Tag: 2021 Week 2

Oklahoma moves up in latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

The Oklahoma Sooners climbed a spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after their manhandling of Western Carolina 76-0.

After falling back in the polls after a lackluster win over Tulane, the Oklahoma Sooners restored a little bit of confidence in the voters with their 76-0 drubbing of FCS Western Carolina.

In the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, the Sooners inched ahead to number three in the poll on the back of Spencer Rattler’s five-touchdown first-half performance on Saturday evening.

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The Alabama Crimson Tide remains the number one team in the country and garnered 64 of the possible 65 first-place votes. Georgia, who remains number two, picked up the remaining first-place vote after their win.

Oregon climbed seven spots after their win over the previous no. 3 team in the country Ohio State. Texas fell out of the Top 25 after their double-digit point loss to Arkansas in a battle of future SEC foes. Arkansas was a big winner in the poll, climbing 20 spots to no. 24.

Iowa State dropped four spots in their loss to in-state rival Iowa and Oklahoma State moved up one spot after rallying to beat Tulsa.

The story of this week’s poll is the bottom falling out of Texas, Florida State, USC, and Utah, and Miami after some bad losses this week. USC fell to San Diego State and Florida State lost on a hail mary to Jacksonville State in the closing seconds. Utah lost an in-state matchup to future Big 12 member BYU and Miami beat Appalachian State but didn’t look good in the process.

Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Points Change
1 Alabama 1,624 –
2 Georgia 1,558 –
3 Oklahoma 1,454 +1
4 Oregon 1,356 +7
5 Texas A&M 1,307 –
6 Clemson 1,279 –
7 Iowa 1,165 +5
8 Cincinnati 1,114 –
9 Florida 1,095 –
10 Notre Dame 1,059 -3
11 Ohio State 1,041 -8
12 Penn State 995 +1
13 UCLA 787 +3
14 Iowa State 611 -4
15 Virginia Tech 591 +6
16 Ole Miss 546 +4
17 Wisconsin 537 –
18 Coastal Carolina 492 +1
19 North Carolina 300 +3
20 Auburn 264 +6
21 Arizona State 246 +4
22 Oklahoma State 222 +1
23 BYU 213 +8
24 Arkansas 196 +20
25 Michigan 180 +2

Dropped from the rankings:

No. 14 Southern California; No. 15 Texas; No. 18 Utah; No. 24 Miami.

Others receiving votes:

Miami 137; Southern California 99; Central Florida 65; Michigan State 63; Liberty 63; Texas Christian 57; Pittsburgh 52; Kentucky 50; Utah 41; Texas 36; Kansas State 28; Indiana 28; Louisiana State 26; Boston College 22; Nevada 18; Fresno State 13; Southern Methodist 10; Rutgers 10; UL Lafayette 9; San Diego State 9; Mississippi State 9; Army 9; Tulane 6; Maryland 6; San Jose State 5; NC State 5; Virginia 4; Marshall 4; Stanford 3; Air Force 3; Texas-San Antonio 1; Memphis 1; Boise State 1.

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5 takeaways from the Sooners 76-0 win over Western Carolina

There was a lot to like from the Sooners dominant performance over WCU. Both the offense and defense did what they wanted in the 76-0 win.

There was a lot to like in the Oklahoma Sooners 76-0 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday. The offense had their way with the WCU defense and the the OU defense kept the Catamounts from mounting any serious offensives.

There were touchdowns for everyone and the defense forced three turnovers and recorded four sacks.

Most importantly, after building a huge halftime lead, the Sooners didn’t let up. The backups were relentless in the second half of the game, flying around the football and making plays.

It was encouraging to see both the offense and defense put it on Western Carolina after the second half let down they endured last week.

With that, here are five takeaways from last night’s game.

Oklahoma Sooners rolling, lead Western Carolina 45-0 at half

The Oklahoma Sooners dominated the first half vs. Western Carolina University 45-0 led by Spencer Rattler’s five touchdown passes.

Everything’s working for the Oklahoma Sooners tonight against Western Carolina. After the second-half lull that allowed Tulane to come back and make it a game last week, the Sooners are doing everything they want against the Catamounts and lead 45-0.

Spencer Rattler’s thrown for 243 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Sooners to an impressive first half against their FCS opponent. The Heisman Trophy contender has completed passes to 11 different receivers in the first half and true freshman Mario Williams leads the Sooners receiving corps with four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown, his second of the season. Jaden Haselwood scored two touchdowns and Mike Woods added one as well as the Sooners showed off their impressive wide receiver depth.

After a lackluster debut, Tennessee transfer Eric Gray broke out in a big way with nine carries for 74 yards and one reception for 20 yards and a touchdown. Kennedy Brooks added six carries, 48 yards, and his second touchdown of the season.

The Sooners offense collected 398 total yards and 22 first downs. As dominant as they were, the defense was equally dominant in the first half, limiting the Catamounts to just 68 total yards and three first downs.

The Sooners run defense was excellent, holding Western Carolina to -4 yards rushing in the first. They sacked Western Carolina quarterback Rogan Wells three times on the way to a first-half shutout.

As the Sooners get ready to play the second half, the only questions left to answer are: can they keep the shutout alive? How much will the underclassmen play? And how much will we see true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams?

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What you need to know to get ready for Oklahoma vs. Western Carolina

As the Oklahoma Sooners get ready to take on the Western Carolina Catamounts, here’s what you need to know to get ready for tonight’s game.

The Oklahoma Sooners face the Western Carolina Catamounts today with an opportunity to start the season 2-0. Coming off a win over Tulane, the Sooners have some things to correct before facing the Nebraska Cornhuskers next week.

The most important aspect has to be their mentality. As Lincoln Riley admitted in his postgame press conference, the Sooners didn’t have the right mentality coming out of halftime. OU needs to find an edge and mentality that will carry them for 60 minutes. It’s not enough to have a dominant quarter as they did in the second quarter of week one. For the Oklahoma Sooners to achieve the goals they’ve set before themselves, they need to play for a full 60 minutes and play relentless football.

Though it’s a significant step up in competition for the Catamounts, their quarterback Rogan Wells is an experienced player that could pose some problems for the Sooners’ defense. An athletic player, it’ll be important to get pressure on him early and finish with sacks. Getting pressure on Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt wasn’t the problem, containing him was.

The Sooners can’t let the Catamounts get comfortable on Owen Field. On offense, they have to finish drives. Against a team like Western Carolina, kicking five field goals might be enough, but that won’t carry them through the rest of the schedule. This team has to score touchdowns at a better rate.

As you get ready for tonight’s matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Western Carolina Catamounts, here are the top storylines to get you ready for kickoff.

A bold prediction about the Sooners’ offense entering week 2

Oklahoma needs to sharpen its passing game and rushing attack against the Catamounts in week 2. But a big game by this Sooner could be the most helpful.

After what should have been Spencer Rattlers’ third interception against the Green Wave, Oklahoma tried to calm its quarterback down with back-to-back run calls with five minutes remaining in the game. 

At this moment in time, ground production could have sealed the Sooners’ win. Positive runs on first and second down would continue to drain the clock, place Tulane’s physical defense on its heels, and significantly improve Oklahoma’s chances of delivering the kill shot. 

Instead, Tulane neutralized Eric Gray on first down, and Kennedy Brooks ran into an iron curtain for a three-yard loss on the proceeding play. The Green Wave would then knock away Rattlers’ pass intended for Mike Woods before forcing the Sooners into a missed field goal attempt from the Tulane 14.

Brooks still muscled his way into 87 yards and a touchdown in his first game back after opting out of the 2020 season. However, outside of the second quarter, Tulane dictated most of OU’s ground production. Lincoln Riley and OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh can’t be happy with the offensive line’s inability to establish the run in crucial moments. 

That’s why the ground game is the focus of this week’s bold prediction. I believe the Sooners will take a vested interest in establishing the run against Western Carolina and that Eric Gray will pass the century mark.

Everyone will benefit if OU emphasizes its rushing attack tomorrow. It would allow Spencer Rattler to ease into the game and alleviate his desire to sling passes into double coverage. Additionally, it would give the coaches a better look at Eric Gray. The Sooners have high hopes for the Tennesse transfer, but an inconsistent effort from the offensive line didn’t allow Gray to pop on the game tape. Gray had a pedestrian performance against Tulane as he rushed nine times for just 28 yards.

I expect Gray to be a prominent feature in tomorrow’s game plan. Not just to amend last week’s shortcomings but also because a strong running game is a promising avenue to success against WCU. 

The Catamounts did an admirable job against the run versus Eastern Kentucky. They surrendered just 81 yards on 22 attempts to EKU’s Da’Jou Hewitt. But the Eastern Kentucky Colonels are not on the same level as the Oklahoma Sooners. The Crimson and Cream outweigh WCU by an average of 56 pounds in the trenches. So if OU can’t establish the run when necessary against the Catamounts, it will be unlikely to do so all season.

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of my bold prediction coming true is the fact that there is only one football. Lincoln Riley reinforced to the media this week that walk-on running backs Todd Hudson and Jaden Knowles still have a place within the offense. Their inclusion in tomorrow’s game plan alongside Kennedy Brooks could reduce Gray’s touches and his ability to rush for 100+ yards. 

Brooks will continue to get his reps. As he should, he deserves every one of them. But he proved last week he’s the same caliber of runner he was in 2019. It would be most helpful if Eric Gray is the running back who makes a statement this week. Whether he does it off 15+ rushes or two or three breakaway runs, I predict Gray is the leading man on the ground tomorrow.

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Western Carolina: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

How will OU respond to the disappointing second-half performance in their win over Tulane? Check out our Sooners Wire staff predictions.

For as disappointing as the final 30 minutes of last week’s 40-35 win for the Oklahoma Sooners was, this week should provide OU an opportunity to get their confidence back before their matchup with Nebraska next week.

It was a lifeless effort for much of the second half from the Sooners, who Lincoln Riley admitted, didn’t have their mind right coming out after the half.

Western Carolina will provide some interesting challenges, especially in the form of quarterback Rogan Wells. An experienced quarterback, Wells has the athleticism to make plays with his legs, much like we saw with Michael Pratt last week. If the Sooners struggle to contain the Catamounts signal-caller, it could pose a problem for the Sooners’ defense.

And it’s not just the defense that needs to bounce back. The offense was good but lacked a killer instinct to put Tulane away. They settled for five Gabe Brkic field goals, and that won’t be good enough when they get into conference play. The Sooners have to score touchdowns. For as good as their defense is, kicking field goals isn’t going to cut it.

Let’s take a look at how our staff here at Sooners Wire thinks this game will go with our week two staff predictions.

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Burning questions for the Sooners week 2 matchup vs. Western Carolina

Last week’s lessons become this week’s burning questions. How will Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch adjust after Tulane?

Lincoln Riley boasts a 46-8 record since taking the helm of the Sooners in 2017. That mark is good for an overall win percentage of 84%. Since joining Riley’s staff in 2019, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has morphed Oklahoma’s defense into a top 10 unit in sacks, rushing defense, and third-down defense.

Both coaches are paramount to OU’s success, and a too close for comfort win over Tulane can’t change that. So that’s why it feels bizarre pointing at them as the subject of this week’s burning questions.

Lincoln Riley admitted that the Sooners didn’t carry the right mentality into the second half versus Tulane.

“In the second half, I think clearly our team felt like the game was over,” Riley said. “That’s my job to make sure our mentality was right. I don’t think it was.”

Will the Sooners get caught scoreboard watching against Western Carolina? Or will Riley, in tandem with captains Spencer Rattler, Jeremiah Hall, Pat Fields, and Caleb Kelly, have Oklahoma locked in for a full 60 minutes?

Alex Grinch used Tulane as an opportunity to evaluate the depth of the OU defense. The results were controversial as the Sooners allowed the Green Wave to roll for 396 yards and a 21 point offensive outburst in the final 30 minutes. Our very own Bryant Crews did a deep dive into the snap count and its impact on the game.

Jalen Redmond only logged 39 snaps, and Perrion Winfrey was on the field for 36 out of a possible 82 snaps…In a game that wasn’t a “laugher,” two of your starting defensive linemen logged less than than 50 percent of the defensive snaps. Yes, getting players some in-game experience is fine but playing starters less than 50 percent of the snaps can certainly lead to mishaps and missed assignments. – Crews

Heading into this weekend’s game versus Western Carolina, both Grinch and Riley have said that substitution patterns will be under constant evaluation.

I think we played 31 guys defensively the other night, which is almost three guys per position. So, that’s quite a bit…Now with some game tape to evaluate, game situations to evaluate, that’ll certainly factor into decisions in the upcoming weeks. And listen, we’re not going to play 31 guys on defense every week. I mean, it’ll narrow. – Lincoln Riley to the media

If the Sooners jump out to a quick 21-0 lead in the first quarter, how will they handle their rotations? Will they let the starters continue to find their rhythm or will they go three deep across the depth chart.

How to watch, stream, listen to Oklahoma vs. Western Carolina on Saturday

How to watch, stream, listen to the Oklahoma Sooners matchup this Saturday with the Western Carolina Catamounts.

How to Watch

Date: Saturday, Sept. 11

Time: 6 p.m. CDT

TV: Pay Per View (see below for details)

Line: No betting line set for this week’s matchup

Pay Per View Options

From SoonersSports.tv:

Confirmed providers offering the telecast include DirecTV, Cox, U-Verse and Vyve. Additional providers will be added as they are confirmed. Cable TV subscribers must have digital cable to order the telecast. Customers can order the game from their set-top boxes or by calling their program provider.

Providers NOT expected to carry the PPV game include DISH and Sling. If you are unsure whether your provider is carrying the game, please contact your provider directly. The game will also not be available on the Oklahoma Sooners Roku app due to Roku’s in-app purchasing requirements. The Oklahoma Sooners app is also not supported on the Amazon Fire TV Cube or Google Chromecast.

Oklahoma

  • Arpelar, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Braggs, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Bristow, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Cache, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Chandler, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Depew, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Durant, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Eufala, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Fort Gibson, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Gore, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Guymon, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Hayileyville, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Holdenville, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Kellyville, on Vyve channel 658
  • Ketchum, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • McAlester, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Okemah, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Oklahoma City, OK on Cox channel 505
  • Pawhuska, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Porum, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Salina, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Shawnee, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Stroud, OK on Vyve channel 658
  • Tulsa, OK on Cox channel 505
  • Wilburton, OK on Vyve channel 658

Arkansas

  • Fayetteville, AR. on Cox channel 505
  • Fort Smith, AR. on Cox channel 505
  • Springdale, AR. on Cox channel 505

Kansas

  • Topeka, KS on Cox channel 505
  • Manhattan, KS on Cox Channel 505
  • Wichita, KS on Cox Channel 505

Texas

  • Dalhart, TX on Vyve channel 658
  • New Boston, TX on Vyve channel 658
  • Perryton, TX on Vyve channel 658
  • Preston Peninsula, TX on Vyve channel 658

How to Stream

The game will also be available worldwide (including Oklahoma) on SoonerSports.tv and the official Oklahoma Sooners apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Android. The online pay-per-view price is $54.99 or can be paired with an annual subscription for $79.99. The pay-per-view broadcast is not included in the monthly subscription package. – SoonerSports.tv

How to Listen

Sooner Sports Radio Network

The radio broadcast of Toby Rowland, Teddy Lehman, Chris Plank and Gabe Ikard is also available through the free Varsity app, available on Apple IOS and the Google Play Store.

  • Ada on KADA FM 102.3 and AM 1230
  • Altus on KWHW FM 93.5
  • Antlers on KDOE FM 102.3
  • Ardmore on KVSO FM 107.5 and AM 1240
  • Bartlesville on KYFM FM 100.1 and KPGM 1500 AM
  • Broken Bow on KKBI FM 106.1
  • Clinton/Cordell on KCLI FM 97.3, 95.5 HD, and AM 1320
  • Duncan on KDDQ FM 105.3
  • Durant on KLBC FM 106.3
  • Elk City on KCOO FM 94.3
  • Fort Smith, AR on KLSZ FM 100.7
  • Frederick on KYBE FM 95.7
  • Guymon on KKBS FM 92.7
  • Hobart on KTJS AM 1420
  • Lawton on KJMZ FM 97.9
  • Liberal, KS on KKBS FM 100.5
  • McAlester on KNED Am 1150
  • Miami/Grove on KGLC FM 100.9
  • Muskogee on KTFX FM 101.7
  • Oklahoma City on KRXO FM 107.7
  • Ponca City on WBBZ AM 1230
  • Poteau on KPRV FM 92.5
  • Shawnee on KGFF FM 100.9 and AM 1450
  • Tulsa on KMOD FM 97.5 and KTBZ AM 1430
  • Wichita, KS on KGSO FM 93.9 and AM 1410
  • Woodward KWOX FM 101.1

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Sooners’ DE Isaiah Thomas: “Spencer just needs to be Spencer”

“I think a lot of people put pressure on him because of the history of quarterbacks we’ve had,” said Isaiah Thomas when asked about Spencer Rattler.

The Oklahoma Sooners have spent the last two days holding their weekly zoom sessions with the media. This means coaches and players alike have been taking turns in the hot seat, fielding questions about OU’s subpar performance in last Saturday’s season opener versus Tulane.

The Crimson and Cream have a lot to clean up before taking the field versus Western Carolina on Saturday, and they would be the first to tell you that. Pro Football Focus tabbed OU’s defense as the eighth-worst in the entire Power Five after week one, and quarterback Spencer Rattler did himself no favors with two interceptions and even more lapses in judgment.

But after giving his statement on Oklahoma’s week-one blunderings, defensive end Isaiah Thomas gave a thoughtful response to a unique question from The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson.

“As a veteran leader on the defense, have you sensed Spencer Rattler grow more into his role as a captain and a leader on the other side of the ball?” Carlson asked.

I definitely have. Like you said, we had Creed [ Humphrey]  last year, and we had Mondre [ Rhamondre Stevenson], and from an offensive standpoint he didn’t have to be as vocal as he is now. He knows the position that he’s in and what we need from him and what we expect him to be. I definitely see him in practice and in workouts being that vocal leader and trying to lead by example. – Thomas

Thomas has played with multiple quarterbacks during his Oklahoma career. Does he think it can be difficult for Sooners’ quarterbacks to balance leading by example while also being the team’s vocal leader?

I think it can be a tricky spot. I think a lot of people put pressure on him because of the history of quarterbacks we’ve had, from Baker [Mayfield] to Jalen [Hurts] to Kyler [Murray] before him. I think with Spencer Rattler also playing under Coach Riley; people expect him to be like those guys as well. We tell him all the time, “Spencer, you just need to be Spencer”… There’s a lot of weight that he has to carry and a lot of outside noise he has to work through… It’s a lot of pressure that he has but its also pressure that he can handle. – Thomas

Some quarterbacks have to develop their leadership abilities quicker than others. The more talented a young signal-caller is, the longer he can sometimes go before he’s forced to adopt that final component to his game. Just because Spencer Rattler is entering his second season under center does not necessarily mean he’s entering his second season as the leader of the team.

As Thomas pointed out, Rattler could rely on veterans such as Humphrey and Stevenson to lead the Sooners through adversity last season. But they’re gone now, and Spencer Rattler must develop his own leadership style to become the captain his teammates expect him to be.

How he responds this Saturday will give us a better understanding of what kind of leader he can become and what his Sooners are capable of in 2021.

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