Oklahoma Sooners beat Auburn Tigers 27-21 in Michael Hawkins, Jr.’s first collegiate start.
Oklahoma’s first SEC road trip provided plenty of drama on Saturday afternoon.
Michael Hawkins Jr. was making the first start of his career in the unfriendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. For much of the game, the Auburn Tigers were in control, but the Sooners true freshman quarterback provided some magical moments late.
He was aided by several huge defensive plays in the fourth quarter, and the Sooners came away with a tough road win, 27-21.
Oklahoma scored on its first drive of the game when Hawkins electrified with a 48-yard touchdown run.
The Sooners defense stood tall on Auburn’s second possession when it held the Tigers on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. But the Sooners offense wasn’t able to do much.
For the rest of the first half, it was all Auburn. The Tigers hit several big plays in the passing game and were finding some room to run.
Payton Thorne hit Keandre Lambert-Smith for a 31-yard touchdown. On Auburn’s next possession, Malcolm Simmons beat the Sooners over the top for a 48-yard touchdown reception.
The Tigers had a chance for more points at the end of the half, but missed two opportunities at a field goal to extend their lead. They went into halftime up 14-7.
The Sooners offense went three and out on its first drive of the second half but the defense stood tall to get the ball back.
Hawkins and the Sooners found their way into scoring range on an 11-play drive. Jovantae Barnes provided a 16-yard run to kick-start the drive, and the Sooners overcame a couple of penalties that put them in a second-and-18. Hawkins, Jr. found J.J. Hester for a 21-yard completion on the sideline. A defensive pass interference gave Oklahoma first-and-goal at the 1-yard line, but they couldn’t punch into the end zone when Barnes was stopped for a loss on first down, and the second-down play was erased due to an illegal motion penalty.
They settled for a field goal to make it 14-10.
Auburn responded with a touchdown drive, highlighted by a big-time reception by true freshman and former five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman. The Sooners couldn’t stop Auburn on another fourth-down attempt near the goal line, and on first-and-goal at the 1, Thorne found Luke Deal for the touchdown.
On their next drive, the Sooners received a big play from Bauer Sharp to put the Sooners in the Tigers’ half of the field. But penalties and an inability to get anyone open down the field forced the Sooners to turn it over on downs.
The Sooners took advantage of another missed field goal from Auburn when Hawkins hit J.J. Hester on a 60-yard completion deep down the sideline. It was a beautiful ball that put the Sooners inside the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Jovantae Barnes punched it in to cut into Auburn’s lead. After a failed two-point play, the Sooners trailed 21-16.
As Auburn began its ensuing drive, it looked to take time off the clock in Sooners territory. Faced with a third-and-4, Thorne dropped back to pass and attempted to hit a slant over the middle. Kip Lewis, who’d been having a great game, dropped back into the short middle of the field, picked off Thorne’s pass, and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown.
Hawkins then came through with an acrobatic two-point conversion to put Oklahoma up 24-21.
The Tigers gained the ball back with plenty of time to get in position for a game-tying field goal or to take the lead, but R Mason Thomas came through on third and fourth down with back-to-back sacks to force a turnover on downs and give the ball back to the Sooners with less than two minutes to play.
The Sooners couldn’t pick up a first down but kicked a field goal to extend the lead to 27-21.
OU shut down the Tigers on their final drive, and a Hail Mary fell way short of the endzone, and the Sooners picked up the win.
Auburn outgained Oklahoma, 482-291, including 204-180 in the second half. But the big play from Hawkins to Hester and the Lewis interception returned for a touchdown turned the game in the fourth quarter.
Hawkins finished 10 of 15 for 161 yards and ran 14 times for 69 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Oklahoma moves to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play heading into the bye week.
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