W, 34-0, Louisiana-Monroe
The Sooners earned their first shutout since 2010 and proved their defense was a force to be reckoned with. Oklahoma’s offense struggled out of the gate, but got into the grove in the second quarter, scoring 34 unanswered points. The Sooners defense showed they are explosive and hard to contain by holding the Warhawks to under 200 total yards. And the offense displayed that once they start running, they won’t stop until they hit the end zone. The Sooners had 305 yards just on the ground. The game could easily get away from the Longhorns early if they fail to maintain control.
W, 16-7, West Virginia
In this exceptionally sloppy game Oklahoma displayed that Texas has hopes of taking it down. The offense allowed four turnovers against West Virginia’s mediocre defense and had almost no success through the air. However, their rushing attack should strike up fear in opposing defenses. Oklahoma running back Brennan Clay walked away with 170 yards, including 33 on a 3rd-and-19 from Oklahoma’s own 1-yard line, while running back Damien Williams racked up 95 yards.
W, 51-20, Tulsa
Quarterback Blake Bell got his first start of the season and proved to be more accurate than Knight, passing for 413 yards and four touchdowns, despite having a weakness for downfield throws. With Bell as the backbone, Oklahoma’s offense verified they could mirror the success of the defense. With the offense putting up points, the defense apparently thought they could take a break. The defense struggled considerably in the fourth quarter and the pass rush was almost nonexistent. Texas’ offense will have to outlast Oklahoma’s defense if wants to put any points on the board.
W, 35-21, Notre Dame
Yet again the star of the game was the Sooners defense. The defense demonstrated that not only could it force stops, but it could also put up points. Oklahoma pressured Notre Dame’s offense forcefully and consistently from the first snap. Oklahoma intercepted Tommy Rees three times and converted all three turnovers into touchdowns. The defense put the Sooners up with a 14-point lead less than three minutes into the game. Case McCoy will have to be very cautious in the air against this aggressive defense.
W, 20-17, TCU
The Sooners had a strong defensive showing, opening the game with seven straight three-and-outs. They didn’t allow the Horned Frogs past midfield in the first half and didn’t allow a TCU first down until midway into the third quarter. However, their offense proved unreliable. Oklahoma’s only success came on the ground, but even then the Sooners ran only eight plays for four yards in the third quarter. If the Sooners offense comes out slow like they did in this game, Texas may stand a chance, but the journey to the end zone will be tough. The Longhorns will have to scrap for every yard.
