Gavin Sawchuk – Page 10 – Syndication Server

No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Sooners Wire staff predictions

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to continue their undefeated season when they host Iowa State Saturday, and here are this week’s Sooners Wire staff predictions.

The Oklahoma Sooners (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) and the Iowa State Cyclones (2-2, 1-0) renew a matchup that dates back to a 13-0 win for the Cyclones back in 1928. Though they earned the win in the series opener, OU holds a 79-7-2 edge over Iowa State in the all-time series.

Each year is a different game, but Iowa State has played the Oklahoma Sooners tough in recent years.

2022’s win was the largest margin of victory in a win for the Oklahoma Sooners during the Matt Campbell era.

How will the Sooners perform this week? Here’s how we feel the game will go in this week’s staff predictions.

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

The Iowa State Cyclones have been a thorn in the Sooners’ side since [autotag]Matt Campbell[/autotag] took over as head coach.

They upset the Sooners in Norman in 2017 and also knocked them off in 2020. That doesn’t include the game-winning 2-point conversion stop the Sooners made in 2019 or the interception late in the game in 2021.

No matter how talented the Sooners have been, Iowa State knows how to play them close.

They do that with elite defense and by taking care of the football.

People will look at Iowa State this year and think they aren’t very good, and the Sooners will roll. Well, that’s not entirely true. They still are elite defensively and had a coming-out party on offense in their win over Oklahoma State a week ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game was another low-scoring game for both teams, similar to last week.

Sooners 27, Cyclones 6

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners at Cincinnati Bearcats: Sooners Wire staff predictions

Can the Oklahoma Sooners keep the good times rolling on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Here are this week’s staff predictions.

The Oklahoma Sooners get ready for their last Big 12 opener as they travel to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in week four. The Sooners are rolling and take on a Bearcats team looking to rebound after their first loss of the season.

Can Oklahoma continue its defensive performance on the road against a talented dual-threat quarterback? Can the offense keep hitting big plays through the passing game? Can the running game find some running room against one of the best defensive fronts in the country?

We’ll find out starting at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday.

Here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

When we first saw Oklahoma’s schedule, this game against the Bearcats was the one that worried me the most before the Texas game.

Cincinnati is a team that shouldn’t be overlooked.

That defensive line is nasty and physical. They can disrupt an entire game plan. My worry has only grown due to how well the Bearcats’ offense is playing, particularly running the football. Their run game is No. 8 nationally.

Combine that with the loss last week, and this might be a trap game for the Sooners. If they’re not careful, they could look past the Bearcats and come out flat because of Cincinnati’s loss to Miami (Oh.).

They can very well lose this game. I think they’ll win, but it’ll be a lot closer than people think.

Sooners 34, Cincinnati 24

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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‘I’m excited for it’: Gavin Sawchuk ready for Cincinnati challenge

The Sooners will face their toughest test this weekend in Cincinnati and Gavin Sawchuk can’t wait for the challenge.

The one negative for the [autotag]2023 Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] so far has been the running game. A season ago, this was a top-10 rushing offense in the country.

Through three games in 2023, it’s fallen all the way to a tie for 50th. The Sooners have yet to figure out who their lead back is this season and it looks like we’re heading toward a “hot hand” approach.

Early in the year, it was a combination of [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag]. That was partly due to the injuries of [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] this offseason.

In this past game vs. the [autotag]Tulsa Golden Hurricane[/autotag], Barnes and Sawchuk got the majority of the load but don’t look fully healthy just yet. Sawchuk told reporters he’s happy to be back playing.

“Glad to be back from it now,” Sawchuk said. “Glad to be back and start getting into a rhythm.”

Sawchuk said he’s 100% now and ready to go. But of course, you could tell he’s still playing his way back into shape, understandably so. They are going to need him and Barnes to get back to what they were a season ago, especially this week, because of the great defensive line they’ll be going against.

“They’ve got a great defense in general, not just the defensive line but everybody in general,” Sawchuk said. “All games are won at the line of scrimmage. Those guys are the most important on the field, blocking up front and creating holes for everybody else. I’m excited for it. It’s going to be a great game, a great challenge, a great team. Excited to go up there and be in their town and really be in their environment but excited for that.”

It’s been a trend under [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] where the running game kind of struggles early in the season before really finding its footing as the season goes along. The hope is this year is no different, and they figure it out sooner than rather later.

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.

Report Card: Saturday against Tulsa was about passing final nonconference test with flying colors

Oklahoma dominated Tulsa from beginning to end. Take a look as we go position by position and hand out grades for the performance.

Saturday’s dismantling of Tulsa was a much-needed conclusion for the Sooners to their nonconference schedule. The Sooners needed to erase any doubts, bouncing back and disposing of teams handily after a grind-it-out win against SMU.

The concerns about the conservative nature of the offense against SMU were put to rest as Oklahoma slung the ball all over the field for 476 yards.

Defensively, the Sooners grounded the Tulsa passing attack, allowing less than 250 yards through the air.

It was a convincing win and a pleasant, feel-good tuneup before they turn their heads to Cincinnati. Big 12 play is upon them, but before we turn the page, let’s pass out grades for this weekend’s performances.

‘We want to be incredibly balanced’: Jeff Lebby knows the running game must improve

The Oklahoma Sooners offense dominated the Tulsa Golden Hurricane but Jeff Lebby knows they need to be more balanced long term.

The Oklahoma Sooners offense had an up-and-down performance vs. the [autotag]SMU Mustangs[/autotag] two weeks ago. This week was much different and better as an overall unit.

The Sooners scored on 9 of 12 possessions. One of those they didn’t score on was when they were kneeling out the clock. The Sooners are No. 1 in the nation in third-down offense, a major emphasis this offseason.

Jeff Lebby told reporters after the game, he was really impressed with the performance on Saturday.

“I liked the fact that we threw it around pretty well, we took care of the QB,” Lebby said. “I thought our protection was really dang good all day. I don’t like the one interception. I don’t like not scoring a touchdown right before half but I thought our guys had a great attack mindset to be up here and do what we needed to do.”

The only negative from the Sooners offense was another performance from the run game that that fell below their standards. McKade Mettauer said last week the goal is to average five yards per carry. They have yet to hit that mark and fell below it again averaging 4.3 vs. the [autotag]Tulsa Golden Hurricane[/autotag]. That played a role in them not scoring before half.

That’s something Lebby acknowledged they need to get corrected.

“We want to have great balance,” Lebby said. “I know we didn’t have great balance today, obviously. We want to be incredibly balanced. With the way it happened today, again we threw it around a little bit more than probably normal but felt we wanted to be aggressive, be able to go make plays down the field.”

It’s never a bad thing to be a team that can win in multiple ways but one thing is for sure, the Sooners will need to get the running game going if they want to achieve their goals long term.

That challenge gets increasingly harder starting this week as they play the Cincinnati Bearcats who bring one of the best defensive lines in the conference to the game.

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.

Five Takeaways from Oklahoma’s dominating win over in-state foe Tulsa

Oklahoma brought the hammer down on in-state foe Tulsa on Saturday as they won 66-17. We have our five takeaways from the game.

Oklahoma wrapped up their nonconference schedule for the 2023 regular season on Saturday with pure domination of their in-state foe, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Oklahoma blew the doors off Tulsa 66-17.

From the outset, the Sooners had a weird start as starting receiver and kick returner Jalil Farooq fumbled the opening kick to Tulsa. But from then on, the Sooners were in control.

The week there was a lot of focus on Oklahoma’s offense and the conservative approach against SMU.

Jeff Lebby answered those concerns quickly, and the defense continued their improved and inspired play on the way to a runaway victory.

With the game fresh on our minds, here are our five takeaways from Oklahoma’s win.

Oklahoma Sooners roll pass the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 66-17

Dillon Gabriel threw five touchdowns and the Sooners had five interceptions on defense to beat Tulsa 66-17 to close nonconference play.

The Oklahoma Sooners ended their nonconference slate undefeated for the seventh year in a row. The Sooners knocked off in-state opponent, the [autotag]Tulsa Golden Hurricane[/autotag] to the tune of 66-17.

The first quarter started off with a massive kick return before [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] was stripped, resulting in the first turnover of the season for the Sooners.

But five plays later, Tulsa took a deep shot that was picked off by [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag]. Two plays later, Gabriel found Farooq for the 34-yard touchdown.

The Sooners then forced a punt before the offense went on a methodical 11-play drive resulting in a touchdown pass from Gabriel to [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag]. On the ensuing Tulsa possession, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] intercepted quarterback Roman Fuller and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

On the following drive, [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] picked off Fuller for the third time, resulting in a short field for the offense. They cashed in with another touchdown pass to Stoops to go up 28-0 to end the first quarter.

The Golden Hurricane finally got something going after [autotag]Cardell Williams[/autotag] came in to replace Roman Fuller. He was able to convert several third downs before finding [autotag]Marquis Shoulders[/autotag] in the end zone after [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] got caught peeking into the backfield.

The Sooners responded with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel to [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] on a 3rd and 11.

Williams went back to work, picking apart several soft spots in the Sooners coverage. Tulsa got back into the end zone when Williams found Devan Williams on an out-and-up, beating Reggie Pearson in coverage.

On the following possession, Dillon Gabriel threw his first interception of the year trying to take a deep shot to [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag].

The Sooners ended the half with a great drive that chewed up the clock but couldn’t punch it in, settling for a field goal. After it was a masterful first half for the Sooners, their inability to score a touchdown after getting to the Tulsa 23 yard line with more than a minute to play and all three timeouts left a lot to be desire. Oklahoma settled for a field goal to go into the break 38-14.

The Sooners outgained Tulsa 371-200 in the first half. The Sooners also didn’t punt in the first half. The only blemish on what was a fantastic first half were the two turnovers.

Tulsa started the second half with a great drive but Oklahoma stoned them once they got to the two-yard line forcing a field goal.

The rest of the quarter belonged to the Sooners, who scored 21 points, including two 40+ yard touchdown passes to Nic Anderson. One of those came from Gabriel, his fifth of the day, and the other from [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

[autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] came away with the Sooners fourth interception of the day in the third quarter to run away from the Golden Hurricane.

The fourth quarter was much like the third as [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] picked off Williams and took it to the four-yard line before [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] capped off the scoring with his first touchdown of the season.

The Sooners outgained Tulsa 596-292. The Sooners continued to find success on third-down success, going 7 of 9. Dillon Gabriel had another impressive performance, completing 28-31 attempts for 421 yards and five touchdowns. The 421 yards passing are the fourth most in Gabriel’s career and this is the fourth time in his career with five or more touchdowns.

Three wide receivers went over 100 yards on the day. Jalil Farooq led the way with six receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. Farooq also had three kick returns for 105 yards, including the 62-yard return to open the game. Andrel Anthony continued his strong 2023 season, catching four passes for 112 yards, while Anderson tallied three receptions for 120 yards and three touchdowns.

Drake Stoops added a pair of scores and caught eight passes for 53 yards.

The defense was impressive yet again, holding the nation’s 26th-ranked rushing attack to 75 total yards on 1.6 yards per carry. The Sooners also created five interceptions and were credited with three sacks in the contest.

Danny Stutsman led the Sooners with nine total tackles, two tackles for loss, and the interception. Tulsa native and one of this week’s captains, Gentry Williams was second on the team in tackles with six. He also had a tackle for loss and an interception in his homecoming.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 3-0 to start the season and will face their first true test when they travel to Cincinnati to open Big 12 play. The Sooners take on the Bearcats at 11:00 a.m. CT as part of Fox Big Noon Kickoff.

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.

3 keys for the Oklahoma Sooners offense to come away satisfied vs. Tulsa

What do the Oklahoma Sooners need to do offensively to not simply get a win but come away satisfied with their performance agains the Tulsa Golden Hurricane?

At least offensively, Oklahoma’s path to victory on Saturday is reasonably straightforward. The obvious things are executing situationally, dominating the line of scrimmage, and not turning the ball over.

Oklahoma has the talent advantage. That should be enough as long as they execute.

However, things aren’t that simple because Oklahoma isn’t just trying to scrape by. This is an opportunity for them to continue to refine themselves as an offensive unit so that they are firing on all cylinders in preparation for the Big 12 portion of their schedule.

Offensively, if they play like they did against SMU, the Sooners may have some problems on their hand that wouldn’t bode well for the remainder of their season.

With that in mind, let’s look at the three offensive keys to a Sooners victory in which Oklahoma fans and the offensive unit can walk away feeling like they accomplished something.

Up Next: 3 Keys on Offense vs. Tulsa

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No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane: Sooners Wire staff predictions

The Oklahoma Sooners look to build on their 2-0 start against Tulsa on Saturday and here are this week’s Sooners Wire staff predictions.

The 2023 season is about stepping into what a Brent Venables team is going to look like moving forward. 2022 was an aberration. It wasn’t representative of what this team will look like this season or even when the Sooners move into the SEC in 2024.

Through two games, Oklahoma’s defense looks like a different animal. Most notably, the Sooners have missed 22 fewer tackles through two games than they did in 2022. That’s a significant difference.

Last year against Kent State and UTEP, the Sooners allowed 16 points. This year against Arkansas State and SMU, Oklahoma allowed 11. Not a huge difference, but it’s still an improvement.

They’ve graded out as a better run defense and even a better pass rush, according to Pro Football Focus.

The other notable difference is how successful they’ve been on third down. Through two games a year ago, the Sooners’ defense allowed a third-down conversion 35% of the time. Arkansas State and SMU were only able to convert 21% of the time against Oklahoma’s defense.

There’s a lot still to prove each and every week for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023, and their next opportunity to prove that this team is “built different” is Saturday against Tulsa.

Here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

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Time for a bounce back: Some Sooners on offense to keep an eye on vs. Tulsa

After a poor showing on offense against SMU, we’ll be looking at these Sooners to have better games or get more playing time.

Oklahoma’s performance on offense against SMU was head-scratching. The playcalling felt disjointed, especially after the first quarter. Poor blocking was the main culprit, but it also felt very conservative.

Whether that was by design, it needs to be better.

The entire offense needs to be better. The blocking took a step back after dominating Arkansas State. The running backs weren’t particularly explosive or impactful until later in the game. The receivers were essentially a non-factor outside of [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] and a late fourth-quarter touchdown catch from [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag].

This Saturday will give Oklahoma one more tune-up before they embark on a journey to start their Big 12 schedule. After this week’s matchup with Tulsa, the Sooners will go on the road again to face Cincinnati. The Sooners will want to feel better about their offensive performance before making the trip in week 4.

With a unit that struggled against SMU, there are a number of candidates in need of bounce-back performances. Here are the three players we’ll be watching closely on Saturday.

Up Next: 3 Sooners to Watch on Offense

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