Despite win over Iowa State, Sooners still have quarterback problems
NORMAN, Okla. - Jalen Saunders provided the spark.
But Trevor Knight's play re-energized the talk.
Who outta be the quarterback at OU? It's been 10 games and it's been two players and it's anything but a done deal.
Coach Bob Stoops wouldn't say after the game, even after starter Blake Bell left the game with what looked to be a head injury and was replaced by Knight, who had his finest game of the season.
Knight ran for 123 yards, scored a touchdown, directed the offense in a crisp manner, running a zone-read and establishing himself as a capable runner in a 48-10 victory Saturday in Norman over Iowa State.
So, here we are again, deep into the season, just two games to go, and the offense is still lacking an identity mainly because it's lacking a true starter.
"I thought Trevor did an excellent job of being ready for the moment," Stoops said. "It's exciting when you see guys take advantage of it and play well."
Then this about who should start a week from now at Kansas State:
"I'm not going to say anything half hour after the game. We'll see."
We've been waiting to see all season. Remember, it was Knight who started the year, got hurt and was replaced by Bell. It was Bell who led the team to a win against Tulsa and then at Notre Dame and it was Bell who was dreadful against Texas and Baylor.
And Bell wasn't much better in the first quarter against Iowa State as the Sooners managed just 25 yards, no points and trailed 10-3 right before halftime.
"I went in because Blake had to come out," Knight said. "You never want that to happen. I had to go in there and run the complete offense. You have to make the most of your opportunities."
Saunders got everything going with a 91-yard touchdown on a punt return just before halftime, but give Knight credit for taking his chance and playing well.
But don't give him too much credit, though. This is a 1-9 Iowa State team. Trying to gauge who the quarterback at Oklahoma should be based on how he plays against the Cyclones is a dangerous proposition and should be taken lightly.
However, that being said, Knight looked more confident, ran the ball with conviction and showed why Sooner coaches implemented the zone read into the offense this year.
So, why not make a call for next week? Why not say, "Knight is our guy going forward?" A team with a sluggish offense, lacking a real direction needs something definitive. Sure, it was Iowa State and sure everyone beats up on Iowa State, but Knight's performance was good enough to get a vote of confidence, right?
Right?
Not from Stoops, though. He wasn't interested in making the call because he's already made two changes at quarterback this season already and has a third-teamer in Kendal Thompson who fans have been restless about for most of this year, too. Thompson got his first action as a Sooner Saturday and threw a 44-yard touchdown pass as well as rush for 21 yards on a pair of carries.
"I don't ride the roller coaster with everyone," Stoops said. "It's never OK. You have to do it again next week. Hopefully it gives us a spark and some momentum, but you got to go do it."
The roller coaster Stoops talked about is one he constructed. With Bell, OU runs an offense more similar to what it has done in the past. With Knight, the Sooners use his speed and feature a zone-read attack.
And the roller coaster has led to an offense that has been miserable most of the season. OU fell behind Kansas on the road, West Virginia at home and then against Iowa State at home. The Sooners failed to score a first quarter touchdown again Saturday and had only scored 13 offensive touchdowns in six Big 12 games.
Maybe Knight's performance Saturday is a leveling out of sorts. After Bell went two-for-five for 10 yards and ran for another five yards, Knight ran for a 56-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter. Knight was 8-of-14 throwing for 61 yards. Most importantly, he didn't fumble and didn't have an interception.
"We got some guys in the right spots," center Gabe Ikard said. "Having Trevor back there to run the read worked out for us."
Wonder if it will work out, or we'll even see it against Kansas State.
Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK
