Landry Jones figured he’d have at least another year to stand on the sideline, where he could watch and learn from one of the most decorated quarterbacks in Oklahoma history.

That was the plan anyway, but it was ruined sooner than anyone could have expected.

Jones

Sam Bradford, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, suffered a shoulder injury during the second quarter of a season-opening loss against BYU. He returned four games later for the start of Big 12 Conference play, but his college football career came to an abrupt end when he re-injured his shoulder the following week.

So the 2009 season has turned into a crash course for Jones, a redshirt freshman from Artesia, N.M., who has played in all 10 of the Sooners’ games this season.

“I think Landry has always had confidence, and whenever his opportunity came, he was going to be ready for it,” said Jones’ high school coach in Artesia, Cooper Henderson. “It was quicker than anybody expected, particularly back to the start of this season. At the same time, I think he’s really made the most of that opportunity.”

The 6-foot-4, 216-pound Jones hasn’t exactly been the second coming of Bradford, but he’s had some shining moments. He broke Bradford’s single-game school record for touchdown passes in just his second career start, throwing six in a 45-0 win against Tulsa, and he passed for five TDs and a career-high 392 yards in last week’s 65-10 win against Texas A&M.

Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones throws in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Nebraska, in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Jones’ 22 touchdown tosses for the season is tied for the Big 12 lead, and he’s thrown for nearly 2,300 yards.

“He’s done a tremendous job,” said Ryan Broyles, OU’s leading receiver as a sophomore. “He’s definitely playing like a guy who’s been out there before.”
It hasn’t been all good, however. Jones’ 12 interceptions also lead the Big 12, and he’s had some shaky performances away from Norman, Okla.

He threw five picks in a 10-3 loss at Nebraska two weeks ago, and he and the Sooners came up just short in previous losses at Miami and against Texas at the Cotton Bowl. Jones has a combined seven interceptions in OU’s losses, and he hasn’t passed for more than 250 yards in any of those games.

Jones said he’s tried to stay within himself and make plays as they present themselves, and he’s also learned to take the good with the bad.

“You’ve just got to learn from it and get better by it,” he said after the Nebraska game. “Once you learn from it and remember the mistakes that you made, you kind of have to put it behind you and move on and go play the next snap.”

Jones has bounced back well from each of his lackluster performances. He threw for a combined 546 yards and six TDs in two straight wins after the loss to Texas, and a week after the Sooners failed to reach the end zone against the Cornhuskers, they racked up a season-high 65 points against the Aggies.
Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman was impressed with the way Jones responded, saying he was poised, patient and made good decisions. OU coach Bob Stoops also was pleased.

Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, left, throws the ball as he is hit by Texas A&M defender Von Miller, right, in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. Oklahoma won the game 65-10. (AP)

“He’s going to have to do that,” Stoops said. “In the end, he’s a young guy that’s still learning and maturing in the job, and there’s bound to be some rough spots. All quarterbacks have them. You’ve just got to have the confidence and ability to overcome it, and just push forward and keep making improvement. And he did the other night.”

According to Henderson, Jones has always possessed the physical tools, leadership qualities and work habits to succeed. He won two state championships at Artesia and left as the school’s career passing leader with 7,680 yards and 96 touchdowns, and Henderson described Jones as even keel on the field and easygoing off of it.

Jones’ inner drive also sets him apart. Henderson said Jones would often do extra work on his own, whether he was running or trying to improve his footwork, and he prompted teammates to follow his lead.

“A lot of young men will tell you they want to go to college and play ball,” said Henderson, the brother of Coronado High School football coach Butch Henderson. “Not many will actually work as hard as he did.”

Broyles said he and the rest of the Sooners have noticed some of the same things about Jones, along with his affinity for taking shots down the field and the trust he’s already developed with his receivers. Broyles said the young signal caller also has become more and more comfortable with his new role and the Sooners’ offense, which bodes well for the rest of the season and beyond.

“Landry’s still young, but you definitely can see promise,” Broyles said. “He’s definitely taking steps and strides and bettering himself for the years to come.”

College football
Who: Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma
When: 11:30 a.m. Saturday
Where: Jones AT&T Stadium
Records: Oklahoma 6-4, 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference; Tech 6-4, 3-3
Last game: Oklahoma 65, Texas A&M 10; Oklahoma State 24, Texas Tech 17
Last meeting: Oklahoma 65, Tech 21 last year in Norman, Okla.
TV: FSN (Suddenlink Cable channel 20)
Line: Oklahoma by 6½

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