Tag: ou sooners

Jackson Arnold’s first start at home a strong showing for the Sooners

Jackson Arnold threw four touchdowns, leading the Oklahoma Sooners offense to a great showing in week one.

The Oklahoma Sooners are used to high-flying offense powered by good to great quarterback play. For 25 years, the Sooners have had some of college football’s best quarterbacks.

From [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag] in 1999 to [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] last year, Oklahoma’s passing era is chock-full of prolific passers. In 2024, we get to witness another quarterback hoping to establish himself alongside those great quarterbacks of the last quarter century: [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

Arnold was the subject of much offseason discussion, with most of the rhetoric focusing on the four turnovers from his first career start in the Alamo Bowl. Few people talked about the 360 passing yards or the two touchdown passes. But such is life.

Arnold had a good first start in his journey as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback. He was 17 of 25 for 141 yards and four touchdowns and carried the ball 11 times for 38 yards. Sooners head coach Brent Venables lauded Arnold’s efficiency in the 51-3 win over Temple.

Take away the four drops and a throwaway and Arnold’s adjusted completion percentage was 83.3%, according to Pro Football Focus.

Arnold showed off his high level arm on his first throw of the game where he took a big hit, but stood tall in the pocket and delivered a strike to Jalil Farooq on an over route.

https://twitter.com/TheDraftNetwork/status/1829658658885812416

On Arnold’s first touchdown to Bauer Sharp, he showed off an ability to throw on the move with great touch.

https://twitter.com/KayvonWRLD/status/1829659491811709082

And he showed great touch and accuracy on each of his touchdown throws to Deion Burks.

It was the first time an Oklahoma Sooners quarterback had thrown four touchdowns in their first home start since Heupel did back in 1999. It’s easy not to get overly excited about yardage total, but Oklahoma didn’t need Arnold to do a whole lot in the win over Temple. When a team has a defense like the Sooners do, you don’t need your quarterback to play superhero ball. Arnold made the throws he needed to make and gave the Oklahoma Sooners an opportunity to put points on the board.

As a team, Oklahoma needs to be better on third downs. Some of the issues were due to down and distance and Arnold looking to get the ball out quickly. The other issues were related to wide receivers catching passes short of the first down marker or dropping it altogether.

It wasn’t a perfect start for Arnold, even he’d tell you that, but it was a good one. It provided a strong foundation for the Oklahoma Sooners to build their offensive philosophy.

This week against Houston will give the Sooners an opportunity to roll out more of what Seth Littrell’s offense should look like. And with better offensive line health, leading to better play, Arnold and the Sooners should continue to light up the scoreboard.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners on the rise in latest US LBM Coaches Poll

The Oklahoma Sooners earned a bump in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll after their week one win over the Temple Owls.

In a week of big numbers across college football with a host of mismatches on the gridiron, the Oklahoma Sooners ran away from the Temple Owls, 51-3.

Sparked by a dominating defensive performance, the Sooners are looking more and more like the team [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] envisioned when he took over in December 2021.

With their win over the Owls and losses by teams ahead of them in the polls, the Oklahoma Sooners moved up three spots to No. 13 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Georgia Bulldogs remain the No. 1 team in the nation, garnering 51 of a possible 55 first-place votes. The Bulldogs are followed by Ohio State at No. 2, Texas at No. 3, Alabama at No. 4 and the Ole Miss Rebels at No. 5.

That’s four SEC teams in the top five, including three the Oklahoma Sooners will play in 2024.

Two more teams on the Sooners schedule were ranked ahead of OU. Missouri moved into the top 10 after its big win over Murray State, and the Tennessee Volunteers sit one spot ahead of the Sooners at No. 12. The LSU Tigers, who Oklahoma will close the season with, fell seven spots to No. 19 after their loss to the USC Trojans on Sunday night.

Tulane and Auburn, who the Sooners will see in the coming weeks, received votes but are sitting outside the Top 25 in the Coaches Poll.

A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Georgia Bulldogs 1-0 1,371 (51)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 1-0 1,316 (3)
3 Texas Longhorns 1-0 1,245 (1)
4 Alabama Crimson Tide 1-0 1,172
5 Ole Miss Rebels 1-0 1,081
6 Oregon Ducks 1-0 1,080
7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1-0 1,079
8 Penn State Nittany Lions 1-0 987
9 Michigan Wolverines 1-0 919
10 Missouri Tigers 1-0 848
11 Utah Utes 1-0 779
12 Tennessee Volunteers 1-0 753
13 Oklahoma Sooners 1-0 705
14 USC Trojans 1-0 655
15 Miami Hurricanes 1-0 650
16 Kansas State Wildcats 1-0 537
17 Oklahoma State Cowboys 1-0 499
18 Arizona Wildcats 1-0 348
19 LSU Tigers 0-1 341
20 Kansas Jayhawks 1-0 295
21 Iowa Hawkeyes 1-0 260
22 Clemson Tigers 0-1 223
23 North Carolina State Wolfpack 1-0 154
24 Louisville Cardinals 1-0 101
25 Washington Huskies 1-0 95

Schools Dropped Out

No. 10 Florida State; No. 20 Texas A&M

Others Receiving Votes

Georgia Tech 86; Texas A&M 78; Memphis 43; Kentucky 23; Boise State 22; SMU 19; Auburn 13; Wisconsin 11; Iowa State 10; UNLV 9; Tulane 9; Maryland 9; Liberty 9; Nebraska 8; Boston College 7; South Florida 5; James Madison 4; Air Force 4; UTSA 3; North Carolina 3; Appalachian State 3; Texas State 2; Syracuse 1; Coastal Carolina 1

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Sooners get a bump in ESPN’s updated power rankings

The Oklahoma Sooners had an impressive Week 1 win over Temple, but where do they land in ESPN’s updated power rankings?

It may not have been the cleanest performance for the Oklahoma Sooners, but when you win by 48, there’s a great deal to feel good about.

On both sides of the ball, there were standout performances that should provide the building blocks for what will be a memorable season for the Oklahoma Sooners. After one week, the Sooners found themselves in the top 15 of ESPN’s updated power rankings.

[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] threw for four touchdowns in his first regular-season start, and the Sooners forced six turnovers in a season-opening rout of [autotag]Temple[/autotag]. Oklahoma coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] said Arnold played “really efficiently.” But the offensive story belonged to wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. The Purdue transfer notched three scores before halftime in his Oklahoma debut, becoming the fifth Sooner in program history to register three touchdowns in a half. – Eli Lederman, ESPN

The offense didn’t have to work too hard in the win because the defense provided a number of short fields. Still, Oklahoma scored on six of its eight possessions in the first half and seven of 10 stretching into the second half. That’s a number that will work.

If there’s an area of concern, it’s up front, where OU did little to allay any concerns along the offensive line. But it will get starting right tackle [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] back this week and will likely have [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag], who missed much of Week 1 with an ankle injury suffered in the first quarter.

But for the first time in forever, the defense was the story. Zac Alley’s unit forced six turnovers and sacked Temple quarterback Forrest Brock six times. Defenders were flying around, showing a different level of confidence and physicality under Oklahoma’s new defensive coordinator.

Week 1 will not tell the whole story for the Sooners, who will have greater challenges ahead, but there was a lot to be encouraged about from their week one performance.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Brent Venables provides injury update to trio of Sooners starters

The Oklahoma Sooners could get back some key personnel for their week two matchup with the Houston Cougars.

The Oklahoma Sooners are dealing with a rash of injuries to key personnel on the offensive side of the ball.

Wide receiver [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] missed Friday’s win over Temple. Starting center [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] was lost due to an ankle sprain in the first quarter.

All three have a chance to be back for Week 2 against the Houston Cougars.

On his weekly coach’s show, Sooners head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] shared that Branson Hickman looked good at practice Monday evening but is questionable for this week’s showdown with Houston. If he were unable to go, Oklahoma could go with [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag], the Washington transfer who slid over to center in the first half after Hickman went down. Or, they could roll with [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag], who made a lot of noise in fall camp for his work and his improvement. He was banged up toward the end of the August and didn’t play until the second half last week against Temple.

The Oklahoma Sooners need [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] back. The Sooners were already down [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], who was ruled out for the year during fall camp. Then, they lost Jalil Farooq for 6 to 8 weeks with a broken foot. The Sooners’ wide receiver depth is pretty thin at this point. Getting Anderson back would provide a huge boost to the passing attack. He had nearly 800 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in 2023 and was expected to be a significant part of the offense this year, but has been hobbled since fall camp.

The projected starter most likely to return this week, and one the Sooners need to get in the mix, is right tackle [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag]. Taylor had a strong offseason and beat out [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] to earn the starting role along Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line. His unavailability was noticeable against Temple, as the Sooners had a hard time blocking on the right side of the formation.

At some point, the Oklahoma Sooners need to begin building continuity and cohesion with their offensive line. But the injuries they’re dealing with makes that difficult. If Taylor and Hickman can go this week and next against Tulane, it will give the Sooners an opportunity to see their starting five together for a couple of weeks before the Tennessee Volunteers roll into town.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Brent Venables liked what he saw from the Oklahoma Defense vs. Temple

The Oklahoma Sooners defense was dominating in OU’s week one win against the Temple Owls.

The Oklahoma Sooners took their first step to creating an identity in their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls in week one. It looked like a Sooners team of old, with a defense that forced a ton of turnovers and created a ton of pressure on Temple quarterback Forrest Brock.

The Sooners held Temple to less than 200 total yards and held their rushing attack to less than two yards per carry. Oklahoma’s head coach was pleased with his defense’s performance.

“Thought the defense, from start to finish, really played outstanding. Again, six sacks, nine tackles for loss, forced six turnovers, and scored a touchdown. For the first time, I think we’ve had six turnovers in a game since 2003. We only had six forced fumbles last year, and we had four tonight. Really I loved how aggressive and confident our guys were moving around, flying to the ball and being aggressive and knocking the ball loose. Fantastic job by the defense.”

It would be easy to credit the Sooners’ efforts to the level of competition they were playing. And certainly, nobody is going to confuse Temple for the 2008 Oklahoma Sooners. However, Venables was pleased more with the fundamentals with which the Sooners’ defense played as much as anything.

Venables spoke about what he saw from a technical standpoint. “Vertical, active, stayed on our feet and did a really nice job in block recognition, squeezing and condensing gaps,” Venables said. “Some of our movements that we did up front, I thought they played with great pad level.”

You know, it really doesn’t have anything to do with them, that we’re the things that I’m talking about. It’s, it’s us. But I just thought we were sure of what we were doing completely, really good. Pad level, excellent with our hands. We got a lot of knockback, and we made it hard for them to run the ball downhill. They tried to run downhill.”

The OU defense played fast and physically. From the front four, which was disruptive in both the run and pass game, to the back seven, Venables and defensive coordinator Zac Alley’s defense looked the part of a title contending defense.

It’s just one week, but the Sooners played sound, fundamental, physical, and tenacious defense. They’ll have tougher challenges throughout the 2024 season, including next week’s game against the Houston Cougars. But it’s a great start to the season for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Sooners wide receiver Jalil Farooq expected to miss significant time with injury

The Oklahoma Sooners will be without wide receiver Jalil Farooq for an extended period of time.

The Oklahoma Sooners went into fall camp feeling great about a deep wide receiver room. Fast forward through the first week of the regular season and that depth has evaporated.

Despite a 51-3 win over Temple, the Sooners have taken a hit on the injury front.

Senior wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] hauled in a 47-yard reception to help the Sooners score on their first possession. He then left the game and was seen on the sidelines with a walking boot. In his postgame press conference, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] revealed that Farooq will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a broken foot.

https://twitter.com/JoshMCallaway/status/1829718447120331055

Oklahoma lost [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] for the season during fall camp and were without [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] in week one. [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] made his return to the field, but had a limited snap count, making one catch for four yards.

Transfer wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was really good in his debut for the Sooners, catching three touchdowns on six receptions. But Oklahoma’s going to need someone to step up among their young blue chip wide receivers. [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag] each earned time in the win over Temple, but they’ll likely be asked to do more over the next two months while Farooq works his way back to the field.

https://twitter.com/EricBaileyTW/status/1829720359077363750

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

SEC Network features Oklahoma in X-Men intro to 2024 season

The SEC Network released an X-Men styled animated intro to the 2024 season and an Oklahoma Sooners star was prominently featured.

The SEC is embarking on a new adventure in 2024, welcoming the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns to the conference. With the season kicking off, Oklahoma and Texas were featured in a video released by the SEC Network’s social media account on X formerly known as Twitter.

In a play on the 1990s animated “X-Men The Animated Series”, the SEC featured a number of teams, including the Red River Rivals.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and Quinn Ewers can be seen flying the X-Wing, the jet that had stealth properties into SEC country. The video featured a number of players as X-Men.

  • Jalen Milroe, Alabama, as Cyclops.
  • Carson Beck, Georgia, as Storm.
  • Harold Perkins, LSU, as Wolverine.
  • Quinn Ewers, Texas, as Jubilee.
  • Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, as Gambit.
  • Luther Burden, Missouri, as Nightcrawler.
  • James Pearce, Tennessee, as Magneto.
  • Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, as The Beast.

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1829584490143809902

Danny Stutsman as The Beast is fitting, considering he matches a physical play style with an intelligence garnered from years of experience. The preseason All-SEC and All-American selection will lead the Oklahoma Sooners defense into the SEC as they hope to make a run at a conference title in year one in the league.

The Sooners open year one in the SEC Friday night at 6 p.m. CT against the Temple Owls. Their first SEC game comes in Norman on September 21.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Temple Owls: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Sooners Wire Staff predicts Oklahoma vs. Temple Owls.

The Oklahoma Sooners kick off the 2024 college football season on Friday night when they welcome the Temple Owls to Norman. The Sooners come into the contest No. 16 in the nation in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.

The Sooners are No. 13 in the final SP+ rankings prior to their opener, while Temple ranks No. 132 out of 134 teams in the FBS.

On paper, it’s a mismatch and the Oklahoma Sooners should be able to do whatever they want on the gridiron. This game won’t tell us everything we need to know about Oklahoma, but if they put on a performance similar to their 2023 outing against Arkansas State, then odds are this team will be pretty good in 2024.

Oklahoma is a heavy favorite. Fan Duel has OU as 42.5-point favorites heading into Friday’s opener.

As we will each week of the season, here are the predictions from our staff here at Sooners Wire.

More: SEC week 1 predictions

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Oklahoma starts fast in week one, showing off their supreme talent on both sides of the ball against Temple.

[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s debut as OU’s full-time starter at quarterback goes well as he begins the process of getting more comfortable in Seth Littrell’s offense at game speed.

The starters on defense pitch a shutout before the backups give up a fourth-quarter field goal.

As with any first game, there will be things to clean up, but Brent Venables is happy with his team on Saturday morning.

Sooners 59, Owls 3

Contact/Follow Aaron Gelvin

Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

3 Freshmen to watch in Oklahoma’s matchup with the Temple Owls

Which three freshmen are we looking forward to watching when the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Temple Owls?

The Oklahoma Sooners open the season with the Temple Owls on Friday night, giving us our first glimpse of team 130. The Sooners have improved their depth over the three offseasons that Brent Venables has been in Norman.

Heading into the 2024 season, the Oklahoma Sooners have 18 true freshmen on their initial depth chart. The talented 2024 recruiting class will have an impact on both the present and the future, but we might get our first chance to see several of those impact freshmen this week when the Sooners take on a Temple team that went 3-9 in 2023.

Here are three freshmen to watch this week.

1. Michael Hawkins, QB

[autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] earned the backup quarterback job out of fall camp and will have a chance to get some action against Temple. When he does see the field, Hawkins will be must-see television.

He’s got excellent athleticism and a really good arm. If the Sooners can generate a healthy lead by the second half, look for offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] to get Hawkins some action.

2. Jayden Jackson, DT

In a surprise, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] earned the starting defensive tackle spot next to [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag]. He’ll have to keep the role, but Jackson has the size, strength, and athleticism to be an impact player for the Sooners in year one.

Oklahoma will use a rotation, but Jackson is going to be a key piece to the Sooners’ success in 2024.

3. Zion Kearney, WR

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver depth has taken a hit during fall camp. Oklahoma will be down [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] this week, and although [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] will be available, they’ll make sure he’s safe as he makes his return to the field for the first time since last October.

The Sooners will need some of their younger wide receivers to play some this week, and that opens the door for a guy like [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] to get an opportunity. He’s got really good speed and athleticism to be an impact player in the Sooners offense.

Other freshmen like [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] have made noise in fall camp and will certainly get a lot of playing time. A guy like [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] will get some run. He was listed as the fourth running back on the depth chart to start the season and has been impressive since arriving in the summer.

If everything goes according to plan, the Sooners should get an opportunity to see several freshmen this week.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

3 keys for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Temple Owls on Friday night and here are three keys to the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners kick off their season in a unique way in 2024. Instead of the traditional Saturday game, OU will host the Temple Owls on Friday night to get things rolling this year. The game will begin at 6 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. The Sooners, Owls, ESPN, and the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] all agreed to the change, which allows Oklahoma’s first official game as a member of the SEC to be highlighted on Labor Day weekend.

Oklahoma enters Year 3 under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and will be looking to start strong with bigger fish to fry later on the schedule. Still, overlooking any opponent in the unpredictable world of college football would be a mistake, so here are three keys for the Sooners as they welcome the Owls to Norman.

1. Execution

Oklahoma has more talent than Temple. Plain and simple. The Sooners would have to be way off their game to lose this one, but, nothing in college football is guaranteed.

The most important thing coaches want to see on Friday night is execution of offense, defense, and special teams. Sure, the occasional procedural penalties will come with the first game of the new season, but all three units need to show high-level execution this week.

As Oklahoma breaks in new coordinators on all three units and plenty of newcomers will be playing their first game at OU, it’s impossible to expect perfection. But mistakes on offense, missed assignments on defense, and mishaps on special teams shouldn’t (and won’t) be tolerated.

2. Avoid Turnovers

Going hand-in-hand with execution is avoiding turnovers. No FBS team forced fewer turnovers than Temple last season, with just five total takeaways. The Owls only intercepted opposing quarterbacks three times and return zero players who registered a pick in 2023.

Turnovers plagued Oklahoma in their loss against Arizona in December’s Alamo Bowl. They’ve had nine months to work out the kinks, but fans will have their eyes on the turnover numbers all season long.

Sacks should also be mentioned here. Perhaps the biggest difference between the 2022 Temple defense and the 2023 Temple defense was the pass rush. That was a clear strength two seasons ago when the Owls registered 38 sacks, but that number went down to 22 last year. OU’s rebuilt offensive line knows that this is the first of 12 chances to prove everyone who doubted them this offseason wrong. A clean sheet against Temple would be a great start.

3. Stay Healthy

Perhaps the biggest thing fans and coaches will want to see on Friday night is the Sooners walk away as healthy as they can be after the game. Oklahoma is a little banged up coming into the season. Several players are dealing with injuries.

Aside from wide receiver [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag]’s season-ending injury, none of the other players seem to be out for the year at this point, and most are day-to-day. However, the last thing OU needs is more players going down with anything more that bumps and bruises. Health will be the most important factor to keep track of during the game.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.