September 6, 2005
Thompson out, Bomar in at QB for Sooners
Well that didn't take long. Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops has pulled QB Paul Thompson in favor of redshirt freshman QB Rhett Bomar following the Sooners upset loss to TCU. Stoops readily admits that Bomar might not be ready, but feels like he's come a long way in a short time.
"He only threw five balls. He didn't have nearly the number of snaps and preparation coming into the game ... He's had the fewest number of snaps overall when you look at his amount of time here and he's been that close all along that we feel maybe giving him more opportunities, more snaps, maybe he'll do more with it. We'll see," Stoops said....
"By no means am I sitting here saying Paul Thompson is responsible for the way we played as a team Saturday. We had a lot of guys — mostly older guys — who really played as poor as I've seen them play."
Three questions:
1) Is OU knee-jerking by pulling the plug on Thompson this quickly? I didn't see anything in the TCU game that made me believe that EITHER quarterback has well-prepared. The only difference between the two is that Bomar hasn't been shy about his displeasure with the #2 role. So, is this just an attempt to keep Bomar happy?
2) Stoops says he's not blaming the loss on Thompson, but it certainly puts a lot of the focus on his performance, doesn't it? In my eyes, OU called a poor game. Regardless of how many men TCU puts in the box, you have to give the ball to Adrian Peterson at least 10 times in the first half, don't you? Don't you have to say, we know we have inexperienced QBs so we're just going to load up with Peterson and then go play-action?
3) What happens if Bomar fails?
Comments:
Mike said:
posted on September 6, 2005 1:17 PM — 68.35.231.61 — link — abuse?
I get the feeling that Stoops hears people dropping the choker label on him after two meltdowns at the end of the season. Most Sooners believe Bomar has almost unlimited upside, but I'm not sure the hype means he has to be the starter.
Meni said:
posted on September 6, 2005 1:30 PM — 66.176.91.139 — link — abuse?
Bomar is the top QB out of HS 2003. PT is an athlete. I was at the game, I throw better than Paul.
Bomar threw 5 passes, 2 were completed, he had a 28 yard run.
He's a redshirt freshman, PT a redshirt Jr.
Pete Carroll would say, if both players are equal, play the YOUNGER
I think Pete Carroll knows football
posted on September 6, 2005 3:01 PM — link — abuse?Kevin Donahue said:
No question that Bomar gives you the biggest upside, but are the Sooners fans ready for the roller-coaster ride that goes along with starting a redshirt freshman?
posted on September 6, 2005 6:10 PM — 12.169.0.25 — link — abuse?
I think that there may be more damage going on here than first meets the eye. While there was talk of "reloading the team", it is very apparent that there are even more deficient areas than first thought. However, that is no excuse. Coaching is the issue.
As an example, take Chuck Long. A brilliant strategist but not a nimble tactician. He needs an assistant that can do that for him. If you look at the spread offenses of Texas Tech, Utah State, and even Texas and Florida State, it is obvious that they are "offensively creative" to not only move the ball vertically, but across the field as well as running it. I just think that there is a need for a change. A “spreadbone” offense is the way to go. It forces one on one-match ups on both sides of the ball. However, since it is not likely that Stoops is going to make major changes in the offense, let us see if this new QB solves the problem. If the defense steps up more, this might end up being a better year than it appears to look at this time. Otherwise, folks, 6-6 or 7-4 will be the best we might see. Oh once again, our mighty Sooners are the laughing stock of college football.
Gene Larew said:
posted on September 6, 2005 10:30 PM — 24.253.211.201 — link — abuse?
You don't put a back like Peterson in a spread offense. That doesn't utilize his strength. He's an I-Back, he needs to get the ball going downhill and use his vision to find running room. He doesn't start quick enough for a spread RB.
Stoops is inbetween the spread and the I formation if utilizes Peterson as the main offensive weapon. But if he wants a QB run game, then he has to use the shotgun.
If Bomar had started the TCU game, OU would not have lost the game. Thompson's passing was horrendous, terrible. There's a huge diff between passing in a game and passing in a scrimmage or practice.
I'm sure that told Stoops what he needed to know about his QB's. Sometimes it just takes a game.
T Hell said:
posted on September 7, 2005 11:37 AM — 12.43.234.14 — link — abuse?
Dave if you have an inexperienced QB during a rebuilding year, why would you want to force one on one matchups on both sides of the ball. By doing this you would immediately play away from your strengths. Peterson isn't a "scat-back". I do feel that the offense may need to improvise a bit with more misdirection, but spreading the offense is not the answer. I like Bomar as the starter. He seemed to keep his poise better than Thompson when all around him things were falling apart. I look for the Sooners to rebound from the loss to TCU, but I still believe it is going to be a long road back to the top for OU.
Heismanpundit said:
posted on September 7, 2005 3:47 PM — 128.125.205.130 — link — abuse?
The only reason Stoops is going with Bomar is that the season is shot and Bomar is the future. Thompson is a senior so it does the team no good if he 'develops' this season, since he'll be gone anyway. Thompson is better now, but Bomar is going to be better later. The sooner Bomar plays and develops, the sooner he becomes good, as the thinking goes. If Bomar fails, they don't win the national title or the Big 12 title...but they aren't going to do that anyway.
Gene Larew said:
posted on September 7, 2005 5:13 PM — 24.253.211.201 — link — abuse?
HP ... HP ... pleaaazeee ..... did you not see OU play Saturday?????
Good grief man .....
Thompson couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. He was terrible. There's no other way to put that. Any success in the passing game and OU wins the TCU game by 3 TD's.
Geee whizzz man, you should get a dvd of the ABC broadcast before you comment.
Stoops has no choice but to develop Bomar, which was really what him and Long wanted to do anyway.
OU bigger problems are in the oline at C, and the guard position. There's talent issues, severe talent issues.
OU just had toooo many holes to fill, they filled almost all of them but the oline and the QB position.
Heismanpundit said:
posted on September 7, 2005 6:57 PM — 128.125.205.130 — link — abuse?
Oh geez. Don't misunderstand me. I saw every minute of that game. I am not saying Thompson is a good quarterback. But AT THIS TIME he is better than Bomar. He knows a little more what he is doing out there.
OU has more problems than that. Namely, their scheme sucks. Their receivers are average. And they have a great tailback who is getting disgruntled.
Gene Larew said:
posted on September 7, 2005 7:32 PM — 24.253.211.201 — link — abuse?
Where do you come up with this nonsense???
Bomar has far greater physical skills, he's not better than Bomar. Niether one have any experience but Bomar has the upside.
That just tells me how little you actually know. You expose yourself.
And you have no clue about scheme, you just make that crap up also.
How bout your Gang of 6 huh ?? Looks like to me their getting Gangbanged , whose gonna get sloppy seconds ????
How bout Louisville offense, yep 31 pts on Kentucky and the defense lets KU back in the game. Man thats top flight football ......pfffttt my ass.
Trev Alberts said:
posted on September 8, 2005 10:35 AM — 12.43.234.14 — link — abuse?
Hey guys, I was just listening in to your conversation concerning OU and I thought I could enlighten everyone with my vast knowledge of college football. First of all, OU sucks because they are not Nebraska. GO HUSKERS!!! Secondly, Stoops needs to put adrian peterson at QB and run the veer. Thirdly, Bomar and Thompson should play Left Out and Left Over, respectively. Oh, and I should get paid for this.
Trev Alberts said:
posted on September 8, 2005 10:36 AM — 12.43.234.14 — link — abuse?
Hey guys, I was just listening in on your conversation concerning OU and I thought I could enlighten everyone with my vast knowledge of college football. First of all, OU sucks because they are not Nebraska. GO HUSKERS!!! Secondly, Stoops needs to put adrian peterson at QB and run the veer. Thirdly, Bomar and Thompson should play Left Out and Left Over, respectively. Oh, and I should get paid for this.
HP said:
posted on September 8, 2005 5:21 PM — 128.125.205.130 — link — abuse?
Gene, you are a complete retard.
I didn't say Thompson has better physical skills. I said he is a better quarterback at this time. I have already acknowledged Bomar's superior physical skills by explaining to Kevin Donahue why he should be starting now, since he is the going to be the quarterback next year anyway.
What is there to make up about scheme? Chuck Long himself admitted his scheme was vanilla. Why don't you ask him?
As for the Gang of Six, they went 5-1 in games last week, with one loss to a Top 10 team. Yeah, really hurting there.
You are a goddamn joke of a human being.
Gene Larew said:
posted on September 9, 2005 8:45 AM — 24.253.211.201 — link — abuse?
Your Gang was just hangin on for dear life, outside of USC, which it doesn't matter what scheme they run. With that QB and those athletes they could run the Single Wing and still go undefeated.
Boise impressed the heck out of me ....hah, welcome to a SEC defense.
And Utah, hah, Zona QB makes a bad decision or they go down, and I didn't see any great innovative offense from the Utes.
Aforementioned Louisville, which illustrates the huge problem with these so-called " new wave " of offense. They keep the defense on the field and they tire. I'm not impressed until I see Louisville step up the level of competition on a week in and week out basis. Any team can scheme to win one game on their schedule. They should've been beaten by Kentucky who had a freshmen QB.
UF beat Wyoming .... well whooop deeee doooo , they had no running game and the offense was nothign more than Leak passing from the shotgun. There's any number of coaches who could get the same results.
And I don't even remember who the other member of your so-called Gang of 6 is.
You don't have a clue about Thompson vrs Bomar, trust me. Your just guessing on that one. And a disgruntled Peterson , whooo boy ......sheessh.
There's nothing wrong with OU's offensive scheme, they just can't run a heck of a lot of it when they're breaking in new QB's and have issues in the oline. One of those is difficult, the two combined makes for a challenge.
KINGFISH said:
posted on September 15, 2005 12:25 AM — 132.35.195.14 — link — abuse?
maybe bob stoops should beg john blake to recruit him a better qb...ha-ha-ha.these 2005 sooner players are his recruits arent they.he-heee-heeeeeee.now what will the bob stoop studs do. lets compare his vs john blake 2 years of recruits
Gene Larew said:
posted on September 15, 2005 11:37 AM — 24.253.211.201 — link — abuse?
KINGFISH ... the jokes on you.
John Blake did not recruit ONE QB to OU in his three years as head coach.
YES , you heard that right ... not ONE QB.
The man ran three offenses in one season.
He played three QB's on one series.
John Blake is dumber than a box of rocks and QB's are generally pretty smart. It was a clash of epic proportions.
mag583 said:
posted on October 9, 2005 3:44 PM — 207.200.116.133 — link — abuse?
STOOPS ALWAYS SAYS HE WILL PLAY THE BEST MAN.BOMAR MAY BE THE BEST QUARTERBACK FOR THE FUTURE,BUT RIGHT NOW HE IS NOT PREPARED TO START AT QUARTERBACK .COACH STOOPS DID NOT GIVE THOMPSON THE CHANCE TO REDEEM HISSELF AFTER THE BAD TCU GAME.BOMAR"S STATISTICS DON"T SHOW HIS THE BEST RIGHT NOW.THOMPSON WON THE JOB AND THEN GOT IT SNATCHED AFTER ONE GAME.IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS A JOKE TO BEGIN WITH.OU DON"T DESERVE TO WIN THIS YEAR .PAUL WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE BENCH FOR 3 YEARS I GUESS.I THINK IT WAS PROMISED TO BOMAR EARLIER.
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boifromtroy said:
posted on September 6, 2005 1:07 PM — 66.134.232.250 — link — abuse?"What happens if Bomar fails?"
UCLA gets a 3-0 start!