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Oklahoma Sooners vs. Auburn Tigers initial injury report for week 5

The Oklahoma Sooners and Auburn Tigers have key personnel out or questionable for their week five matchup!

The Oklahoma Sooners are dealing with a number of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball as they prepare for their first SEC road trip to Auburn, Alabama.

It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances that Brent Venables finds his team in looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season. Heading into the hostile environment provided by Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Sooners have lost a lot of experience due to injuries. With true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. set to make the first start of his collegiate career, missing that experience could have an impact on the offense’s performance.

Here’s a look at the first injury report ahead of Oklahoma vs. Auburn.

Oklahoma Injury Report

Player	Position	Status 9/25
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	Doubtful
Taylor Tatum	RB	Doubtful
Dasan McCullough	LB	Questionable
Deion Burks	WR	Questionable
Jake Taylor	OL	Probable

The Oklahoma Sooners have been without key pass catchers Jayden Gibson, Jalil Farooq, and Andrel Anthony. Though he hadn’t played much this season, loss of Nic Anderson compiles the problem. Also listed as questionable on the initial injury report is Oklahoma’s go-to option, Deion Burks.

Burks has been the most productive and consistent part of the Sooners offense, racking up 26 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He’s also added five carries for 32 yards in the jet sweep game. In his stead in week four, Jaquaize Pettaway stepped up and provided an explosive element to the passing game, recording three receptions for 79 yards, including a big catch and run that put the Sooners in scoring territory.

Andrel Anthony, who was reportedly progressing from the knee injury he suffered last October, doesn’t look close to contributing at this point. He played a few snaps in week one but hasn’t been in the game since.

If there’s any good news on this week’s injury report for the Sooners, it’s that projected starting right tackle Jake Taylor was listed as probable for the Sooners. Oklahoma’s had to mix and match their offensive line a lot over the first four weeks due to injuries. But perhaps there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Center Branson Hickman, who missed the wins over Houston and Tulane, returned for the Tennessee game. They had four out of their five projected offensive line starters in that game, but because they hadn’t played together much, they lacked cohesion and execution.

If Taylor can play this week, it’ll be the first time they’ve had all five of their projected starters together at the same time.

Another key player to watch on this week’s injury report is running back Taylor Tatum. Tatum emerged as the backup running back behind Jovantae Barnes during his true freshman season. But he took a shot to the head in the loss to Tennessee and was removed from the game. He’s had some bright spots early in his Oklahoma career. If he can’t go this week, which seems unlikely, look for Gavin Sawchuk and Sam Franklin to get more opportunities in the running game.

Auburn Injury Report

Player	Position	Status 9/25
Tyler Scott	DB	OUT
Champ Anthony	DB	OUT
Brandon Frazier	TE	OUT
Isaiah Raikes	DL	Questionable
Alex McPherson	K	Questionable
Izavion Miller	OL	Questionable

For Auburn, one of the players to watch on the injury report is right tackle Izavion Miller. Miller leads all Auburn offensive linemen in snaps. He played 60 snaps against Arkansas and started all three games this season. He’s only allowed one pressure on 62 pass block snaps per Pro Football Focus in 2024.

Defensive lineman Isaiah Raikes is one to watch on the defensive side. He’s started three of Auburn’s four games this season and is second among defensive linemen in snaps this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Raikes is No. 9 in defensive grade among Auburn Tigers.

We’ll continue to follow the injury report as we get closer to kickoff.

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3 keys that could lead to an Oklahoma victory over Tennessee

Three keys to the game as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

It’s safe to assume Oklahoma’s preparation has intensified over the last week. The Sooners are preparing for a much more talented foe than they have seen at any point this season. No. 7 Tennessee presents an incredible challenge for OU on Saturday night, but that’s to be expected with the Sooners entering the SEC. The conference games will be more challenging than they were in the Big 12.

The rest of the college football world doesn’t give the Sooners a real chance to win this game. Brent Venables, a master motivator and no stranger to coaching in high-profile matchups over the last 20 years, knows what it will take for his team to come out on top Saturday night.

While Tennessee is the higher-ranked team, it is not invincible. Oklahoma has a path to victory. We took the time to highlight that path with our three keys to the game below.

1. Start Fast

It’s such a cliche statement, but it does hold a lot of weight in a football game. Especially in a game where one team has heard they were the underdogs and didn’t have a chance at winning. It’s a confidence thing that can boost one team and psychologically damage the other.

Oklahoma has had some decent starts to their games this season, but they’ve yet to carry it into the second quarter. And that’s where Oklahoma needs to hone in on Saturday. Play a complete first half, take a breather, and gear up to scrap in the second half because Tennessee will not go away if you come out swinging.

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Seth Littrell must get his young quarterback into a rhythm. Maybe start out with the short passing game and mixing in designed QB runs along with the regular run game to ease him in. As the results show and his confidence grows, Littrell can then start to open up the playbook even wider.

Up Next: More Keys to the Game

Pages: 12

3 freshmen to watch for Oklahoma Sooners against Tennessee Volunteers

OU will need great efforts from everyone on the depth chart to take down the Vols, including these three true freshmen.

The Oklahoma Sooners will try to stay unbeaten in 2024 when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night in Norman. Both teams are 3-0, and OU’s first conference game as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is one of the most highly-anticipated home games the Sooners have had in a long time.

While [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag]’s Vols have looked very impressive in their three games to begin the year, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ OU team has struggled offensively but has managed to stay undefeated.

As Oklahoma continues to deal with injuries all over the roster, we’ve seen plenty of true freshmen get big-time experience this season. However, the stakes haven’t been as high as they will be on Saturday on national television. Here are three freshmen to keep your eye on in this primetime matchup.

1. Jayden Jackson, DT

As Oklahoma’s only true freshman starter, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] has been excellent at defensive tackle. He’s part of an excellent group of interior defensive lineman. Despite playing at the high school level this time last year, he hasn’t looked overwhelmed at all through three weeks.

Tennessee’s offensive line is by far the best the Sooners have played this year, and the Volunteers have a high-flying up-tempo spread offense that can be a nightmare for defenses. How Jackson handles his first real test as a Sooner could be crucial to the outcome of this contest.

2. Taylor Tatum, RB

Running back [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] was more involved in the game plan last week against Tulane than he was in week two against Houston. He responded with two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground.

Tatum runs with a burst that is desperately needed right now in the OU run game. If Oklahoma can find a way to run the ball effectively, it can open up the rest of the offense, which hasn’t reached expectations yet this season.

Though Tatum is still behind both Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes on the depth chart, he needs to be a bigger part of the offense going forward.

Tatum’s biggest issue has been in pass protection, a common theme for young running backs. Aside from that, he’s been dynamic when called upon.

3. Eli Bowen, DB

Defensive back [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag], the younger brother of safety Peyton Bowen, got snaps in big moments of the fourth quarter last week versus Tulane. With starting cheetah Kendel Dolby out, the Sooners were forced to shuffle some pieces around in the secondary, and one of the beneficiaries was Bowen.

Though his most natural position is at cornerback, Bowen is capable of playing safety and cheetah as well. He isn’t primed for a big role with Dolby likely to play against the Vols, but with Gentry Williams out and Woodi Washington moving around the defense, don’t be surprised if Bowen makes an appearance in OU’s secondary again this week.

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Best Photos from Oklahoma Sooners win over Tulane Green Wave

A look at some fantastic photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 34-19 win over the Tulane Green Wave.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 3-0 on the season with a 34-19 win over the Tulane Green Wave.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half before Tulane began to find some offense at the end of the first thirty minutes. But Oklahoma’s defense found their footing after Tulane opened the second with a touchdown drive.

It wasn’t pretty, but Oklahoma came away with the win and they looked a lot better on offense than they did a week ago against Houston. Jackson Arnold and R Mason Thomas helped seal the deal late in the fourth quarter and the Sooners stay undefeated to start the 2024 season.

There’s still a lot to clean up before Tennessee comes to town.

Here are some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over Tulane.

Sooners defense steps up in the fourth, Oklahoma beats Tulane Green Wave 34-19

The Oklahoma defense came up big in the second half and the Sooners beat Tulane 34-19 to move to 3-0.

Oklahoma needed another strong defensive effort in the second half, but they came through, and the Sooners beat the Tulane Green Wave 34-19 to move to 3-0 on the season.

Tulane started with the ball, but the Sooners forced a three-and-out to give Oklahoma’s much-maligned offense a chance to find some early momentum.

After the Sooners failed to score over their final eight drives against Houston, they got off to a nice start against Tulane, marching down the field on a methodical 14-play scoring drive. Oklahoma converted three third downs on the drive, each of them coming with less than five yards to go to get the first. The longest play of the drive was a 12-yard catch and run by Jovantae Barnes.

The drive culminated with a tough [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] one-yard touchdown drive.

Oklahoma and Tulane traded punts for the next five drives, but the Sooners missed out on points when the kicking operation took too long to get set up and drew a flag for delay of game. Oklahoma was forced once again to punt.

Punter [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] pinned the Green Wave inside their own 10-yard line, and the Sooners defense forced another three-and-out.

The Sooners then came through with another 7-play scoring drive to take a 14-0 lead. OU didn’t face a third down on the drive, and true freshman running back [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] scored the first touchdown of his Sooners career on a nine-yard reception for the score.

After Tulane missed a field goal, the Sooners took over and had another efficient drive, going six plays for 67 yards, with Tatum picking up his second touchdown of the day on a one-yard run. Jackson Arnold showed off his wheels with a 47-yard run on a read-option to open the drive and put the Sooners in scoring range in an instant.

The Green Wave then followed it up with a clock-eating 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took a really nice throw from backup quarterback Ty Thompson and an incredible catch from Reggie Brown to get on the board. Tulane missed the extra point so the Sooners went into halftime up 21-6.

After halftime, it was a different ball game. The Green Wave held the Sooners to a field goal on their opening drive of the half. On Oklahoma’s third and seven from the Tulane eight-yard line, Jackson Arnold was sacked for a three-yard loss. It forced the Sooners to settle for a field goal. The way the drive ended would signal what the Sooners offense would look like for their next four drives.

The running game couldn’t get going, and the offensive line struggled with Tulane’s pressure packages.

The Green Wave cut the score to 21-13 on their first drive of the second half, finding some explosive plays in the passing game. It was aided by a questionable pass interference call on safety Robert Spears-Jennings, but the Green Wave were able to take advantage.

The Sooners and Green Wave traded punts as the offensive line struggled to contain Tulane’s blitz packages.

Facing a first and 15 after an illegal formation penalty on Michael Tarquin, left guard Heath Ozaeta released a Green Wave linebacker who ran right up the middle and put pressure on Arnold. Arnold avoided the pressure and tried to throw a ball to Deion Burks, but Tulane linebacker Tyler Grubbs stepped in front of the pass for a pick six to cut Oklahoma’s lead to five.

The punters continued to do incredible work as Brent Venables and Jon Sumrall tried to play the field position game. But Tulane got the ball with just over 10 minutes to go in the game. The Sooners defense stepped up before forcing a fourth and one attempt from Tulane. Darian Mensah faced the run and dropped back to pass, but his attempt to hit the slant was disrupted by cornerback Kani Walker, who knocked the ball into the air and after it went through linebacker Kobie McKinzie’s hands, Billy Bowman came up with the interception.

The Sooners responded with a four-play 43-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a Jackson Arnold 24-yard touchdown run, his second of the game. Arnold had to break multiple tackles to get in the end zone.

With Tulane attempting to move the ball to try and come back in the game on, the Oklahoma Sooners defense stepped up and shut the door. Defensive end R Mason Thomas had three sacks on the final two drives, including a strip sack and fumble recovery.

OU’s defense came through on fourth down twice in the final minutes to seal the game once again for the Sooners.

Despite the interception returned for a touchdown, Jackson Arnold had a nice afternoon for the Sooners. Though he failed to throw for more than 200 yards once again in 2024, he ran for 97 yards on 14 carries. He would have had 100 yards, but took time off the clock to kneel on the ball so that the Sooners could avoid snapping it again, taking a three-yard loss on the final play of the game.

Arnold finished the night 18 of 29 for 169 yards, one passing touchdown, two rushing touchdowns, 97 yards rushing, and one interception.

[autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was really good once again. He had seven receptions for 80 yards to lead the way for a dinged-up receiving corps. Other than a drop on a critical third down, Burks showed off his catch and run ability through the game.

[autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] was second on the team in receiving with four receptions for 28 yards. Offensive coordinator Seth Littrell made a concerted effort to get the tight ends and running backs involved in the passing game and they caught nine of Arnold’s 18 completions.

The defense held the Green Wave to 13 points and came through once again in critical moments. Senior linebacker Danny Stutsman led the way with 12 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Robert Spears-Jennings had seven tackles, including six solo, and 0.5 tackles for loss.

The Sooners won the turnover battle once again, the third time that’s happened this season, and held a really good Tulane offense to just 279 yard of total offense. Oklahoma held the Green Wave to just 3.1 yards per carry for the game.

The Sooners are now 3-0 on the season as they get ready to welcome the high-flying Tennessee Volunteers to Norman next Saturday night in primetime.

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3 freshmen to watch for Oklahoma Sooners against Houston

Oklahoma’s true freshmen stood out in a big way in week one can these three freshmen have another strong performance?

The Oklahoma Sooners look to improve to 2-0 on Saturday night. They’ll welcome the Houston Cougars to Norman at 6:45 p.m. after defeating the Temple Owls, 51-3, last Friday.

OU’s younger players received plenty of playing time in Week 1, as the home team was in control from the beginning. While Houston is a more talented team than Temple, the Sooners are expected to win in convincing fashion again.

Even if the opponent were a tougher one, Oklahoma would still need contributions from the youngest players on their depth chart. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff did an excellent job in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag]. Now they hope their hard work continues to pay off, beginning with a strong showing against the Cougars. Here are three freshmen players on OU’s roster to watch in Week 2.

1. Jayden Jackson, DT

Making history last week as the first true freshmen starter at defensive tackle since Tommie Harris in 2001, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] starts again up front for Venables and Co.

Jackson’s size and strength on the interior of the defensive line will be tested more once the Sooners reach [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play, but against Houston, he should once again have a chance to make some noise.

He wasn’t the player up front that popped the most last week against Temple, but the defensive line dominated the game when he was in. Watch for Jackson to make plays stuffing the run against a porous Cougars offensive line while rotating with [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag].

Up Next: Freshmen Playmakers Need More Snaps

Pages: 12

Predictions for No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Houston Cougars

Sooners Wire staff predicts this week’s matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Houston Cougars.

The No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners welcome the Houston Cougars (0-1) to Norman for a Saturday evening affair. The Sooners lead the all-time series, 3-1, with their most recent win coming in 2019 in Jalen Hurts’ debut.

Since that meeting, both teams have changed coaches and conferences. However, Saturday night will make for an intriguing nonconference affair inside Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The Cougars are coming off a disappointing 20-point loss to UNLV, while the Sooners beat Temple by 48. Oklahoma’s offense ranks 23rd in points per game at the Football Bowl Subdivison level, and Houston is sitting at No. 124 after Week 1.

However, the Sooners are likely to see a better team this Saturday night than the one that lost in Week 1. How will the game turn out, our team here at Sooners Wire predicts Oklahoma vs. Houston.

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Week 2 has arrived in Norman, and after the Sooners dispatched the Temple Owls with little resistance, they turn the page and continue to gear up for their inaugural conference schedule in the SEC.

In front of them this week at Owen Field is the Houston Cougars. Houston lost key pieces this offseason with Patrick Paul heading to the NFL and Matthew Golden transferring to the Texas Longhorns. Houston also lost convincingly to UNLV, so morale was depleted to start the season. I expect a better effort from them this week, but it will not matter.

Here’s why.

This Oklahoma team is bigger, stronger, faster and better. Improved health should help the stability and overall production of the offensive live that struggled against Temple. Bounce-back performances from some depth receivers will help the Sooners look more explosive this week.

Jackson Arnold throws for another three touchdowns, Jovantae Barnes touches pay dirt for the first time this year, and I think the Sooners’ defense forces Cougars QB Donovan Smith into a couple of turnovers. The Sooners improve from their dreadful 1 of 12 performance on third down and get closer to 45%.

Oklahoma 49, Houston 17

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Pages: 123

The Good, the bad and the ugly from the Oklahoma Sooners win over Temple

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the Oklahoma Sooners week one win over the Temple Owls.

The Oklahoma Sooners had a strong start in their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls. They did just enough on offense to take advantage of a great defensive effort.

Oklahoma knew it didn’t need to go deep into the playbook to beat the Owls. While the offensive performance isn’t quite what we’d expect from the Sooners, it didn’t need to be for OU to win and cover the 42 1/2-point spread.

There was a lot of good in Oklahoma’s win over the Owls and some stuff that has to improve as the Sooners move through the 2024 season. Here’s a look at the first installment of the good, the bad and the ugly from Week 1.

The Good: Defense is Back in Norman

It’s just one game, but the Oklahoma Sooners defense looked great against the Temple Owls on Friday night.

The Sooners held Temple to less than 200 yards of total offense and 1.9 yards per carry. Oklahoma’s defense recorded six turnovers, the most in a game since 2003. It also recorded six sacks and nine tackles for loss. The production came from everyone.

The Owls couldn’t get much going offensively as the Sooners frustrated them with a relentless defensive effort.

The Sooners will face tougher teams down the road, but you have to be happy about what they put on the field to start the 2024 season.

The Bad: Run Game Needs Work

Yes, the Oklahoma Sooners ran for 217 yards. You take the 28 yards from sacks out of the equation and the yardage number jumps to 245. On the surface, that looks pretty good. But nearly a third of that rushing total came on the final drive when [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] added 76 yards to the total.

In the first half, OU ran for 4.1 yards per carry. By contrast, the Sooners averaged 9.1 yards per carry in the second half. A much better number, but Temple went deeper into the depth chart as the game went on.

Yes, the offense had a vanilla game plan, but the first-team offense should have been more effective against the Temple Owls. The unit was without [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] and lost [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] to injury in the early going.

The Sooners will have an opportunity to right the ship when they take on a Houston Cougars team that allowed UNLV to rush for nearly 200 yards and average 4.1 yards per carry.

The Ugly: Wide Receiver Depth takes another Hit

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room was lauded this offseason for being one of the deepest in the nation. Well, that depth is going to be put to the test as the Sooners suffered another significant injury.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who was third on the team in receiving yards in 2023, was expected to have another strong season but suffered a broken foot in the first quarter of the win over Temple. That’s the second significant injury suffered by the wide receiver during the last month. [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] was lost for the season in the preseason.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] has been banged up and is expected to be ready to roll this week against the Cougars, and Oklahoma will need the breakout star from 2023 to have a repeat season this year.

[autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] looked good and [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] is off to a nice start to the season. But the Sooners need Anderson back and will need a younger player to earn a significant role in the wide receiver rotation.

Oklahoma can’t afford another significant wide receiver injury.

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3 Stars from Oklahoma’s 51-3 win over the Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start in their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls, and here are this week’s three stars.

The Oklahoma Sooners opened the season with a 51-3 win over the Temple Owls on Friday night. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but there were a great many positives to take away from the win.

But on both sides of the ball, there were impact players, so let’s take a look at this week’s three stars of the game.

Third Star: Jackson Arnold, QB

Seth Littrell and the Oklahoma Sooners didn’t ask [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] to do too much in this game, but he was effective with what he was asked to do. The first throw of the game was fantastic, a deep strike to Jalil Farooq for 47 yards.

Arnold attempted just two passes beyond 20 yards, which will not indicate his passing chart week-to-week. One was the reception by Farooq and the other was a beautiful deep ball down the sideline to a covered J.J. Hester who let the ball go through his hands.

Behind a patchwork offensive line, Arnold made good decisions, got the ball out quickly and tried to make things happen with his legs when it wasn’t there for him through the air.

Accounting for drops and throwaways, Arnold’s adjusted completion percentage was 83.3% on the evening and finished with an NFL passer rating of 121.8. A strong start to the season for the former five-star quarterback.

Second Star: Deion Burks, WR

Deion Burks was as advertised in the Sooners’ win, catching three touchdowns in the first half, which is the most ever by a player in their Oklahoma debut.

As was the case for the offense, the Sooners didn’t unveil all of the ways in which they’ll utilize Burks, but he was efficient and effective on his targets. He had six catches on seven targets for 36 yards and three touchdowns. He also took three sweeps for 14 yards, showing off his speed.

Burks displayed really good route running, creating separation in the red zone for his scores.

With the wide receiver depth chart taking a hit due to Farooq’s injury, the Sooners will need Burks to have a big season and he’s off to a great start.

Up Next: First Star of the Game

Pages: 12

Stingy defense leads Sooners to 51-3 win over Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners defense forced six turnovers to lead the way in a 51-3 win over the Temple Owls.

The Oklahoma Sooners took care of business in their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls.

On a night when OU honored the 1974 and 1975 national championship teams, squads that had great defenses, OU’s defense led the way for the Sooners, forcing six turnovers.

Temple took the opening kick, but couldn’t create much before going three and out. And that was about as productive as the Owls would be in the first half. Defensively, Oklahoma forced Temple to go punt, fumble, punt, interception, fumble, punt, punt, and fumble.

[autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] forced the Sooners first turnover of the season, a strip of quarterback Forrest Brock, which was recovered by Da’Jon Terry. Cornerback [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] grabbed Oklahoma’s first interception of the season picking off a tipped pass by cheetah linebacker [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag]. [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] also forced fumbles in the first half to help create a strong start in the turnover department for the Sooners.

The Sooners offense took advantage of a stingy defensive effort by scoring on six of their eight possessions in the first half.

On the Sooner’s first offensive possession, [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] led OU on a seven-play 76-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a 14-yard scoring strike between Arnold and tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag]. It was the first of four touchdown passes for the Sooners five-star quarterback, who was making his first start at home.

The Sooners took advantage of good field position provided by the defense to lead a five-play, 46-yard drive ending on Arnold’s second touchdown pass of the day, this time to [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag].

[autotag]Tyler Keltner[/autotag] provided some answers at kicker, nailing field goal attempts of 50 and 46 yards to put the Sooners up 20-0.

Though the offense slowed a bit in the second quarter, they closed the half strong, with touchdowns on two of their last three possessions. A nice return from [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] gave OU the ball in the Temple half of the field, and Oklahoma drove the ball 44 yards on five plays for another Burks touchdown.

After OU punted late in the half, the defense forced yet another turnover inside the Temple 10-yard line, and Arnold cashed in with his fourth touchdown pass of the day and third to Burks to put Oklahoma up 34-0 at halftime.

In the second half, the Sooners’ offense struggled to get going punting on their first possession. The defense forced a three and out and Keltner pushed his third field goal of the day through the uprights to put the Sooners up 37-0.

Temple began to generate some offense on their second possession of the half, moving the ball inside the Sooners 20-yard line. However, sacks from [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and a combination of [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] put the Owls in a 3rd-and-22 situation. After an incomplete pass, Temple kicked a field goal for their only points of the game.

The rest of the way, it was about the Sooners’ defense. [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] forced a fumble on a punt, which was scooped up by [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] and returned for a touchdown.

True freshman safety [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] recorded the first interception of his Sooners career, the sixth of the game for Oklahoma.

On Oklahoma’s final drive of the game, it was true freshman running back [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] doing the heavy lifting. He carried the ball four times for 66 yards, finishing the drive with an eight-yard touchdown. Fellow true freshman quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] also looked good on the drive, showing off his athleticism and quick release to help the Sooners move the ball down the field.

Defensive tackle [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag] finished off the Owls with a pair of sacks on their final drive of the game.

It was a strong defensive performance, however, as the Sooners allowed just 197 yards of total offense and 1.9 yards per rushing attempt. The Sooners forced six turnovers, recorded six sacks nine tackles for loss, and rarely let the Owls offense create much momentum.

The Sooners offense looked good in stretches, but with several starters out along the offensive line, there wasn’t much cohesion up front. Arnold was sacked four times, and regularly the Sooners rushing attack was bottled up. A talking point for much of the offseason wasn’t resolved in week one and perhaps has created more questions.

Though the running game produced 217 yards at 6.2 yards per carry, it wasn’t a consistent performance, especially in the first half. Oklahoma ran for 87 yards in the first half and 130 yards in the second.

Arnold was efficient, going 17 of 25 for 141 yards and four touchdowns. Though his yards per attempt (5.64) will be nothing to write home about, he didn’t have a ton of time to work the ball down the field. Yet he played mistake-free football, and with a defense like Oklahoma’s is key.

Injuries along the offensive line will be important to monitor moving forward. [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] exited the game with an ankle injury. [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] and [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag] finished the game at center for the Sooners.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is also an injury situation to monitor. He left the game early as well. Farooq came through with a big 47-yard possession on the Sooners opening drive of the game. Brent Venables revealed after the game that Farooq broke his foot and will be out 4-6 weeks.

It was a solid performance from the Sooners in all three phases. If they can continue to get defensive efforts like the one tonight against Temple, it’ll take a lot of pressure off of an offense that has some questions to answer along the offensive line. They’ll need to improve their rushing attack as they move forward, but there were some building blocks to work with.

The Sooners move to 1-0 on the season and get set to host the Houston Cougars in week two.

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