Tag: Kip Lewis

No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane: How to Watch, key players, weather forecast for gameday

The Sooners take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and here is how you can watch the game, the key players to watch and the weather forecast.

Fresh off an up-and-down game last week against the SMU Mustangs, the Oklahoma Sooners are set to take on another [autotag]American Athletic Conference[/autotag] member, the [autotag]Tulsa Golden Hurricane[/autotag].

Tulsa, led by former Oklahoma offensive coordinator [autotag]Kevin Wilson[/autotag] brings an offense that hopes to give the Sooners defense fits this week. Tulsa has the No. 56 ranked offense in the nation.

While most people remember Wilson for his impressive passing attack led by [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag] when he was in Norman, his Tulsa team is different this year. While they don’t excel in the passing game, they do in the running game, ranking No. 26th in the country.

But if you are wondering how you can watch the game, what key players to look for, or what the weather will be like, we’ve got you covered.

The Power of Youth: 3 Sooners to watch on defense vs. Tulsa

There’s a youth movement happening on defense and these three defenders will be Sooners to keep an eye on come Saturday.

Saturday’s matchup against Tulsa marks Oklahoma’s last nonconference game before they embark on their final Big 12 season. The matchup means a lot for the state of Oklahoma with the Sooners playing as the road team this week.

The Sooners enter the game with a lot of momentum on defense after shutting down what was a top-20 offense in the nation last season.

After what happened in 2022 for OU, this season’s efforts have felt particularly inspired. Oklahoma is looking to improve on last year and reshape the narrative about how the Sooners get down defensively.

After two games, the Sooners hold the nation’s sixth-best scoring defense, holding teams to just 5.5 points per game. They are eighth in third-down defense, with opponents converting just 22 percent of third-down attempts. It’s early, but through two games, it’s something to be proud of.

Tulsa may not be as talented as SMU, but their head coach is an offensive mind that Brent Venables knows all too well. The two coached under Bob Stoops for nearly a decade.

Oklahoma should be able to win this game fairly stress-free, but building their confidence and depth are also high on the list of priorities.

We believe these three players are names to watch come Saturday.

Up Next: 3 Sooners to watch on Defense

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Key Lawrence among College Sports Wire’s top Big 12 performers from week 2

After a strong performance in the Sooners win over SMU, Oklahoma’s Key Lawrence was selected as College Sports Wire’s top Big 12 defensive back from week 2.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 2-0 on the season, led by a defense that’s allowing just 5.5 points per game and rank as a top-10 defense early on. The Sooners will face tougher competition as the season goes on, but the SMU Mustangs offense is a good one. Oklahoma held them to their lowest point total since the end of the 2017 season.

There were a number of key contributors to the strong defensive performance, including [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] at linebacker. Another player who had a strong game was, safety [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag].

Lawrence was named one of College Sports Wire’s top Big 12 performers from the Sooners’ win in week 2.

It was actually the defense that helped lead the Sooners to a victory over SMU on Saturday. They held the Mustangs to just 11 points and that allowed a struggling offense to find their footing in the 4th quarterback. Lawrence was part of that unit that kept Preston Stone from lighting up the scoreboard. – Conn, College Sports Wire

Lawrence came up with a heads up play after Jaylan Knighton broke free for a big run in the fourth quarter. As the Mustangs were looking to cut into the Sooners 14-3 lead on Saturday, Knighton broke free down the left side and Key Lawrence tracked him down. Lawrence swatted the ball out, which Danny Stutsman recovered after Woodi Washington kept it from going out of bounds.

The Sooners have a deep safety group in 2023. The additions of [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] to [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and Key Lawrence have given them four players who can make plays. But all offseason as the media spoke of Bowen, Pearson, and Bowman all offseason, defensive coordinator [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] quickly reminded everyone of Key Lawrence.

On Saturday, Key Lawrence looked like the player who was making plays in the Iowa State game at the end of the 2021 season. He’s been a big part of Oklahoma’s defensive success to start the 2023 season.

His energy and aggressiveness give the Sooners another player who can impact the game in multiple ways. To be a good or even great defense, the Sooners need difference-makers at every level of the defense. At safety, the Sooners are chock-full of playmakers, and Lawrence stood out on Saturday in the win over SMU.

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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.

Oklahoma Sooners win a defensive slugfest, beating SMU 28-11

Oklahoma’s defense took center stage as they hold a talented SMU team to just 11 points en route to a 28-11 victor on Saturday evening.

Saturday evening in Norman brought a fascinating twist. Instead of the high-octane, offensive shootout we all expected, we were treated to a defensive struggle most of the game as the Oklahoma Sooners beat the SMU Mustangs 28-11.

Oklahoma seemingly refused to put their foot on the gas as an offense, opting for a run-heavy attack.

Oklahoma came out with a game plan to dominate the line of scrimmage and control the ball. The plan seemed competent at times, but the scoreboard didn’t reflect an offense firing on all cylinders.

Oklahoma took advantage of a blocked punt by five-star freshman safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag]. The Sooners opened the scoring on a busted coverage by SMU, opening the door for a 29-yard pass from [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] to [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] for his first touchdown as a Sooner.

The Sooners defense stood firm in the first half, only allowing 3 points.

The Sooners allowed the Mustangs to get to the 50-yard line numerous times but on a number of occasions, the Sooners forced punts shortly after. Oklahoma entered the half up 14-3.

After the half, SMU and OU traded punts before the Mustangs got the ball back.

Jaylan Knight gashed the Sooners’ defense for what looked like a momentum-stealing play before [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] stripped the ball to force a turnover. [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] kept the ball from skirting out of bounds and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] got the recovery.

The Sooners drove 43 yards in eleven plays only to be stood up on 4th down when SMU stopped freshman quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] short of the line to gain on fourth down.

SMU rode that momentum down the field and scored their only touchdown of the evening on a [autotag]Preston Stone[/autotag] pass to Jake Bailey. The Mustangs also scored on the two-point conversion to make it 14-11.

Oklahoma had to answer and did.

Dillon Gabriel orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard drive down the field, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jalil Farooq. That gave the Sooners a 21-11 lead with 9:11 remaining in the game.

On the ensuing drive, SMU was aggressive, going for it on fourth down deep in their own territory. A pass breakup from true freshman safety Peyton Bowen gave the Sooners the ball on downs.

Three plays later, [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] caught a pass from Gabriel and matriculated down the sideline on the way to paydirt, giving Oklahoma a 28-11 with 6:40 remaining on the clock.

Oklahoma’s defense capped off a solid effort with a Justin Harrington interception late in the fourth to seal the game with one last stop.

It was far from an aesthetically pleasing win like the Sooners had against Arkansas State. But the defense stepped up to the plate and played well for four quarters against a talented SMU offense. And in the second half, the offense made enough plays to pull away.

Oklahoma’s defense held the SMU Mustangs to 355 yards and gave up just 11 points. Offensively, the Sooners tallied 365 yards and had no turnovers.

Dillon Gabriel wasn’t asked to do a whole lot on the evening but completed 70% of his passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns.

[autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] led the way on the ground for OU with 21 carries for 117 yards. Walker also had three receptions for 25 yards, proving to be Oklahoma’s lead back through two weeks. Andrel Anthony was the leading receiver with seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown catch.

Danny Stutsman had a huge game for the defense, totaling 17 tackles, (five solo), a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit. [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] was second on the team in tackles with nine total tackles.

Oklahoma (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) will now turn its sights to in-state foe Tulsa. They’ll travel to Tulsa to play the Golden Hurricane as the road team in a sold-out venue next Saturday. SMU (1-1, 0-0 AAC) will host Prairie View A&M in Dallas next week.

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 Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Kip Lewis ready to have a big role this season for the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma had a lot of players defensively put together really good performances, one of those was Kip Lewis.

When you win a game 73-0 there aren’t many things to complain about. Several players on both sides of the ball put together really good performances.

One guy who flashed almost every time he was in the game was redshirt WILL linebacker [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag]. Lewis came in early in the game to spell [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and his instincts and speed were clear as day.

Lewis spent last year learning the college game and the defense. He told reporters that allowed him to play fast Saturday.

“Just being a year in the system, I feel like I’m starting to pick it up more easily,” Lewis said. “(I’m) being able to recognize formations, plays and being able to trust my instincts.”

Those instincts allowed him to finish second on the team in tackles with three. He was someone you can tell will be getting more and more snaps this season. In the spring game, Lewis made plays all over the field, racking up 11 total tackles.

It’s also not out of the realm of possibility, Lewis could start if they wanted to move Stutsman to the middle linebacker spot. Lewis was just always around the football, which is something you want to see from your linebackers.

There’s a lot of football left this season, so we’ll see how he progresses as the season wears on. But one week into the season, you couldn’t ask for a better start.

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.

One question for each position group ahead of Oklahoma Sooners’ fall camp

With fall camp right around the corner, here’s one question for each position group that the Oklahoma Sooners must answer before the season.

Big 12 media days are in the rearview mirror, which means fall camp is right around the corner ahead of the 2023 college football season.

The Oklahoma Sooners, like every team in college football, head into the season with question marks at a few positions. Even at positions where there are returning starters, there are certainly questions worth asking.

So as we get ready for the start of the 2023 college football season with fall camp coming in a couple of weeks, here is one question for each position group the Oklahoma Sooners must answer if they want to contend for the Big 12 title in 2023.

‘A great opportunity for the new guys’: Brent Venables excited about Sooners despite turnover

Despite a big roster turnover in their first year and a half, Brent Venables is feeling good about Oklahoma’s competitive depth.

The last 20 months in Norman have seen a coaching staff overhaul that led to roster turnover that highlights much of what college athletics has become.

The transfer portal, graduation and the NFL draft lead to turnover every year. After a coaching change, that turnover is exaggerated.

“We’ve had tremendous turnover, like a lot of people in this day and age of college football,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said at Big 12 media days. “Like many people, there’s been tremendous roster turnover. We desire a roster of stability and consistency. I think that’s what lends to success and sustainability.”

[autotag]Venables[/autotag] relayed that 78.8% of his roster is in the first or second year with the program.

“We’ve got 123 players on team 129, and out of those 123 players, 97 of them will be in either their first or their second year at the University of Oklahoma,” Venables said. “Tremendous turnover, but I couldn’t be more excited about the group of guys.”

Venables added, “To me I look at it as a great opportunity for the new guys.”

Oklahoma’s banking on a lot of those new guys being significant contributors to the team’s success in 2023. As the transfer additions go, so likely will the Sooners’ Big 12 title aspirations.

Defensive additions [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] and [autotag]Konnor Near[/autotag] are each expected to have big roles for Oklahoma this season.

“And then the addition – again, we’ve got nine guys, six guys up front, two All-American linebackers, a hard-hitting safety in [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].” Venables said. “I believe we’ll be better up the middle of our defense, and I look at where we were at really at every single position, and we didn’t have the competitive depth a year ago.”

In particular, the lack of defensive depth was staggering.

At linebacker, the Sooners’ trio of [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] each played over 900 snaps. Only two players in Football Bowl Subdivision played more snaps than Stutsman. Adding depth at linebacker with McCullough and Near was critical. Their 2022 and 2023 linebacker signees add to that depth.

The 2022 guys have been in the program for more than a year now. [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] will have bigger roles this season for the Sooners, which will help their linebacker play be better.

Tackle [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] should start on the offensive side of the ball. Guard [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag], wide receivers [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], and defensive tackles [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag] are expected to compete for playing time.

The Sooners’ 2023 recruiting class could have guys be early X-factors on the field this season. At cornerback, [autotag]Jasaiah Wagoner[/autotag] and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] have been turning heads. The drumbeat for Peyton Bowen hasn’t slowed. [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] has turned heads with his speed despite being on campus only a month or two.

“It goes without saying, we went 6-7 last year and fell well below our expectations and our standards at Oklahoma,” shared Venables. “But man, we learned and grew a lot as a football program. In five of the seven losses, it goes down to the last minute, two minutes of the game in the fourth quarter with a chance to win.

“We started the year pretty strong, and then we didn’t finish the year very well, particularly in, again, those fourth quarters of a bunch of games. We just didn’t have any juice left about the middle of the year on. The competitive depth will lead to better competitive stamina.”

The Sooners are hoping the improved competitive depth will lead to a more competitive defense that’s able to help close games for a team with lofty expectations.

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Oklahoma’s defense among 247Sports most improved units heading into 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners were included among 247Sports most improved units heading into the 2023 season.

Last year you couldn’t get much worse than the product Oklahoma put on the field defensively.

The Sooners ranked 122nd out of 131 teams in total defense. Part of that was because of how many snaps they played due to the offense going up-tempo and having several three-and-outs but also just because of poor play.

The Sooners did show signs of what they could become. Go back and watch the first three games, the Bedlam game, and the first half against West Virginia , and you can see what this defense can become.

But ultimately, they have to put it together. 247Sports included the Oklahoma defense among their most improved units ahead of 2023.

Oklahoma had major struggles on defense last season and second-year coach Brent Venables used his roster-building tactics to avoid a similar fate. Through the transfer portal, the Sooners added four defensive linemen, two linebackers and one defensive back. Oklahoma also excelled through high school recruiting, landing a couple five-stars in EDGE Adepoju Adebawore and safety Peyton Bowen. They also brought in four-star safety Makari Vickers, cornerback Jasiah Wagoner and JUCO product Kendel Dolby. – 247Sports’ Raymond Lucas Jr.

There’s no doubt the Sooners saw areas of need and attacked them in the transfer portal. However, it’s not realistic to expect a complete turnaround.

Combine the new additions with a year in the system, and there should be a lot of improvements made.

Can Oklahoma get into the 60-80 range in total defense? It’s definitely possible. It needs to happen if they want to get where this team feels it can, back to the Big 12 title game.

The secondary has a chance to be the best unit on the team. The linebacker position, while not deep, should see a big jump in speed and athleticism with [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] taking on more significant roles alongside [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag]. The defensive line should be improved with the addition of [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] and the further development of guys like [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], and [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag].

I expect a nice jump defensively where we see more consistent play and consistent signs of what the defense can be. They will still have their duds and have poor games, but overall it should be and needs to be more consistent.

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Oklahoma’s Linebackers look to be the heart and soul of the defense

Led by Danny Stutsman, the Oklahoma’s linebackers will be the heart of the 2023 Sooners on defense.

There’s no secret: In [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ defense, the linebacker is the heart and soul of it.

It’s the position he coached and spent the most time with during his career. It will be essential for the unit to take another step if this defense is to improve in 2023.

The Sooners return [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], who led the Big 12 in tackles with 126 last season. Part of the reason is he never came off the field. Only two players played more snaps in 2022 than Danny Stutsman. He was really good in the first half, but in the second half, like the Sooners’ defense, he struggled. This year, the depth is better but unproven. Stutsman will likely be this team’s starting weak side linebacker

Next to him will be either [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] or [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag]. They replacing [autotag]David  Ugwoegbu[/autotag], who was fourth in the Big 12 in tackles but transferred to the Houston Cougars to play his more natural position of defensive end.

While neither McKinzie nor Kanak bring the experience Ugwoegbu had, they bring the athleticism Ugwoegbu lacked.

Both should be key for the Sooners’ defense this year. Kanak brings incredible athleticism and can fly around the field, while McKinzie brings the power. If you could combine those two, they’d be the perfect linebacker.

After that, there are question marks. [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] flashes every time you watch him, but he has to add weight. He was incredibly productive in the spring game, leading the Sooners with 11 tackles.

[autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag] has been around for a while. He got hurt last year but at least brings experience. He’s a really good rotation linebacker that could play a key role in keeping Stutsman fresh throughout games.

Can any of the freshmen make an impact? There’s a great deal of hype around [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] and [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag]. But as we saw last year with Kanak and McKinzie, it’s hard to get on the field as a freshman.

One thing is for certain. The coaches have to find ways to spell Stutsman and get him off of the field for a series or two during a game. If they do that, he could be primed for a breakout season that could garner postseason honors.

Overall as a unit, they have to be better.

Too often last year, they looked confused and out of place. They looked hesitant and weren’t trusting what they were seeing. That can’t happen this season if they want to achieve their goals as a defense.

But if there’s one person I’d never question when it comes to linebacker play, it’s Venables.

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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. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.