The Bad: Austin Stogner’s Dropped Touchdown
We’ve been waiting for the Austin Stogner breakout game all season, and we’re still waiting. This week provided an opportunity to make an impact, and the Sooners tight end let it slip through his fingers.
With the Oklahoma Sooners up 14-7, Williams and the offense had driven to first-and-goal at the 4. After a two-yard run by Kennedy Brooks, the Sooners were still in good shape with second-and-goal from the 2.
At this point, the Sooners had options. They elected to throw, which probably had a run option built into the rollout for Williams. He had Stogner in the end zone and put the ball right on his tight ends’ hands. The ball went right through his mitts.
While it might have been a contested-catch had he held on, that’s absolutely a ball Stogner needs to catch, and he probably would love another opportunity at it.
The Sooners could have gone up 21-7. Instead, they settled for a field goal to make it 17-7, and the Horned Frogs proceeded to counter with a 14-play, 78-yard touchdown drive to cut the lead to three, 17-14.
Oklahoma punted on its ensuing possession. Fortunately, the Sooners forced a punt and scored just before halftime.
Though it didn’t turn out to be a turning point in the game, it could very well have been. Instead of being up 17-14, the Sooners could have fallen behind before halftime. With the Horned Frogs slated to get the ball out of the break, it could have gone from bad to worse.
Stogner needs to be better in that situation.