Against the Colorado Buffaloes, the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense put on an aerial showing that would have made the Blue Angels proud by setting program records for passing and receiving.
So if the Sooners are capable of clobbering opponents in record-breaking fashion at Owen Field, why do they lack the intestinal fortitude to play as if their national title hopes are on the line away from Norman, where championship teams are defined?
On Saturday, the combined efforts of sophomore quarterback Landry Jones and true freshman quarterback Drew Allen broke the previous record for passing yards in a game with 488, surpassing the previous mark of 468 set by Sam Bradford.
Jones completed 32-of-46 attempts through the air for 453 passing yards, the second-highest individual single-game performance in OU history.
Jones was helped considerably by the talents of junior wide receiver Ryan Broyles, the recipient of nine of Jones’ precision passes, including one 81-yard bomb. Broyles became the new OU single-game record holder for receiving yards in a game with 208 and three touchdowns. He leads the nation in receptions per game with 9.8.
As Broyles got going, so did senior all-purpose running back DeMarco Murray. He recorded a career-high 10 catches for 73 yards, nine of which he caught in the first half. The rest of Murray’s score line: 11 carries for 40 yards, a kick return of 21 yards and a touchdown.
Murray is a walking, talking, touchdown-scoring example of the evolution of the tail back position in college and professional football. His skill set allows him to catch out of the back field and line up as a slot as a receiver, often forcing opposing line backers to cover him in space. Opposing defensive coordinators spell Murray’s last name “H-A-V-O-C.”
OU’s two junior tight ends, Trent Ratterree and James Hanna, each set personal receiving records. Ratterree caught three passes for a career-high 89 yards, and Hanna caught one touchdown ball for seven yards to extend his streak to four straight games with a score.
All told, the Sooners put 372 more yards than their Buffalo counterpart, along with 300 more yards through the air and 19 more first downs. Colorado didn’t have a prayer.
But along with the records comes the question of why the Sooners can only strap it on and stick it to teams in Norman.
In their only two games away from home this season, the Sooners are 1-1 with their one win coming on a neutral site against a Texas team who hasn’t been this bad since Bill Clinton was impeached for “not having sexual relations with that woman.”
OU has already proven it can be beaten away from home with its sobering loss as the No. 1-ranked team in the country to a Missouri team that was soundly beaten by Nebraska on Saturday. If the Sooners expect to compete for the Big 12 Championship, they cannot afford another loss this season.
With three of their next four games taking place away from the fortress that is Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the pressure is on the Sooners to prove they can win in a hostile environment when it counts. It is important for Sooners to remember now — more than ever — that home victories win fans, but road victories win championships.