Tag: Hunter Dekkers

Oklahoma Sooners defense steps up in 27-13 win over Iowa State

The Oklahoma defense came up clutch in the Sooners’ 27-13 win against the Iowa State Cyclones. from @BenDackiw

It was something of a defensive slugfest in Ames, Iowa as the Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 27-13. The Sooners are now 5-3 and are just one win away from bowl eligibility.

After starting 0-3 in Big 12 play, the Sooners have now won back-to-back games to get to 2-3.

The bye week worked wonders for the much-maligned Sooner defense. There weren’t any massive busts in coverage, the tackling was improved, and the front seven was stout against the run.

The Oklahoma game plan on defense was simple: take away the run and make Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers win the game with his arm. They did just that. Iowa State ran the ball 27 times for just 66 yards. That’s less than three yards per carry.

The Sooners appear to have finally solved the puzzle that is mobile quarterbacks. After being gashed by the likes of Adrian Martinez and Max Duggan on the ground, the OU defense harrassed Dekkers all game long, only allowing the young signal-caller 31 yards on four carries. That’s not an optimal number, but much better than the 148 yards Adrian Martinez had back in September.

When the Cyclones started to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, the OU defense did bend, but they did not break. Justin Broiles and Danny Stutsman both came up with clutch interceptions that bailed out a stagnant Oklahoma offense.

Dillon Gabriel did what he had to do for the Sooners to win this game. He made accurate throws, and he didn’t turn over the football. On the day, Gabriel was 15 of 26 for 148 yards and a touchdown. Not a great day, but what the Sooners needed against a stout Cyclone’s defense.

Jeff Lebby called an absolute beauty of a football game. He established the run early. While Eric Gray didn’t quite feast, but he looked darn good against the stiffest run defense he will face all year. Gray ran for 101 yards and a touchdown and added two receptions for 14 yards in the win.

One issue the Sooners had was getting out of bad field position. Iowa State punter Tyler Perkins pinned the Sooners inside their own five-yard-line multiple times, and OU just couldn’t get out of the shadow of their own end zone.

OU punter Michael “Hangtime” Turk not only had a number of excellent punts, but he also was credited with a touchdown pass to kicker Zach Schmit on a nifty fake field goal in the first half.

Marvin Mims had a tough day. He never seemed to recover from a drop on OU’s first play from scrimmage and would end up dropping a would-be touchdown later in the game. The Cyclones held OU’s No. 1 receiver to just two catches and 16 yards on the day.

In response to Mims’ struggles, other wide receivers picked up the slack. Jalil Farooq had four receptions for 74 yards, and a touchdown, and Drake Stoops had three catches for 34 yards. Gabriel’s touchdown to Farooq made it 20-6 in the first half. Although Iowa State was able to pull within seven midway through the fourth, the Sooners’ defense came up with clutch stops at the end of the game to preserve the win.

Next week, the Sooners will come home to face the Baylor Bears. The OU defense performed well against Iowa State’s young QB in Hunter Dekkers. Will they do the same against Baylor’s Blake Shapen?

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5 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win vs. Iowa State

5 Keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win against the Iowa State Cyclones.

Going on the road to play the Iowa State Cyclones is no easy task. Forget what the 0-4 in the Big 12 mark says, this Iowa State team will provide another in a long line of tough tests for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Iowa State’s defense is no joke, holding Texas to 24 points, Kansas (with Jalon Daniels) to 14, and Kansas State to 10. At the same time, this is a different type of offense, one that can create chunk plays in a hurry and is very balanced offensively.

Oklahoma’s offense is as good as any in the Big 12 this side of TCU when Dillon Gabriel is in the lineup. Oklahoma’s scored 30 or more points in each game Gabriel’s played all 60 minutes, and I don’t expect that to change in this one.

But again, it will not be easy. Oklahoma can win it, but there are several facets of the game that they’ll have to win. Here are five keys to a Sooners win over Iowa State.

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Oklahoma Sooners at Iowa State Cyclones: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for week 9

Trying to figure out where to find the Sooners game on Saturday? Here’s how to watch, stream or listen to Oklahoma vs. Iowa State.

Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) will face Iowa State (3-4, 0-4) on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Sooners look to pick up their second Big 12 win of the season when they travel to Ames, Iowa, to face the Cyclones. Ames can be a tough place to play for Oklahoma, but an 11 a.m. kickoff on a Saturday is better than the Thursday night date originally scheduled.

Coming out of the bye week, both teams should be fresh and ready to go for this week’s matchup.

Historically, Oklahoma has dominated the matchup, but during the Lincoln Riley era, Iowa State picked up two wins, including one in Norman in 2017, the first season of Riley’s tenure.

Brent Venables is hoping to avoid the same fate as his predecessor by beating an Iowa State team that has been pretty good on defense. If the Sooners can get an improved effort from their win over Kansas two weeks ago, then Oklahoma should come away with the win.

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Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

  • Date: Oct. 29, 2022
  • Time: 11 a.m. CT
  • TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
  • Listen: Sreaming on the Varsity App

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Oklahoma vs. Texas injury report:

Oklahoma

[autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag], LB: Out for season (Elbow)

[autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag], LB: Out for season (Shoulder)

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], S: Doubtful (Knee)

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag], RB: Questionable (Ankle)

Iowa State

No Injuries disclosed

Players to watch:

Oklahoma

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], QB: 65.1% for 1,215 yards, 13 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. 35 carries, 163 yards and 3 touchdowns.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] WR: 32 receptions for 542 yards and 3 touchdowns.

[autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], TE: 20 receptions for 330 yards and 5 touchdowns.

[autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], RB: 97 carries for 695 yards, 5 touchdowns at 7.2 yards per carry.

[autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], RB: 72 carries, 316 yards, 4 touchdowns  at 4.4 yards per carry.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], LB: 62 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 passes defended.

[autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], LB: 62 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

Iowa State Cyclones

[autotag]Hunter Dekkers[/autotag], QB: 67.7% for 1,843 yards, 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. 50 carries, 34 yards and 2 touchdowns.

[autotag]Xavier Hutchinson[/autotag], WR: 67 receptions for 758 yards and 5 touchdowns.

[autotag]Jihrel Brock[/autotag], RB: 80 carries for 398 yards, 2 touchdowns at 5 yards per carry.

[autotag]Will McDonald[/autotag], DE: 18 total tackles, 4.4 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

By the Numbers: Oklahoma Sooners at Iowa State Cyclones

Take a look at how the Oklahoma Sooners and the Iowa State Cyclones stack up statistically heading into their week 9 showdown in Ames.

This Saturday’s matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Iowa State Cyclones is a tale of two teams.

Oklahoma boasts one of the best offenses in the country while the Cyclones’ strength is their stingy defense. The Sooners have struggled on defense in 2022, while it’s Iowa State’s offense that has had the harder time up in Ames.

The Sooners come into the game as slight favorites on the road after erupting for 52 points against Kansas. Before the bye, Iowa State suffered their fourth-straight loss and their fourth loss in a one-score game.

When Dillon Gabriel has played a full game for the Sooners they’ve scored more than 30 points each time.

The Baylor Bears are the only team to score more than 30 in a game this season against Iowa State. Texas scored 24 in the Cyclones’ week seven loss. No other teams have scored more than 20 against Iowa State this season.

Here’s a look at how the two sides stack up in this week’s By the Numbers.

Oklahoma at Iowa State: Sooners Wire staff predictions

Oklahoma looks to stay on the winning side of things on the road against Iowa State. Here are this week’s Sooners Wire staff predictions.

There’s nothing like ending a losing streak to make all feel right with the world.

Well, mostly.

It’s amazing what a passing threat will do for an offense and how much having your leader back on the field will do for a team. Dillon Gabriel took Oklahoma from a team that was incapable of scoring against Texas to an offense that looked unstoppable against Kansas.

Two weeks ago, the Sooners put up 700 yards of offense and were incredibly balanced. Gabriel threw for 403, and the rushing attack, led by Eric Gray, had just under 300 yards rushing (only under because they kneeled at the end of the game).

The Sooners needed an offensive performance like that to rid the team of the three-game losing streak.

Against the Iowa State Cyclones, Oklahoma will have a chance to put together another solid performance, but moving the ball on offense won’t be easy. The Cyclones rank sixth in points allowed per game and ninth in total yards allowed per game.

Let’s get ready for Saturday with this week’s staff predictions.

Up Next: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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5 Oklahoma Sooners to watch on defense against Iowa State

These five players need to have a big day for the Oklahoma Sooners defense against Iowa State.

Oklahoma resumes conference play on Saturday as they load up and head to Ames, Iowa to take on Matt Campbell’s Iowa State Cyclones. Oklahoma comes off their bye week rejuvenated and largely very healthy, with the only notable injury being that of impact defender Billy Bowman. Oklahoma’s defense has been playing without Bowman for weeks now, so they should be acclimated to life without their best defensive back.

With Bowman out of the lineup, new guys have been given opportunities to showcase themselves. While no one player has stood out, the coaching staff likes the open competition and is giving different players looks. The rest of the defense will also have to take their games to the next level, as the last road trip for Oklahoma ended with TCU scoring over 50 points on the Sooners.

Iowa State no longer has running back Breece Hall, who went head-to-head the last few seasons with the Texas Longhorns’ Bijan Robinson for best RB in the Big 12. They did return Xavier Hutchinson, and he’s taken his game to the next level. He’s the toughest skill player Oklahoma will be scheming to stop.

The Iowa State offense is anemic in comparison to the other Big 12 offenses Oklahoma has seen to this point. However, the Cyclones will get up for Oklahoma. As we get ready for kickoff, here are five defenders to watch for as Oklahoma takes on Iowa State.

Oklahoma vs. Iowa State a clash of strengths and weaknesses

When Oklahoma and Iowa State take the field this Saturday, it will be a battle of strength on strength and weakness on weakness. Which side will prevail?

When the Oklahoma Sooners make the trip to Ames, Iowa for their week nine matchup with the Iowa State Cyclones, they’ll face arguably the toughest defense they’ve seen all season.

Iowa State is allowing just 15.1 points per game on the year, which is good for sixth in the nation. Only twice in seven games has a team scored more than 20 points on the Cyclones, Baylor and Texas. Iowa State held Kansas State to 10 points and Kansas to 14.

They’ve been really, really good this year in Big 12 play.

On the other side of the ball, the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense has been fantastic when Dillon Gabriel was available. Take the 49-0 shutout loss to Texas out of the equation when Gabriel was unavailable, and the Sooners are averaging 39 points per game. That includes only playing in the first half against TCU. With Gabriel at the helm for a full four quarters, the Sooners’ offense hasn’t been held under 30 points in a game. Gabriel went down just before Oklahoma scored to make it 34-17 in the first half. Had he stayed in the game, the Sooners would have hit 30 and made it a more competitive game.

While Oklahoma’s offense has been fantastic this season, it’s the defense that has been more of an adventure. The Sooners are allowing 31 points per game and have allowed their last four opponents to score 40 or more. Things were a bit better against Kansas, but there’s a lot of work to be done to build on that performance.

But Oklahoma should have an opportunity for some success against an Iowa State offense that’s not as bad as the Iowa Hawkeyes, but they aren’t scoring a ton of points either. The Cyclones are averaging just 22.9 points per game, which is good for 103rd in the nation.

This matchup is a battle of strength vs. strength and weakness vs. weakness. The good news for the Sooners is that the Cyclones don’t have the offense to run away from Oklahoma and get a big lead. So, if they struggle for a bit on the offensive side of the ball against Iowa State’s defense, it’ll be a game that will stay within a score throughout.

Oklahoma will move the ball offensively. They need to stay patient in this game and not try to force things against a stingy Cyclones’ defense. Defensively, if the Sooners can make Hunter Dekkers uncomfortable in the pocket, they’ll have a chance to create some turnovers to provide their offense with some short fields.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Big 12 quarterback power rankings after week 5

The Big 12 has seen some really good quarterback play in the 2022 season, but who stands atop this week’s QB power rankings?

When the transfer portal took Caleb Williams, Spencer Rattler, Gerry Bohanon and Casey Thompson out of the Big 12, an opportunity arose for new quarterbacks to assert themselves as the best in the league.

The transfer portal also brought in several new starters: Dillon Gabriel at Oklahoma, Adrian Martinez at Kansas State, and J.T. Daniels at West Virginia.

Opening weekend featured just two players returning as the starting quarterback for their squad; Spencer Sanders and Jalon Daniels. Hudson Card, Max Duggan and Donovan Smith started games for their teams last year but weren’t the Week 1 starter. Injuries provided opportunities, and they’ve taken advantage, coming up with big-time performances at times through the first five weeks of the season.

With more than a month of action in the books, it’s time to update the quarterback power rankings in the Big 12.

Social media reacts to another Iowa offensive dud, Cy-Hawk Series streak being snapped

After another poor offensive showing, the Iowa Hawkeyes’ winning streak over Iowa State is history. Social media reacted to the loss.

The Iowa Hawkeyes welcomed in their arch rival in the Iowa State Cyclones for the first time since the 2018 season. Unfortunately, for the first time in the past seven meetings, Iowa State handed the Hawkeyes a stinging 10-7 loss.

After a season-opening contest against South Dakota State that raised plenty of questions about Iowa’s offense, the Hawkeyes never had an answer offensively versus a Cyclones team that only mustered up 10 points of their own.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz backed his starting quarterback Spencer Petras as the team’s No. 1 option ahead of this rivalry game.

“Yeah, I think it is full-fledged. In my mind it is, and every player builds a resume when they’re here through the way they practice and when they play. We see more practice than we do game competition.

“But I think he’s done a lot of good things for us, and he did some good things Saturday. Some things he could have done better. I think overall right now, I think our biggest challenge is just a little bit like last year, is just team execution right now, and I want to give him a fair assessment just like I would anybody that’s in there,” Ferentz said.

At this point, though, there appears to be no other option than to give one of his other signal-callers a try. Petras finished completing 12-of-26 passes for 92 yards with no touchdown passes and an interception.

Tight end Sam LaPorta was the Hawkeyes’ leading receiver, reeling in eight grabs for 55 yards. Luke Lachey finished with a pair of grabs for 14 yards. There were only two receptions by Iowa receivers, one for 14 yards by Alec Wick and one for nine yards by Arland Bruce IV.

On the ground, Leshon Williams got the scoring started with a 9-yard touchdown run on Iowa’s first possession, but that was it. The ground game never got on track after that either. The Hawkeyes finished with 58 rushing yards as a team and Williams had 14 carries for 34 yards.

Iowa finished with three turnovers, one Petras interception and a pair of fumbles. The Hawkeyes had 150 yards of total offense. That was made up of 92 passing yards and 58 rushing yards.

Naturally, social media was not pleased with the performance. Let’s take you on a journey. Here were some of the best reactions out there to Iowa’s latest offensive disaster against Iowa State.

WATCH: Iowa uses blocked punt, pair of turnovers to lead at halftime over Iowa State 7-3

One big special teams play and one big defensive play have the Iowa Hawkeyes in front of the Iowa State Cyclones at half.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are hosting the Iowa State Cyclones for the first time since 2018. After one half, it’s the Hawkeyes that are getting the better of it. Iowa leads Iowa State at recess, 7-3.

As you might have guessed, it’s been driven by defense and special teams. At halftime, the Hawkeyes have just 86 yards of total offense. Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras completed 5-of-11 passes for 33 yards. He also had a third-and-8 pass intercepted after it was deflected off intended target Alec Wick’s hands.

Leshon Williams finished the first half with 11 carries for 36 rushing yards to lead Iowa in that department. Meanwhile, in the receiving category, Iowa’s five completions went to its two tight ends in Sam LaPorta and Luke Lachey. LaPorta finished with three grabs for 19 yards while Lachey had a pair for 14 yards.

After a John Waggoner sack of Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers on the Cyclones’ first drive, Iowa electrified the crowd with this blocked punt.

Lukas Van Ness blocked it and Reggie Bracy scooped it up to set the Hawks up with their first possession of the day at the Iowa State 16-yard line. Then, finally, Iowa delivered its first offensive touchdown of the season with a 9-yard touchdown trot from running back Leshon Williams.

Later on in the first half after a Petras fumble on a sack, Iowa State drove it all the way down to the Hawkeyes’ 1-yard line. Then, a terrific defensive play saved Iowa from surrendering points.

Last but not least, Iowa had one more turnover to preserve their first-half lead. Cooper DeJean picked off this Dekkers pass following Petras’ interception in the closing two minutes.

The Hawkeyes need to find a way to get their offense going, but it’s nice to see the special teams and defense once again delivering for Iowa to keep Iowa in front.

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