(Undated) – For college football fans in Oklahoma, week one of the 2009 season would seem like a decent beginning. Two teams ranked in the preseason top ten, and a third likely to vie for it’s conference title. Two wins in three games.
The truth is however, that the team with the biggest following took a nosedive in the first game, not only losing the game to a lesser ranked opponent but lost their Heisman winner/candidate to an injury that will keep him out for an as yet to be determined number of games.
Tulsa started the college football season for Oklahoma schools with a win over Tulane on Friday night in the Louisiana Superdome. The Golden Hurricane defeated the Green Wave 37-13 and Tulsa coach Todd Graham appears to be happy with his selection on Thursday of G.J. Kinne as the starting quarterback. Kinne led the TU rushers with 77 yards and completed 15 of 20 pass attempts. Kinne had to wait through three season for his chance at playing quarterback for TU, after transferring from the OTHER TU…Texas.
Saturday afternoon it was Oklahoma State’s turn. After giving up an 80 yard drive on the game’s first series that ended in a touchdown to the Georgia Bulldogs, the Cowboy defense clamped down the rest of the way, and the Dawgs managed only another field goal the entire game. The OSU offense got off to a sluggish start, but ignited the crowd with a 49 yard Zac Robinson to Dez Bryant highlight reel touchdown catch that tied the game at 7. After a Georgia fumble that the Pokes converted to a field goal, the Cowboys would never trail again in the game. It was also the official grand opening of Boone Pickens Stadium, with a crowd of more than 53 thousand.
Fans of the Oklahoma Sooners all agree, the Sooners didn’t play well enough to win, with numerous drive killing mistakes, including a costly delay of game penalty late in the game that may well have cost what would likely have been a game clinching touchdown. Instead, the Sooners had to settle for a field goal that left the door open for BYU to rally and win, which they did, 14-13. The damage to the Sooners was worse than the 0-1 start as Sam Bradford went down with a shoulder injury late in the first half, and although the extent of the injury is still unknown, it’s likely Bradford will miss three or more games.
It will be extremely difficult for Bradford to repeat his Heisman run from a year ago on the sidelines, with Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow still in the race.
The next week should see all three state teams heavy favorites, as TU travels to New Mexico, Oklahoma State hosts Houston and Oklahoma hosts Idaho State.
