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What We Learned Three things we learned after the Sooners' 38-37 victory
Updated: Saturday October 06, 2001 9:42 PM By Stewart Mandel, CNNSI.com NORMAN, Okla. -- It wasn't the defensive struggle we anticipated, but it did go right down to the wire. Here are three things we learned from Oklahoma's 38-37 defeat of Kansas State on Saturday. 1. Kansas State can't shake the chip on its shoulder. There's no arguing the accomplishments of Bill Snyder. He took over a program in 1989 that had won more than four games only once in the previous 15 seasons and has led it to two of the past three Big 12 championship games. To put it in perspective, try picturing Vanderbilt in two of the next three SEC title games. Having gotten this far, the Wildcats want the respect normally accorded a school coming off four consecutive 11-win seasons. They demand that respect. But without an actual championship to speak of beyond "Big 12 North," they're finding it hard to come by. And it doesn't help losing to the same team three times in the past 11 months, even when you come as close as humanly possible the third time.
"Some people might say we earned a little respect [on Saturday]," said running back Josh Scobey. "Some people probably think we're still in the same shoes. My feeling is, we don't have to go out and gain peoples' respect. You should already respect us." A true test of that respect comes when the new Top 25 rankings come out Sunday. If Oklahoma is truly the third-best team in the country, K-State might as well be fourth. But more realistically, the Wildcats will drop a few spots from their current borderline top-10 standing. Just how far may determine whether they remain national-title contenders. "Kansas State, I believe, is as good as any team we'll play all year and as good as any team we played last year," said OU coach Bob Stoops. 2. Ell Roberson is a star in the making. Jonathan Beasley spent two seasons as Kansas State's starting quarterback -- finishing as the Wildcats' No. 4 all-time passer -- during much of which KSU fans spent waiting for the next guy: much-hyped Texan Ell Roberson. On Saturday against Oklahoma, Roberson was the starter all right. When he fumbled away an option pitch to no one in particular to provide OU's first touchdown, Wildcat fans probably wished they had Beasley back. How did the sophomore respond from such adversity in only his third college start? By putting on a show. Roberson only completed 12 of 32 passes, but those 12 completions went for 257 yards as he continually burned the Sooners deep. But where he truly impressed was on the ground, rushing for 115 yards on 23 carries, including highlight-reel touchdown dashes of 37 and 22 yards and a third score from 1 yard out. "I've always known I could run with the ball," said Roberson, somewhat of a Michael Bishop clone. "It was just you all seeing it [for the first time.]" It's hard to believe quarterback remained somewhat of a question mark for K-State before this game. There was some sentiment that juco transfer Marc Dunn should be out there. Not anymore. "He showed he's the quarterback we thought he was," said Scobey. "He answered every question you had about him." 3. Nate Hybl is one tough cookie. Oklahoma's quarterback endured an endless barrage of knockdowns from Kansas State's blitzers. And it showed. Even a half-hour afterward, Hybl appeared dazed and a bit disoriented during postgame interviews. But not as bad as during the game. "For a minute on the sideline, I was a little concerned," said offensive coordinator Mark Mangino. "I even got [backup] Jason White up, told him to take some snaps. I asked the trainer to do an evaluation [of Hybl] and he said he was OK. But after he came out after the next series, he was still a little woozy." After being knocked to the ground for the umpteenth time, Hybl probably wished he was back on the golf course, playing the sport he lettered in at Georgia before transferring. "It's the first time I've been kind of gut checked in a long time," said the junior. "You don't get that playing competitive golf." Neither Hybl, Mangino or Stoops would say the hits had an effect on his game, but there was clearly a juncture during the third and early fourth quarter, when Hybl was not himself, short-arming one throw, overthrowing others and taking an 11-yard sack -- his only one of the day. He threw two of his three interceptions during that span. But he recovered in time to lead the Sooners on a 16-play, 71-yard fourth-quarter field-goal drive that essentially iced the game for OU. "There was one throw in there I didn't particularly care for, and he knew it as soon as he came off the field," said Mangino. "But all quarterbacks throw interceptions. I'd like to focus on some of the great throws he made today, the way he showed focus under pressure." Stewart Mandel covers college football for CNNSI.com
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