ShareThisHow do you win with Landry Jones?
The question for Oklahoma football in 2010 arrived 364 days premature. The Jones Era arrived last Saturday night, when Slingin' Sammy Bradford took on a whole new meaning and Oklahoma football was handed an ominous assignment:
After a scrimmage with Idaho State, beat Tulsa and perhaps Miami and maybe even Texas without the franchise quarterback.
So, the question. How do you win with the freshman Landry Jones?
Winning with Heisman-winner Bradford was going to be tough enough, considering star tight end Jermaine Gresham is gone, the remaining receivers are mediocre, the offensive line jumps early and holds often, and the coaching staff seems blind to the play clock.
"First is support him better," coach Bob Stoops said. Which makes some sense. Anyone worried about Jones' play against Brigham Young, remember this.
With Bradford in the first half, OU won 10-7. Without Bradford in the second half, OU lost 7-3. Not a big difference.
"He didn't get a lot of help," admitted offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson.
OK, so here is how you win with Jones:
-- Run the ball.
The Sooners seem serious about this anyway, with Brody Eldridge apparently moving back to tight end, which means off-tackle plays should have wider gaps.
Against BYU, tailbacks Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray averaged 4.9 yards per carry, which is not a dramatic slide from their 2008 average of 5.6. OU actually blocked decently against BYU, when it wasn't drawing flags.
Stoops admitted OU might move in that direction, though "that's always been our style."
-- Take shots downfield.
The coaches admit they blew it vs. BYU, keeping the passing game too tight. Don't be afraid to stretch the field, even with a rookie quarterback.
QB coach Josh Heupel told Wilson that the No. 1 thing he could count on with Jones is this: "He'll take care of the ball."
If you can trust a young quarterback to not get loosey-goosey, then you can turn him loose in certain situations. So run the ball, suck in the defense, then go deep.
-- Be willing to scrap the no-huddle.
Frankly, it looks like Jones will do OK without committee meetings. But not so sure about his linemen.
Both Stoops and Wilson said they're not yet willing to abandon the no-huddle. And it's fine to use Idaho State as a test case.
But if there's any further trouble with the no-huddle, toss it overboard. Just because Jon Cooper and Duke Robinson and Phil Loadholt could handle the no-huddle doesn't mean that Ben Habern and Jarvis Jones and Stephen Good can.
We focused all last year on how well Bradford ran the no-huddle, but maybe the no-huddle exacts the biggest toll on linemen.
-- Simplify the offense.
Cut down on the formations and the playbook. You can't expect Jones to handle all that Bradford handled.
Heck, simplifying the offense might have been a good idea even with Bradford, because it looked like his teammates weren't sure of themselves.
Is Jones more comfortable in shotgun or under center? Wilson thinks maybe shotgun, because that was Jones' high school offense. Either way, find where Jones is comfortable and embrace it.
Stoops said Oklahoma's style would not change with Jones, but the Sooners should "be careful how much we do. We'll be able to do enough to keep people off balance."
Expectations have to be lowered. You can't go thinking you're going to beat Miami or Texas 38-31; 17-14 is more like it.
Run the ball. Manage the game. Protect possession. Keep it simple.
That's the way Oklahoma will have to win with Landry Jones and this offense that has lost its way.
(Contact Berry Tramel at btramel(a)opubco.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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