Late Night Links: 10.1.12

Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman: As far as Bob Stoops is concerned, the issues that have plagued his teams in Lubbock, Texas, aren’t unlike those prevalent in any loss. The No. 17 Sooners return to Texas Tech — where OU has lost three straight games — for the first time since 2009 on Saturday. Oklahoma, in 13 seasons under Stoops, has lost four of six games played inside Jones AT&T Stadium — the most losses for Stoops in any single venue other than Dallas’ Cotton Bowl, where he’s coached 14 games and lost five of them. Some of the Lubbock losses have featured strange moments that worked against Oklahoma. But the Sooners’ last trip to Lubbock? Stoops is dead on: Nothing supernatural. No controversy. No injuries. Oklahoma’s 2009 team just received a good old-fashioned walloping from the Red Raiders, to the tune of 41-13. Read More.

Stephanie Kuzydym of The Oklahoman: Back in August at Big 12 Media Days, The Oklahoman asked players from around the Big 12 what the most difficult stadium was to play in besides their own. A few players said Texas A&M — even though A&M is longer a part of the Big 12, they said nothing compared to Kyle Field. Other players mentioned Texas Tech, and not just the most difficult stadium to play in. Some said it also had the worst fans. So what’s so difficult about Lubbock and a football team that finished second-to-last in the Big 12 last season? Read More

Stormin’ in Norman: Kickoff time announced for Red River Shootout

Guerin Emig of Tulsa World: For the longest time, a struggling offense could see Texas Tech on the schedule and think: “Thank goodness.” Not this year. And that’s too bad for the Oklahoma Sooners, whose quarterback is playing the worst football of his career heading into Saturday’s game in Lubbock. Landry Jones must get well against a defense ranked No. 1 in the nation both overall and against the pass. The Red Raiders have allowed just 670 total yards and three touchdowns in four games. They have allowed just 328 yards through the air. Read More

Nick Kosmider of the Lubbock Avalance-Journal: Kerry Hyder is one of a handful of Texas Tech defensive players who could only shake their heads in frustration the last two seasons, when they were lit up by Iowa State en route to a pair of lopsided defeats. On Saturday, though, it might have been Tech fans shaking their heads — in awe rather than disappointment — when they watched Hyder and company lead the way to a 24-13 victory inside Jack Trice Stadium, a triumph that pushes Tech to 4-0 with No. 17 Oklahoma headed to Lubbock this weekend. After all, aren’t these mostly the same players who finished 114th in total defense each of the last two seasons? The same guys who ranked dead last against the run a year ago? Of Tech’s defensive starters on Saturday, only a handful didn’t play a significant role on the team last season. So if the personnel hasn’t changed, what has? Read More

Stormin’ in Norman: History will be made in Lubbock Saturday

Jake Trotter of Sooner Nation: In 2011, the Red Raiders stunned OU with a 41-38 victory to snap the Sooners’ 39-game home-winning streak. The following week, however, OU hammered Kansas State 58-17 in perhaps its finest performance of the entire season. This week, the Sooners find themselves in a similar situation. The Wildcats knocked off OU two weeks ago, 24-19. Will the Sooners bounce back in Lubbock on Saturday the way they did in Manhattan last year? Read More

Ray Dozier of Blatant Homerism: Lately, Texas Tech and Oklahoma have been thorns in each other’s keisters. But it hasn’t always been that way. When the rivalry began in 1992, Gary Gibbs’ third year, the Sooners won the first three meetings, 34-9, 41-10 (1993 John Hancock Bowl) and 17-11 (in 1994). The teams were aligned into the Big 12 Conference in 1996, and the Red Raiders got their first win, 22-12, in Norman in John Blake’s first year. As horrible as Blake was as a head coach, he did manage to win the next two years over Tech. The 20-17 victory in 1998 was Blake’s last as OU bounced him out on his keister. Read More

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