Tag: Nic Anderson

Social Media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners 69-45 win over TCU Horned Frogs

The Oklahoma Sooners closed out the regular season with a 69-45 win over the TCU Horned Frogs and here’s how Social Media Reacted.

The Oklahoma Sooners closed the regular season with a huge win over TCU to move to 10-2 on the season. Their 69 points were the second-highest total for the Sooners this season behind only their week one win over Arkansas State.

This game had a little bit of everything. There were explosive offensive plays, some big defensive plays, big individual performances, and some moments where it looked like the game was going to get a little close for comfort.

But at the end of it, the Sooners came away with a 24-point win, the fourth time this season they’ve won by 24 or more.

On senior day, guys like Dillon Gabriel and Drake Stoops showed out in their final game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The Sooners now wait for the Big 12 weekend to play out to see if they’ll be playing a week from now or waiting on their bowl selection.

In a game that reflected a lot of the Oklahoma Sooners season, here’s social media reacted to the Sooners 69-45 win over the TCU Horned Frogs.

By the Numbers: No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners vs. TCU Horned Frogs

A statistical look at how the Oklahoma Sooners and TCU Horned Frogs stack up heading into their Black Friday Showdown.

The Oklahoma Sooners vs. the TCU Horned Frogs may look like a mismatch based on their records coming into the game. However, the [autotag]TCU Horned Frogs[/autotag] are a bit reminiscent of the Sooners from 2022, who struggled in one-score games.

TCU was really good in one-score games a year ago, but haven’t been as fortunate this season. They’re a young team that has had some growing pains. In particular, they’ve gone as redshirt freshman [autotag]Josh Hoover[/autotag] has gone. When he’s protected the football, the Horned Frogs have been hard to beat.

The same can be said for the Sooners. In their two losses, Oklahoma turned the ball over six times. In their other nine games, the Sooners turned the ball over just six times.

The other big storyline in this game is the health of [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. Brent Venables said earlier in the week that he expects Gabriel to be available. But if he’s not, Jackson Arnold will get the first start of his career. We’ve seen some good things from the true freshman former five-star quarterback. But how will he respond to his first start on a short week?

This game has a chance to be a weird one given the early kickoff and coming on Black Friday. Will the home Sooners show up? Will they stay explosive in the passing game even if it is [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] at the helm?

Here’s a statistical look at the two sides for this Black Friday affair in this week’s By the Numbers.

Billy Bowman named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

Billy Bowman made the play of the game and he was honored for his performance by the Big 12.

Where would the Oklahoma Sooners be without [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] last weekend? Bowman played arguably his best game of the season and made the play of the game to help the Sooners escape Provo, UT with a win.

That came on 1st and goal from the 2-yard line with the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] owning all of the momentum. The Cougars rushed to the line and threw it out to the left, where Bowman jumped the pass, and the rest is history. The Sooners safety took it back 100 yards for the score.

Bowman finished with nine tackles, one tackle for loss, and that pick-six in a close 31-24 victory on the road. Bowman’s performance earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.

That interception was his fifth of the season, tied for the most in the Big 12 and tied for the second-most nationally. It was his second interception returned for a TD this season, tied for the most in the country, according to the University of Oklahoma. His 193 return yards also rank No. 1 in the nation and the second most all-time in school history.

This is the Sooners’ eighth Big 12 weekly accolade this season. Bowman joins [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] who has earned Offensive Player of the Week three times, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] who was named Defensive Player of the Week once, [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] who earned Newcomer of the Week twice and [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] who was named Co-Special Teams Player of the Week once.

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.

Report Card: Defense bent but didn’t break as Oklahoma escaped BYU

How did the Oklahoma Sooners grade out in their win over the BYU Cougars?

Saturday was an odd day for the Oklahoma Sooners. The result is all that matters, but how the Sooners got there was a fascinating journey.

Oklahoma lost Dillon Gabriel at halftime to a concussion, and the Sooners had to roll with untested five-star freshman Jackson Arnold off the bench. The defense was not up to par and jeopardized Oklahoma’s chances of winning. However, two big plays from Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman changed the game’s complexion.

The game was anything but clean, yet somehow, the Sooners passed their final road test of the season after failing in their last two trips away from Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Without further ado, here are grades for the Sooners win against BYU.

Jackson Arnold discusses 3rd down play, getting meaningful action vs. BYU

Jackson Arnold didn’t have an incredible day on the stat sheet but he showed flashes of what’s to come in the Sooners win over BYU.

The Oklahoma Sooners narrowly escaped on the road against the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] 31-24. The contest had a lot of game-changing moments throughout.

One of those events happened late in the second quarter. The Sooners were set up with a 2nd and Goal from the 5-yard line. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] took off running to his left and was chased down for a one-yard gain. But when he hit the ground, his head appeared to whip back, slamming into the grass. Gabriel stayed in the game but threw an incomplete pass on 3rd Down, and the Sooners had to settle for a field goal.

That is when things changed. Coming out of halftime, Gabriel was nowhere in sight. Instead, it was reported he was out with a head injury, and it would be former five-star [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] starting the second half.

Arnold spoke about what was going through his mind when he went into the game.

“We knew going into halftime that I would be going out,” Arnold said. “So, if we had another drive that first half, I’d be going out. At halftime, just talking to Coach (Jeff) Lebby, just telling what scheme-wise what we’re going to do, what we’re going to change, just had to go out and have success.”

Arnold’s numbers aren’t super impressive. He was 5 of 9 for 33 yards and had eight carries for 24 yards. He missed some throws, including a wide-open pass to [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] that would have been a touchdown to seal the game on the final drive. He also threw a screen pass to [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] on a third down that would have gone for a nice gain. But the flashes were there.

More: Social Media Reacts to Sooners win over BYU

On a 3rd and 13 deep into BYU’s territory, he threw a strike to [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] for 16 yards. On the Sooners’ final drive, Arnold showed off his elusiveness and tough running ability to pick up a first down and keep the chains moving.

Then came the play of the game. It was 3rd and 8, and the Sooners needed a first down to seal the game and kneel out the clock. Arnold made the throw to Farooq on a slant route for a first down, but it wasn’t just the throw that was so special about that play. Instead, it was what he did presnap.

“We thought they were going to max out, zero on us, so I just checked out of it,” Arnold said. “Just threw a little slant.”

Some people don’t want to give Lebby credit at all for that big play due to Arnold checking out of the play, but Arnold said that’s something they worked on all week.

“It was talked about all week,” Arnold said. “If we get certain looks, we need to check out of it, and that was one of them.”

That’s great preparation by the coaching staff but also a big-time play by a freshman. It’d be easy for players who aren’t expected to play just to go through the motions during practice, but that’s not what Arnold did. He stayed focused and then made the audible they practiced all week.

More: 5 Takeaways from the Sooners 31-24 win over BYU.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby praised his freshman quarterback’s preparation in the win.

“That was the best part of his day was that everything that had happened, we’d talked non-stop about our zero checks all week, being able to get to certain things when we were in certain formations, and sure enough, the play to win the game, for the first time all day we get zero, and he’s gonna be hot, and he gets it,” Lebby said. “So just proud of him, the toughness and just the calmness to be able to get it done in the last minute was huge.”

But it wasn’t a moment that was too big for Jackson Arnold. On the road, in as tough an environment as there is in the new Big 12 landscape, Arnold rose to the occasion. Brent Venables credited Arnold’s ability to stay focused despite the team’s decision to redshirt the freshman quarterback. A redshirt that’s no longer in play.

More: ‘I think it’s fair to say we all learned’: Brent Venables on the key 3rd Down call to beat the BYU Cougars.

“He’s put the work in, and the moment wasn’t too big for him,” Venables said. “You’re the backup quarterback, true freshman, so sometimes they’re young and immature. Jackson’s not.

“It’d be easy week, whatever this is, since we started fall camp — 13 or 14 of the season — and then not be prepared for the moment late this season. ‘I haven’t played yet. They’re gonna redshirt me.’ That’s not how he operates. He’s a winner. He’s got tremendous courage and a belief in himself and the guys around him and trust in the system.”

It wasn’t all pretty for Arnold, but that’s the stuff you want to see from a freshman. The future is bright for the future QB1 at Oklahoma.

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.

5 Takeaways following Oklahoma’s win 31-24 over the BYU Cougars

Five takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 31-24 win over the BYU Cougars.

Oklahoma’s trip to Provo, Utah, did not go nearly how many thought it would. However, the Sooners got the result they wanted, which is all that matters. Oklahoma escaped from Lavell Edwards Stadium with a 31-24 win on Saturday in their final Big 12 road game.

The game featured a pick-six from Billy Bowman and a second half that saw Jackson Arnold take over for an injured Dillon Gabriel.

In other words, the game was pretty crazy. Despite their less-than-stellar play, the Sooners made enough plays to come out on top.

The Sooners now rest up and prepare for TCU on a short week as they wrap up their final Big 12 regular season next Friday in front of their home crowd.

Before we begin looking ahead to TCU, here are five takeaways from the Sooners win over BYU.

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners 31-24 win over BYU in stunning photos

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners 31-24 win over the BYU Cougars with these incredible photos.

The Sooners needed all four quarters to come away with a win over the BYU Cougars. But Oklahoma made the plays they needed to make in the third and fourth quarters to earn the win and move to 9-2 on the season.

A year after going 6-7 with one of the worst defenses in the nation, the Sooners have shown dramatic improvement. In a game where they lost their starting quarterback and gave up 17 first half points to one of the worst offenses in the nation, the Sooners rallied to pick up the win.

The defense allowed just seven points in the second half and none in the fourth quarter. Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman came up with key, game-defining plays, and when the offense had an opportunity to close out the win, they did just that, milking just over five minutes off the clock to beat the Cougars.

Oklahoma has a chance to earn Brent Venables his first 10-win season and the Sooners still have a shot at reaching the Big 12 title game. As we revel in the Sooners 31-24 win over BYU, take a look at some of the best photos from Oklahoma’s final road trip of the season.

Oklahoma Sooners keep Big 12 title hopes alive; beat the BYU Cougars 31-24

The Oklahoma Sooners didn’t play their best game but came away with a 31-24 win over the BYU Cougars.

The Oklahoma Sooners made their first trip to the state of Utah to take on the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] for the one and only time as Big 12 foes. It was a game with sloppy field conditions. Players constantly slipped all game long.

After both teams opened the game with punts, but [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] hit [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] on a 55-yard pass to set up Oklahoma with a first and goal. Gabriel found [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] for the touchdown to put the Sooners up 7-0. It was Anderson’s ninth touchdown of the season and broke a three-game scoring drought.

On BYU’s next possession, Cougars quarterback [autotag]Jake Retzlaff[/autotag] found [autotag]Chase Roberts[/autotag] for the 23-yard score on a fourth and one just outside the red zone.

The Sooners stalled on their next drive but nearly got a fresh set of downs. Oklahoma nearly pulled off a fake punt when [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] connected with Ethan Downs, but Nic Anderson was called for offensive pass interference and the Sooners were forced to punt. After a great BYU punt return, the Cougars would be set up in OU territory but fumbled the first play.

Seven plays later, Gabriel found Gibson for a 27-yard touchdown pass to put the Sooners up 14-7. BYU answered on the following drive after converting a pair of third downs to tie it up.

After a couple of long 3rd Down conversions themselves, the Sooners were set up with a first and goal at the five but were forced to settle for a field goal. BYU tied it up on a field goal of their own as time wound down in the first half.

The Sooners outgained the Cougars 236 to 213 in the first half. The Sooners went 5 of 8 on third down, and the Cougars were 6 of 10 on third and fourth down in the first half.

As the Sooners were headed out for the second half, they were without star quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. It was reported Gabriel suffered a head injury and wouldn’t return. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] started the 2nd Half.

Both teams couldn’t get much going to start the second half. However, BYU found success on their second drive of the half, moving inside the Sooners five-yard line. On first and goal from the two, Retzlaff threw it out to the left, and Billy Bowman picked it off and returned it 100 yards for the touchdown. The Sooners led 24-17 midway through the third quarter.

The pick-six wouldn’t deter the Cougars, who responded with an eight-play 75-yard drive to tie the game at 24. The Cougars gashed the Sooners in the running game, and Retzlaff ran it in from 11 yards out to tie it back up.

After a good return by [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and back-to-back solid runs [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], the Sooners were in Cougars’ territory. Unfortunately, the promising drive came up empty as [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] missed wide left, and the score stayed tied.

On the ensuing drive, the defense came up with another huge play. With the Cougars facing a third and four, [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] and Danny Stutsman blitzed off the right side. McKinzie drew the offensive linemen inside, freeing up Stutsman for a free run at Retzlaff. Stutsman hit him hard and came up with a strip sack to give Oklahoma the ball in Cougars’ territory. The Sooners capped the turnover off with a tough, physical 16-yard touchdown run by Sawchuk to put the Sooners up seven with about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Sooners’ defense continued their best stretch of the game, forcing a three and out after two false start penalties on the Cougars.

The offense took over with nearly six minutes left in the game. It was a masterful, time-killing drive to end the game. The drive started with a deep shot to Nic Anderson, which Arnold overthrew, but it was an opportunity for Oklahoma to put a stamp on the game and win it. After the incomplete pass, the Sooners ran nine plays for 22 yards (including three kneel downs) and took 5:08 off the clock to finish the game.

The key play in the drive came as the Sooners faced a third and eight at the BYU 38-yard line. Three weeks ago against Kansas, facing a similar situation, Jeff Lebby opted to run the football to force the Jayhawks to burn their timeouts. Today against BYU, Lebby put the ball in his true freshman quarterback’s hands to win the game.

Arnold threw a strike to Jalil Farooq on the short slant and Farooq fought his way to pick up enough yardage to get the first down.

The Sooners kneeled out the clock to escape with the win.

Oklahoma would be outgained 390 to 374 in the game but the defense would tie the Cougars in the 2nd half, 7-7. The defense would also force three turnovers.

In the win, Dillon Gabriel completed 62% of his passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Arnold was 5 of 9 for 33 yards. He also ran the ball eight times for 24 yards.

Gavin Sawchuk earned his third-straight 100-yard game, carrying the ball 14 times for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Jalil Farooq had five receptions for 53 yards, and Drake Stoops caught four passes for 63 yards. But it was Jayden Gibson who provided the big plays for the Sooners offense, with two receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Danny Stutsman recorded 10 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. In addition to his pick-six, Billy Bowman had eight total tackles and a tackle for loss. The interception was Bowman’s fifth on the season.

The Sooners are now 9-2 on the season and 5-2 in Big 12 play. They still have an outside shot at making the Big 12 title game but will be watching Texas vs. Iowa State and Oklahoma State vs. Houston closely on Saturday.

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.

Final Thoughts on Oklahoma Sooners at BYU Cougars

The Oklahoma Sooners take on the BYU Cougars in Provo and here are a few final thoughts on the matchup.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ final road trip of the 2023 season and as Big 12 members takes them to scenic Provo, Utah, to take on the BYU Cougars.

Oklahoma comes into the contest heavy favorites against a team that’s reeling. BYU has been routed in recent games and has struggled on both sides of the ball.

It’s a mismatch on paper that gives the Sooners a chance to replicate their efforts from a week ago against West Virginia.

Here are a few final thoughts on the matchup.

No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners vs BYU Cougars: How to Watch, key players, weather forecast for gameday

Here is what you need to know ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners road trip to face the BYU Cougars.

The Oklahoma Sooners are set to travel to Provo, Utah, to take on the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] for the one and only time as conference foes.

The Cougars hold a 2-0 lead over the Sooners all time. Both wins have been in neutral site games.

After starting 3-0, including a win over Arkansas, the Cougars have lost five of their last seven and three straight. Quarterback [autotag]Kedon Slovis[/autotag] hasn’t played in the last two games and is questionable to play against the Sooners.

The Cougars have the No. 103 defense and the No. 123 offense in the country. The one thing they are good at is forcing turnovers. That’s something the Sooners struggled with in their two losses. BYU ranks No. 18 in the country in turnovers forced. They also rank No. 31 in turnover margin.

The game will be simple. The Sooners will win handily if they don’t turn the ball over or are heavily penalized. The weather could play a factor, so let’s take a look at some things you need to know about the game.