Tag: OU Football

Pair of Oklahoma Sooners included on Pro Football Focus’ SEC Team of the Week

Two Oklahoma Sooners earned spots on Pro Football Focus’ SEC Team of the Week.

It took a team effort from the Oklahoma Sooners to leave Jordan-Hare Stadium with a win. After the Auburn Tigers took an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, it appeared the game was beginning to slip away. Then the Sooner Magic happened.

True freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins responded with a 60-yard completion to J.J. Hester, and Jovantae Barnes punched it in for the touchdown to cut Auburn’s lead to five. After that score, it was all Oklahoma, highlighted by [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag]’ interception return for the go-ahead touchdown.

In the win, two Sooners in particular stood out to the analysts over at Pro Football Focus. Lewis and tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] were among the highest-graded players of the week, earning a spot on PFF’s SEC Team of the Week. Lewis also earned a spot on Pro Football Focus’ National Team of the Week.

The standout linebacker finished the day with five total tackles, a tackle for loss, and the huge pick-six that turned the tide for good in Oklahoma’s favor. Lewis was the highest-graded among Power Four teams in week five. He’s fourth on the team in total tackles with 21 despite just the 10th most snaps on defense.

Sharp, who’s become one of the more reliable options in the Sooners passing attack, recorded four receptions for 48 yards. His day could have been even bigger if not for an offensive pass interference call on a botched pick play in the first half.

Sharp’s had at least four catches in four of Oklahoma’s five games this season and at least 36 yards in three of the five games. Saturday against Auburn, Sharp earned his best grade yet as a run blocker from Pro Football Focus.

The Sooners have some talented players on both sides of the ball. As they wade into the second half of the season with five games against top 15 teams, Oklahoma will need that talent to continue to shine every week.

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Oklahoma Sooners complete incredible comeback, beat Auburn 27-21

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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3 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win over the Auburn Tigers

If the Oklahoma Sooners are going to beat Auburn, they must do these three things.

The Oklahoma Sooners (3-1, 0-1 SEC) took a tough loss last week against a good Tennessee Volunteers team. There were some good moments on both sides of the ball, and [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his crew are hoping to build on the good and correct what went wrong as they go on the road to face the Auburn Tigers (2-2, 0-1 SEC).

The Sooners come into the game riding a defense that is allowing just 14.8 points per game, which ranks 26th in the nation. They’re 28th in the nation in yardage allowed: 284.8 yards per game.

Though Auburn has turned the ball over a bunch, it has playmakers on offense that can threaten the Sooners’ defense.

In a reversal of fortune, it’s the Oklahoma offense that’s struggling. However, it is hoping for better production and ball security as it turns to true freshman quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr[/autotag].

Given the Oklahoma Sooners schedule the rest of the way, this feels like a must-win football game. What does Oklahoma need to do to win on the road in the unfriendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium? Here are three keys to the game.

More: Sooners Wire Staff Predicts Oklahoma vs. Auburn

Up Next: Keys to the Game

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3 freshmen to watch for Oklahoma Sooners against Auburn Tigers

Who are three freshman players on OU’s depth chart to keep your eye on this week against Auburn?

The Oklahoma Sooners are 3-1. After beginning the year with three straight wins, they’re looking to get back into the win column following their first loss of the season last week. OU will head to Auburn for the first road game of the season and its first road game as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

The Tigers are 2-2, having lost to Arkansas in Week 4. They’re looking for a bounce-back win as well.

With injuries galore for the Sooners, this game could be closer than previously expected.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] will look to young players all over the roster to step up at key positions. That includes some players who are playing their first season at the collegiate level.

Here’s your list of three true freshmen to watch in Week 5.

1. Michael Hawkins Jr., QB

[autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] will become the first true freshman to make his first career start on the road for the Sooners since Troy Aikman in 1984. Aikman played very poorly in that game, and OU fell to Kansas.

Oklahoma fans are hoping for a different result on Saturday, as Hawkins takes over after [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] was benched last week. The true freshman played his first meaningful snaps at this level last week and gave the struggling OU offense a bit of a spark late in the fourth quarter. It was too little too late, but Hawkins did enough to earn the start for the Auburn game.

Hawkins is a dual-threat at QB, but he will not have much help behind a shaky offensive line and without the top five wide receivers on the roster. If Hawkins can move the ball more effectively than what we’ve seen from Arnold and get the win, it’ll be considered a success, even if it isn’t pretty.

2. Zion Kearney, WR

True freshman wide receiver [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] is one of the few healthy players left in OU’s wide receiver room that offer size. With Jayden Gibson, Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony and Deion Burks all out this week, Oklahoma will try to piece things together to give Hawkins someone to throw the ball to.

Kearney hasn’t received much run so far this season, but against the physical cornerbacks Auburn employs on the outside, a bigger body will be needed to create separation. Jaquaize Pettaway should get plenty more looks in the slot this week, and Oklahoma needs something from the duo of Brenen Thompson and J.J. Hester. Cornerback Jacobe Johnson made the switch to wideout to offer a potential solution.

Kearney and Hawkins came to Norman in the most recent recruiting class, along with Zion Ragins, Ivan Carreon, K.J. Daniels and Jacob Jordan. Maybe the chemistry of the freshmen can open the field up the passing game for the OU offense.

3. Reggie Powers III, DB

The loss of starting cheetah Kendel Dolby for the rest of the season is a big one for the Sooners. Dolby had begun to make the role his and had become an excellent player. Without him on the field, it’ll likely be Samuel Omosigho who steps up to be the starter, and Woodi Washington will probably see time there as well. OU is unsure if Dasan McCullough, who has played the position in the past, will be back this week.

One true freshman who could see a lot of snaps at cheetah on Saturday is [autotag]Reggie Powers III[/autotag]. He’s a versatile player on the back end of the defense, capable of playing safety or cheetah. Before last week’s game, he was listed third on the depth chart at the position behind Dolby and Omosigho.

Powers will certainly be tested whenever he’s in there, but his future is bright at OU as part of the next generation of the defensive backfield in Norman. Just like so many other parts of the roster, injuries are forcing players to step into roles where they may not be ready.

We’ll get to see what these true freshmen have as OU takes to the road in week five.

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Another starting wide receiver ruled out for Oklahoma’s game vs. Auburn

The Oklahoma Sooners will be missing another top wide receiver when they face the Auburn Tigers in Week 5.

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room has been decimated by injuries.

They’ve been missing [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] since fall camp. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] broke a foot in the first quarter of Week 1.  [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] played just a few snaps in Week 1 and hasn’t been seen since. [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] tried to return for Week 4 but left the game early.

Those four wide receivers, who were expected to provide big-time contributions in 2024, have combined for 24 snaps.

The Sooners will be without their best wide receiver, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], ahead of their matchup with the Auburn Tigers. According to Brent Venables, Burks suffered a soft tissue injury against Tennessee and was ruled out on Thursday evening.

That means Oklahoma is down its top five wide receivers for true freshman Michael Hawkins’ first start.

Oklahoma will turn to [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] to fill Burks’ void in the slot. The former top-100 player looked explosive late in the loss to the Volunteers. He came through with three receptions for 79 yards, including a 46-yard catch and run that helped set up one of Oklahoma’s two touchdowns.

The Sooners will need true freshmen Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney and Ivan Carreon to step into bigger roles and through the rest of the season. It’s a great opportunity for the young players on the wide receiver depth chart to solidify their role on the depth chart.

Player Position Status 9/26
Jayden Gibson WR OUT
Jalil Farooq WR OUT
Gentry Williams DB OUT
Geirean Hatchett OL OUT
Nic Anderson WR OUT
Kendel Dolby DB OUT
Tyler Keltner K OUT
Andrel Anthony WR OUT
Taylor Tatum RB OUT
Deion Burks WR OUT
Tyler Keltner K OUT
Dasan McCullough LB Questionable
Jake Taylor OL Probable

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Brent Venables believes Michael Hawkins has ‘the right stuff’ to be successful for the Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners believe Michael Hawkins has what it takes to lead OU into matchup with Auburn.

The Oklahoma Sooners made a tough call at the quarterback position in their loss to Tennessee. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s three turnovers didn’t leave them a whole lot of choice. The Sooners turned to true freshman quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag], who will start this week for the Sooners.

Hawkins rewarded the Sooners with a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma a little hope down the stretch. Brent Venables wasted little time naming Hawkins the starting quarterback this week against the Auburn Tigers. The Sooners’ coaching staff believes he gives them the best chance to find more consistency and production on offense.

Instead of going into this week with a quarterback competition, the Sooners’ brain trust saw enough in Saturday’s loss to Tennessee to feel comfortable with Hawkins.

“Maybe this will give us a better chance moving forward,” Venables said of making the switch to Hawkins. “Believe in Mike. Made that announcement for lots of reasons. Certainly didn’t want a decision like that to hang over anyone’s head. We’ve gotta get better. Sometimes, maybe change is good.”

Change, for change’s sake, wasn’t the goal. They had a comfort level with Hawkins after watching him for the last nine months in practice, in workouts and in meeting rooms. And his play supported the buzz we’d heard during all offseason.

“He’s a very talented guy, not a really experienced guy, but he has certainly shown that he’s got the right stuff to do it at different times since he’s been here,” Venables said during his Tuesday press conference.

No, Michael Hawkins doesn’t have a lot of experience, but what he lacks in experience, he makes up for with grit, determination, and an unwavering mindset. Beyond his immense physical talent, Hawkins made believers out of Kirk Herbstreit and a large portion of the fan base with his willingness to put it all on the line in the fourth quarter.

He was unfazed by the situation he was thrust into. As the game wore on, he became more comfortable with what he was asked to do. By the end, the broadcast crew, those in attendance, and those watching at home knew who the Sooners starting quarterback should be. And it didn’t take the Sooners coaching staff long to name their starting quarterback for Auburn.

While it was only a little more than a half of action, Hawkins showed off his potential, leading Oklahoma’s only two touchdown drives of the evening against a good Tennessee Volunteers defense.

It’s another tough spot this week for the true freshman quarterback, but he earned the opportunity to start for the Sooners as they make the trip to Auburn. He threw on time and made good decisions with the football. His incredible speed and athleticism will be the focus for a lot of defensive coordinators, but Hawkins showed he could beat a defense through the air.

The Sooners will need Hawkins to build off his strong performance against Tennessee and protect the football against a good Auburn defense. With the will and determination he showed, the Sooners are in good hands ahead of their first road trip of the season.

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Sooners Wire staff predictions for Oklahoma vs. Auburn Tigers

Who did our staff at Sooners Wire predict to win in Oklahoma’s week five matchup with the Auburn Tigers?

The Oklahoma Sooners are in a precarious position as they get ready for their first road trip of the season. After playing five straight to start the year inside the friendly confines of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the Sooners take on the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

It’s a place that can be difficult to win in, as are most SEC environments. But the Sooners are hoping a change at quarterback, along with better health along the offensive line, can create a more efficient offense.

Can the Sooners get back on track this week against the Tigers? Here are this week’s Sooners Wire staff predictions.

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Oklahoma gets back in the win column with a victory over Auburn on the road, improving to 4-1 heading into the bye week.

OU’s defense stands out again versus a struggling Auburn offense, and the opposing quarterbacks are under duress most of the afternoon. The Sooners improve a bit offensively, as the dual-threat ability of [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] Jr. helps move the ball down the field a bit better than what we’ve seen so far.

There’s no way everything can get fixed in a week, though, and OU still has major issues along the offensive line, running the football and with injuries at wide receiver. However, Hawkins does enough to keep the starting gig going into the bye and becomes Oklahoma’s first true freshman starting quarterback in the Red River Rivalry against the likely No. 1 Texas Longhorns.

Oklahoma 27, Auburn 14

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2025 defensive lineman decommits from Oklahoma Sooners

2025 defensive tackle prospect decommits from the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] took a hit on Wednesday evening. Defensive tackle [autotag]Ka’Mori Moore[/autotag] is decommitting from OU. The move was announced on social media by multiple sites.

Moore had been committed to Oklahoma since July 2023. He is considered a three-star prospect by both 247Sports and On3 and holds offers from Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa State and Miami (Ohio). He hails from Lee’s Summit North High School in Missouri.

The Sooners still have defensive linemen C.J. Nickson, Trent Wilson and Alexander Shieldknight pledged to their 2025 recruiting class.

https://twitter.com/hayesfawcett3/status/1839085513879224785?s=46&t=iCMKHK_HxYV3VwjXMzN-0A

Moore is the second defensive lineman to decommit from Oklahoma in the last 10 days, joining Floyd Boucard, who made the decision last Monday.

The Sooner’s defensive tackle future still looks really bright with Wilson but has been fast-tracked by the emergence of 2024 defensive tackle Jayden Jackson, who earned a starting role for the Sooners out of fall camp.

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Oklahoma Sooners have to find more consistent running game

If the Oklahoma Sooners want to better support their young quarterback, they have to find a more consistent ground game.

The Oklahoma Sooners offense has problems that go beyond the quarterback. Sure, inconsistent play in the passing game has an impact on the number of defenders an offense will face around the line of scrimmage, but even when the Sooners have had favorable boxes, it hasn’t helped.

Oklahoma ran for over 200 yards in week one against Temple. OU rushed for just over 180 yards against Tulane, buoyed by [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s near-100-yard day. But against Houston, the Sooners ran for just 75 yards on just 2.58 yards per carry. OU hit rock bottom against Tennessee when they averaged 1.1 yards per carry on 24 attempts. Yes, you read that right: 1.1 yards per carry.

Take the quarterback run game and sacks out of the equation, and the numbers look slightly better. It amounts to 17 carries for 37 yards. It’s still not good or even average, but it improves to 2.17 yards per carry. It’s a far cry from what this offense expects of their running game.

So far, Oklahoma’s averaging just 3.6 yards per carry, helped by Arnold’s big day against Tulane. However, that’s the lowest yard-per-carry average for a season since 2010, when the Sooners averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt.

With a rushing average that low, one would think the Sooners struggled offensively. But what did Oklahoma have going for it that season? Landry Jones was cooking, throwing for 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns. Ryan Broyles had 1,622 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns. They had DeMarco Murray, who ran for 1,214 yards, 15 touchdowns, and averaged 4.4 yards per carry.

That 2010 team went 12-2, beat Nebraska in the Big 12 title game, and Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl.

This 2024 team has been a far cry from 2010, but there’s still time to turn some things around. Adjustments can be made, and the Sooners have already made a big one, inserting Michael Hawkins into the starting lineup. But the true freshman displayed his passing prowess. They didn’t try Tennessee deep, but Hawkins showed his passing ability on several throws to Jaquaize Pettaway, Bauer Sharp, and Zion Ragins. He had a good command of the offense. His speed is a threat in the running game and will put pressure on defenses.

If Oklahoma can find a more consistent passing attack, it will force teams to respect the pass and back a player out of the box against the run.

The Sooners had a lot of success running outside. Deion Burks ran a couple of jet sweeps for 18 yards early in the game, but the Sooners never went back to it. Jovantae Barnes had a 17-yard run on an outside zone play. According to Pro Football Focus, when the Sooners ran outside to the left, they gained 27 yards on two carries. But Oklahoma seemed intent on trying to establish the inside run game. They weren’t effective. When they ran between the tackles, Oklahoma gained just 17 yards on 13 carries, according to PFF.

Tennessee’s really good up the middle and the Sooners seemed content to run into the teeth of the defense.

Certainly, offensive line continuity has been an issue. The constant reshuffling due to availability hasn’t given them an opportunity to mesh, but playcalling and execution haven’t helped the run game either.

A lot of the issues have been in the run-pass option game, where Jackson Arnold struggled to make the right decisions with the football.

The run-pass option takes advantage of how a defense is aligned and allows the quarterback to make a choice based on what the defense does post-snap. If there are six or fewer players in the box, or near the line of scrimmage, it’s favorable for the Sooners and they need to run it. Arnold’s been choosing to pass in those instances. When there are more than six defenders in the box, that’s when OU should throw it, and Arnold’s been giving it to the running back in an unfavorable matchup for the offensive line. There have been opportunities to create yardage in the run game, but if the quarterback doesn’t make the right choice in the RPO game, it’s going to be difficult on the run game.

At his weekly press conference, Brent Venables indicated the Sooners would be cutting back on the number of RPO-based play calls. It won’t go away completely, but the Sooners are certainly going to scale back on and may return if Michael Hawkins Jr. proves more efficient in the RPO calls.

The Oklahoma Sooners are going to get more direct in some of their run calls, taking some of the guesswork out of it.

The Sooners have a tough task this week against an Auburn Tigers‘ defense that is allowing just 118.8 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. But the Sooners will need to find their rushing attack if they want to have more offensive success against the Auburn Tigers and better support their young quarterback.

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Sooners face rival in latest USA TODAY Sports Bowl Projections

The Oklahoma Sooners fave a rival in USA TODAY Sports updated bowl projections.

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to bounce back as they get ready to go on the road to face the Auburn Tigers. The Sooners are coming off a disappointing loss to the Tennessee Volunteers but showed some things they can build on moving forward.

The updated ESPN Matchup Predictor projects the Sooners to finish the season 6-6, would put them just inside bowl season. It’s a difficult schedule the rest of the way, and the Sooners will have to find a way to beat one of the ranked teams remaining on the schedule to ensure a spot in bowl season.

But as things stand right now, college football analysts still have the Sooners bowling in December. Erick Smith of USA TODAY Sports has the Oklahoma Sooners heading to Nashville, Tenn., to play in the Music City Bowl. And they’ll face an old rival. Smith projects the Sooners to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Dec. 30.

The Oklahoma Sooners last faced the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a home-and-home in 2021 and 2022. The Sooners won in Norman 23-16, highlighted by D.J. Graham’s one-handed interception. In 2022, Brent Venables’ first season at the helm, the Sooners beat the Cornhuskers 49-10, led by [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]’s 110 rushing yards and two touchdown performance.

If the two sides were to face off in bowl season, it could be a matchup between a pair of true freshmen quarterbacks, [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and Dylan Raiola. Hawkins takes over for Jackson Arnold ahead of the Sooners road trip to Auburn. Raiola was named the starting quarterback out of fall camp.

Raiola has looked good for Nebraska, completing 72.2% of his passes for 967 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Hawkins, in his first season in Norman, is completing 59.1% of his passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.

OU and Nebraska is a rivalry as old as there is. The two sides first played in 1912, a 13-9 win for the Cornhuskers. Oklahoma holds the all-time series lead 47-38-3. A rivalry that was at one point one of the biggest in college football has only seen the two teams play twice since Nebraska joined the Big Ten back in 2011.

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