|
|
|
|
 Thursday, September 27, 2001
Roberson faces Oklahoma's challenge
By Gary Danielson
Special to ABC Sports Online
This is a measuring game again for Kansas State. Because they played USC, there was no way the Wildcats could prepare for 10 months for Oklahoma again.
They realize that even though they have been in the Big 12 Championship Game and have had tremendous success, they still have not won a conference title under Bill Snyder. Before, all you needed to do was go through Nebraska. Now you have to go through Oklahoma, Nebraska and maybe Texas. They realize the league is tough, but they feel as close as they played them, that they can play with these guys.
|  | | Ell Roberson has passed for 207 yards and rushed for 128 in K-State's first two games. |
Kansas State is not a grind-it-out, two tight end, knock-your-socks-off offense. The 'Cats throw the ball around. They are innovative with their style. They hang their head out on their physical nature of football. That's what they feel is going to make them win. They are going to knock Oklahoma into making mistakes when they meet at Owen Field on Saturday (ABC, 12 p.m. ET).
When Kansas State has the ball:
Ell Roberson is not Michael Bishop yet. He hasn't thrown the ball well enough. He has had some big plays, but in the USC game, they kept it close to the vest. They ran the ball and tried not to make mistakes. Understandably, Roberson's not to that level yet. He could improve to that level and has the potential to do so, but he's not likely going to be the playmaker in this game that Bishop was towards the end of his career. He's clearly the guy even though Marc Dunn has a great reputation.
Roberson has to improve. K-State won't win if he doesn't continue do so. He doesn't have to do everything. The No. 1 thing is to establish some type of running game because if Roberson has to drop back and throw, they will lose.
Josh Scobey has to absolutely come through for Kansas State to win. He has to rush for at least 100 yards. Every yard above that is one more that Oklahoma's offense is not on the field. He's a big-time back and he has to prove it against a defense that runs as well as any defense as I've ever seen.
Aaron Lockett and Brandon Clark are good players and good athletes. The multiple style offense Snyder uses is the type of offense that can move the ball on any defense. The difference of this game is that Kansas State usually comes into these games having played weaker talent and gets off stride by the speed of the game. This time, they have already played at that speed -- at Southern Cal.
|
Matchups to Watch:
|
|
Oklahoma RB Quentin Griffin vs. K-State LB Ben Leber: Leber has to be able to handle Griffin.
K-State offensive line vs. Oklahoma LB Rocky Calmus: Someone has to put a helmet on Calmus. Someone has to find him. No one has had any success of getting Calmus tied up enough, where he isn't making plays all over the field.
--Gary Danielson
|
OU's defense is not just Rocky Calmus and Roy Williams. I have never seen this type of speed at every level of a defense since all the great teams that Florida State and Florida had. Tommie Harris is a phenom as a true freshman. Cory Heinecke runs. They moved Jimmy Wilkerson to the other defensive end. Even though they say they play a four-man line, Wilkerson is a glorified linebacker. Brandon Moore runs. Teddy Lehman may be faster than Calmus. Brandon Everage is a linebacker disguised as a safety. They have three corners that run well.
When you consider what Oklahoma did last year when it was overshadowed by how good Josh Heupel was, now you are seeing this is a national championship defense. And they have the stats to back it up. Look what they did to Florida State, North Carolina and Air Force. They are not giving up anything.
Kansas State can't settle on one style of game to attack this defense. The Wildcats have to continue to probe and show no weaknesses. They have to use finesse, power and continue to use that defense running. The aggressiveness of Everage, Williams, Calmus and Lehman could leave them susceptible to play-action passes to the tight ends. But so far, nobody has been able to establish enough to take advantage of that.
When Oklahoma has the ball:
We will see how good Nate Hybl is. I have seen him against teams that can't match up. For Oklahoma to win the championship again, he has to pull out some of the games like Heupel did last year, when your quarterback is so good on third down and makes some plays because you can't run the varied offense that Oklahoma runs and play mistake-free quarterbacking. He's going to make some mistakes, he is going to have recover from there, and gamble with some throws. It would be impossible to dismiss Heupel and not expect the next guy to come in and have to be a player no matter how many weapons they have.
|  | | Quentin Griffin has become the Sooners' top threat, leading the team with 340 rushing yards and 18 receptions. |
Quentin Griffin is the guy the Sooners find ways to get the ball to. They either hand it off, throw it to him or screen it to him. You must stop him in the spread offense or you have no chance. It's difficult to do, but if you stop him, you might see how good Hybl is. So far, he hasn't had to be great because it has been simple.
This is the third year OU is running this offense. They know what to do, have a feel for what defenses like to do against them and they feel comfortable knowing that whatever they see, they will find a way to probe it.
Kansas State is an extremely physical team. That's what they can hang their hat on. If they punish the receivers, give up few yards after the catch and make Hybl throw just a little before he wants to, the Wildcats could give OU problems. Nobody jumps out on this defense as a sure thing on the next level, except Ben Leber.
Last year, K-State tried to blitz them the first time and Heupel crushed them. The second time, they mixed it up more and had some success. The main way to stop Oklahoma is for the offense to score four touchdowns. It's unlikely you can shut them down unless you have superior talent like Florida State or some others.
Gary Danielson will do the analysis of Saturday's Kansas State-Oklahoma game on ABC with Brent Musburger and Jack Arute. He is a regular contributor to ABC Sports Online.
|
|
|
|
ESPN.com:
HELP |
ADVERTISER INFO |
CONTACT US |
TOOLS |
SITE MAP
Copyright ©2001 ESPN Internet Group. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.
|
|
