Tag: Nic Anderson

Final thoughts on Oklahoma Sooners vs. Iowa State Cyclones

The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Iowa State Cyclones tonight and here are a few final thoughts on the matchup.

The Oklahoma Sooners welcome to Norman a team that’s been a nemesis of sorts in recent years, the [autotag]Iowa State Cyclones[/autotag].

Though Iowa State hasn’t been a national power, they’ve made life difficult on the Sooners, picking up a pair of wins in the Matt Campbell era. The 2022 matchup was the first game in Campbell’s tenure that the Oklahoma Sooners won by two touchdowns or more.

And that was the Sooners worst team in 25 years.

It won’t be an easy matchup, but the Sooners are more than talented enough to come away with another big win on the season.

Getting ready for the primetime matchup, here are some final thoughts for Oklahoma vs. Iowa State.

15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 4 per Pro Football Focus

Four games into the season, who are the highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners according to Pro Football Focus.

The Oklahoma Sooners are playing good football as they head into Week 5. They’re 4-0 and allowing an average of 8.5 points per game. Though the offense scored just 20 points against Cincinnati, Dillon Gabriel left a little meat on the bone with a couple of bad overthrows and a fumble inside the 10-yard line.

It could have easily been a 34-6 game.

But, the Sooners are 4-0 and looking like a contender in the Big 12. They’ll have to continue to prove it on the field, but for the most part, they’re looking like a much-improved football team.

Through four weeks, the Sooners have received some standout performances, but who has earned the best grades from Pro Football Focus through four games?

Here are the top 15 graded Sooners who have played at least 77 snaps or 25% of the possible snaps this season.

No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners beat Cincinnati Bearcats 20-6

The Oklahoma Sooners opened Big 12 play with a 20-6 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats on the backs of a huge defensive effort.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the [autotag]Cincinnati Bearcats[/autotag] opened Big 12 play on Saturday. This was the third-ever meeting between the two schools.

The Bearcats scored first on their second possession. They were aided by a pass interference call on [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], but the Sooners defense stopped the Bearcats offense allowing just a field goal.

The Sooners then put together a fairly nice drive, but miscues hurt them. First, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] missed a wide-open [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] for a walk-in touchdown. Next, [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] slipped on what have been a first down on second down. On the following play, Gabriel fumbled on the quarterback run.

The Sooners’ defense got a stop on the following possession before Gabriel put together a methodical drive capped off by a touchdown pass to [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag]. It was Anderson’s fourth of the season.

To start the second quarter, the defense forced a three and out after Danny Stutsman laid the wood on a third down short yardage run.

On the ensuing drive, the Sooners were backed up on their own goalline, facing a 3rd and 19 and looking like they were going to be forced to punt. The Sooners drive didn’t look good as they had a 3rd and 19 from their own 3. But Major was able to find a hole and get a big gain. They would eventually cap the drive off with a field goal to go up 10-3.

The Bearcats came right back to put the pressure on the Oklahoma defense. After a huge gain were set up nicely deep into Oklahoma territory. Emory Jones then threw a jump ball to the front corner of the end zone. [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] provided fantastic coverage, and the ball was intercepted by [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag], who picked it off, ranging over from the middle of the field.

Both defenses dominated the rest of the half, but right before the break, Oklahoma shanked a punt to set up Cincinnati in OU’s territory. The Bearcats got down to the Sooners 10-yard line and lined up for a field goal. Cincinnati kicker Carter Brown missed it wide left, and the score would stay 10-3 Sooners going into halftime.

The Sooners outgained the Bearcats 245-175 in the first thirty minutes and the defense shut down the Bearcats’ No. 8 ranked run game, holding them to 39 yards at the half.

The third quarter was much of the same. The Sooners struggled to get anything going on their first possession, punting it back to the Bearcats.

Cincinnati went on a methodical 12-play drive that ended in a 55-yard field goal after a Jonah Laulu sack.

The Sooners responded right back and scored a touchdown on a Gabriel keeper after a nine-play, 75-yard drive where the Sooners were able to find a little success on the ground.

The Bearcats were threatening on their first drive of the fourth quarter, but pressure led Jones to throw into coverage and after the ball was tipped multiple times, [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] came down with the Sooners’ second interception of the game.

Oklahoma’s defense came up big on a fourth down on the Bearcats’ next two drives and was able to cruise to the 14-point win to move to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in Big 12 play.

Dillon Gabriel completed 68% of his passes for 322 yards and had a passing and rushing touchdown in the game. It was a good performance, but it could have been even bigger after overthrowing multiple wide receivers in the game and a missed defensive pass interference in the end zone.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] continued his breakout season, catching seven passes for 117 yards. [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] led the way on the ground with 63 yards on 15 carries and had a couple of big runs called back due to a penalty. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry and also had a pair of catches for 18 yards in the win.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] continued his incredible start to the 2023 season with another fantastic effort. The Sooners leader racked up 13 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. He had multiple fourth-down stops to get the Sooners defense off the field.

The Sooners defense held the Bearcats top-10 rushing attack to 3.7 yards per carry and just 3 of 15 on third down. Quarterback Emory Jones completed just 54% of his passes for 235 yards and was held to 42 yards on 15 attempts (2.8 yards per carry) by the Oklahoma defense.

The Sooners now return back to Owen Field after their two-game road trip to face the Iowa State Cyclones.

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 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win in Week 4 vs. the Cincinnati Bearcats

From run defense to passing offense, here are the keys to a Sooner victory vs. the Bearcats.

The Oklahoma Sooners are headed to Cincinnati, Ohio for their one and only meeting as conference foes against the Bearcats. The Sooners are 2-0 against all-time and [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was a part of both wins.

This will be their first trip to Nippert Stadium. The 2010 game was played at Paul Brown Stadium, now Paycor Stadium, which is the home of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Sooners will have their work cut out for them as the Bearcats are fresh off an overtime upset loss to in-state rival the Miami (OH) Redhawks.

The Bearcats would love nothing more than to play spoiler to the Sooners’ undefeated season, and they have the players to do that. For the Sooners, they want to right the wrongs of a season ago, losing their first three conference games.

So, without further adieu, let’s take a look at what needs to take place for the Oklahoma Sooners to leave Ohio with a win.

Nic Anderson continues to show what he can be going forward for the Oklahoma Sooners

Nic Anderson was plagued by injuries a year ago but now he’s making the most of every opportunity.

For only the second time in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners had three 100-yard receivers in a game. [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] all went over 100 yards vs. the [autotag]Tulsa Golden Hurricane[/autotag].

The only other time this has been done was Bedlam in 2012. That was an overtime thriller in Norman the Sooners eventually won when [autotag]Jalen Saunders[/autotag], [autotag]Kenny Stills[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Brown[/autotag] all surpassed 100 yards.

Hearing Anthony and Farooq went over the century mark shouldn’t be a surprise. They are both starters and a pair of players many thought would have an important role in the offense.

Anderson however is a backup but someone who has a lot of potential. He was hit with the injury bug in his first season, but is healthy and rolling. He talked to reporters after practice on Tuesday about his performance.

“I just trusted in my teammates and the coaches’ plan,” Anderson said. “The gameplan was great. Lebby was really trying to air it out that game and everybody got a chance to touch the ball.”

Anderson channeled his inner Randy Moss with three catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns. All three of the touchdowns showed something different.

The first one showed his great speed as he ran past the defender. The second one showed his route running to come back to the ball and then his ability after the catch with a nice stiff arm, which freed him up to take it to the house. The third one showed the speed but also the strength, as he basically carried the Golden Hurricane defender about 10 yards to the endzone.

The Sooners traditionally play three wide receivers at all times. It’s hard to take Anthony, Stoops, or Farooq off the field. But if Anderson continues to play like this, they are going to have to find ways to get him on the field more.

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.

Stock Up, Stock Down: Passing game trending up, run game trending down as Sooners head into Big 12 opener

Taking a look at what is trending up or down as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for Big 12 play.

The warm-ups are done now. Oklahoma’s nonconference schedule was far from a gauntlet, but they did what they needed to. This team is more equipped to be players for the Big 12 title this year than at any point last year. That much feels like a near certainty.

Starting Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, we’ll dive deeper into this team and see what they are about as the competition level jumps. They’ll take on one of the Big 12’s newest members, the Cincinnati Bearcats, who will provide unique challenges for the Sooners.

As they spend the rest of the week preparing for the matchup, Oklahoma as a team is trending in the right direction. Health isn’t much of a concern yet, though they’ll be without Justin Harrington. That speaks to the depth this team has built in such short order. They are playing well in all facets of the game, but there are still some question marks to which we don’t have answers.

Below, our stock report looks at what’s trending up for Oklahoma and what’s trending down as the Big 12 season begins.

Report Card: Saturday against Tulsa was about passing final nonconference test with flying colors

Oklahoma dominated Tulsa from beginning to end. Take a look as we go position by position and hand out grades for the performance.

Saturday’s dismantling of Tulsa was a much-needed conclusion for the Sooners to their nonconference schedule. The Sooners needed to erase any doubts, bouncing back and disposing of teams handily after a grind-it-out win against SMU.

The concerns about the conservative nature of the offense against SMU were put to rest as Oklahoma slung the ball all over the field for 476 yards.

Defensively, the Sooners grounded the Tulsa passing attack, allowing less than 250 yards through the air.

It was a convincing win and a pleasant, feel-good tuneup before they turn their heads to Cincinnati. Big 12 play is upon them, but before we turn the page, let’s pass out grades for this weekend’s performances.

Dillon Gabriel, Nic Anderson earn weekly Big 12 honors after big day vs. Tulsa

Stars from Saturday’s game against Tulsa earned Big 12 weekly awards as Dillon Gabriel and Nic Anderson were honored on Monday.

Just a few short days after Oklahoma put on a show through the air against Tulsa, some of the main characters of that performance earned weekly honors from the Big 12 conference.

Dillon Gabriel was named Offensive Player of the Week after he threw for 421 passing yards and five touchdowns against the Golden Hurricane. He also set the school single-game completion percentage record (min. 25 attempts) by completing 90% of his throws Saturday afternoon. One hundred and twenty of his passing yards went to the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Week, Nic Anderson. Anderson caught just three passes, but all three were touchdown receptions.

Gabriel was a maestro on Saturday with a 251.2 pass efficiency rating, the highest by a Power Five player on the week and the fourth highest by a Power Five player on the season.

Gabriel’s selection as offensive player of the week makes this the fourth of his career at Oklahoma.

Nic Anderson’s phenomenal, yet incredibly efficient day was particularly historic. No freshman had ever registered a game with three receiving touchdowns in Oklahoma’s illustrious history.

Anderson is just the third Sooner to score three receiving touchdowns in a game on three catches, joining Curtis Fagan (vs. Baylor in 2000) and Jack Lockett (vs. Oklahoma A&M in 1950).

The Newcomer of the Week award for the native of Katy, TX, is his first Big 12 weekly honor.

Announcing honors for these two Sooners brings Oklahoma to four weekly awards this season.

Gavin Freeman was the first. He was named Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 4 after returning a punt 82 yards for a score against Arkansas State. Junior linebacker Danny Stutsman was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11 after he logged 17 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a quarterback hit, and recovered a fumble.

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.

3 stars from the Oklahoma Sooners wire-to-wire domination of Tulsa

Oklahoma fired on all cylinders against Tulsa. Here are this week’s three stars from the Sooners 66-17 win.

The Oklahoma fan base asked for more explosive plays, and Jeff Lebby ensured his offense delivered on Saturday in Tulsa. Oklahoma’s passing offense put up 476 yards and threw for six touchdowns on the way to a 66-17 win.

Oklahoma never trailed and was in complete control throughout. The game was a stark difference from what the Sooners looked like against SMU, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Oklahoma took on the identity of a battering ram against the Mustangs. This week, the offense transformed into long-range combat specialists, opening the passing offense to attack in a variety of ways. It was a sight to behold and allowed Oklahoma to showcase the growth it has experienced in the expansive receiver room.

Defensively, the good times continued to roll as the Sooners held Tulsa under 300 yards of total offense and finished the game with five interceptions. The Sooners turned those five interceptions into 34 points. Overall, it was another complete effort from beginning to end, with complementary football played by Brent Venables’ Sooners.

A handful of players were worthy of recognition for their performance, but we felt these three needed to be highlighted the most.

Up Next: 3 Stars of the Game

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Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners big win over Tulsa

The Oklahoma Sooners put on an incredible performance in their 66-17 win over Tulsa and here’s how social media reacted.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane was a fantastic way to end the nonconference portion of the schedule. The Sooners won, 66-17, and did so in dominating fashion.

Though Tulsa mounted impressive drives in the second quarter, the Sooners’ defense was in control for much of the rest of the game.

It was another comfortable win for Oklahoma before its opens Big 12 play next week. It received big-time performances from a number of players, starting with quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who had one of the best games of his career.

The big margin allowed for the Sooners to continue to build their competitive depth, and that was on display on Saturday afternoon in a dominant performance.

Here’s how social media reacted to the win.