First Star: Team Defense
Everyone made plays for the Oklahoma Sooners defense. Brent Venables mentioned they played 42 players and it felt like every single guy that got on the field made a significant impact.
The Sooners forced six turnovers, produced six sacks and notched nine tackles for loss. They held the Owls to under 200 yards of total offense and less than two yards per carry.
When Venables and Alley went beyond the two-deep, there didn’t seem to be much of a drop-off, especially along the defensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, the Sooners had Temple quarterback Forrest Brock under pressure on 15 of his 32 dropbacks. Brock was 0-for-8 when under pressure.
The Sooners missed just eight tackles on the evening, and two of them came on the same play where [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] forced the Sooners’ first turnover of the game.
Downs, [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag], [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Jaran Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] had their hand in Oklahoma’s six turnovers in one way or another signaling the team effort that the Sooners put on display last night.
Temple wasn’t the toughest opponent, but the Sooners’ defense looked like they should against an overmatched Owls team. When the defense plays as well as it did, the offense doesn’t need to do too much.
Honorable Mention: Taylor Tatum, RB
[autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag], the former No. 1 running back in the 2024 recruiting class, showed out when given an opportunity. On the Sooners’ final drive of the game, he had four carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. He showed off good speed and elusiveness, creating big plays in open space.
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