Oklahoma vs West Virginia: Five Things from Game
Sep 7, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Brennan Clay (24) runs with the ball past West Virginia Mountaineers defensive end Dontrill Hyman (99) and cornerback Travis Bell (26) in the third quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Oklahoma Sooners beat the West Virginia Mountaineers 16-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners opened the Big 12 season with a big win, although it wasn’t pretty in any way. The Sooners knocked off the West Virginia Mountaineers, but if anyone expected a repeat of last season’s big aerial battle, they were surely disappointed. This game was full of turnovers, missed opportunities and a big quarterback change for the Oklahoma Sooners. Here is a look at five things of note from the Oklahoma vs. West Virginia game.
A Quarterback Controversy
Bob Stoops refused to talk about a quarterback controversy in his post-game press conference after the game, but two days later he named Blake Bell the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners upcoming game with the Tulsa Hurricanes. Now, this does not mean everything is right in Norman, because Blake Bell hasn’t proven to be any better throwing the ball than Trevor Knight.
Honestly, Knight improved on his first game when it came to passing yards and completion percentage, but he threw two more interceptions – both when OU was driving into West Virginia territory, and that will cost OU big games when the season wears on. This week, OU will go with Blake Bell and Kendall Thompson as his backup, with the reason being a knee injury suffered by Knight.
If Blake Bell plays well, Knight might have lost his starting job thanks to his poor passing the first two weeks of the season.
Brennan Clay Becomes a Star
Three years ago, Brennan Clay came to OU and was supposed to be a big-time star. He competed with Roy Finch to replace DeMarco Murray, but then both men lost out to a walk-on named Dominique Whaley. Two of the Sooners’ brightest young running backs transferred but Brennan Clay remained in Norman. The next year, he still couldn’t make a dent, as Damien Williams took over the starring role in the offense.
However, hard work and perseverance paid off and Brennan Clay is – at this moment – the best thing OU has coming out of the backfield, although Damien Williams is pretty great as well. Against West Virginia, Clay had the best game of his career, running for 188 yards on 22 carries and looked like a major star doing it. This could be the season Clay needs to state his case for the 2014 NFL Draft.