Oklahoma Softball: The streak continues as OU run-rules Tulsa

There wasn’t an empty seat in the house at Marita Haynes Field as the Oklahoma Sooners played the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Wednesday night.

There wasn’t an empty seat in the house at Marita Haynes Field as the Oklahoma Sooners played the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Wednesday night. The packed ballpark gave the campus a certain buzz when walking by.

It was just another day at the office for the best softball team in the nation as they claimed a 9-0 run-rule victory to improve to a 33-0 record on the season. Wednesday night was their 27th win by run-rule this year.

Sophomore [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] picked up her tenth win on the season. She struck out six batters while walking three through five innings of work.

The Sooners were less powerful than usual at the plate with just one extra base hit on the evening; a double by [autotag]Lynnsie Elam[/autotag]. However, don’t mistake this for a lackluster hitting performance. Oklahoma didn’t struggle at the plate.

OU’s offense peppered Tulsa for 10 hits in the four innings. Eight different Sooners had an RBI against Tulsa. Jana Johns led the way, bringing in two, both on a fielders choice.

The Sooners were busy on the base paths, with five stolen bases on the night.

With Wednesday’s win, OU tied the program’s best start to a season which was set just last year. They can break the record on Friday night in Lubbock against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The 19-16 Red Raiders are coming off a loss to Kansas, but hold a 13-3 record this season when playing at home. They are 2-4 in Big 12 play.

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Former Oklahoma Sooners Wide Receiver Mario Williams commits to the USC Trojans

Joining his former head coach in Los Angeles, former Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Mario Williams has committed to the USC Trojans.

After visiting Los Angeles over the weekend, it looks like talented freshman wide receiver Mario Williams has found his next destination in the USC Trojans.

Via his Twitter account, Williams announced that he’s committed to the Trojans and former OU head coach Lincoln Riley in 2022.

After Williams entered the transfer portal, he made it known that he’d like to play with his former OU teammate Caleb Williams. Although Caleb Williams has yet to make a decision, Mario’s commitment leads to the idea that Caleb will be joining Riley and Mario Williams out in Los Angeles.

Mario Williams was good in his first year with the Sooners. However, much like the rest of the pass-catchers, there was an inconsistency in snaps and targets as Riley and wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons struggled to manage the depth at wide receiver.

Williams was one of five Oklahoma Sooners to have at least 30 receptions in 2021. His 35 catches ranked tied for second with Michael Woods, just four receptions behind Jadon Haselwood, who transferred to Arkansas after the coaching change.

Williams best game of the season came against Texas Tech where he caught five passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Early in the season, he looked like he’d be a big part of the passing game after catching 10 passes in his first two games. Over his final nine games, however, Williams caught more than three passes just twice.

Mario Williams rejoins Lincoln Riley and presumably Caleb Williams at USC looking to improve upon an offense that had some bright spots in 2021 but wasn’t consistent down the stretch against the Big 12’s top teams.

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Final Big 12 Power Rankings from the 2021 College Football Season

After completing their bowl games, how do the Big 12 teams stack up in the final power rankings of the 2021 season?

It was a wild 2021 college football season. The two teams that most expected to play for the Big 12 title, Oklahoma and Iowa State, both missed out on the title game. Baylor, who had won just two games the year before completed an incredible turnaround.

There were fantastic performances and finishes throughout the season that reminded everyone of the quality of play in the Big 12 conference. If the conference season wasn’t enough evidence, its 5-2 record and a 3-0 record against the SEC, should stand at evidence that the conference is very strong.

Let’s take a look at how these teams stack up heading into the offseason in the final Big 12 power rankings of the 2021 college football season.

Bob Stoops Bleacher Report’s ‘Interim of the Week’ after 47-32 Alamo Bowl win

For a memorable return to the sideline in Oklahoma’s 47-32 win over Oregon for Hall of Fame head coach Bob Stoops was named Bleacher Report’s Interim of the Week.

When you look back on the 2021 season, many moments and emotions will come to mind. It was a roller coaster ride. From close wins over unranked opponents to the Baylor and Oklahoma State losses to the coaching transition, the Oklahoma Sooners saw it all in 2021.

And one of the best moments in program history happened after Lincoln Riley stepped down, and that was the return of Bob Stoops. Over a 24 hour period, from the Bedlam loss to Riley leaving for USC, the Sooners were dealt haymaker after haymaker. When Stoops stepped to the podium the Monday after, he was the hand reaching down to pick Oklahoma up off the mat.

With home visits opening up and the early signing period just around the corner, Stoops’ return steadied the Sooners’ ship as it prepared for the offseason and allowed the Oklahoma administration to go through their coaching search without feeling rushed. All because they had a steady hand at the wheel.

The Oklahoma Sooners reaped the rewards of Stoops –along with the remaining Oklahoma assistants — efforts on the recruiting trail and with Brent Venables taking the helm were able to return the Sooners to the top 10 in 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings for the 2022 recruiting cycle with a month left till National Signing Day.

And Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners were rewarded for keeping it together with a fantastic effort from the players en route to a 47-32 win over the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl. Stoops was named “Interim of the Week” by Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon for his efforts.

After the departure of Lincoln Riley to USC, Oklahoma needed an interim coach. While the administration conducted the search for his replacement, a familiar face—Sooners legend Bob Stoops—temporarily took control of the program.

Caleb Williams tossed three touchdowns, while Kennedy Brooks scampered for 142 yards and three scores in the Alamo Bowl victory. Oklahoma built a 30-3 halftime lead en route to a 47-32 triumph, handing Stoops a memorable win as the program begins the transition from Riley to Brent Venables. – David Kenyon

Bob Stoops was the perfect man to lead the Oklahoma Sooners through the bowl season in an offseason that was filled with turmoil and defection. Now, he gets to jump back into the golf cart and ride off into the sunset of his preferred golf course, once again, going out on top.

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Spencer Rattler to South Carolina considered ‘best upgrade in the country by a mile’

Early in the 2021 transfer cycle former Oklahoma Sooners QB Spencer Rattler considered the “best upgrade in the country by a mile” among transfer quarterbacks.

As the sun sets on the 2021 college football season, the transfer portal is full of players looking for opportunities to make an impact with a new school. The Oklahoma Sooners have seen several players find new homes through the transfer portal.

Over at Pro Football Focus, the site took a look at the new landing spots for each quarterback who has transferred and graded each move. To the surprise of no one, Spencer Rattler was ranked as the best quarterback transfer in the country in this transfer cycle. Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus said of Rattler’s move to South Carolina: It was “the best upgrade in the country by a mile.”

Rattler isn’t perfect, but his ceiling is higher than any other quarterback in the country, which is why he received so much preseason hype this year. He produced the highest passing grade PFF has ever seen by a non-draft-eligible quarterback in 2020, though that mark is about to be broken by Bryce Young. Rattler still can be a star next season at South Carolina. He has some recruiting to do on his end with some players still hanging out in the transfer portal to help the current pass-catching and pass-protecting situation at South Carolina, but either way the Gamecocks will have one of the most improved passing attacks in 2022. – Treash, Pro Football Focus

Rattler’s career at Oklahoma didn’t go as planned, but that shouldn’t diminish the type of quarterback he is and the upside he has. Rattler won a lot of games for the Oklahoma Sooners in his season and a half as the starter, and the Sooners only lost two starts with him under center.

Though it was the right move for the Oklahoma Sooners to turn to Caleb Williams as Rattler struggled against Texas for the second season in a row, Rattler takes a ton of talent to South Carolina to join Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks.

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‘Forever a Sooner’: Safety Pat Fields heading to Stanford on a full academic Scholarship

Oklahoma Sooners Safety Pat Fields announced via his Twitter account that he’s heading west to Stanford to further his education.

Wrapping up a senior season that saw him win first-team academic All-American honors, safety Pat Fields announced via his Twitter account that he’ll be heading west to study management science and engineering at Stanford University. He’s received a full academic scholarship to attend the esteemed university in California.

Fields, who started “Town Business,” a financial literacy seminar with the mission of instructing student-athletes on money management, budgeting, credit, and personal branding. In collaboration with the OU National Black Alumni Association, he created the Black Wall Street Foundation to provide scholarships for underrepresented and lower-income students from Tulsa.

For the 2021 season, Fields was elected one of the captains to represent the Oklahoma Sooners along with Jeremiah Hall, Caleb Kelly, Isaiah Thomas (who was added later), and Spencer Rattler.

For the Oklahoma Sooners this season, Fields set career highs in tackles, tackles for loss, and interceptions. His leadership and consistency provided the stability that the Oklahoma secondary needed as it dealt with injuries and inexperience at cornerback.

In the Oklahoma Sooners 47-32 win over the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl, Pat Fields was named the defensive MVP after leading the Sooners with six solo tackles and added a tackle for loss.

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Social Media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners Alamo Bowl win over the Oregon Ducks

How did social media respond to the Oklahoma Sooners 47-32 win over the Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl?

As the Oklahoma Sooners beatdown of the Oregon Ducks was playing out, social media was ablaze with thoughts on the game, the Sooners former head coach and the future of the program.

Though the final score shows a two-score win for the Sooners, they were up 30-3 at halftime, and were it not for several mental lapses in coverage, the game wouldn’t have gotten close.

After a first quarter that saw the two teams battle to a 6-3 lead for the Sooners, Oklahoma’s offense erupted and the defense settled in to go on a 24-0 run in the second quarter. And while the Ducks put forth an incredible effort in the second half to make the score respectable, it would have taken a miracle to actually come back from that far down.

Oregon did outscore the Sooners 29-17 in the second half, but the Sooners were in ball control mode and the defense wasn’t as sharp, allowing Anthony Brown to hit open receivers down the sideline for touchdowns.

Regardless of how it looked in the second half, the Oklahoma Sooners finished the 2021 season riding high with a big win over a top 15 ranked opponent from the Pac-12. There’s a lot to look forward to as the Sooners begin their offseason and a new era of Oklahoma Football under new head coach Brent Venables.

Caleb Williams, Kennedy Brooks lead Oklahoma Sooners to 47-32 win over the Oregon Ducks

After outscoring the Oregon Ducks 30-3 in the first half, the Oklahoma Sooners went on to win the Valero Alamo Bowl 47-32.

Though the game started to get interesting in the fourth quarter, the Oklahoma Sooners were able to put away the Oregon Ducks to win the 2021 Valero Alamo Bowl. Though Oregon scored 29 points in the second half, the Sooners kept scoring as well and ended up with the 47-32 win over the No. 14 Oregon Ducks.

The Sooners jumped out to a 30-3 first-half lead with a 24-0 second quarter led by Kennedy Brooks and Caleb Williams. The Sooners got big plays on the ground and in the passing game to put the game out of reach at the end of thirty minutes.

Kennedy Brooks scored first for the Sooners on a 16-yard touchdown run and his 40-yard run two drives later set up Caleb Williams’ six-yard touchdown pass to Drake Stoops to make the game 16-3. Williams then hit Marvin Mims for a huge 55-yard touchdown pass to extend the Sooners lead and then Brooks closed out the first half with his second score of the game to make it 30-3.

Kennedy Brooks ran for 142 yards on 14 carries and added three touchdowns, averaging 10.1 yards per attempt. Caleb Williams was incredibly efficient, completing 21 of 27 for 242 yards and three touchdowns.

Oklahoma collected 564 yards of total offense, including 322 rushing yards at 7.5 yards per attempt. They were 6-12 on third down in the game.

Defensively, Oklahoma wasn’t as crisp in the second half, in particular in the secondary, allowing several big plays to the Oregon Ducks that led to touchdowns. Ultimately, Oklahoma’s defense came up with a huge stop with under four minutes to play and Oregon backed up against their own goalline.

Freshman wide receiver Jalil Farooq had a great second half, making big plays after the catch and led the Sooners with three receptions for 64 yards. Coming into the Alamo Bowl, Farooq had just one catch for five yards on the season. His offensive output was a welcome surprise and provides even more optimism for the Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver corp heading into 2021.

With the win, the Oklahoma Sooners finish the season 11-2, the seventh time in the last nine seasons (only played 11 games in the COVID shortened season of 2020). Bob Stoops improved to 191-48 for his career.

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WATCH: Caleb Williams and Marvin Mims connect for 55-yard touchdown in the first half

In the second quarter of the Sooners Alamo Bowl matchup with the Ducks, Caleb Williams found Marvin Mims deep down the middle for a TD.

Over the course of the 2021 season, one of the elements that waned in the Oklahoma Sooners offense was the big-play passing game. Opposing defenses made a concerted effort to take away the deep ball from the Sooners, whether it was Spencer Rattler or Caleb Williams at quarterback.

Well, the deep ball made its triumphant return for the Sooners in the first half of the Valero Alamo Bowl as Caleb Williams found Marvin Mims deep down the middle and threw a rope for a 55-yard touchdown.

The big play from Williams to Mims put the Oklahoma Sooners comfortably ahead 23-3 with under five minutes to play in the second quarter. It was Mims fifth touchdown of the season.

It’s great to see this connection come together at least one more time in 2021, providing optimism for what could be in 2022.

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At halftime the Oklahoma Sooners up big on the Oregon Ducks 30-3 in the Valero Alamo Bowl

The Oklahoma Sooners lead the Oregon Ducks 30-3 at halftime after a big first half from Kennedy Brooks and Caleb Williams.

Though it was a slow start for the Oklahoma Sooners who led just 6-3 at the end of the first quarter, OU broke it open in the second quarter outscoring the Ducks 24-0 to lead 30-3 at halftime in a lopsided affair.

After an early 3-and-out, Caleb Williams and the Sooners scored on five consecutive drives to close out the half. The Sooners running game led the way in the first quarter, while Caleb Williams was efficient throwing the football.

The defense came up big on Oregon’s first drive getting the ball back to the offense on a Justin Broiles interception.

Kennedy Brooks opened the scoring for the Sooners on a 16-yard run for a touchdown to give the Sooners a 6-0 lead after Gabe Brkic missed the extra point. After the Ducks drove to inside the 10-yard line, the Sooners defense held Oregon to a field goal and that’s all the scoring the Ducks would get in the first half.

Caleb Williams then came alive throwing the football, finding Drake Stoops on a big 3rd-and-goal throw from the six-yard line for his first passing touchdown of the game.

After an Oregon punt, Williams then hit Marvin Mims for a big 55-yard touchdown throw to make the score 23-3. Kennedy Brooks then capped off a big first half with a 29-yard touchdown run.

Caleb Williams was 12 of 17 in the first half for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 19 yards on four carries. Kennedy Brooks led the way on the ground with 127 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, including his long run of 40 yards that set up Caleb Williams first touchdown throw.

In all, the Sooners have ran for 187 yards in the first half, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt and Williams has hit eight different receivers in the first half.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense has slowed down Anthony Brown and the Oregon offense, holding the Ducks quarterback to just five yards per attempt. Running back Travis Dye is having a great game with 74 yards rushing on nine attempts and 24 yards receiving, but with the lopsided score, Oregon won’t be able to use their running game as much as they’d like.

OU’s defense has held the Ducks to 2-7 on third down and 1 of 2 on fourth down to keep the Oregon offense out of the end zone.

The Sooners are doing everything they want in this game and should get a great opportunity to add to their lead and get experience for more guys in the second half.