Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler had a dominant, near-perfect first-quarter stat line

Spencer Rattler had a ridiculous first start for Oklahoma.

Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler had a wild first quarter in his first start for the Sooners on Saturday against Missouri State.

Of course, No. 5 Oklahoma was a massive 40.5-favorite at home against the FCS team, but Rattler, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, opened his season on fire.

Surely with pressure on him to live up to former Sooners quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield, Rattler showed he could do some serious damage this season, despite Oklahoma opening the season in an unfair matchup. And after only the first 15 minutes, he had a ridiculously dominant stat line that included completing 8-of-9 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns.

Screenshot: ESPN

Rattler led the Sooners to their first scoring drive and was responsible for 57 yards, but freshman running back Seth McGowan scored Oklahoma’s first touchdown of the 2020 season with a 1-yard run.

But Rattler quickly found the end zone himself on Oklahoma’s next possession, which turned into a 10-second scoring drive. Still early in the first quarter, Rattler connected with freshman wide receiver Marvin Mims for a stunning 58-yard touchdown pass.

And then he did it again on the next drive, but this one lasted longer than just one play.

Still, Rattler this time threw a deep bomb to junior wide receiver Charleston Rambo for a 53-yard touchdown on third-and-11. And his final touchdown of the first quarter was off a screen pass to McGowan, who took it back for a 37-yard score.

All this is to say that Rattler’s future looks beyond promising in the high-powered Oklahoma offense that regularly beats up the Big 12 — a conference not famous for its defense — even if his first start for Oklahoma was against an FCS team.

The Sooners had a 31-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, and by halftime it was 41-0. Rattler’s stat line at that point included completing 14-of-17 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

Rattler saw action in three 2019 games, so he was still able to redshirt. His first touchdown for Oklahoma was about a year ago against South Dakota.

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