme is just as much at fault.
Perhaps Lewis and Clayton are the guys that need to be trailing and filling the holes.
Bob from Anadarko's comment from News OK :
"My high school team once gave up 2 kickoff return TD's in 1 game. The next week in practice the coach fixed it by having the outside contain players on each end of the line hold up a little and trail the wave down the field by about 10 yards, turning them into in effect, spies, reading the returner, accelerating, and meeting him in the hole he chose. It worked beautifully because we were never blocked and the returner was surprised because we could see the hole where he was going develop before he cut into it. We never gave up another. I know it worked because I was the spy on the right side, was never blocked and the system allowed the spy on each side of the field to play downhill and really deliver big hits. It sure beat the kicker being the last line of defense."
Thank you for considering my thoughts.
Best Wishes
Don
Corpus Christi, TX
Don, Corpus Christi - Nov 20, 2008 at 7:56 am
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