What’s On Tap: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida A&M Rattlers

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Landry Jones (12) throws a pass in the first quarter against the UTEP Miners at Sun Bowl Stadium. (Jim Cowsert – US PRESSWIRE)

The Oklahoma Sooners football team has work to do. After struggling against the UTEP Miners in the first game of the season, the Sooners get another warm-up chance with the Florida A&M Rattlers. The game should prove to be less challenging than even lowly UTEP, and hopefully give OU time to find a cure for its flaws.

The 24-7 win over UTEP was a performance very unlike a typical OU football team.

Landry Jones agreed to come back for his senior season, partially to remain with his new wife, OU basketball player Whitney Hand, and also finish what he started. Of course, he came back in 2011 to finish what he started in 2010, and that led to a torn ACL for his top weapon, Ryan Broyles.

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When the 2012 season finally started, I’m sure Jones wondered what he came back to. Three of his veteran receivers picked up indefinite suspensions, and Kenny Stills was the last man standing. The news of those losses were eased a little with the transfer of Penn State’s Justin Brown and arrival of five-star recruit Trey Metoyer.

Stills played well in the game, catching six balls for 121 yards and a touchdown, but the two promising newcomers struggled. Jones didn’t look like he trusted the new receivers and only threw short yardage and low impact passes. Brown finished with four receptions for 32 yards, while Metoyer ended the game with four catches for 21 yards.

“Everyone was just a little off,” said Jones at the Sooners’ Monday afternoon press conference. “When everyone’s off, it looks pretty bad out there. We’ll get better, and we’ll move on down the road.”

With a week under their belt, both the OU defense and offense should click more. Starting tight end Geneo Grissom returns, giving Jones another target. If Roy Finch straightens himself out and works harder in practice, OU gains another weapon out of the slot. But it’s Brown and Metoyer that Jones needs to work out his timing with.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 3-0 against FCS schools since Bob Stoops became a head coach. During those games, the Sooners won by a combined score of 170-2. Anything less than 60 points against Florida A&M should cause reason for concern heading into Big 12 play on September 22, against Kansas State.

The Sooners and Rattlers kick off at 6 p.m. CT on Sept. 8. The game is available on pay-per-view.

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