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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.

Report Card: Defense flies high, offense stuck in a rut in 28-11 win over SMU

In our report card for Oklahoma’s performance against SMU, the defense leads the way with the highest marks.

The offense didn’t put its best foot forward in the Sooners 28-11 win over SMU. However, the defense kept Oklahoma in control until the Sooners were able to put together a couple of late scoring drives to seal the win.

Oklahoma knows it will have to play better as the season wears on. They’ll need to improve in all three phases to be in the mix for a Big 12 title berth in November. But for this game, it was enough.

Instead of a shootout, we got a game where neither team even scratched 40 points.

Here’s how each position group graded out in the 28-11 win over SMU.

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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Gentry Williams shows he can be the next great Sooners corner

While it is still early, Gentry Williams showed he has the making of being the next great Sooner cornerback.

It’s late in the first half with about 25 seconds left to play on Saturday. The [autotag]Arkansas State Red Wolves[/autotag] have the ball and swing it out to the running back on a screen.

This is a play that typically gashes the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag]’ defense. Out of nowhere [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] comes flying in, past his block, and blows it up for a loss. It’s those kinds of plays that have many thinking Williams can be special and the next great Sooners cornerback.

It’s only one game so he has to keep proving it but for him to diagnose that play, get around his block and blow it up is not something Sooner fans are used to seeing.

Williams told reporters they were ready to put a game together like they did defensively.

“We prepared really hard,” Williams said. “I think when you do that you have a good chance to do what we did today. I think the preparation really helped us and that’s something we have to continue throughout the season.”

Williams finished with three tackles and played a great game at corner. The Sooners were in need all offseason to find who would take the spot opposite of [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag].

But Williams said the game was far from perfect.

“For me, I think it’s overall fitting gaps and seeing things a little bit sooner. I think I did an ok job but trying to be an elite player I’ve got to do it at a high level consistently.”

That will be the next step not only for Williams but also for the entire Sooners team. To make sure Saturday’s performance wasn’t a one-off and is something they can do week in and week out.

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: Sooners breeze through Arkansas State with big-time performances

The Oklahoma Sooners were fantastic in their win over Arkansas State, but how did they grade in this week’s Report Card?

Saturday allowed us to see team 129 in Oklahoma’s illustrious football history for the first time this season. This team entered the day with cautious optimism, but a cloud of last season’s disappointment still hungover over the program. Year two of Brent Venables’s tenure needed to start off with a bang, and his team did just that as they dismantled the Arkansas State Red Wolves 73-0.

The Sooners are on another level regarding raw talent than the Arkansas State Red Wolves. That is abundantly clear, but Oklahoma had to show it could dominate an inferior opponent. They also needed to showcase the improvements in recruiting and among their returning players.

Saturday was a fun, stress-free showcase of domination. Now that the first game is behind us, it’s time to dive deeper and hand out our first grades of the year in this week’s report card.

Three Oklahoma Sooners defenders to watch versus Arkansas State

Taking a deeper look at three Sooners on defense to watch on Saturday against Arkansas State.

If the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense is going to make the improvements necessary to be a great defense, it’s going to take everyone being invested in that improvement.

“I need to be completely involved defensively,” Oklahoma head coach Brent  Venables said earlier this week. “Not that they need my help. But that’s what I know. That’s how I got to this position. And I think a year ago I was certainly involved, but not to the depth that I think that I felt like I needed to be after evaluating all of it.”

His lack of full involvement probably impacted the Sooners’ defense and why they ranked so low in every defensive category. The only way the Sooners can go on defense is up.

There’s plenty of optimism that the Sooners will improve significantly on defense. More talent, positive development from young and returning players, and most importantly, more input from the man whose defense it is.

Saturday’s opener in Norman against Arkansas State is the first chance the nation will get to see the 2023 Oklahoma defense.

They’ll take on a Red Wolves team that struggled on offense at times last year but have some veterans in key spots who won’t be afraid of the moment come Saturday.

An outstanding performance against the Red Wolves is the type of confidence boost this defense needs. Who may spark that? Take a look at the three players we’ll be watching.

Up Next: 3 Sooners Defenders to Watch

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Media weighs in on Oklahoma’s breakout player, toughest game in 2023

OU and College Football Media Personalities weigh in on which Sooners will have a breakout season for Oklahoma in 2023. Which game will be the toughest this season?

The 2023 college football season is nigh upon us. The Oklahoma Sooners open the season with the Arkansas State Red Wolves coming to town.

A new year creates new opportunities for players on both sides of the ball to experience breakout seasons.

While depth was an issue a year ago, the work of this coaching staff on the recruiting trail and through the transfer portal have helped create competition at a number of spots. The Sooners feel good about the “competitive depth” they’re carrying into the season across the board.

Oklahoma released its depth chart ahead of week one, which provided some answers to the position battles they’ve been working through this year. But how will that depth reveal itself on gameday and which players will experience breakout seasons in 2023?

We’ve gathered the opinions of a number of media personalities from across Oklahoma Sooners coverage. Here’s who they think will have a breakout year and which game will be the toughest in 2023.

From my days covering the Dallas Cowboys for Inside The Star, this has been one of my favorite pieces to create.

Hope you enjoy.

3 Arkansas State Red Wolves to know ahead of Oklahoma’s Week 1 contest

Taking a look at three Arkansas State Red Wolves to know as Oklahoma gears up for their 2023 season opener.

Oklahoma’s season opener should be a relatively stress-free affair as long as they respect their opponent and come out flying like they did in game one last season. They are the more talented and deeper team on a day where depth will matter because of the sweltering heat the teams will be playing in.

For Arkansas State, this season is about rebuilding back to where they were from 2010-2019. During that stretch, the Red Wolves had nine winning seasons, went to nine straight bowl games, and won five Sun Belt titles.

Last season, they went 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the Sun Belt. While Arkansas State struggled last year, this year brings new opportunities and fresh faces. The transfer portal created a little turnover, but the Red Wolves also received some talented arrivals.

Corey Rucker, WR

One player to know for the Red Wolves is Corey Rucker. He’s their best offensive weapon and looks like a guy that could sneak into day three of the NFL Draft next April.

He’s been productive every year of college except for last year.

He committed and started his career at Arkansas State, and he was a big-time target in 2020 and 2021 before leaving for South Carolina in 2022. He returned to Arkansas State this spring after an injury derailed his season with the Gamecocks a year ago.

In 2021, Rucker was named FWAA Freshman All-American and Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference after posting a team-high 826 receiving yards, which was fifth in the Sun Belt on 59 catches. He scored nine touchdowns, leading the team and ranking second in the league that year.

He’s not overly big, but at six feet, he’s not scared to attack the ball in the air. He lined up outside and in the slot for Red Wolves. He has the speed to stress corners.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see new starting cornerback Gentry Williams get the assignment, as he has more footspeed than Woodi Washington.

UP NEXT: The man throwing to Rucker

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5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners first official depth chart of 2023

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners first official depth chart of the 2023 season.

If there’s one thing that signals we are genuinely back for college football, it’s the release of the official depth charts for colleges across the country. .

Earlier Tuesday morning, Oklahoma’s official football account released the depth chart, helping paint a clearer picture of how this year’s team will be deployed. Several names who played sparingly last year or didn’t play at Oklahoma are now in starting roles for the Sooners.

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All offseason, Brent Venables stressed competitive depth as one of the biggest changes from last offseason to this offseason. It clearly shows up on paper as the depth chart has 21 different “OR” situations.

In many ways, the game against Arkansas State is a tryout for many players to solidify or leap someone at their respective positions. Below, we share our five takeaways from the first official depth chart.

Analysis of the Oklahoma Sooners official depth chart for the 2023 season

A look at the depth chart for the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners ahead of their week one matchup with Arkansas State.

Week 1 of the 2023 college football season is upon us. With that comes the 2023 depth chart for the Oklahoma Sooners.

If there’s one thing about this depth chart, it’s there’s an emphasis on the word depth.

We heard from the coaching staff during OU media day that they had more “competitive depth” on the roster. Now that we have our first depth chart of the season, it’s clear the team has more depth. Now, how that translates to wins and losses will reveal itself throughout the season.

As Oklahoma gets set to take on Arkansas State in just a few days, here’s a look at the Sooners depth chart.