Awwww, bless his little heart. We can't defend so the rules are to blame. Waaaahhhhhhhhh!!!! The Link Hook'em!!!
I am no Stoops brothers fan, but I think he brings up a good point. On plays like that, safeties and linebackers are put in a very difficult "lose lose" situation so to speak. The rule was obviously not enforced on KSU's first touchdown, and that's just poor officiating. The timing of his remarks causes them to appear as if they're sour grapes because they lost, but the content of his remarks is valid in my opinion.
Seems to me it's good coaching to let players know that if OL are five yards downfield, they are defending a running play. Competitors like to know the rules and gain every advantage from that knowledge. When loose officiating invalidates tactics, naturally intensely competitive tacticians will complain. If officiating remains loose ... they will take advantage. Lord knows the Stoops brothers know how to do that.
This whine is valid, but hypocritical at best, coming from a team which specializes in stretching every rule to its breaking point...a team which never is set for a couple of seconds in its hurry-up offense, a team which has great success with its wide receiver screens because they hold the defenders, a team which runs wide by holding at the point of attack, a team which specializes in signing players dismissed from other teams due to drug and violence charges...need I go on?
If what he says causes officials to call the plays more accurately, it is a good thing and could help UT this Saturday. In my opinion, the pick play needs to be called more often as well.
In baseball umps commonly have different strike zones. Pitchers have to adjust. Here, the rule is clear but some refs aren't calling it. You have to adjust and defenders have to learn to hold containment if not sure it's a run or pass. I don't blame him for complaining because he will probably start getting the call now, but we could come up with about 10 other things refs let slide during the entirety of a game, so every team has to make adjustments. Stoops sounds like he isn't capable of adjusting. That's his problem. I'd run it until they started flagging it.
Football rules and officiating has moved to give an unfair advantage to offenses. It's gone that way because football fans like scoring. Unfortunately for defensive coaches, you have to accept that you'll always be handicapped when competing with an equally talented offense. Recognize you start with 1 hand tied behind your back and work from there.
OU's blocking on the WR screen would be legal if the ball was completed behind the line of scrimmage, but most of the time it isn't. Stoops needs to be careful what he wishes for as per calling the rules as they are written.
As a fan reminded me at the tailgate last Saturday, OU used to train their centers to twitch the ball prior to the snap to draw offsides penalties two or three times a game, until opposing coaches complained enough to get officials to watch for this move. I assume Mike Stoops isn't bringing that up in this discussion.
Agree with the complaint. Also agree that OU has to abide by it, too - it's possible Mike might not have been informed on that part.
Mike is correct. At best, two of those lineman were 5 yards downfield by the time the ball was caught. Possibly 6.
So, he's saying just about everyone has illegal blocks or illegal men downfield on these plays? Normally for OU, "everyone does it" means that something shouldn't be punished.
