Dec. 30, 2011 – The Oklahoma Sooners headed into the Insight Bowl to battle the Iowa Hawkeyes slightly discouraged. Despite the fact that a victory would make them a 10-win team, they expected to be playing for the national title or at the least playing in the Fiesta Bowl. Neither of those goals occurred but Oklahoma finished the year strong anyway, beating the Hawkeyes, 31-14, to finish the season 10-3.
Click here to see photos from the Oklahoma Sooners vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Insight Bowl game
Ever since Ryan Broyles fell to injury, Landry Jones has not been the same quarterback. In the Insight Bowl, he finished with one of the worst statistical games of his career, 16-of-25 for 161 yards, a touchdown and an interception. However, that touchdown, a third quarter pass to Trent Ratterree, was his first in four games. It also might be his last as a Sooner.
Jones has given a timeline of the middle of January to decide whether he is coming back for another year or heading to the NFL. Seeing how Ryan Broyles senior season ended with a torn ACL and Travis Lewis spent his entire senior season playing in pain after breaking his foot, Jones would be forgiven for getting out while he still can.
"I think it is nice to just have this season kind of behind me where I can actually just sit down and not have another game on my mind while I make this decision," Jones said. "As far as right now, I don't really know what I want to do."
If Jones does leave, he will be replaced by Blake Bell or Drew Allen. Many fans want it to be Bell.
Bell ran for three touchdowns from the Belldozer formation, including a 21-yard run with 45 seconds remaining in the game. Bell finished the game as the Sooners’ leading rusher, with 51 yards, to go with his touchdowns. The freshman backup quarterback finished the season with 13 touchdowns, leading the Sooners for the season.
"It's really through the whole year made a huge difference in our short-yardage run game and our red zone run game," Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said. "Let's face it, throwing the football, the tighter you get down there, there is less field, there is less space for the defense to cover. It's been a huge advantage for us to be able to implement that."
Bell ended up winning the offensive MVP honors in the Insight Bowl.
"It was awesome," Bell said. "It is something you always dream about as a kid, coming to a big game and getting MVP. Like I said, it all starts up with the line. And coaching staff prepared us this week. And, like I said, Landry just getting it down. It is a team effort. And I'm happy for the seniors to go out on a win."
The rest of the Sooners' offense was anemic for the game. Brennan Clay carried the ball nine times for 44 yards and Roy Finch had six carries for 10. True freshman wide receiver Kameel Jackson led the Sooners in receiving with three receptions for 45 yards. Kenny Stills and Clay also notched three receptions each. Ratterree’s touchdown was his only catch of the game.
Who really won the game for Oklahoma was their defense. And, while it was not in an official manner, Mike Stoops was walking the sideline. While Stoops is not coaching for Oklahoma right now, he was all over the sidelines and even made a trip to the coach’s box. The announcers on television announced they received word that Stoops was rejoining Oklahoma in 2012 as the co-defensive coordinator, a position he held when the Sooners won their national championship in 2000.
Oklahoma limited Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg to 23-of-44 for 216 yards, one touchdown and an interception. The Sooners also sacked him three times and knocked him completely out of the game at the end of the fourth quarter. On the ground, Iowa ran for 119 total yards following the suspension of their lead runner. At the end of the day, Iowa’s offense outperformed Oklahoma’s offense but the Sooners’ defense stopped them when they needed to.
"Everybody came out there and we treated this just like a national championship, even though we didn't get to make it," said defensive lineman Frank Alexander. "This is our national championship. We wanted to finish strong."
Jamell Fleming earned Defensive Player of the Game honors with an interception, three pass defenses and seven total tackles. In his final game as a Sooners’ player, Travis Lewis finished with five tackles, two for a loss and a sack. R.J. Washington recorded the other two sacks in the game for the Sooners.
Comments