MIAMI GARDENS – If there has been a media star for the Oklahoma Sooners since they arrived last Friday to begin their final preparations for Thursday night’s BCS National Championship Game against the Florida Gators, it has been Nic Harris.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior strong safety from Alexandria, La., is one of those rare college athletes who takes the time to consider the question and then to give you an answer that either has you shaking your head in amazement or laughter. Harris has backed up its words all season long with 64 tackles, three fumbles caused and six passes defended.
Harris isn’t the Sooner who said that Tim Tebow would only be the fourth best quarterback in the Big 12 Conference (that was sophomore cornerback Dominique Franks), but Harris isn’t shy about commenting on the Tebow-led Florida offense.
“Pretty much what I thought,” Harris said. “They looked one-dimensional.”
Wars have been fought over such verbiage, and it appears the Sooner defenders and Harris expect Tebow and the Gators to have a long night.
“I’m not a critic nor am I a newspaper writer,” Harris continued. “I can’t put rankings out there. He’s a great guy but we’ll determine that (how good Tebow is) on Jan. 8. Ultimately, we have not seen a quarterback who can hurt you running as much as he can.”
Harris promises to keep an eye open for the Florida receivers, especially Percy Harvin.
“He’s like any other receiver as far as we’re concerned,” Harris said. “He’s a speed guy and has great hands. Ultimately we have to make sure we make tackles in open space and don’t allow Tim Tebow to get comfortable. He (Harvin) is pretty much the vice president of that team. Tebow is the president. You’ve got to cut the head off the snake.”
While the Oklahoma defense was trying to find itself after the 45-35 loss to Texas and injuries at middle linebacker, Harris volunteered to play the position if needed. But Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops elected to use other first-year players there and Harris in his spot at strong safety.
“If Coach needs me to go in the water and breathe for 30 minutes or not breathe for 30 minutes to win the National Championship Game,” Harris said, “that’s what I am going to do. I’m pretty much one of those guys that is a leader on the team and the captain on the team and the singer on the team. Lead by example, that’s my whole mentality
Much has been made of Oklahoma’s recent bowl disappointments this week. Last year, the Sooners lost to West Virginia, 48-28, and they ended the 2006 season (when Florida won its national title over Ohio State in Glendale, Ariz.) by losing to Boise State in overtime, 43-42.
But in particular, critics are pointing to Oklahoma’s losses in the 2004 and 2005 BCS National Championship Games. The Sooners lost 21-14 to LSU at the Sugar Bowl following the 2003 season. One year later, the Sooners were blown away by Southern California, 55-19, in the Orange Bowl.
“Past BCS games have shown us when you’re in position to win, you have to take advantage of it,” Harris said. “Failure is the best teacher in life. It makes you who you are. We’re just focused on now. Thursday. It’s a big opportunity to play in this game and we’re going to take advantage of it.”
OFFENSIVE NOTES: The Sooners have scored 702 points and gained 7,307 yards this season. They have scored 60 or more points in their last five victories, have scored 55 or more points four times on the road (three regular-season and the Big 12 Championship game), scored more than 50 points twice in the first half this season, have been over 500 yards 10 times and 600 yards four times, ran 97 plays against Kansas (for 674 yards), scored 35 first-quarter points against Nebraska and scored on its first possession in 11 of its 13 games (nine touchdowns, two field goals).
On first-half points alone, the Sooners averaged 35.07 points a game. That would have ranked them 21^st nationally in scoring offense.
Not impressed? Well try this: Oklahoma had 39 first downs against Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Teams getting over 30 first downs in a game are rare, and the Sooners had 39 in one game, 36 (against Kansas) in another, 32 (against Texas Tech) and 30 (against Cincinnati).
Still not impressed? What if we were to tell you that Oklahoma lost only two fumbles all season. That’s right, two. The Wishbone Sooners of Barry Switzer would lose two fumbles in a quarter. The No-Huddle Sooners fumbled just twice, and that first fumble came at 5:08 left in the fourth quarter of Game No. 8 at Kansas State. Prior to that, Oklahoma had rushed 341 times and handled the ball 571 times before losing a fumble. The other fumble was a fourth-quarter onside kick recovery by Texas Tech in Game No. 11.
FOR THE DEFENSE: Want to malign the Oklahoma defense because it ranked 99^th against the pass (253.1 yards a game), 57^th in scoring defense (24.5 points a game) and only 18^th in total defense (324.0 yards a game)?
Well, you have to remember that the Sooners played 10 of the top 50 total offense teams and nine of the Top 50 in scoring offense (you can make that 11 and 10 with the Gators).
Consider these statistics: Oklahoma had 42 sacks this season, 11 more than it had in 14 games last season. Over the last five games, all victories during which Oklahoma scored 60 or more points, the Sooners had 19 sacks. This season, Oklahoma has made 101 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 430 yards in losses.
Now the Sooners, who scored 97 touchdowns themselves, surrendered 36 this season, but eight of those touchdowns were scored in the fourth quarter when Oklahoma had a safe lead and four of those touchdowns were scored in the final minute.
In their last seven games, all victories, Oklahoma had 26 takeaways and lost only four. After 32 enemy takeaways, the Sooners’ offense scored 20 touchdowns (63 percent). The average scoring drive after a turnover is 4.45 plays for 37.6 yards and 1:31 of the possession time.
TUESDAY PRACTICE: The Sooners finished their heavy work (with pads) at Barry University Tuesday.
“We’ll come out tomorrow and do some walkthrough stuff,” Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said. “But for the most part, it’s the last day we’ll have pads on. The guys were great. They’ve really done a good job.”
Stoops said the Sooners added a few wrinkles since arriving in Miami but that his team is anxious to play the Gators.
“Everybody is at this point (ready to play), but you have to be smart about it and pace yourself, too,” Stoops added. “You can get too wound up too early as well. Everyone’s good to go; we don’t have any other (injuries) than Ryan Reynolds (middle linebacker, knee surgery) and (running back) DeMarco (Murray) is still on crutches (with a partially torn hamstring). Austin (Box) practiced and has done well so he’ll play (as Reynolds’ replacement).”
Just as Florida is happy it has had a chance to work on upping its defensive tempo to take on Oklahoma’s prolific no-huddle offense, Stoops is happy his team has had extra time to work on the Gators’ spread offense.
“Getting ready for Florida is difficult because of all the different ways they run the ball and pull people,” Stoops said. “If you had to do it in one week, it’s hard. You get more time to get familiar with it.”