COUNTDOWN TO FOOTBALL
Del Olaleye: The week's events in college football
Del Olaleye
Jun 20, 2018, 5:13 am
Kyler Murray will be a one and done at OU. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Kyler Murray update
Oklahoma’s Murray previously told the world that he would continue to play football for the Sooners despite being a top 10 pick in the MLB Draft. His future franchise has now chimed in and we know the particulars of Murray’s future. The Oakland A’s and Murray have to come an agreement that they will make official on Friday. Under terms of the agreement Murray will play one year of QB at Oklahoma before turning his attention to play baseball professionally full-time. Murray would have one year of eligibility remaining after the 2018 season but it appears the Sooners will have their third starting QB in three seasons when the 2019 season begins.
A recruit finesses the game
Anthony Gordon is my favorite recruit of the current cycle. Much respect. You don’t know who he is and I didn’t know who he was before this week. Hell, only some truly devoted University of Virginia fans might have known who he was until he made a statement on twitter this week. Gordon is a senior to be out of Philadelphia that took to twitter to announce his commitment to the Virginia Cavaliers. The problem? He didn’t have a scholarship offer from UVA. They hadn’t talked to him for months. He didn’t call any coach on the staff to confirm his standing with the team either.
I can see Gordon working here. He’s a lightly recruited guy with at this point one scholarship offer. If he believes he’s more talented than the attention he’s getting would imply, do something to garner that attention. Tell the world who you are. Maybe get that junior film in front of some new eyes. He’s got a full season of games to show that he is deserving of an ACC offer. I have my doubts that offer comes from Virginia though.
Mike Gundy takes to twitter after his boss questions his recruiting methods
Mike Gundy has always had this unsettled relationship with his alma mater. From the outside looking in it doesn’t make much sense. He played QB for Oklahoma State. He was promoted to head coach after Les Miles took the LSU job in 2004 and under Gundy the Cowboys have had unprecedented success. Six double-digit win seasons in Gundy’s 13 seasons at the helm and a Big 12 title in 2011. That hasn’t stopped Gundy and Oklahoma State’s biggest booster T. Boone Pickens from having issues and making them public as well. Gundy’s latest back and forth with a member of the Oklahoma State executive branch involves Athletic Director Mike Holder.
Holder after complimenting Gundy while doing a popular OSU podcast went on to question Gundy’s recruiting. He thinks Gundy and his staff settle and that puts a ceiling on what they can achieve on the field. Oklahoma State has never been a recruiting power but being the second school in the state and watching Oklahoma make two College Football Playoffs in three seasons might have people a little testy. Gundy responded the only way you can in this era. He used twitter to send a message. Whether it was quizzical emojis or pictures of the Cowboys staff in front of a private plane on a recruiting trip, Gundy let it be known that he heard what Athletic Director Holder said. Gundy hasn’t beaten Oklahoma since 2014 and the ongoing losing streak to his in-state rival has prevented the Cowboys from winning a couple of Big 12 titles. Everyone in Stillwater feels a lot better when they beat the Sooners. Coach might want to get on that.
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Early breakdown of how Astros stack up against potential playoff opponents
Sep 17, 2024, 5:03 pm
Though they have plenty of work to do, the Houston Texans are feeling good about their 2-0 start after dropping their first two games last season.
The Texans scored just three points after halftime Sunday night, but a smothering defensive performance allowed them to hold on for a 19-13 win over the Bears. The victory has them in early control in the AFC South after the Colts, Titans and Jaguars have all opened the season 0-2.
It’s the first time since 2016 that Houston has won its first two games.
“I definitely know that Texans football was not what we put on the field (Sunday), at least in the second half,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “We’ll definitely be better, for sure."
Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but the Texans punted on five of their seven possessions in the second half and fumbled on another drive. Their only points after halftime came on a field goal early in the fourth quarter.
“Second half we were just flat,” Stroud said. “Just needed a big play or just needed (to) stack plays really. We just couldn’t find our rhythm.”
One thing that slowed the Texans on Sunday was their inability to run the ball effectively. Houston managed just 75 yards rushing against the Bears after leading the NFL with 213 yards in Week 1.
“They had a lot of penetration,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We weren’t able to have the lanes that we had the previous weeks. Something we have to clean up on the offensive side and make sure we just continue to get a head on the hat no matter what they show us.”
The running game was slowed because of an ankle injury to Joe Mixon, who had 159 yards rushing in the opener. He was injured early in the third quarter and returned near the end of the period, but had just two carries for 5 yards the rest of the game as he dealt with the injury. He finished with nine carries for 25 yards.
Ryans said that Mixon got “rolled up” and that it’s too early to know if he’ll play next week.
What’s working
The Texans were relentless in their pressure on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams Sunday night. Houston pressured Williams, the top overall pick in the draft, on 36 of his 37 pass attempts, according to NextGenStats.
Defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter combined for 17 pressures and the Texans piled up seven sacks, which is tied for the second most in franchise history.
Houston had six different players with a sack Sunday night and the team’s nine sacks through two games ranks second in the NFL behind Minnesota’s 11 entering Monday.
What needs help
The Texans must get their running game back on track next week, which will be a tough task if Mixon can’t play. They could be without their top two running backs Sunday with Dameon Pierce dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of the game against Chicago.
Stock up
K Ka′imi Fairbairn has been great this season, with Ryans crediting him for Sunday night’s win. He was 4-for-4 against the Bears, making kicks of 59, 56, 53 and 47 yards. He also made three field goals of 50-plus yards in Week 1 to become the first kicker in NFL history to make five or more field goals of 50 yards or longer in a two-game span.
His 59-yard field goal on Sunday night was the second-longest in franchise history behind a 61-yard kick he made in 2021.
“He’s been consistent,” Ryans said. “He’s on it. He’s the reason why we’re standing here. We talk a lot about offense and defense (but) the kicking game is the reason why we won this game.”
Stock down
RB Cam Akers. Pushed into action because of injuries, Akers fumbled on the Chicago 4 with about 6½ minutes left Sunday. The Bears recovered the ball and it led to a field goal that got them within a score with less than three minutes left.
Injuries
Mixon and Pierce are the main injuries the team is dealing with this week.
Key number
252 — Entering Monday, wide receiver Nico Collins leads the NFL with 252 yards receiving, which is the second most in franchise history in the first two games of a season. Collins, who had a career-high 1,297 yards receiving last season, had 135 yards receiving and a touchdown Sunday night for the seventh 100-yard game of his career.
Next steps
Stroud and Houston’s offense will look to clean up their play and move the ball more effectively when they face an early test in a visit to the Minnesota Vikings, who are also 2-0, on Sunday.