Tag: Kennedy Brookes

Oklahoma named a week 6 winner, A QB Quandary, and More

What does Oklahoma’s historic win over the Texas Longhorns mean for the Sooners moving forward?

If you’re still processing the emotional whiplash of Oklahoma’s 55-48 win over Texas in the Red River Showdown, you’re most certainly not alone. 

A quarterback controversy, an offense discovering its big play ability, and a resilient defensive effort are just a few pieces of an incredible story that reminds us all why we love college football so much in the first place. In his weekly recap, Paul Myerberg listed the Oklahoma Sooners as one of college football’s biggest winners in week 6.  

Down 28-7 after the first quarter, OU inserted freshman quarterback Caleb Williams and charged back to beat the rival Longhorns. After playing so well through five games, the Sooners’ defense was shoved early but responded to keep UT out of the end zone from just over midway through the second quarter until one minute left in the fourth. The win keeps OU on track for the playoff but does create a bit of a dilemma for coach Lincoln Riley, who may hand the offense over to Williams after he accounted for 300 yards of offense and three scores. – Myerburg

What does this mean for the Sooners moving forward? Here’s one pro and one woe from Saturday’s historic win that Oklahoma will carry into week 7.

Up Next: Back in the media’s good graces

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Why OU-Texas could be the big game this Sooner has been waiting for

After a quiet start to 2021, could this Sooner have a big day against Texas?

With five weeks in the books on the 2021 college football season, the Oklahoma Sooners have had a mixture of playmakers lead the way for the offense.

Mario Williams, Jadon Haselwood, Marvin Mims, and Michael Woods have each had a standout performance and led the team in receiving in a game this year. Of those four, Mims is the only one that has done it twice.

In the backfield, Kennedy Brookes and Eric Gray have led the team in run production. But Brookes, who has 100 more touches, appears to be the preferred choice in traditional rushing situations.

But a position group without a defining game until week 5 was H-Back. Against the Wildcats, Jeremiah Hall was a catalyst for the Sooners’ offense, barreling in a touchdown on the ground while also scoring through the air to showcase the offensive versatility Lincoln Riley wants from that position.

Hall’s success against K. State leads me to believe the Sooners may make another concentrated effort to get their H-Backs involved early in the game against Texas. For this reason, I expect Austin Stogner to have his best game of the season.

Stogner led Oklahoma against Texas last season with six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. If Spencer Rattler is a little anxious on his first few drives this afternoon, he could look for Stogner to once again deliver in an electric environment. While the Cotton Bowl is technically a neutral site, the Texas fans in attendance are sure to create an aura of hostility over the game. At 6-6, Stogner has the large catch radius needed to haul in errant passes. That could come in handy if Rattler has a few throws get away from him due to the pass rush or early game jitters.

But Stogner’s role within this offense should be more significant than serving as a safety blanket. Before his injury in 2020, Stogner ranked third on the team in catches and receiving yards. In 2021, the junior has just seven catches for 74 yards and one touchdown.

The bottom line is that Stogner is bigger than anyone Texas can assign to cover him and can again lead this team in the Red River Showdown.