Tag: Temple Owls

UConn staves off Temple with 96-yard fumble return for TD on final play

UConn with a wild win over Temple thanks to a long fumble return

Temple was inches from turning a loss into a victory on Saturday against UConn. However, fate intervened and the Huskies turned a three-point lead heading into the final play of the game into a 29-20 victory.

Temple QB Tyler Douglas was being tush-pushed into the end zone on a play that began with three seconds left. However, the ball squirted free into the arms of Jordan Wright, who took it 96 yards for the stunning, game-sealing score.

Temple’s Maddux Trujillo nails 64-yard field goal at the Linc

Temple’s Maddux Trujillo kicked a 64-yard field goal against Utah State

Evan Simon accounted for six touchdowns, including a 91-yard scoring pass, but he wasn’t the player to grab the glory on Saturday as Temple downed Utah State, 45-29, at Lincoln Financial Field.

That is because Maddux Trujillo kicked the longest field goal in the history of the Linc, connecting from 64 yards.

The kick is the longest made field goal at the top level of college football since 2008 when UTEP’s Jose Martinez hit a 64-yard field goal.

Before transferring to Temple, Trujillo kicked for Austin Peay. He connected on 38 of 53 field goal attempts and 128 PATs.

How Trujillo’s accomplishment rates overall in college football:

Trujillo’s set a few records with his 64-yard FG.
He broke the school record of 56 previous set by Don Biterlich in 1975 (at Akron)
He set the record for longest FG in a game at Lincoln Financial Field. The previous mark was 61 set twice by Philadelphia Eagles’ Jake Elliott.
He now is tied for the eighth longest FG in NCAA history and the longest since 2009
69 – Ove Johnson, Abilene Christian, 1976
67 – Tom Odle, Fort Hayes State, 1988
67 – Joe Williams, Wichita State, 1978
67 – Steve Little, Arkansas, 1977
67 – Russell Erxleben, Texas, 1977
65 – Martin Gramatica, Kansas State, 1998
65 – Tony Franklin, Texas A&M, 1976

3 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners victory over the Houston Cougars

The Oklahoma Sooners have a underrated challenge coming to town and here are three keys for their matchup with the Houston Cougars.

Brent Venables and his team are putting the finishing touches on preparation for their second game of the 2024 season. After a 48-point win over Temple, OU readies to host the Big 12’s Houston Cougars.

The Cougars are the first Big 12 team Oklahoma will face since moving to the SEC. The two teams have played twice in the last decade, with each side picking up a win.

In Week 1, Oklahoma struggled on third down, going 1 of 12. The defense, however, suffocated the Owls. Offensive line play was a focus of much post-game angst, and rightfully so. The Sooners struggled to run the ball, and the depth at receiver was called into action. Most probably weren’t expected to contribute in 2024, but injuries have forced Emmett Jones’s hand.

Willie Fritz left Tulane to take the job at Houston, and his team will be ready to play after a disappointing performance against UNLV.

Oklahoma should win the game convincingly, but the Sooners can’t get caught napping or the action could get weird quickly.

Below, we compiled our three keys to a Sooners victory.

Establish the line of scrimmage

This is a direct message to Bill Bedenbaugh and his offensive line. The big boys up front have been in a battle all offseason to decide who would earn snaps. As the games go by, the Sooners need to put their five best out there so they can jell.

Projected starter at right tackle Jake Taylor looks ready to suit up. Though we haven’t yet seen what Taylor’s capable of as a starting offensive lineman at the collegiate level, with a four-star pedigree, there are high hopes for the 2022 signee.

The Sooners need to come out and let the Cougars know that whatever ideas and inspiration they might have gleaned from the film against Temple will not work. The running game should pop much more often than it did in the first half of their week one win.

Up Next: 2 More Keys to Victory

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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

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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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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

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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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.

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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.

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Brent Venables updates injury status for pair of key wide receivers ahead of Temple

Brent Venables revealed that Nic Anderson will be out this week but Andrel Anthony will return vs. Temple.

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room has been banged up this offseason. It’s arguably the deepest position group on the team, bu that depth has taken a hit through fall camp.

[autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] will be out for the season, and now we know that [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] will be out for Oklahoma’s week one matchup with Temple. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] confirmed that Anderson will miss week one.

Both players figured to be among the Sooners’ top four wide receivers this fall.

However, some good news came from Venables’ press conference. Wide receiver [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] will return to the field, suiting up for the first time since suffering a season-ending knee injury during Oklahoma’s win over Texas.

Anderson had a breakout campaign in 2023, hauling in 38 receptions for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. Though listed as day-to-day by Venables earlier in the week, the Sooners will likely be patient with his recovery, knowing they’ll need Anderson for tougher contests ahead.

Anthony was experiencing a breakout season in his own right in the first half of the year. After catching just 19 passes in his first two seasons at Michigan, Anthony tallied 27 receptions for 429 yards and a touchdown before missing the second half of the season.

All eyes turn to senior [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], incoming transfer [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], emerging speedster [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], and Anthony to lead the Sooners passing attack this week against the Owls.

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Oklahoma Sooners announce captains for week one vs. Temple

Oklahoma names Jackson Arnold, Billy Bowman, Danny Stutsman, and Bauer Sharp captains for week one vs. Temple.

The first game week of the season is at hand and the Oklahoma Sooners have announced their first set of captains for their week on matchup vs. Temple.

The Sooners select captains for each game during the regular season and then will select season captains when they get to the postseason.

Leading the Sooners into the game against Temple and into 2024 are the guys you’d expect to get a captain nod. Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] represented the Sooners at SEC Media Days in July. They’ll be joined by transfer tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag], who has impressed this offseason with his work ethic, attitude, and physicality.

Stutsman and Bowman are going into their fourth season with the Sooners. They were a part of Lincoln Riley’s final recruiting class in Norman but have become two of the most valuable pieces of the first three years of the Brent Venables era.

Stutsman and Bowman turned down an opportunity to go to the NFL for one more year at Oklahoma and a swim through the SEC. SEC media and coaches have taken note of the development of Oklahoma’s defensive stars, voting the dynamic duo to the preseason All-SEC first team.

They’ll be relied upon as the Sooners enter the SEC. Their experience and playmaking ability is a part of what has so many optimistic about the potential of Oklahoma’s defense in 2024.

Arnold is entering his first year as a starter. The former five-star prospect and Gatorade National Player of the Year has all the tools to be one of the next great quarterbacks to wear the crimson and cream. Venables has praised Arnold’s leadership and work ethic this offseason as the Denton Guyer product takes over for [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag].

More: Takeaways from Oklahoma’s official 2024 depth chart release

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