Saturday’s matchup against Tulsa marks Oklahoma’s last nonconference game before they embark on their final Big 12 season. The matchup means a lot for the state of Oklahoma with the Sooners playing as the road team this week.
The Sooners enter the game with a lot of momentum on defense after shutting down what was a top-20 offense in the nation last season.
After what happened in 2022 for OU, this season’s efforts have felt particularly inspired. Oklahoma is looking to improve on last year and reshape the narrative about how the Sooners get down defensively.
After two games, the Sooners hold the nation’s sixth-best scoring defense, holding teams to just 5.5 points per game. They are eighth in third-down defense, with opponents converting just 22 percent of third-down attempts. It’s early, but through two games, it’s something to be proud of.
Tulsa may not be as talented as SMU, but their head coach is an offensive mind that Brent Venables knows all too well. The two coached under Bob Stoops for nearly a decade.
Oklahoma should be able to win this game fairly stress-free, but building their confidence and depth are also high on the list of priorities.
We believe these three players are names to watch come Saturday.