Brent Venables will go to sleep a happy man tonight. His first game as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners was a comfortable 45-13 win over the UTEP Miners.
Oklahoma hit the ground running and showcased the offensive tempo we heard so much about that will undoubtedly cause problems for other programs on OU’s schedule.
The defense came out flying, recording multiple stops on defense, and Oklahoma jumped out to a 21-point lead by the end of the first quarter.
Transfer quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] looked razor sharp and in control as he completed 15 of 23 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns to go along with one rushing score. He showed off his athleticism on his first score as a Sooner when he kept the ball on a zone read play call and found his way into the end zone.
Both of Gabriel’s touchdown passes went to fifth-year senior tight end [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], who had three receptions for 40 yards and two touchdowns.
𝗤𝗕𝟭 with TD #️⃣1️⃣@_dillongabriel_ | 📺 FOXpic.twitter.com/1UR1tKqPLr
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 3, 2022
Willis is taking over ask the starting tight end after being a tight-end full-back hybrid for the last few years under Lincoln Riley.
An end-around to walk-on freshman wide receiver [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] turned into a 46-yard rushing touchdown that electrified the crowd.
WOW 😱
Gavin Freeman just took OFF in this TD run for @OU_Football pic.twitter.com/V3i8UgoGUN
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 3, 2022
The Sooners’ tempo was a noticeable change from how things had operated in recent years, as the first three scoring drives for the Sooners were under two minutes long. They were moving at warp speed, affecting the UTEP defense as they struggled to substitute and get lined up properly.
Both teams would settle in, and UTEP would eventually find the scoreboard to make it 21-10 late second quarter.
After going flat for a few drives offensively and defensively, Oklahoma tacked on another touchdown before the half to go in up 18 and never looked back.
The Sooners came out of the locker room in a bullying mood as their defense began to hit a little harder, and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby was adamant about using his offensive line to just punish UTEP’s front by running the ball. The Sooners would finish with 259 yards rushing. Oklahoma averaged 8.1 yards per play and 6.8 yards per carry.
Eric Gray led the way with 102 yards on 16 carries, and Marcus Major added seven carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, it was clear early on that Oklahoma didn’t want to give away any of their best defensive looks and coverages with much more challenging and meaningful opponents on the schedule.
They played off zone coverage much of the game and hardly did anything exotic with their blitz packages. Reggie Grimes made a statement during the game with his performance, as he ended up with 2.5 sacks in the first half. His sack at the end of the first half potentially took points off the scoreboard for the Miners.
Linebacker Danny Stutsman was an enforcer, laying heavy hits that were audible to the crowd. The defensive backs had solid games all around, with sophomore Billy Bowman breaking up a pass and playing tight coverage all day. Stutsman and Bowman tied for the team lead with nine total tackles on the afternoon.
True freshman R Mason Thomas used the opportunities he was given and even recorded half a sack. Fellow true freshman Gentry Williams shut down a UTEP scoring threat at the end of the game with an interception in the end zone.
The Sooners’ defense finished the game with six sacks and nine tackles for loss to help Oklahoma start the season 1-0. Oklahoma’s physicality on both sides of the ball offensively were the difference as the Sooners start this 2022 campaign on a winning note. They’ll host Kent State on September 10.
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