OT: ESPN story of Mike Leach's fake play scripts in 1999 RRR

Submitted by Sambojangles on October 3rd, 2018 at 9:57 AM

Before the 1999 Texas-Oklahoma game, Mike Leach, then an assistant under Bob Stoops in his first year at OU, successfully executed a plan to drop a fake play script for the OU offense. Texas staff picked it up and fell for it, allowing OU to take a 17-0 lead. Unfortunately, Texas was able to come back and win after abandoning the fake OU offensive plan, ruining what is otherwise a delightful story. As always, Mike Leach is awesome.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24866357/the-untold-1999-texas-oklahoma-story-mike-leach-fake-play-script

Sambojangles

October 3rd, 2018 at 10:19 AM ^

You're right, I had RRS originally but the tag available said Red River Rivalry, so I started doubting myself and changed it. The article itself says Red River Showdown so I should have gone with my gut.

fishgoblue1

October 3rd, 2018 at 1:45 PM ^

Red River Shootout then Red River Rivalry and now Red River Showdown. 

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/10728419/oklahoma-texas-rivalry-game-renamed-red-river-showdown

Almost as bad as no longer calling the Florida/Georgia game the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/10/28/13410926/georgia-florida-rivalry-game-name-river-city-showdown

carolina blue

October 3rd, 2018 at 10:19 AM ^

I have to imagine it’d be a lot easier on the road. (I know the ou/Tex game is neutral field) I mean, one of the visiting staffers has a copy that gets left in an area where the team does its activities and knows the opposing team will occupy at some point. Problem is how obvious it would be. If you do a really good job of a fake script you would actually have a couple of real plays on there. That way they defend you well on a couple of plays, stringing them along just a little bit. 

superstringer

October 3rd, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^

Mike Leach is so awesome that his awesomeness alone is just awesome.

But my biggest take-away from that story is -- that RRS had no less than EIGHT future head coaches.  Leach, Herman, the current North Texas coach (who is killing it this year, and will be at a bigger program next year for sure).