Wednesday, August 23, 2006
ADRIAN PETERSON=BIONIC MAN?
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The preseason reaches its nadir in the heat-soaked days just before games begin, as the months-long speculation, mundanity of practice and heat boil over into unattainable projections of grandeur. Sometimes this rears its head in the form of people allowing themselves to be talked into something like, "Anthony Morelli is going to lead us to 11-2" or "Nate Longshore is the next Matt Mauck." Other times, fans may tend to overestimate just how good awesome players we already know really are.
In today's "Ted Ginn could score a touchdown on every play" news, The Oklahoman reports that Bob Stoops believes Adrian Peterson "needs to get a significant number of carries" every game. Which is not news, especially now that Rhett Bomar is gone, even if, as Stoops projected, AP would become the first Bowl Subdivision player to average 30 carries a game since LaDainian Tomlinson, and the first Sooner to ever reach that mark.
The item's noteworthiness goes up a bit, however, depending on your definition of "a significant number of carries":
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Can only handle 20 carries a game without the helmet
Tastily-named writer Berry Tramel is right that "a defense will let [Paul] Thompson throw eight touchdown passes before it will let Peterson get 60 carries," but even he can't help from also admitting, "...Peterson is unbridled. You could do him more harm than good by limiting his carries. He seems capable of most any workload. A physical freak. He's like an old-school pitcher who scoffs at the notion of relief. Bob Gibson in shoulder pads." New offensive coordinator KevinThompsonWilson [the quarterback's Thompson, Mr. Careless - ed. I know that, dammit], he of the misdirecting Northwestern spread philosophy, said little to dispel the idea of the Neverending 33 Iso:
SMQ can't help but admire Peterson's confidence and youthful hyperbole run amok in the face of nine-man boxes. Five hundred carries, 2,500 yards, no problem. Gimme the ball. Gimme gimme gimme.
If Oklahoma's smart, they will - and, of course, they are, and they will. But not that much. Throw for the eight touchdowns.
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11:53 AM
Comments:
I am the next Matt Mauck.
That's amazing to me (Great article as always by the way), that Billy Sims never got it 30 times a game. It felt like it in the other camp, at least. Of course I guess since it always seemed like it was 4 carries 70 yards and then a water break that makes sense.
If they give AP the ball more then 40 times (Including screens) in any game other then Oregon & Texas, they've gone cracker crazy in Norman. You gotta keep him fresh. I thought that was the whole point in bringing in DeMarco Murray to be the change of pace guy.
Anyway, great stuff as always.
That's amazing to me (Great article as always by the way), that Billy Sims never got it 30 times a game. It felt like it in the other camp, at least. Of course I guess since it always seemed like it was 4 carries 70 yards and then a water break that makes sense.
If they give AP the ball more then 40 times (Including screens) in any game other then Oregon & Texas, they've gone cracker crazy in Norman. You gotta keep him fresh. I thought that was the whole point in bringing in DeMarco Murray to be the change of pace guy.
Anyway, great stuff as always.
# posted by 
: 3:26 PM
: 3:26 PM
Great story. Thanks for the post on the best running back in America.
By the way it's Kevin Wilson not Kevin Thompson.
Keep up the good work.
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By the way it's Kevin Wilson not Kevin Thompson.
Keep up the good work.
