Author’s Note: Friday night I was in the press box covering the Sooner season-opener for The Lawton Constitution, the sports editor of which, Murray Evans, decided he needed to be present for opening night of the high school football season, as any hometown sports editor should. Not a column, just a game story, and still I’ll bet you can glean my thoughts from the game.
NORMAN — Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all, and Oklahoma’s 51-0 season-opening victory over Texas-El Paso Friday night atop Owen Field may have offered something for everyone, even those not so inclined to love it.
For instance, how can a team like the 10th-ranked Sooners score just two first-half touchdowns against a team chosen to finish dead last in the Mountain West Conference?
Or, how can OU, with an improved offensive line and a rejuvenated running backs room, gain just 4.4 yards per attempt.
On the other hand, though limited to field goals three different times, the Sooners also found points on every drive — eight straight — until late in the fourth quarter after their third quarterback, Bowe Bentley, made an appearance.
Seven of those drives belonged to John Mateer-led units, and the last one to a group quarterbacked by second-teamer Whitt Newbauer, whose 3-yard tote with 12:11 remaining capped the scoring
Also, the defense pitched a shutout and it’s hard to do better than that.
Sooner head coach Brent Venables offered a measured review.
