The Oklahoma Sooners shouldn’t take the Houston Cougars lightly on either side of the ball. Sure, this is a team that lost by 20 to UNLV, but the Cougars defense only allowed 20 points to a really good UNLV offense. They’ll provide a bigger test for Seth Littrell, Jackson Arnold and the OU offensive line.
The Cougars offense, led by Donovan Smith, is a roller-coaster ride. They’ll have moments where they look really good, like when they pushed Texas last year. But they’ll also have the stinker.
Smith missed much of the offseason due to a shoulder injury and is having to learn a new playbook. With a week to learn from what went wrong against UNLV, expect the veteran quarterback to have a better game this week.
For the Sooners, it’s about being better than they were last week. Show a little more flow offensively, with an improved rushing attack. Put together better sequencing so you don’t find yourself in third-and-long situations with a developing offensive line.
Like my colleagues, I expect Deion Burks to have another big day. They’ll look to get him the ball even more than they did last week when he had nine (6 receptions) touches for 50 total yards and three touchdowns.
Jackson Arnold shared with Paul Finebaum that the Sooners will look to open it up a bit more this week. So we should see a few more deep shots to Burks and fellow speedster Brenen Thompson.
The Sooners defense is the biggest key. If it can contain Smith in the pocket, the Oklahoma defensive front should have another big day in the pressures and sacks department.
Sooners 45, Cougars 13
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