Arkansas State Red Wolves – Page 2

Sooners defense leads the way: 3 stars in Oklahoma’s win over the SMU Mustangs

Oklahoma took down SMU 28-11 on Saturday behind some stifling defense. We broke down our three stars for the game.

A week ago, if someone told you Oklahoma would hold an explosive SMU team to less than 20 points, you’d likely be very excited. We confirm the Sooners did that on Saturday night.

Oklahoma won a grind-it-out type of game 28-11, but the main story for the Sooners was the electric play of their defense. Sure, they gave up over 300 yards, but the Sooners were excellent and resilient when SMU crossed the 50-yard line. Their defense cranked it up a notch, and the Sooners got off the field.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, especially considering the conservative nature of the offensive game plan and the lack of explosiveness the offense showed in a total flip of what it looked like the week before against Arkansas State.

Still, when it mattered the most, Oklahoma found plays in the second half, and it was enough for the Sooners to get to 2-0.

Up Next: 3 Stars from OU’s win over SMU

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Oklahoma Sooners win a defensive slugfest, beating SMU 28-11

Oklahoma’s defense took center stage as they hold a talented SMU team to just 11 points en route to a 28-11 victor on Saturday evening.

Saturday evening in Norman brought a fascinating twist. Instead of the high-octane, offensive shootout we all expected, we were treated to a defensive struggle most of the game as the Oklahoma Sooners beat the SMU Mustangs 28-11.

Oklahoma seemingly refused to put their foot on the gas as an offense, opting for a run-heavy attack.

Oklahoma came out with a game plan to dominate the line of scrimmage and control the ball. The plan seemed competent at times, but the scoreboard didn’t reflect an offense firing on all cylinders.

Oklahoma took advantage of a blocked punt by five-star freshman safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag]. The Sooners opened the scoring on a busted coverage by SMU, opening the door for a 29-yard pass from [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] to [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] for his first touchdown as a Sooner.

The Sooners defense stood firm in the first half, only allowing 3 points.

The Sooners allowed the Mustangs to get to the 50-yard line numerous times but on a number of occasions, the Sooners forced punts shortly after. Oklahoma entered the half up 14-3.

After the half, SMU and OU traded punts before the Mustangs got the ball back.

Jaylan Knight gashed the Sooners’ defense for what looked like a momentum-stealing play before [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] stripped the ball to force a turnover. [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] kept the ball from skirting out of bounds and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] got the recovery.

The Sooners drove 43 yards in eleven plays only to be stood up on 4th down when SMU stopped freshman quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] short of the line to gain on fourth down.

SMU rode that momentum down the field and scored their only touchdown of the evening on a [autotag]Preston Stone[/autotag] pass to Jake Bailey. The Mustangs also scored on the two-point conversion to make it 14-11.

Oklahoma had to answer and did.

Dillon Gabriel orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard drive down the field, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jalil Farooq. That gave the Sooners a 21-11 lead with 9:11 remaining in the game.

On the ensuing drive, SMU was aggressive, going for it on fourth down deep in their own territory. A pass breakup from true freshman safety Peyton Bowen gave the Sooners the ball on downs.

Three plays later, [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] caught a pass from Gabriel and matriculated down the sideline on the way to paydirt, giving Oklahoma a 28-11 with 6:40 remaining on the clock.

Oklahoma’s defense capped off a solid effort with a Justin Harrington interception late in the fourth to seal the game with one last stop.

It was far from an aesthetically pleasing win like the Sooners had against Arkansas State. But the defense stepped up to the plate and played well for four quarters against a talented SMU offense. And in the second half, the offense made enough plays to pull away.

Oklahoma’s defense held the SMU Mustangs to 355 yards and gave up just 11 points. Offensively, the Sooners tallied 365 yards and had no turnovers.

Dillon Gabriel wasn’t asked to do a whole lot on the evening but completed 70% of his passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns.

[autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] led the way on the ground for OU with 21 carries for 117 yards. Walker also had three receptions for 25 yards, proving to be Oklahoma’s lead back through two weeks. Andrel Anthony was the leading receiver with seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown catch.

Danny Stutsman had a huge game for the defense, totaling 17 tackles, (five solo), a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit. [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] was second on the team in tackles with nine total tackles.

Oklahoma (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) will now turn its sights to in-state foe Tulsa. They’ll travel to Tulsa to play the Golden Hurricane as the road team in a sold-out venue next Saturday. SMU (1-1, 0-0 AAC) will host Prairie View A&M in Dallas next week.

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

3 defensive keys to a Sooners win against the SMU Mustangs

Oklahoma’s defense will have a talented offense to stop come Saturday. Take a look at three keys for the defense to be successful vs. SMU.

Saturday evening in Norman should provide the Oklahoma Sooners with a mini benchmark to test their defense’s off-season improvements. Instead of a defunct and rebuilding Arkansas State team, their defense will have to take on an SMU team with playmakers at every skill position and a veteran offensive line.

It won’t be a walk in the park, and Oklahoma’s defense knows this because their head coach knows this. Earlier this week, Brent Venables addressed the media and had this to say.

“The challenge is going to be greater this week for obvious reasons,” Venables said. “You’re looking at a team that’s probably got more depth and certainly got more experience. Arkansas State was a very young team. (SMU) has 15 seniors starting between the offense and the defense. That’s a bunch of seniors.”

SMU’s offense has multiple playmakers capable of giving Oklahoma problems. Still, the Sooners’ team speed and their improvement in overall talent can shine through if they play smart.

There are a handful of things Oklahoma can’t allow to happen if they want to win this game. Here are three defensive keys to a Sooners win Saturday night in Norman.

Up Next: 3 Keys to the Game

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Trio of Sooners we’ll be watching on offense vs. SMU

When Oklahoma takes on SMU, here are three offensive players that we’ll have our eye on come Saturday evening.

Entering the season, much of the news swirling around the program concerned changes the team needed to make on the defensive side of the ball. And while it was very much warranted, the offense needed to show improvement despite losing six starters from last season’s squad.

Saturday against Arkansas State quieted some doubters about their ability to reload, but bigger and better challenges await this unit.

They’ll take a step up in talent when they take on SMU Saturday evening in Norman.

SMU isn’t filled with guys that will be top 150 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, but they are a much more talented defense than the one Oklahoma saw against the Red Wolves.

If the quarterback play is as good as it was in the first game, it won’t matter who lines up across them, but it’s tough to expect your quarterback to complete 80 percent or more of his passes every game.

With that said, there are three players we’ll be watching on offense, and how they play could go a long way in giving Oklahoma a decided advantage come Saturday night.

Up Next: Three Sooners to watch vs. SMU

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Early execution among the three offensive keys to a Sooners win vs. SMU

Offensive keys to the game when the Oklahoma Sooners take on the SMU Mustangs.

Oklahoma enters Saturday’s matchup with SMU on a four-game winning streak against the Dallas-based institution. The last time these two schools played each other was 1995. Things have changed drastically in both programs since, and it’ll be interesting to see how things shake out on the field come Saturday evening in Norman.

Oklahoma’s offense put on a clinic against Arkansas State and will carry it into this game. Here’s the skinny on this game: expecting Oklahoma to put up another 73 points is highly irrational.

That doesn’t mean Oklahoma shouldn’t be able to score in the 40-point range, but from a pure talent perspective, SMU’s defense is better.

The Mustangs are full of veteran players, and that veteran leadership is precisely why they are one of the favorites to win the American Athletic Conference.

They will be unphased, with 15 seniors starting on both sides of the ball. Many have played at more prominent institutions and seen teams of Oklahoma’s size and talent before making their way to Dallas.

For this offense to uphold its end of the bargain, it’ll likely need to do what we highlighted in our three keys for this week.

Up Next: 3 Keys on Offense vs. SMU

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Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson hoping to build off a strong Week 1

Nic Anderson flashed his big play ability in the Sooners win this past Saturday. Now he hopes to build off of it.

Early in the second quarter, just after the [autotag]Arkansas State Red Wolves[/autotag] missed a field goal, the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners offense[/autotag] trotted onto the field. Out wide right was [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag].

The redshirt freshman is someone fans and the staff have been high on for a while, but now was his chance to make an impact. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] took the snap on first down and slung it over to Anderson on an out route for 16 yards.

The very next play, Gabriel sat in the pocket before firing a deep ball down the opposing sideline to Anderson for a huge 52-yard gain to set up a first and goal. The Sooners eventually punched it in for a touchdown.

Anderson told reporters it was good to make some plays during a game.

“Honestly, just being out on the field was a blessing,” Anderson said. “Just being out there with my teammates. Gabriel gave me a beautiful ball. I didn’t have to do much. Just being out there with my teammates making plays means everything to me.”

With offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby saying the Sooners want to play 6-7 wide receivers this year, Anderson seems to factor into that equation. If he continues to make plays like he did on Saturday, he definitely will find a role in this offense.

Anderson and 2022 classmate Jayden Gibson bring something unique to the offense with their size. The Sooners just haven’t had that in a while. They’ll both have another chance to build off of their Week 1 performance this Saturday versus the [autotag]SMU Mustangs[/autotag].

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

Three Oklahoma Defenders we’ll have our eye on this weekend against SMU

Oklahoma will have its hand full Saturday against a talented SMU Mustangs squad. These three defenders could make all the difference.

Last week against Arkansas State was as stress-free as Okalhoma will feel throughout the season. Things won’t always feel as easy. That time for breezing through a game 73-0 is behind the Sooners. They welcome a much more talented team to Norman in the form of Rhett Lashlee’s SMU Mustangs.

Brent Venables’ defense passed their first hurdle with no slip-ups and nothing to sweat. The pass rush was not overwhelming, but Oklahoma’s chances to get home were limited because the Red Wolves were in seven and eight-man protections and operating using three-step drops.

SMU won’t do that. They have too many playmakers they want on the field and will take their chances with five or six-man protections. They want to have as many options out in routes as possible. It should provide Oklahoma with a window to attack and try and rattle Preston Stone, SMU’s young but talented quarterback.

The Mustangs’ ground game features two quality running backs, Jaylan Knighton and LJ Johnson. Both can hit the home run play, but Knighton is not as big nor as physical of a runner as Johnson.

How will defensive coordinator Ted Roof combat this talented SMU offense? We’ll find out on Saturday. But we believe three players on defense will need big days for Oklahoma to bottle up this talented SMU offense.

Up Next: 3 players to watch on defense

Reggie Pearson Jr., FS

The transfer from Texas Tech, Reggie Pearson Jr., has started over 30 games and offers valuable experience on the back end of the Oklahoma defense.

Arkansas State could not stress Oklahoma vertically but expect that to change with SMU.

SMU receivers Jordan Hudson and Key’Shawn Smith can move. The Mustangs won’t be afraid to try to test Pearson. Seeing how Pearson responds to being put into more stressful situations from a coverage standpoint could dictate how effective SMU’s offense is.

Danny Stutsman, WLB

The leader of Oklahoma’s defense, Danny Stutsman, will always be a defender to watch. However, this choice isn’t solely about his actual play but more about how well he leads and orchestrates things on defense.

Oklahoma finally gets a bit of a challenge to show the improvements they’ve made as a defense.

Stutsman was in the middle of everything last year. If he wants to elevate himself, he’ll have to lead by example. He’ll also need to make sure his teammates play sound football. His fellow linebackers need to fill gaps, get off blocks, and show an understanding of their roles.

SMU has a pair of running backs that could gash the Sooners if Oklahoma isn’t assignment-sound.

Up Next: A player on the prowl

Justin Harrington, Cheetah

Justin Harrington may have the most challenging matchup of anyone come Saturday.

Mustangs’ tight end R.J. Maryland is a matchup nightmare for most teams. Most teams don’t have the players to match up with Maryland’s 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame.

50/50 balls to him are more 80/20 than anything. Oklahoma has not one but two possible solutions for this at cheetah. But with sophomore transfer Dasan McCullough banged up, Harrington figures to get the assignment come Saturday.

How Harrington uses his length and athleticism to match Maryland will be interesting. If he can nullify SMU’s talented tight end, it will go a long way to slowing down a talented SMU offense.

‘It’s a great way to set the tone’: Dillon Gabriel pleased with performance but ready to turn the page

Dillon Gabriel and the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense got off to a great start on Saturday, but OU’s starting quarterback is looking ahead.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ offense was humming as they took on the [autotag]Arkansas State Red Wolves[/autotag] on Saturday. Whether it was the run or the pass, the team did virtually whatever they wanted when they wanted.

Quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] had one of his best performances in the crimson and cream, going 19 of 22 for 308 yards and two touchdowns with a QBR of 97.1 out of 100. Gabriel was making the right reads throughout and was displayed quick efficient decision making. Other than a couple of deep balls one could argue were underthrown (both drew defensive pass interference calls) it was a flawless day by QB1.

Gabriel told reporters after the game while they played great, it’s time to move on to the next one.

“It feels amazing,” Gabriel said. “It’s a great way to set the tone but we all know it’s business, and you flip the page and get back to work.”

The offense looked more efficient than a season ago. Yes, it was versus Arkansas State but you still have to execute.

“It’s something you work on,” Gabriel said. “Regardless of the opponents or the names on the schedule we have to play against. Just take advantage of every opportunity. And like I said, preparation to work this is how you show it.”

Gabriel and the offense definitely showed it in Week 1. They’ll have another chance to show it next Saturday against the [autotag]SMU Mustangs[/autotag] in Norman.

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

Kip Lewis ready to have a big role this season for the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma had a lot of players defensively put together really good performances, one of those was Kip Lewis.

When you win a game 73-0 there aren’t many things to complain about. Several players on both sides of the ball put together really good performances.

One guy who flashed almost every time he was in the game was redshirt WILL linebacker [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag]. Lewis came in early in the game to spell [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and his instincts and speed were clear as day.

Lewis spent last year learning the college game and the defense. He told reporters that allowed him to play fast Saturday.

“Just being a year in the system, I feel like I’m starting to pick it up more easily,” Lewis said. “(I’m) being able to recognize formations, plays and being able to trust my instincts.”

Those instincts allowed him to finish second on the team in tackles with three. He was someone you can tell will be getting more and more snaps this season. In the spring game, Lewis made plays all over the field, racking up 11 total tackles.

It’s also not out of the realm of possibility, Lewis could start if they wanted to move Stutsman to the middle linebacker spot. Lewis was just always around the football, which is something you want to see from your linebackers.

There’s a lot of football left this season, so we’ll see how he progresses as the season wears on. But one week into the season, you couldn’t ask for a better start.

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

Know the Foe: 5 Mustangs to know before Oklahoma Sooners vs. SMU

Oklahoma will take on the SMU Mustangs. We take a look at five players to know for this Saturday’s matchup.

Oklahoma has turned the page on Arkansas State and is in preparation mode for their second game of the season. SMU will make the trip from Dallas to Norman for Saturday night’s matchup.

Oklahoma comes in with a nice boost of confidence after dismantling the Red Wolves last week 73-0. SMU comfortably handled Louisiana Tech 38-14. SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee is someone Brent Venables has locked horns with before.

Lashlee was previously an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Miami in 2020. In that game, Venables and the Clemson Tigers held the Hurricanes in check in a 42-17 win.

SMU provides a bump in competition for the Sooners, especially at the skill positions. They have several talented players and are more dynamic than what Oklahoma saw in their first game.

We’ve highlighted five Mustangs you need to know before Oklahoma hosts SMU on Saturday.