The Oklahoma Sooners needed all four quarters to beat a scrappy BYU Cougars team. The Cougars came into the game with one of the worst offenses and defenses in the country and made Oklahoma work for every yard.
The Sooners came through in the fourth quarter, shutting BYU out to close the game.
While the defense gave up a lot of yards, it came through with big plays in the second half to get the win. One of those was the 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by Billy Bowman to give the Sooners a 24-17 lead.
The other came as BYU was attempting to take the lead late in the game. With the score tied at 24, BYU faced a third and four. That’s when Danny Stutsman came screaming off the edge with a free run on quarterback Jake Retzlaff. He got an assist from Kobie McKinzie, who rushed inside and drew the offensive tackle down to block him, freeing up Stutsman to rush unabated. Stutsman hit Retzlaff hard and knocked the ball loose and the Sooners recovered.
Oklahoma’s leader in tackles and tackles for loss had another strong game, leading the Sooners with 10 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Brent Venables revealed in his postgame press conference that Stutsman was playing with an illness.
Venables says Stutsman is on an IV. Says he had the flu and was surprised he played. He thought Stutsman wasn’t going to play. #Sooners
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) November 18, 2023
No excuses…haven’t eaten in 2 days lol
— DannyStutsman (@FbStutsman) November 18, 2023
Venables went so far as to say that he didn’t believe Stutsman would play in the game. On a day when Oklahoma’s defense wasn’t their best, their best player showed up and came through in a key moment in the game.
Stutsman’s had a career year and has been at the front of Oklahoma’s defensive improvement in 2023. The heart, determination, and resiliency that Danny Stutsman showed in the Sooners win was characteristic of what this team has been all season.
The results haven’t always gone Oklahoma’s way, but it’s clear that Brent Venables is building something in Norman. And no player better personifies what’s happing at Oklahoma than Danny Stutsman.
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