The Oklahoma Sooners (1-0) begin their week getting ready for the Houston Cougars (0-1) in Norman on Saturday night. The matchup is the second of four-straight home games for the Sooners to start the season, culminating in their week four matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers.
After their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls, the Sooners will to continue improving in all three phases as they inch closer to their SEC debut.
With week two underway, the Sooners have announced their game captains. Oklahoma will be led by defensive end [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], running back [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag], cheetah linebacker [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], and kicker Zach Schmit.
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Downs represents one of the longest-tenured Sooners on the roster and one of a handful of players still on the roster from the Lincoln Riley days. He’s been a steady force for the Sooners at defensive end as Oklahoma has turned over it’s unit up front under Brent Venables.
Barnes looked really good against Temple. He was fast, explosive, showed the ability to break tackles and nearly broke a long run for a touchdown. After a 2023 season that was limited due to injuries, Barnes looks ready to improve upon his breakout freshman campaign back in 2022.
Roberts is another veteran on the roster, in his fifth season of college football. Combined with [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag], the Sooners have a really good duo at tight end. When Oklahoma utilized two-tight end formations, Roberts was out there to aid the offense. His experience and leadership is key for a team relying on a lot of youth across the depth chart.
Dolby has been a revelation since coming up from the JUCO ranks. Initially a backup last season, he emerged to take over the starting cheetah role and hasn’t relinquished it. He’s displayed his playmaking ability both in coverage and as a blitzer. Against Temple, he had a sack and forced a pass deflection that led to an interception.
Schmit may not have won the place-kicking duties, but his work as the kickoff man is crucial to Oklahoma’s special teams. His ability to kick it out of the back of the end zone prevents teams from mounting a return.
Though the Houston Cougars were beaten by UNLV in week one, this is a well-coached team led by Willie Fritz. Fritz had his Tulane Green Wave team pushing the Sooners back at the beginning of the 2021 season. Oklahoma’s game captains will have to keep the Sooners focused on themselves this week and not looking past Houston to stave off a threat from the Cougars.
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