Tag: Gerry Bohanon

RECAP: Oklahoma Sooners fall to 9-1 after 27-14 loss to Baylor Bears

Oklahoma Sooners drop their first game of the season 27-14 on the road to the Baylor Bears, who rushed for 296 yards on the day.

After a few weeks of feeling as if the CFP playoff rankings disrespected them, the Sooners laid a massive egg when presented with the opportunity to prove the committee wrong. Coming off a much-needed bye week, the Oklahoma Sooners fell to the Baylor Bears 27-14, ending their November winning streak at 23 games.

The Sooners looked disorganized and overwhelmed, especially on offense. Caleb Williams was in limbo from the first snap as he and his offensive teammates were knocked back for consecutive negative plays leading to a punt from Oklahoma to start the game.

The Oklahoma defense largely came to play. The numbers and stats won’t support it, but they played well enough for this team to win the game. However, the offense’s lack of success ultimately undid the team as Baylor’s offense made a few more plays.

Quarterback Caleb Williams struggled. He often held the ball too long, looked confused in the pocket, and largely looked out of it. In the third quarter, Caleb Williams would eventually be replaced by Spencer Rattler, who also struggled in his brief relief performance.

The Sooners hung tough, entering the half tied at 7-7 despite missed scoring opportunities by Baylor and missed opportunities by the Sooners in the form of two missed Gabe Brkic field goals. Each team both threw interceptions in the first half as well. Despite that, the Sooners never came out of the half with any sense of urgency. The Baylor Bears took a 10-7 lead in the third quarter and never looked back. The Sooners were outscored 20-7 in the second half of the football game.

Running back Abram Smith and quarterback Gerry Bohanon led the Bears’ offensive attack combining for 255 yards rushing.

Kennedy Brooks led the Sooners in rushing with 13 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown while Mike Woods paced the Sooners in receiving with four catches for 53 yards. The Sooners offense could only muster 260 total yards.

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t hang with the Bears on this day and now have some work to do to rebound to finish the 2021 season on a high note.

The Sooners return home to Norman for their last home game of the year to take on the Iowa State Cyclones. The Bears travel to Manhattan, Kansas, next to take on the Kansas State Wildcats.

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

Oklahoma Sooners deadlocked with Baylor Bears at halftime

It’s a dogfight in Waco. The two teams traded missed field goals, interceptions and scoring drives. After a half, it’s all even 7-7.

On paper, it looked like Oklahoma’s most difficult test of the season so far going in. After one half of play, that’s held true. Oklahoma and Baylor ended the first half in Waco deadlocked at 7-7.

The Sooners won the coin toss and elected to take the football first. On the game’s opening series, Oklahoma went backwards. Redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks lost four on the first snap and then true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked for a six-yard loss.

Faced with a 3rd-and-20, OU kept it conservative and handed it back off to Brooks for a gain of one yard.

Baylor looked like it was driving down for the game’s first points on the ensuing drive after the Bears converted a 4th-and-2 snap from the OU 45-yard-line with a five-yard run from senior running back Abram Smith.

But, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda elected to gamble again on 4th-and-goal from the Sooners’ 2-yard-line and Bears junior quarterback Gerry Bohanon’s pass was incomplete intended for Tyquan Thornton.

Deep in its own end of the field, Williams tried to connect with wide receiver Jadon Haselwood into double coverage and the pass was intercepted by Baylor’s Kalon Barnes.

Oklahoma redshirt junior linebacker Brian Asamoah then made one of the key plays of the first half. On a 3rd-and-1 snap from the OU 28-yard-line, Asamoah dropped Bears running back Trestan Ebner for a loss of five.

That set up a Baylor field goal try, which Isaiah Hankins missed from 51 yards out. Oklahoma’s next possession ended with OU kicker Gabe Brkic missing his own 51-yard field goal try.

Senior safety Delarrin Turner-Yell gave the Sooners the momentum right back, intercepting Bohanon and setting Oklahoma up with the football back at their own 22-yard line.

Finally, the Sooners were able to kick their offense into gear. Oklahoma engineered a nine-play scoring drive that covered 78 yards. Junior running back Eric Gray delivered the most important play of the series.

Gray caught a pass from Williams out of the backfield and shook away from Baylor defenders to turn a 3rd-and-7 from the Baylor 17-yard-line into a first-and-goal from the 2.

Williams did the rest from there, keeping it himself on a 2-yard rushing touchdown.

Baylor answered back with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive of their own. Facing a 3rd-and-goal, Bohanon connected with Thornton on an eight-yard strike as sophomore defensive back Key Lawrence was beat on the fade route.

At the half, Baylor outgained Oklahoma with 163 yards of total offense to the Sooners’ 131. The Bears did the bulk of their damage on the ground, rushing for 106 yards. Smith carried it 11 times for 60 yards, while Ebner rushed seven times for 20 yards.

Bohanon completed 5-of-12 passes for 57 yards with the one touchdown to Thornton against his pass that was intercepted by Turner-Yell.

For Oklahoma, Williams ended his first half 6-of-12 passing for 65 yards. The Sooners’ leading rusher was Brooks with eight carries for 27 yards.

Baylor gets the football first to start the second half.

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

Three defensive players that will be key in Oklahoma’s game vs Baylor

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set for their toughest offensive test of the season, here are 3 players to watch for OU vs. the Baylor Bears.

Championship November and Oklahoma’s defensive unit have to find the form they found last November. Last season they spearheaded an Oklahoma team that rumbled to the finish line as hot as any team in the NCAA. Two losses derailed their playoff hopes, but they would close the season with a dominant showing defensively against a Florida team in the Cotton Bowl.

Fast forward to now, and the Sooners are 9-0 with the Big 12 title, and a playoff berth is firmly ahead of them. Their defense has been up and down over the past month or so due to some untimely injuries to guys they can’t afford to lose. As guys trickle in healthy, the trajectory of this defense can assume the upwards trajectory it once was on.

In particular, a few names come to the forefront when discussing who will lead Oklahoma defensively as they look to remain undefeated this season.

Key Lawrence, DB

No one knows where Key Lawrence will line up tomorrow, but one thing is for absolute certain, he needs to be on the field often if Oklahoma is to win this game.

In two different games, Lawrence has shown himself to be adequate against the run and against the pass. He played in Delarrin Turner-Yell’s spot at strong safety when Oklahoma played on the road against Kansas and had multiple tackles for loss and forced a fumble coming up and filling gaps in the run game.

Due to a depleted group at corner, he moved outside to make his first start at cornerback the following week against Texas Tech. In the win over the Red Raiders, Lawrence had two pass breakups out there.

It’s simple. He can flat-out play. Against a balanced attack in Baylor, Lawrence has value laying in the box or lining up outside as Baylor looks to take their deep shots off play-action.

Up Next: Sooners must win up the middle

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Baylor Bears: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Get ready for Saturday’s matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Baylor Bears with our Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

On Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners will take their 9-0 record into Waco to take on the 7-2 Baylor Bears in a game with Big 12 and College Football Playoff implications.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been knocked in the first two playoff rankings primarily because they don’t have a win over a team currently in the Top 25. Though wins over Nebraska, Texas and Kansas State were solid, the close nature of those wins rings hollow in the eyes of the committee.

Blowout wins over TCU and Texas Tech in recent weeks didn’t move the needle much either.

That changes this week as the Sooners take on the Baylor Bears, who are 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings. Though the Bears were upset by the TCU Horned Frogs last week, they dropped only one spot in the rankings.

This week is an excellent opportunity for the Oklahoma Sooners to start Championship November with a statement win over a program that’s very well balanced. The Bears have a defense capable of controlling the game and have one of the best offenses in the Big 12, led by their prolific running game.

With that, let’s take a look at this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions!

Up Next: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

5 reasons the Oklahoma Sooners win on the road against the Baylor Bears

Fresh off the bye, the Oklahoma Sooners look to continue their winning ways in Waco against the Baylor Bears. Here are 5 reasons the Sooners win Saturday.

If this was a race, the Sooners are approaching the final lap — no more cruise control, no more distance running. It’s time to pick those knees up, pump those arms and sprint to the finish line. Despite their second consecutive eighth-place ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings, the Sooners have a very real shot at making the playoffs as long as they run the table.

That starts with a win against the Baylor Bears this weekend.

The Baylor Bears are looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the TCU Horned Frogs. Coming off their bye week, the Sooners are looking to extend their winning streak with their trip to Waco.

To get ready for Saturday’s “Big Noon Kickoff” game on Fox, here are 5 reasons the Oklahoma Sooners win on Saturday.

5 reasons the Oklahoma Sooners lose to the Baylor Bears on Saturday

The recipe to hand Oklahoma its first loss of the 2021 season exists. Here’s five reasons Baylor makes that happen on Saturday.

Oklahoma returns to play after a rare weekend off by visiting the Baylor Bears. On paper, it’s Oklahoma’s most-difficult test to date. The Bears are coming off a disappointing loss to the TCU Horned Frogs and Chandler Morris.

Baylor’s been a tough win for the Sooners in recent years. They had to come back to beat Baylor in 2019 after trailing 28-3 and 31-10 at halftime. Dave Arranda’s defense held the Sooners to 10 points in the first half of last year’s matchup. Baylor’s done a good job slowing the Sooners down for a half. Can they do it for a full 60 minutes?

Let’s have the conversation no Sooner fan wants to have. Here’s five reasons Oklahoma loses to Baylor.

WATCH: Texas DB B.J. Foster intercepts Gerry Bohanon on Baylor’s first drive

B.J. Foster grabs a huge interception on Baylor’s first drive.

The Longhorns are looking to end their two-game losing streak, as they take on No. 16 Baylor in Week 9.

Contrary to what they have done when they have won the toss earlier in the season, Texas opted to kick first rather than start off with the offense.

Going into the game, Texas knew that they needed to stop the run, but more importantly prevent Gerry Bohanon from getting hot and beating them in the air.

After a nice completion on their first play of the game, Bohanon made a risky decision when he threw into coverage with four Longhorns around.  The throw ended with Texas defensive back B.J. Foster running the ball back, as he grabbed his third interception of the season.

This was a critical play as Bohanon is typically very smart with the ball, and that is only his second interception on the season. Foster gave the Longhorns the ball in premium field position, and a chance to take an early lead. Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived.

Texas and Baylor are now tied 7-7 with four minutes to go in the first quarter.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams named to Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2021

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams was selected as one of the 40 named to the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2021.

Oklahoma freshman quarterback Caleb Williams captivated the college football world when he burst onto the scene at the Red River Showdown and spearheaded a wild Sooners’ rally over Texas.

In that 55-48 win over the Longhorns, Williams took an early second quarter fourth and 1 snap, broke loose from would-be Texas tacklers and raced 66 yards into the end zone to announce his presence nationally. Williams wound up the hero that day, finishing with 212 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes to OU sophomore wide receiver Marvin Mims.

Since then, Williams has largely been marvelous for Oklahoma. The Washington, D.C., native threw for 295 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 52-31 Sooners’ victory over TCU. Then, after a slow start, Williams regrouped last week after halftime against Kansas to finish with a pair of touchdown passes.

Williams has recorded touchdown runs of 40-plus yards in each game he’s played in since taking over the Sooners’ starting quarterback duties. It was a fourth and 3 snap versus Kansas that Williams evaded three Jayhawks defenders before breaking free for a 40-yard touchdown scamper to make the score 28-17.

As a result, Williams has been selected as one of 40 quarterbacks that are officially eligible to win the 2021 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. The next step in the process will be to select the award’s 16 semifinalists from the 40 quarterbacks. Semifinalists will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

Semifinalists will be chosen based on voting from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee as well as the first round of the fan vote. Fans can vote for Williams on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. The top five vote getters on each social media platform will receive bonus committee member ballots.

Fellow Big 12 quarterbacks Gerry Bohanon of Baylor, Iowa State’s Brock Purdy and Texas’ Casey Thompson were also selected. SMU quarterback and former Sooner Tanner Mordecai made the initial cut as well.

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

Who’s on the move in the latest Big 12 Power Rankings after Week 6?

There wasn’t much movement with just three contests on the Big 12 slate this weekend, but two teams made impressions in their blowout wins.

It was a fascinating slate of Big 12 games that served as a measuring stick for the six teams that played on Saturday. There were just three games, leaving four teams idle for Week 6.

Oklahoma and Texas played one of the all-time classic Red River Showdowns in the 117 game history of the rivalry. TCU blew out Texas Tech under the lights in Lubbock, and Baylor dominated West Virginia in Waco.

The four teams on bye weeks made this week’s power rankings a bit more difficult, but what I landed on was a team on a bye couldn’t move up. For instance, Iowa State didn’t move past Texas this week, because they didn’t play and provide us any evidence that they’re a better team than the Longhorns.

Baylor on the other hand moved up one spot in the power rankings. As things stand, the Bears’ only loss on the season came to the No. 2 team in our Big 12 power rankings, Oklahoma State. Similarly, we’re not punishing Texas for its loss to our No. 1 team in the power rankings.

TCU gets a bump for winning on the road in Lubbock, which is a tough place to play at night.

Though we’re just a few games into the Big 12 schedule, a couple of things have become clear.

Kansas and West Virginia are the two worst teams in the conference. Neither can sustain consistent offense, and Kansas can’t stop anybody.

Texas Tech could join them if it doesn’t find an answer defensively.

Teams one through seven, however, will provide intrigue in Big 12 play this year. The conference looks to have a ton of depth in the top seven this week. It will be fascinating to see how they match up as the season goes along.

Big 12 Power Rankings: Full slate of conference games provides clarity after Week 5

After a full slate of Big 12 games, the conference is beginning to provide some clarity. Where do the teams stack up after week five?

After a full slate of Big 12 play, the conference power rankings are starting to shake out a bit. More than ever, there is parity in the Big 12. Every team from 1-9 (sorry, Kansas) has a chance to beat anyone else in the conference week-to-week.

Texas Tech looked like a completely different team after taking a 70-point shellacking at the hands of Texas a week ago. The Red Raiders went into Morgantown and beat a West Virginia team that held the Sooners to 16 points in Norman.

Texas and Oklahoma State won their games after poor performances from quarterbacks who looked to be taking a step forward a week ago. Iowa State bounced back from their loss to Baylor. And speaking of Baylor, the Oklahoma State defense is legit. To hold the Bears to 14 points despite losing the turnover battle 3-0 is a pretty impressive feat. They made Gerry Bohanon look like an average quarterback.

This week the top three teams remained unchanged, but teams 5-9 saw a shakeup. Let’s take a look at this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings.