Bell rushes Sooners to Insight Bowl win
Dec 31, 2011, 8:11 AM | Updated: 8:12 am
TEMPE — Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones came into the 2011
Insight Bowl as the Sooners’ signal caller who was garnering all the
attention.
Blake Bell was the one who left with the accolades.
Bell, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound redshirt freshman ran for three touchdowns
for OU in their 31-14 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes at Sun Devil Stadium
and took home the game’s offensive MVP award.
“It was awesome,” Bell said. “It is something you always dream about as
a kid, coming to a big game and getting MVP.”
After OU’s Jamell Fleming intercepted a James Vandenberg pass at the
Iowa 31-yard line, the Sooners went to work on their second possession
of the game, and Bell opened the scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run.
In the 2nd quarter, Bell capped a methodical 13-play, 66-yard drive with
another 4-yard scamper to make it 14-0.
And Bell also capped off the evening with a 21-yard touchdown run in
the game’s final minute. It was his 13th rushing touchdown of the
season, a new school record for rushing touchdowns for a freshman
quarterback.
Oklahoma head coach Mike Stoops gave praise to his backup
quarterback for what he’s added to the Sooners’ offense this season.
“Let’s face it, throwing the football, the tighter you get down there, there
is less field, there is less space for the defense to cover,” he said. “It’s
been a huge advantage for us to be able to implement that.”
The “Bell-dozer” has he’s been dubbed by OU fans, looked comfortable
under center against Iowa, but that wasn’t the case earlier this season,
when the Sooners utilized the package against Kansas State.
“First play I called down there was — I don’t even think — I was so
nervous that I don’t even think I got the first word out,” Bell said. “Coach
Stoops was giving me a hard time of that at practice the next week.”
Bell might have to expedite getting into a comfort zone at the QB1 spot
for the Sooners, because Jones, a junior, could declare himself eligible
for the NFL Draft, althought he was pretty tight-lipped about it after the
game.
“As far as right now, I don’t really know what I want to do,” Jones said.
