Tell me about ou

[Lhorn 4,912]

Quote

-- The Sooners rushed for 75 yards on 29 carries, with running backs accounting for a grand total of 50 yards.

-- Quarterback Jackson Arnold threw 32 times for 174 yards, posting a QBR of 37.5.

Wow!!!

I’ll never understand the eagerness of schools to throw tens of millions of dollars of contract extensions at coaches with 2+ years left on their contract, at the very first modicum of success.  We’ve done it too.  No one was trying to steal BV away.  And I don’t buy the idea that kids will be less likely to commit to a school where a coach with a mediocre track record doesn’t’t have a long term contract.  They want NIL and they want to win.  A place holder coach’s financial stability is not their concern.  

[statsman 5,457]

Oklahoma is going to work Tulane, hard. It will be a win by a large margin, requiring more pre-game installation and intensity than they ever wanted to put into it. 

[Longboard Horn 40,300]

Just hoping they play like they did against Houston when we face them. If they play like that, we're gonna murder them. 

[Longboard Horn 40,300]

Just now, statsman said:

Oklahoma is going to work Tulane, hard. It will be a win by a large margin, requiring more pre-game installation and intensity than they ever wanted to put into it. 

Careful. Last time Tulane played OU the Sooners barely escaped. Tulane will be ready and won't go quietly. 

[closetojumping 62,596]

Just now, statsman said:

Oklahoma is going to work Tulane, hard. It will be a win by a large margin, requiring more pre-game installation and intensity than they ever wanted to put into it. 

Maybe. It’s hard to “work” a decently talented and well-coached team without a functioning offensive line. 

[Mitch Cumsteen 18,547]

That press conference was bleak. Low energy, passive aggressive, bad body language. I'm here for all of it.

They are screwed on the offensive line and he knows it, and there's nothing he can do but take his lumps and hope the young guys get better in a hurry. 

Bendenbaugh has put a million guys into the league. There's no excuse for them to be this bad on ol. Horrible mismanagement of that group be it recruiting, NIL, or the portal. BV is in year three. This is some Charlie Strong level negligence. 

[ClubWhatever 12,128]

If they lose to Tulane that will be Arnold's last game at OU

[statsman 5,457]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

Maybe. It’s hard to “work” a decently talented and well-coached team without a functioning offensive line. 

I trust your evaluation of their program, but I have seen so many fatally flawed Texas teams use program muscle memory, significant talent advantage in a couple of units, and a deeper dig into the schematic bag than they really wanted to make, in order to soundly beat a lesser foe, and quiet the wolves. 
 
It’s certainly not a sign of program health and the piper will have to be paid at some point (David Ash carried nine times in a thumping of NMSU in 2013; how did that work out?) , but I expect a thirty point win to be more likely than a slight defeat, for OU. 

Edited September 12 by statsman

[closetojumping 62,596]

17 minutes ago, statsman said:

I trust your evaluation of their program, but I have seen so many fatally flawed Texas teams use program muscle memory, significant talent advantage in a couple of units, and a deeper dig into the schematic bag than they really wanted to make, in order to soundly beat a lesser foe, and quiet the wolves. 
 
It’s certainly not a sign of program health and the piper will have to be paid at some point (David Ash carried nine times in a thumping of NMSU in 2013; how did that work out?) , but I expect a thirty point win to be more likely than a slight defeat, for OU. 

I don’t disagree that it could happen and it wouldn’t surprise me. If I were at a casino this weekend, I’d probably still take the points and Tulane.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18,547]

18 minutes ago, statsman said:

I trust your evaluation of their program, but I have seen so many fatally flawed Texas teams use program muscle memory, significant talent advantage in a couple of units, and a deeper dig into the schematic bag than they really wanted to make, in order to soundly beat a lesser foe, and quiet the wolves. 
 
It’s certainly not a sign of program health and the piper will have to be paid at some point (David Ash carried nine times in a thumping of NMSU in 2013; how did that work out?) , but I expect a thirty point win to be more likely than a slight defeat, for OU. 

They aren't putting up a lot of points without the benefit of turnovers or special teams points. It happened against Temple. I guess it could happen against a much better Tulane team with a young qb. But if Tulane plays anything close to a clean game, I think Oklahoma has their work cut out for them. I would be stunned if their offense breaks out from what I've seen over the first two weeks. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22,213]

Tulane's defense is all upperclassmen.  4th/5th years players at every position.

[FloridaHorn 4,754]

1 hour ago, statsman said:

Oklahoma is going to work Tulane, hard. It will be a win by a large margin, requiring more pre-game installation and intensity than they ever wanted to put into it. 

Not so fast my friend. Tulane flat out beat K State in every way except the one that matters most. They are well coached and they have talent. OU’s struggles are not due to sleepwalking thru an early season of cupcake opponents. They can’t protect the QB and they can’t run the ball. It is tough to score points when those are your glaring weaknesses. I expect a close game into the 4th qtr and then anything can happen.

[Longboard Horn 40,300]

42 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

If they lose to Tulane that will be Arnold's last game at OU

So we'll see Casey Thompson for the RRS?

[Longboard Horn 40,300]

55 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

That press conference was bleak. Low energy, passive aggressive, bad body language. I'm here for all of it.

They are screwed on the offensive line and he knows it, and there's nothing he can do but take his lumps and hope the young guys get better in a hurry. 

Bendenbaugh has put a million guys into the league. There's no excuse for them to be this bad on ol. Horrible mismanagement of that group be it recruiting, NIL, or the portal. BV is in year three. This is some Charlie Strong level negligence. 

And the fact that they gave Venables a 6 year contract extension is the cherry on top. 

[Doc Daneeka 6,769]

9 minutes ago, Longboard Horn said:

So we'll see Casey Thompson for the RRS?

Trey Moore Bomaring him would nice to see before Sarkisian starts pulling guys to be prep for UGA. 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10,232]

16 minutes ago, Longboard Horn said:

So we'll see Casey Thompson for the RRS?

Different legacy, Hawkins Jr is the backup. I don't see Arnold getting pulled either way though. While not great, he's their best option and is still young. Their issue is OL and no WRs. QB change isn't going to fix that.

Edited September 12 by MonkeyDoughnut

[JOSEYWALES66 1,801]

When is the last time Texas had a bye the week before the OU game?

 

[Frank Drebin 5,663]

I am just glad OU has some actual real games before Texas.  Last year they played no one and could spend all fall camp and the first 5-6 weeks of the season working on nothing but Texas.  While Texas had to prep and scheme for Alabama on the road. I believe that made the difference last year.  That ain't the case this year.

['stache 21,801]

Tulane is a lot better than Houston, like way better, they gonna beat that ass Saturday.

[statsman 5,457]

9 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Tulane is a lot better than Houston, like way better, they gonna beat that ass Saturday.

From your lips to God’s ear, but I’m not going to set myself up for disappointment 

OU losing to non-P5 teams, going back:

2009: BYU (finished 11-2 and #12)

2005: TCU (finished 11-1 and #11)

1996: Tulsa (finished 4-7) and TCU (finished 5-7)

So, after 1996, OU has only lost to exceptional non P5 teams. In 1996, they were so shitty, they lost to two bad non P5 teams. 
 
I remember an average Army team giving them more of a game than they wanted, but they squeaked past them. I hope OU is shitty like it hasn’t been for decades, but they’ll have to show me. 

Edited September 12 by statsman

[A’Dam Psycho 1,470]

1 hour ago, statsman said:

I trust your evaluation of their program, but I have seen so many fatally flawed Texas teams use program muscle memory, significant talent advantage in a couple of units, and a deeper dig into the schematic bag than they really wanted to make, in order to soundly beat a lesser foe, and quiet the wolves. 
 
It’s certainly not a sign of program health and the piper will have to be paid at some point (David Ash carried nine times in a thumping of NMSU in 2013; how did that work out?) , but I expect a thirty point win to be more likely than a slight defeat, for OU. 

This is like beating USC in 2018 after losing to Maryland 2.0 and escaping against Tulsa at home. They’ll out talent Tulane. They can’t out talent anyone else on their except Auburn and South Carolina 

['stache 21,801]

37 minutes ago, statsman said:

From your lips to God’s ear, but I’m not going to set myself up for disappointment 

OU losing to non-P5 teams, going back:

2009: BYU (finished 11-2 and #12)

2005: TCU (finished 11-1 and #11)

1996: Tulsa (finished 4-7) and TCU (finished 5-7)

So, after 1996, OU has only lost to exceptional non P5 teams. In 1996, they were so shitty, they lost to two bad non P5 teams. 
 
I remember an average Army team giving them more of a game than they wanted, but they squeaked past them. I hope OU is shitty like it hasn’t been for decades, but they’ll have to show me. 

Houston beat them in 2016 and finished 9-4 that year (they were AAC at the time obviously).

[Doc Daneeka 6,769]

Just now, 'stache said:

Houston beat them in 2016 and finished 9-4 that year (they were AAC at the time obviously).

Someone should look into the giant-killer coach at Houston. 

[closetojumping 62,596]

2 hours ago, A’Dam Psycho said:

This is like beating USC in 2018 after losing to Maryland 2.0 and escaping against Tulsa at home. They’ll out talent Tulane. They can’t out talent anyone else on their except Auburn and South Carolina 

South Carolina has a legitimate defensive front. Given OU's weaknesses on the OL and in the running game, that game isn't going to be the gimme that we might have all figured. 

[thunderlounge 7,816]

4 hours ago, A’Dam Psycho said:

This is like beating USC in 2018 after losing to Maryland 2.0 and escaping against Tulsa at home. They’ll out talent Tulane. They can’t out talent anyone else on their except Auburn and South Carolina 

 

[AUS-97HORN 11,757]

8 hours ago, Longboard Horn said:

Just hoping they play like they did against Houston when we face them. If they play like that, we're gonna murder them. 

man, we almost never murder ou.  

 

conversely to what they have done to us 5ish times in the last 25 years, even when we win convincingly its still usually a 2 score game.

The 49-0 game (damn you Auburn) was the largest victory margin for us, I  think the 2nd largest win we've ever had against them was the 45-12 game in 05.

looking back about 40 years, those 2 and I think I see 3 others that we won by more than 16 points.

 

meanwhile they have exceeded 60 on us 4 times.

 

if we are killing them, i do not want Sark to pull the fucking plug.  I want a 17+ point massacre.  conversely... if we win by 1... I will be grumbly... but still happy cause fuck ou

[Longboard Horn 40,300]

6 hours ago, Frank Drebin said:

I am just glad OU has some actual real games before Texas.  Last year they played no one and could spend all fall camp and the first 5-6 weeks of the season working on nothing but Texas.  While Texas had to prep and scheme for Alabama on the road. I believe that made the difference last year.  That ain't the case this year.

Plus Dillon Gabriel was mobile when he needed to be. Arnold can’t run like that. 

[Longboard Horn 40,300]

2 minutes ago, AUS-97HORN said:

man, we almost never murder ou.  

 

conversely to what they have done to us 5ish times in the last 25 years, even when we win convincingly its still usually a 2 score game.

The 49-0 game (damn you Auburn) was the largest victory margin for us, I  think the 2nd largest win we've ever had against them was the 45-12 game in 05.

looking back about 40 years, those 2 and I think I see 3 others that we won by more than 16 points.

 

meanwhile they have exceeded 60 on us 4 times.

 

if we are killing them, i do not want Sark to pull the fucking plug.  I want a 17+ point massacre.  conversely... if we win by 1... I will be grumbly... but still happy cause fuck ou

Agreed. If we are killing them, keep the foot on the pedal. I want 50+ and can legit see us getting that this year. Also, I want a pick 6 or another crazy special teams touchdown like Malik Muhammad got last year. 

[thunderlounge 7,816]

Make them wish for the days of 49-0. 
 

 

[A’Dam Psycho 1,470]

As much as I love shitting on blOU, their defense (although vastly overrated by sooner fans) is decent. We’ll most likely win 38-7 or something like that 

[Chili dog 1,787]

Anyone else have an OU fan in his life who obnoxiously declared Jackson Arnold’s clear superiority to Arch Manning prior to last year’s Alamo Bowl? Same cocksucker might’ve insisted that Arch was 3⭐️ talent with a 5⭐️ name? Yeah, I have a few of those, too, and I’m going to make sure those shit bags all wish they had never met me. 

[A’Dam Psycho 1,470]

10 hours ago, Chili dog said:

Anyone else have an OU fan in his life who obnoxiously declared Jackson Arnold’s clear superiority to Arch Manning prior to last year’s Alamo Bowl? Same cocksucker might’ve insisted that Arch was 3⭐️ talent with a 5⭐️ name? Yeah, I have a few of those, too, and I’m going to make sure those shit bags all wish they had never met me. 

Onikuno

[A’Dam Psycho 1,470]

10 hours ago, Chili dog said:

Anyone else have an OU fan in his life who obnoxiously declared Jackson Arnold’s clear superiority to Arch Manning prior to last year’s Alamo Bowl? Same cocksucker might’ve insisted that Arch was 3⭐️ talent with a 5⭐️ name? Yeah, I have a few of those, too, and I’m going to make sure those shit bags all wish they had never met me. 

Have fun with this

[ChiTownDoc 21,148]

On 9/12/2024 at 4:10 PM, Longboard Horn said:

Agreed. If we are killing them, keep the foot on the pedal. I want 50+ and can legit see us getting that this year. Also, I want a pick 6 or another crazy special teams touchdown like Malik Muhammad got last year. 

You had me at ‘last year’.  At this point, just hoping TN doesn’t turn us into FSU before we play you guys.  FML

[Longboard Horn 40,300]

18 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

You had me at ‘last year’.  At this point, just hoping TN doesn’t turn us into FSU before we play you guys.  FML

Good luck guys. Hopefully Arnold doesn't get killed. 

[Pokoloco 1,280]

When was the last time OU was a 7+ dog at home?

[ClubWhatever 12,128]

Very interested to watch OU DL against TN OL.  Both units have feasted on subpar competition.  Which one is for real?

[Funk Doctor Spock 12,187]

On 9/15/2024 at 10:09 AM, ChiTownDoc said:

You had me at ‘last year’.  At this point, just hoping TN doesn’t turn us into FSU before we play you guys.  FML

Yeah, that Tennessee team looks lethal on offense, but they've also played no one, either. Regardless, it's hard to deny the eye test. Their QB looks like the truth. I've heard they have a solid defense, too. 

Good luck lol

[closetojumping 62,596]

Tracking various OU stats for all 3 phases, I've pasted the 247 OU article on it below in spoilers. I left it formatted in the first spoiler and unformatted in the second. 

Bottom line? The OU offense is really bad. The OL is in shambles and they're about to go up against one of the nastiest front 7's in the sport this year. Jackson Arnold is the leading rusher and that's not because he's a formidable rusher. He got loose on blown assignments on Saturday and he looked like a moderately athletic QB in wide open space. They're trying to get fired up about Tatum, but in watching him, he looks as "okay" as the prior knobs they were slobbing, Barnes and Sawchuk. I honestly think it's a coaching thing. Their development at TB isn't there these days. At WR and TE, they're a grab bag of JAGs. Part of why Burks has received so much acclaim is due to him being the only guy playing right now who would be a part of the rotation at other top 25 programs. Arnold is a TO machine waiting to happen against a quality defense. You could see the pick 6 on Saturday happening before he threw it.

The defense is good, not great. They're opportunistic and Venables knows what he's doing with play calls. They've faced no one worth a damn, so their numbers look good and, I'm guessing, they're believing that they're really good. Danny Stutsman is a stud at eventually getting somewhere and making a tackle down the field. They think the Mason guy is good at Edge and he had a day on Saturday. Where's he been? My view is that good offenses need to scheme around the safeties, who are the best players on their defense. Let Stutsman get 12 tackles on plays that gained 80 yards collectively. Good OLs will handle a mostly pedestrian front 7. 

They've been mostly stifled on special teams and I believe that to be a false positive for opponents. They're formidable on both return teams with talented returners.

For OU to beat Tennessee, they're going to need a massive step-up in performance at OL, a surprising performance in the running game, a major gap in turnover differential, and a special teams score. Or maybe it will just turn out that Tennessee hasn't played anybody and is really overrated. I don't think that is the case, but this will be Iamaleava's first legitimate road test in a hostile environment against a competently coached defense. 

Spoiler

NORMAN — Billy Bowman crept up to the line on third-and-short and saw his man, Tulane tight end Reggie Brown, crash in to engage Ethan Downs in a block.

It was in that moment that Bowman locked his eyes on Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah and anticipated his next move. Mensah fired a pass intended for wide receiver Dontae Fleming, and Bowman whipped his head around to track the play. Kani Walker broke up the pass before linebacker Kobie McKinzie got his hand on it, tipping into the waiting hands of an opportunistic Bowman, who scrambled around the field in hopes of a big-time interception return.

"I'd rather have it in 2's hands than mine," McKinzie said, referring to Bowman's jersey number.

 

 

There was no pick-six this time for Bowman, who led the country with three interceptions returned for touchdowns last season, but his fourth-quarter interception was pivotal for Oklahoma in its 34-19 win against Tulane. It was one of two fourth-quarter turnovers forced by the Sooners' defense — the other a strip-sack by R Mason Thomas, who took control of the game over the Green Wave's final two possessions.

The two takeaways helped OU pull away from Tulane late. They also gave the Sooners the edge in the turnover battle, 2-1, as OU football coach Brent Venables and Zac Alley's defense continues to flex a knack for creating turnovers early on this season.

"We've been doing a pretty good job all year at forcing turnovers and playing solid defense," Bowman said. "I feel like personally and collectively, we all know we have room to improve and get better. There were a couple of times they had 12-play drives. We have to find a way to get off the field. I don't think they should have put up that many points."

***JOIN SOONERS ILLUSTRATED NOW AND GET 30% OFF AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP***

An area Oklahoma doesn't need to improve in is turnover margin, as the Sooners have been one of the nation's best in that regard through three weeks. After recording two more takeaways and only committing one turnover of their own in Week 3, the Sooners lead the SEC and rank second nationally in turnover margin, at plus-eight. Oklahoma only ranks behind Maryland, which is plus-nine on the year, as the program heads into the start of its SEC slate.

The Sooners have totaled 10 takeaways through three games, tied with Maryland, Cal and San Jose State for most in the country, while committing just two turnovers (both interceptions by quarterback Jackson Arnold). Bowman's interception was his first of the year and Oklahoma's fourth, while Thomas' fumble recovery was the team's FBS-leading sixth (tied with Air Force).

Here's a look at the Sooners' turnover numbers, as well as how the team is faring in various other statistical categories through the first three weeks of the season and with SEC play on the horizon…

 

(Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)

 

 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

RUSHING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 219.4 yards per game (1^st in Big 12, 10^th)

2023: 182.2 (7^th in Big 12, 34^th)

After Temple: 220.0 (5^th, 38^th)

After Houston: 147.5 (12^th, 79^th)

After Tulane: 159.0 (11^th, 67^th)

Why: Oklahoma rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns against Tulane.

PASSING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 254.6 yards per game (5^th in Big 12, 41^st)

2023: 324.8 (1^st in Big 12, 6^th)

After Temple: 158.0 (13^th, 106^th)

After Houston: 166.0 (12^th, 109^th)

After Tulane: 166.3 (13^th, 114^th)

Why: Oklahoma threw for 167 yards against Tulane.

PASSING EFFICIENCY OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 147.95 (3^rd in Big 12, 30^th)

2023: 167.53 (1^st in Big 12, 6^th)

After Temple: 156.8 (11^th, 58^th)

After Houston: 137.19 (12^th, 72^nd)

After Tulane: 129.69 (13^th, 90^th)

Why: Oklahoma completed 19-of-30 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

 

TOTAL OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 474.0 yards per game (1^st in Big 12, 13^th)

2023: 507.0 (1^st in Big 12, 3^rd)

After Temple: 378.0 (11^th, 82^nd)

After Houston: 313.5 (14^th, 108^th)

After Tulane: 325.3 (14^th, 108^th)

Why: Oklahoma totaled 349 yards against Tulane and averaged 4.7 yards per play.

SCORING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 32.8 points per game (5^th in Big 12, 31^st)

2023: 41.7 (1^st in Big 12, 4^th)

After Temple: 51.0 (8^th, 22^nd)

After Houston: 33.5 (11^th, 57^th)

After Tulane: 33.7 (9^th, 49^th)

Why: Oklahoma scored 34 points against Tulane.

SACKS ALLOWED (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 31; 2.38 per game (9^th in Big 12, 80^th)

2023: 20; 1.54 per game (6^th in Big 12, 35^th)

After Temple: 3; 3.00 per game (14^th, 103^rd)

After Houston: 6; 3.00 per game (15^th, 109^th)

After Tulane: 9; 3.00 per game (14^th, 114^th)

Why: Oklahoma gave up three sacks against Tulane.

 

THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.5% (4^th in Big 12, 49^th)

2023: 49.2% (2^nd in Big 12, 7^th)

After Temple: 8.3% (16^th, 132^nd)

After Houston: 19.2% (16^th, 131^st)

After Tulane: 31.0% (14^th, 109^th)

Why: Oklahoma was 8-of-16 on third-down conversions against Tulane.

RED-ZONE OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 84.0% (7^th in Big 12, 66^th)

2023: 89.6% (2^nd in Big 12, 26^th)

After Temple: 100% (1^st, 1^st)

After Houston: 100% (1^st, 1^st)

After Tulane: 100% (1^st, 1^st)

Why: Oklahoma scored on all five of its red-zone trips against Tulane, with three touchdowns and two field goals.

RUSHING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 187.5 yards per game (9^th in Big 12, 105^th)

2023: 138.6 (3^rd in Big 12, 42^nd)

After Temple: 69.0 (8^th, 37^th)

After Houston: 63.5 (6^th, 13^th)

After Tulane: 77.7 (6^th, 22^nd)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 106 rushing yards and 3.1 yards per carry.

 

PASSING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 273.5 yards per game (10^th in Big 12, 117^th)

2023: 250.8 (10^th in Big 12, 109^th)

After Temple: 125.0 (6^th, 40^th)

After Houston: 194.0 (11^th, 67^th)

After Tulane: 187.0 (10^th, 58^th)

Why: Oklahoma limited Tulane to 173 passing yards.

PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 128.20 (5^th in Big 12, 58^th)

2023: 118.62 (1^st in Big 12, 17^th)

After Temple: 75.0 (4^th, 12^th)

After Houston: 124.32 (13^th, 77^th)

After Tulane: 116.31 (10^th, 54^th)

Why: Tulane completed 15-of-33 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

TOTAL DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 461.0 yards per game (9^th in Big 12, 121^st)

2023: 389.4 (6^th in Big 12, 77^th)

After Temple: 197.0 (8^th, 25^th)

After Houston: 257.5 (10^th, 35^th)

After Tulane: 264.7 (8^th, 27^th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 279 yards and just 4.2 yards per play.

 

SCORING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 30.0 points per game (8^th in Big 12, 98^th)

2023: 23.5 (4^th in Big 12, 46^th)

After Temple: 3.0 (7^th, 14^th)

After Houston: 7.5 (6^th, 15^th)

After Tulane: 11.3 (7^th, 23^rd)

Why: Oklahoma allowed 19 points against Tulane, though only 13 came against the defense.

SACKS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 28; 2.15 per game (3^rd in Big 12, 63^rd)

2023: 24; 1.85 per game (10^th in Big 12, 86^th)

After Temple: 6; 6.00 per game (1^st, 6^th)

After Houston: 8; 4.00 per game (2^nd, 8^th)

After Tulane: 11; 3.67 per game (2^nd, 10^th)

Why: R Mason Thomas recorded three sacks against Tulane.

THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.9% (7^th in Big 12, 87^th)

2023: 31.1% (3^rd in Big 12, 14^th)

After Temple: 30.8% (8^th, 51^st)

After Houston: 28.6% (7^th, 36^th)

After Tulane: 30.2% (7^th, 36^th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 5-of-15 on third-down attempts.

 

RED-ZONE DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 86.2% (7^th in Big 12, 88^th)

2023: 81.0% (5^th in Big 12, 43^rd)

After Temple: 100% (14^th, 76^th)

After Houston: 100% (15^th, 86^th)

After Tulane: 100% (14^th, 101^st)

Why: Oklahoma allowed Tulane to score touchdowns on both of its red-zone opportunities.

NET PUNTING (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 43.08 net yards per punt (1^st in Big 12, 5^th)

2023: 39.60 (7^th in Big 12, 44^th)

After Temple: 43.80 (7^th, 34^th)

After Houston: 43.15 (10^th, 25^th)

After Tulane: 41.61 (9^th, 35^th)

Why: Oklahoma averaged 43.4 net yards per punt against Tulane.

KICK RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 19.79 yards per return (6^th in Big 12, 71^st)

2023: 21.05 (7^th in Big 12, 50^th)

After Temple: 0.00 (N.A, N/A)

After Houston: 10.00 (12^th, 119^th)

After Tulane: 15.50 (13^th, 106^th)

Why: Oklahoma had one kick return for 21 yards against Tulane.

 

KICK RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 24.94 yards allowed per return (10^th in Big 12, 122^nd)

2023: 18.00 (2^nd in Big 12, 37^th)

After Temple: 18.33 (10^th, 72^nd)

After Houston: 18.50 (11^th, 71^st)

After Tulane: 18.50 (11^th, 71^st)

Why: Oklahoma did not allow a kick return to Tulane.

PUNT RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 14.08 yards per return (1^st in Big 12, 12^th)

2023: 6.52 (10^th in Big 12, 95^th)

After Temple: 13.00 (7^th, 30^th)

After Houston: 8.75 (10^th, 57^th)

After Tulane: 11.80 (5^th, 39^th)

Why: Oklahoma had one 24-yard punt return against Tulane.

PUNT RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 2.83 yards allowed per return (3^rd in Big 12, 10^th)

2023: 4.69 (5^th in Big 12, 25^th)

After Temple: minus-5.00 (1^st, 2^nd)

After Houston: minus-3.75 (1^st, 4^th)

After Tulane: 0.60 (7^th, 29^th)*

Why: Oklahoma allowed one 18-yard punt return against Tulane, but it was called back due to an illegal block. *Note: the 18-yard return does not show up in the final game book but is listed on the NCAA's official stat site; if the return was negated, Oklahoma did not allow any punt return yards and would thus be at minus-3.75 yards allowed per return, which would be third nationally and first in the SEC.

 

TURNOVER MARGIN (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: plus-6; 0.46 per game (2^nd in Big 12, 24^th)

2023: plus-6; 0.46 per game (3^rd in Big 12, 23^rd)

After Temple: plus-6; 6.0 per game (1^st, 1^st)

After Houston: plus-7; 3.5 per game (1^st, 1^st)

After Tulane: plus-8; 2.67 per game (1^st, 2^nd)

Why: Oklahoma forced two turnovers and committed one against Tulane.

PENALTY YARDS PER GAME (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 50.15 (9^th in Big 12, 53^rd)

2023: 58.46 (14^th in Big 12, 97^th)

After Temple: 62.00 (13^th, 93^rd)

After Houston: 64.50 (12^th, 95^th)

After Tulane: 58.00 (7^th, 77^th)

Why: Oklahoma was flagged six times for 45 yards against Tulane.

Spoiler

NORMAN — Billy Bowman crept up to the line on third-and-short and saw his man, Tulane tight end Reggie Brown, crash in to engage Ethan Downs in a block.

It was in that moment that Bowman locked his eyes on Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah and anticipated his next move. Mensah fired a pass intended for wide receiver Dontae Fleming, and Bowman whipped his head around to track the play. Kani Walker broke up the pass before linebacker Kobie McKinzie got his hand on it, tipping into the waiting hands of an opportunistic Bowman, who scrambled around the field in hopes of a big-time interception return.

"I'd rather have it in 2's hands than mine," McKinzie said, referring to Bowman's jersey number.

There was no pick-six this time for Bowman, who led the country with three interceptions returned for touchdowns last season, but his fourth-quarter interception was pivotal for Oklahoma in its 34-19 win against Tulane. It was one of two fourth-quarter turnovers forced by the Sooners' defense — the other a strip-sack by R Mason Thomas, who took control of the game over the Green Wave's final two possessions.

The two takeaways helped OU pull away from Tulane late. They also gave the Sooners the edge in the turnover battle, 2-1, as OU football coach Brent Venables and Zac Alley's defense continues to flex a knack for creating turnovers early on this season.

"We've been doing a pretty good job all year at forcing turnovers and playing solid defense," Bowman said. "I feel like personally and collectively, we all know we have room to improve and get better. There were a couple of times they had 12-play drives. We have to find a way to get off the field. I don't think they should have put up that many points."

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An area Oklahoma doesn't need to improve in is turnover margin, as the Sooners have been one of the nation's best in that regard through three weeks. After recording two more takeaways and only committing one turnover of their own in Week 3, the Sooners lead the SEC and rank second nationally in turnover margin, at plus-eight. Oklahoma only ranks behind Maryland, which is plus-nine on the year, as the program heads into the start of its SEC slate.

The Sooners have totaled 10 takeaways through three games, tied with Maryland, Cal and San Jose State for most in the country, while committing just two turnovers (both interceptions by quarterback Jackson Arnold). Bowman's interception was his first of the year and Oklahoma's fourth, while Thomas' fumble recovery was the team's FBS-leading sixth (tied with Air Force).

Here's a look at the Sooners' turnover numbers, as well as how the team is faring in various other statistical categories through the first three weeks of the season and with SEC play on the horizon…

(Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
RUSHING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 219.4 yards per game (1st in Big 12, 10th)

2023: 182.2 (7th in Big 12, 34th)

After Temple: 220.0 (5th, 38th)

After Houston: 147.5 (12th, 79th)

After Tulane: 159.0 (11th, 67th)

Why: Oklahoma rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns against Tulane.

PASSING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 254.6 yards per game (5th in Big 12, 41st)

2023: 324.8 (1st in Big 12, 6th)

After Temple: 158.0 (13th, 106th)

After Houston: 166.0 (12th, 109th)

After Tulane: 166.3 (13th, 114th)

Why: Oklahoma threw for 167 yards against Tulane.

PASSING EFFICIENCY OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 147.95 (3rd in Big 12, 30th)

2023: 167.53 (1st in Big 12, 6th)

After Temple: 156.8 (11th, 58th)

After Houston: 137.19 (12th, 72nd)

After Tulane: 129.69 (13th, 90th)

Why: Oklahoma completed 19-of-30 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

TOTAL OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 474.0 yards per game (1st in Big 12, 13th)

2023: 507.0 (1st in Big 12, 3rd)

After Temple: 378.0 (11th, 82nd)

After Houston: 313.5 (14th, 108th)

After Tulane: 325.3 (14th, 108th)

Why: Oklahoma totaled 349 yards against Tulane and averaged 4.7 yards per play.

SCORING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 32.8 points per game (5th in Big 12, 31st)

2023: 41.7 (1st in Big 12, 4th)

After Temple: 51.0 (8th, 22nd)

After Houston: 33.5 (11th, 57th)

After Tulane: 33.7 (9th, 49th)

Why: Oklahoma scored 34 points against Tulane.

SACKS ALLOWED (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 31; 2.38 per game (9th in Big 12, 80th)

2023: 20; 1.54 per game (6th in Big 12, 35th)

After Temple: 3; 3.00 per game (14th, 103rd)

After Houston: 6; 3.00 per game (15th, 109th)

After Tulane: 9; 3.00 per game (14th, 114th)

Why: Oklahoma gave up three sacks against Tulane.

THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.5% (4th in Big 12, 49th)

2023: 49.2% (2nd in Big 12, 7th)

After Temple: 8.3% (16th, 132nd)

After Houston: 19.2% (16th, 131st)

After Tulane: 31.0% (14th, 109th)

Why: Oklahoma was 8-of-16 on third-down conversions against Tulane.

RED-ZONE OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 84.0% (7th in Big 12, 66th)

2023: 89.6% (2nd in Big 12, 26th)

After Temple: 100% (1st, 1st)

After Houston: 100% (1st, 1st)

After Tulane: 100% (1st, 1st)

Why: Oklahoma scored on all five of its red-zone trips against Tulane, with three touchdowns and two field goals.

RUSHING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 187.5 yards per game (9th in Big 12, 105th)

2023: 138.6 (3rd in Big 12, 42nd)

After Temple: 69.0 (8th, 37th)

After Houston: 63.5 (6th, 13th)

After Tulane: 77.7 (6th, 22nd)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 106 rushing yards and 3.1 yards per carry.

PASSING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 273.5 yards per game (10th in Big 12, 117th)

2023: 250.8 (10th in Big 12, 109th)

After Temple: 125.0 (6th, 40th)

After Houston: 194.0 (11th, 67th)

After Tulane: 187.0 (10th, 58th)

Why: Oklahoma limited Tulane to 173 passing yards.

PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 128.20 (5th in Big 12, 58th)

2023: 118.62 (1st in Big 12, 17th)

After Temple: 75.0 (4th, 12th)

After Houston: 124.32 (13th, 77th)

After Tulane: 116.31 (10th, 54th)

Why: Tulane completed 15-of-33 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

TOTAL DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 461.0 yards per game (9th in Big 12, 121st)

2023: 389.4 (6th in Big 12, 77th)

After Temple: 197.0 (8th, 25th)

After Houston: 257.5 (10th, 35th)

After Tulane: 264.7 (8th, 27th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 279 yards and just 4.2 yards per play.

SCORING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 30.0 points per game (8th in Big 12, 98th)

2023: 23.5 (4th in Big 12, 46th)

After Temple: 3.0 (7th, 14th)

After Houston: 7.5 (6th, 15th)

After Tulane: 11.3 (7th, 23rd)

Why: Oklahoma allowed 19 points against Tulane, though only 13 came against the defense.

SACKS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 28; 2.15 per game (3rd in Big 12, 63rd)

2023: 24; 1.85 per game (10th in Big 12, 86th)

After Temple: 6; 6.00 per game (1st, 6th)

After Houston: 8; 4.00 per game (2nd, 8th)

After Tulane: 11; 3.67 per game (2nd, 10th)

Why: R Mason Thomas recorded three sacks against Tulane.

THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.9% (7th in Big 12, 87th)

2023: 31.1% (3rd in Big 12, 14th)

After Temple: 30.8% (8th, 51st)

After Houston: 28.6% (7th, 36th)

After Tulane: 30.2% (7th, 36th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 5-of-15 on third-down attempts.

RED-ZONE DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 86.2% (7th in Big 12, 88th)

2023: 81.0% (5th in Big 12, 43rd)

After Temple: 100% (14th, 76th)

After Houston: 100% (15th, 86th)

After Tulane: 100% (14th, 101st)

Why: Oklahoma allowed Tulane to score touchdowns on both of its red-zone opportunities.

NET PUNTING (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 43.08 net yards per punt (1st in Big 12, 5th)

2023: 39.60 (7th in Big 12, 44th)

After Temple: 43.80 (7th, 34th)

After Houston: 43.15 (10th, 25th)

After Tulane: 41.61 (9th, 35th)

Why: Oklahoma averaged 43.4 net yards per punt against Tulane.

KICK RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 19.79 yards per return (6th in Big 12, 71st)

2023: 21.05 (7th in Big 12, 50th)

After Temple: 0.00 (N.A, N/A)

After Houston: 10.00 (12th, 119th)

After Tulane: 15.50 (13th, 106th)

Why: Oklahoma had one kick return for 21 yards against Tulane.

KICK RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 24.94 yards allowed per return (10th in Big 12, 122nd)

2023: 18.00 (2nd in Big 12, 37th)

After Temple: 18.33 (10th, 72nd)

After Houston: 18.50 (11th, 71st)

After Tulane: 18.50 (11th, 71st)

Why: Oklahoma did not allow a kick return to Tulane.

PUNT RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 14.08 yards per return (1st in Big 12, 12th)

2023: 6.52 (10th in Big 12, 95th)

After Temple: 13.00 (7th, 30th)

After Houston: 8.75 (10th, 57th)

After Tulane: 11.80 (5th, 39th)

Why: Oklahoma had one 24-yard punt return against Tulane.

PUNT RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 2.83 yards allowed per return (3rd in Big 12, 10th)

2023: 4.69 (5th in Big 12, 25th)

After Temple: minus-5.00 (1st, 2nd)

After Houston: minus-3.75 (1st, 4th)

After Tulane: 0.60 (7th, 29th)*

Why: Oklahoma allowed one 18-yard punt return against Tulane, but it was called back due to an illegal block. *Note: the 18-yard return does not show up in the final game book but is listed on the NCAA's official stat site; if the return was negated, Oklahoma did not allow any punt return yards and would thus be at minus-3.75 yards allowed per return, which would be third nationally and first in the SEC.

TURNOVER MARGIN (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: plus-6; 0.46 per game (2nd in Big 12, 24th)

2023: plus-6; 0.46 per game (3rd in Big 12, 23rd)

After Temple: plus-6; 6.0 per game (1st, 1st)

After Houston: plus-7; 3.5 per game (1st, 1st)

After Tulane: plus-8; 2.67 per game (1st, 2nd)

Why: Oklahoma forced two turnovers and committed one against Tulane.

PENALTY YARDS PER GAME (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 50.15 (9th in Big 12, 53rd)

2023: 58.46 (14th in Big 12, 97th)

After Temple: 62.00 (13th, 93rd)

After Houston: 64.50 (12th, 95th)

After Tulane: 58.00 (7th, 77th)

Why: Oklahoma was flagged six times for 45 yards against Tulane.

 

[ClubWhatever 12,128]

The Tulane QB wasn't really competent with his throws.  Even simple flares and crosses were off target and resulted in tipped balls and TOs, but there were yards to be had.  OU eats inaccurate QBs for lunch.  A precision passing attack should do work against them.  I have no idea if the 7M man on TN is accurate but he'd probably be best served being conservative with the ball.  TOs and short fields are oxygen to OU.   Take them away and they cannot outscore you.

[ChiTownDoc 21,148]

35 minutes ago, Pokoloco said:

When was the last time OU was a 7+ dog at home?

Not this century I’m pretty sure.  Maybe Nebraska in 2000 when we won the title.  They were ranked 1 I believe.  

19 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Tracking various OU stats for all 3 phases, I've pasted the 247 OU article on it below in spoilers. I left it formatted in the first spoiler and unformatted in the second. 

Bottom line? The OU offense is really bad. The OL is in shambles and they're about to go up against one of the nastiest front 7's in the sport this year. Jackson Arnold is the leading rusher and that's not because he's a formidable rusher. He got loose on blown assignments on Saturday and he looked like a moderately athletic QB in wide open space. They're trying to get fired up about Tatum, but in watching him, he looks as "okay" as the prior knobs they were slobbing, Barnes and Sawchuk. I honestly think it's a coaching thing. Their development at TB isn't there these days. At WR and TE, they're a grab bag of JAGs. Part of why Burks has received so much acclaim is due to him being the only guy playing right now who would be a part of the rotation at other top 25 programs. Arnold is a TO machine waiting to happen against a quality defense. You could see the pick 6 on Saturday happening before he threw it.

The defense is good, not great. They're opportunistic and Venables knows what he's doing with play calls. They've faced no one worth a damn, so their numbers look good and, I'm guessing, they're believing that they're really good. Danny Stutsman is a stud at eventually getting somewhere and making a tackle down the field. They think the Mason guy is good at Edge and he had a day on Saturday. Where's he been? My view is that good offenses need to scheme around the safeties, who are the best players on their defense. Let Stutsman get 12 tackles on plays that gained 80 yards collectively. Good OLs will handle a mostly pedestrian front 7. 

They've been mostly stifled on special teams and I believe that to be a false positive for opponents. They're formidable on both return teams with talented returners.

For OU to beat Tennessee, they're going to need a massive step-up in performance at OL, a surprising performance in the running game, a major gap in turnover differential, and a special teams score. Or maybe it will just turn out that Tennessee hasn't played anybody and is really overrated. I don't think that is the case, but this will be Iamaleava's first legitimate road test in a hostile environment against a competently coached defense. 

  Reveal hidden contents

NORMAN — Billy Bowman crept up to the line on third-and-short and saw his man, Tulane tight end Reggie Brown, crash in to engage Ethan Downs in a block.

It was in that moment that Bowman locked his eyes on Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah and anticipated his next move. Mensah fired a pass intended for wide receiver Dontae Fleming, and Bowman whipped his head around to track the play. Kani Walker broke up the pass before linebacker Kobie McKinzie got his hand on it, tipping into the waiting hands of an opportunistic Bowman, who scrambled around the field in hopes of a big-time interception return.

"I'd rather have it in 2's hands than mine," McKinzie said, referring to Bowman's jersey number.

 

 

There was no pick-six this time for Bowman, who led the country with three interceptions returned for touchdowns last season, but his fourth-quarter interception was pivotal for Oklahoma in its 34-19 win against Tulane. It was one of two fourth-quarter turnovers forced by the Sooners' defense — the other a strip-sack by R Mason Thomas, who took control of the game over the Green Wave's final two possessions.

The two takeaways helped OU pull away from Tulane late. They also gave the Sooners the edge in the turnover battle, 2-1, as OU football coach Brent Venables and Zac Alley's defense continues to flex a knack for creating turnovers early on this season.

"We've been doing a pretty good job all year at forcing turnovers and playing solid defense," Bowman said. "I feel like personally and collectively, we all know we have room to improve and get better. There were a couple of times they had 12-play drives. We have to find a way to get off the field. I don't think they should have put up that many points."

***JOIN SOONERS ILLUSTRATED NOW AND GET 30% OFF AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP***

An area Oklahoma doesn't need to improve in is turnover margin, as the Sooners have been one of the nation's best in that regard through three weeks. After recording two more takeaways and only committing one turnover of their own in Week 3, the Sooners lead the SEC and rank second nationally in turnover margin, at plus-eight. Oklahoma only ranks behind Maryland, which is plus-nine on the year, as the program heads into the start of its SEC slate.

The Sooners have totaled 10 takeaways through three games, tied with Maryland, Cal and San Jose State for most in the country, while committing just two turnovers (both interceptions by quarterback Jackson Arnold). Bowman's interception was his first of the year and Oklahoma's fourth, while Thomas' fumble recovery was the team's FBS-leading sixth (tied with Air Force).

Here's a look at the Sooners' turnover numbers, as well as how the team is faring in various other statistical categories through the first three weeks of the season and with SEC play on the horizon…

 

(Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)

 

 

 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

RUSHING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 219.4 yards per game (1^st in Big 12, 10^th)

2023: 182.2 (7^th in Big 12, 34^th)

After Temple: 220.0 (5^th, 38^th)

After Houston: 147.5 (12^th, 79^th)

After Tulane: 159.0 (11^th, 67^th)

Why: Oklahoma rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns against Tulane.

PASSING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 254.6 yards per game (5^th in Big 12, 41^st)

2023: 324.8 (1^st in Big 12, 6^th)

After Temple: 158.0 (13^th, 106^th)

After Houston: 166.0 (12^th, 109^th)

After Tulane: 166.3 (13^th, 114^th)

Why: Oklahoma threw for 167 yards against Tulane.

PASSING EFFICIENCY OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 147.95 (3^rd in Big 12, 30^th)

2023: 167.53 (1^st in Big 12, 6^th)

After Temple: 156.8 (11^th, 58^th)

After Houston: 137.19 (12^th, 72^nd)

After Tulane: 129.69 (13^th, 90^th)

Why: Oklahoma completed 19-of-30 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

 

TOTAL OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 474.0 yards per game (1^st in Big 12, 13^th)

2023: 507.0 (1^st in Big 12, 3^rd)

After Temple: 378.0 (11^th, 82^nd)

After Houston: 313.5 (14^th, 108^th)

After Tulane: 325.3 (14^th, 108^th)

Why: Oklahoma totaled 349 yards against Tulane and averaged 4.7 yards per play.

SCORING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 32.8 points per game (5^th in Big 12, 31^st)

2023: 41.7 (1^st in Big 12, 4^th)

After Temple: 51.0 (8^th, 22^nd)

After Houston: 33.5 (11^th, 57^th)

After Tulane: 33.7 (9^th, 49^th)

Why: Oklahoma scored 34 points against Tulane.

SACKS ALLOWED (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 31; 2.38 per game (9^th in Big 12, 80^th)

2023: 20; 1.54 per game (6^th in Big 12, 35^th)

After Temple: 3; 3.00 per game (14^th, 103^rd)

After Houston: 6; 3.00 per game (15^th, 109^th)

After Tulane: 9; 3.00 per game (14^th, 114^th)

Why: Oklahoma gave up three sacks against Tulane.

 

THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.5% (4^th in Big 12, 49^th)

2023: 49.2% (2^nd in Big 12, 7^th)

After Temple: 8.3% (16^th, 132^nd)

After Houston: 19.2% (16^th, 131^st)

After Tulane: 31.0% (14^th, 109^th)

Why: Oklahoma was 8-of-16 on third-down conversions against Tulane.

RED-ZONE OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 84.0% (7^th in Big 12, 66^th)

2023: 89.6% (2^nd in Big 12, 26^th)

After Temple: 100% (1^st, 1^st)

After Houston: 100% (1^st, 1^st)

After Tulane: 100% (1^st, 1^st)

Why: Oklahoma scored on all five of its red-zone trips against Tulane, with three touchdowns and two field goals.

RUSHING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 187.5 yards per game (9^th in Big 12, 105^th)

2023: 138.6 (3^rd in Big 12, 42^nd)

After Temple: 69.0 (8^th, 37^th)

After Houston: 63.5 (6^th, 13^th)

After Tulane: 77.7 (6^th, 22^nd)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 106 rushing yards and 3.1 yards per carry.

 

PASSING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 273.5 yards per game (10^th in Big 12, 117^th)

2023: 250.8 (10^th in Big 12, 109^th)

After Temple: 125.0 (6^th, 40^th)

After Houston: 194.0 (11^th, 67^th)

After Tulane: 187.0 (10^th, 58^th)

Why: Oklahoma limited Tulane to 173 passing yards.

PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 128.20 (5^th in Big 12, 58^th)

2023: 118.62 (1^st in Big 12, 17^th)

After Temple: 75.0 (4^th, 12^th)

After Houston: 124.32 (13^th, 77^th)

After Tulane: 116.31 (10^th, 54^th)

Why: Tulane completed 15-of-33 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

TOTAL DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 461.0 yards per game (9^th in Big 12, 121^st)

2023: 389.4 (6^th in Big 12, 77^th)

After Temple: 197.0 (8^th, 25^th)

After Houston: 257.5 (10^th, 35^th)

After Tulane: 264.7 (8^th, 27^th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 279 yards and just 4.2 yards per play.

 

SCORING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 30.0 points per game (8^th in Big 12, 98^th)

2023: 23.5 (4^th in Big 12, 46^th)

After Temple: 3.0 (7^th, 14^th)

After Houston: 7.5 (6^th, 15^th)

After Tulane: 11.3 (7^th, 23^rd)

Why: Oklahoma allowed 19 points against Tulane, though only 13 came against the defense.

SACKS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 28; 2.15 per game (3^rd in Big 12, 63^rd)

2023: 24; 1.85 per game (10^th in Big 12, 86^th)

After Temple: 6; 6.00 per game (1^st, 6^th)

After Houston: 8; 4.00 per game (2^nd, 8^th)

After Tulane: 11; 3.67 per game (2^nd, 10^th)

Why: R Mason Thomas recorded three sacks against Tulane.

THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.9% (7^th in Big 12, 87^th)

2023: 31.1% (3^rd in Big 12, 14^th)

After Temple: 30.8% (8^th, 51^st)

After Houston: 28.6% (7^th, 36^th)

After Tulane: 30.2% (7^th, 36^th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 5-of-15 on third-down attempts.

 

RED-ZONE DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 86.2% (7^th in Big 12, 88^th)

2023: 81.0% (5^th in Big 12, 43^rd)

After Temple: 100% (14^th, 76^th)

After Houston: 100% (15^th, 86^th)

After Tulane: 100% (14^th, 101^st)

Why: Oklahoma allowed Tulane to score touchdowns on both of its red-zone opportunities.

NET PUNTING (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 43.08 net yards per punt (1^st in Big 12, 5^th)

2023: 39.60 (7^th in Big 12, 44^th)

After Temple: 43.80 (7^th, 34^th)

After Houston: 43.15 (10^th, 25^th)

After Tulane: 41.61 (9^th, 35^th)

Why: Oklahoma averaged 43.4 net yards per punt against Tulane.

KICK RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 19.79 yards per return (6^th in Big 12, 71^st)

2023: 21.05 (7^th in Big 12, 50^th)

After Temple: 0.00 (N.A, N/A)

After Houston: 10.00 (12^th, 119^th)

After Tulane: 15.50 (13^th, 106^th)

Why: Oklahoma had one kick return for 21 yards against Tulane.

 

KICK RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 24.94 yards allowed per return (10^th in Big 12, 122^nd)

2023: 18.00 (2^nd in Big 12, 37^th)

After Temple: 18.33 (10^th, 72^nd)

After Houston: 18.50 (11^th, 71^st)

After Tulane: 18.50 (11^th, 71^st)

Why: Oklahoma did not allow a kick return to Tulane.

PUNT RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 14.08 yards per return (1^st in Big 12, 12^th)

2023: 6.52 (10^th in Big 12, 95^th)

After Temple: 13.00 (7^th, 30^th)

After Houston: 8.75 (10^th, 57^th)

After Tulane: 11.80 (5^th, 39^th)

Why: Oklahoma had one 24-yard punt return against Tulane.

PUNT RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 2.83 yards allowed per return (3^rd in Big 12, 10^th)

2023: 4.69 (5^th in Big 12, 25^th)

After Temple: minus-5.00 (1^st, 2^nd)

After Houston: minus-3.75 (1^st, 4^th)

After Tulane: 0.60 (7^th, 29^th)*

Why: Oklahoma allowed one 18-yard punt return against Tulane, but it was called back due to an illegal block. *Note: the 18-yard return does not show up in the final game book but is listed on the NCAA's official stat site; if the return was negated, Oklahoma did not allow any punt return yards and would thus be at minus-3.75 yards allowed per return, which would be third nationally and first in the SEC.

 

TURNOVER MARGIN (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: plus-6; 0.46 per game (2^nd in Big 12, 24^th)

2023: plus-6; 0.46 per game (3^rd in Big 12, 23^rd)

After Temple: plus-6; 6.0 per game (1^st, 1^st)

After Houston: plus-7; 3.5 per game (1^st, 1^st)

After Tulane: plus-8; 2.67 per game (1^st, 2^nd)

Why: Oklahoma forced two turnovers and committed one against Tulane.

PENALTY YARDS PER GAME (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 50.15 (9^th in Big 12, 53^rd)

2023: 58.46 (14^th in Big 12, 97^th)

After Temple: 62.00 (13^th, 93^rd)

After Houston: 64.50 (12^th, 95^th)

After Tulane: 58.00 (7^th, 77^th)

Why: Oklahoma was flagged six times for 45 yards against Tulane.

  Reveal hidden contents

NORMAN — Billy Bowman crept up to the line on third-and-short and saw his man, Tulane tight end Reggie Brown, crash in to engage Ethan Downs in a block.

It was in that moment that Bowman locked his eyes on Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah and anticipated his next move. Mensah fired a pass intended for wide receiver Dontae Fleming, and Bowman whipped his head around to track the play. Kani Walker broke up the pass before linebacker Kobie McKinzie got his hand on it, tipping into the waiting hands of an opportunistic Bowman, who scrambled around the field in hopes of a big-time interception return.

"I'd rather have it in 2's hands than mine," McKinzie said, referring to Bowman's jersey number.

There was no pick-six this time for Bowman, who led the country with three interceptions returned for touchdowns last season, but his fourth-quarter interception was pivotal for Oklahoma in its 34-19 win against Tulane. It was one of two fourth-quarter turnovers forced by the Sooners' defense — the other a strip-sack by R Mason Thomas, who took control of the game over the Green Wave's final two possessions.

The two takeaways helped OU pull away from Tulane late. They also gave the Sooners the edge in the turnover battle, 2-1, as OU football coach Brent Venables and Zac Alley's defense continues to flex a knack for creating turnovers early on this season.

"We've been doing a pretty good job all year at forcing turnovers and playing solid defense," Bowman said. "I feel like personally and collectively, we all know we have room to improve and get better. There were a couple of times they had 12-play drives. We have to find a way to get off the field. I don't think they should have put up that many points."

***JOIN SOONERS ILLUSTRATED NOW AND GET 30% OFF AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP***

An area Oklahoma doesn't need to improve in is turnover margin, as the Sooners have been one of the nation's best in that regard through three weeks. After recording two more takeaways and only committing one turnover of their own in Week 3, the Sooners lead the SEC and rank second nationally in turnover margin, at plus-eight. Oklahoma only ranks behind Maryland, which is plus-nine on the year, as the program heads into the start of its SEC slate.

The Sooners have totaled 10 takeaways through three games, tied with Maryland, Cal and San Jose State for most in the country, while committing just two turnovers (both interceptions by quarterback Jackson Arnold). Bowman's interception was his first of the year and Oklahoma's fourth, while Thomas' fumble recovery was the team's FBS-leading sixth (tied with Air Force).

Here's a look at the Sooners' turnover numbers, as well as how the team is faring in various other statistical categories through the first three weeks of the season and with SEC play on the horizon…

(Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
RUSHING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 219.4 yards per game (1st in Big 12, 10th)

2023: 182.2 (7th in Big 12, 34th)

After Temple: 220.0 (5th, 38th)

After Houston: 147.5 (12th, 79th)

After Tulane: 159.0 (11th, 67th)

Why: Oklahoma rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns against Tulane.

PASSING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 254.6 yards per game (5th in Big 12, 41st)

2023: 324.8 (1st in Big 12, 6th)

After Temple: 158.0 (13th, 106th)

After Houston: 166.0 (12th, 109th)

After Tulane: 166.3 (13th, 114th)

Why: Oklahoma threw for 167 yards against Tulane.

PASSING EFFICIENCY OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 147.95 (3rd in Big 12, 30th)

2023: 167.53 (1st in Big 12, 6th)

After Temple: 156.8 (11th, 58th)

After Houston: 137.19 (12th, 72nd)

After Tulane: 129.69 (13th, 90th)

Why: Oklahoma completed 19-of-30 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

TOTAL OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 474.0 yards per game (1st in Big 12, 13th)

2023: 507.0 (1st in Big 12, 3rd)

After Temple: 378.0 (11th, 82nd)

After Houston: 313.5 (14th, 108th)

After Tulane: 325.3 (14th, 108th)

Why: Oklahoma totaled 349 yards against Tulane and averaged 4.7 yards per play.

SCORING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 32.8 points per game (5th in Big 12, 31st)

2023: 41.7 (1st in Big 12, 4th)

After Temple: 51.0 (8th, 22nd)

After Houston: 33.5 (11th, 57th)

After Tulane: 33.7 (9th, 49th)

Why: Oklahoma scored 34 points against Tulane.

SACKS ALLOWED (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 31; 2.38 per game (9th in Big 12, 80th)

2023: 20; 1.54 per game (6th in Big 12, 35th)

After Temple: 3; 3.00 per game (14th, 103rd)

After Houston: 6; 3.00 per game (15th, 109th)

After Tulane: 9; 3.00 per game (14th, 114th)

Why: Oklahoma gave up three sacks against Tulane.

THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.5% (4th in Big 12, 49th)

2023: 49.2% (2nd in Big 12, 7th)

After Temple: 8.3% (16th, 132nd)

After Houston: 19.2% (16th, 131st)

After Tulane: 31.0% (14th, 109th)

Why: Oklahoma was 8-of-16 on third-down conversions against Tulane.

RED-ZONE OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 84.0% (7th in Big 12, 66th)

2023: 89.6% (2nd in Big 12, 26th)

After Temple: 100% (1st, 1st)

After Houston: 100% (1st, 1st)

After Tulane: 100% (1st, 1st)

Why: Oklahoma scored on all five of its red-zone trips against Tulane, with three touchdowns and two field goals.

RUSHING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 187.5 yards per game (9th in Big 12, 105th)

2023: 138.6 (3rd in Big 12, 42nd)

After Temple: 69.0 (8th, 37th)

After Houston: 63.5 (6th, 13th)

After Tulane: 77.7 (6th, 22nd)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 106 rushing yards and 3.1 yards per carry.

PASSING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 273.5 yards per game (10th in Big 12, 117th)

2023: 250.8 (10th in Big 12, 109th)

After Temple: 125.0 (6th, 40th)

After Houston: 194.0 (11th, 67th)

After Tulane: 187.0 (10th, 58th)

Why: Oklahoma limited Tulane to 173 passing yards.

PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 128.20 (5th in Big 12, 58th)

2023: 118.62 (1st in Big 12, 17th)

After Temple: 75.0 (4th, 12th)

After Houston: 124.32 (13th, 77th)

After Tulane: 116.31 (10th, 54th)

Why: Tulane completed 15-of-33 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

TOTAL DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 461.0 yards per game (9th in Big 12, 121st)

2023: 389.4 (6th in Big 12, 77th)

After Temple: 197.0 (8th, 25th)

After Houston: 257.5 (10th, 35th)

After Tulane: 264.7 (8th, 27th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 279 yards and just 4.2 yards per play.

SCORING DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 30.0 points per game (8th in Big 12, 98th)

2023: 23.5 (4th in Big 12, 46th)

After Temple: 3.0 (7th, 14th)

After Houston: 7.5 (6th, 15th)

After Tulane: 11.3 (7th, 23rd)

Why: Oklahoma allowed 19 points against Tulane, though only 13 came against the defense.

SACKS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 28; 2.15 per game (3rd in Big 12, 63rd)

2023: 24; 1.85 per game (10th in Big 12, 86th)

After Temple: 6; 6.00 per game (1st, 6th)

After Houston: 8; 4.00 per game (2nd, 8th)

After Tulane: 11; 3.67 per game (2nd, 10th)

Why: R Mason Thomas recorded three sacks against Tulane.

THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 40.9% (7th in Big 12, 87th)

2023: 31.1% (3rd in Big 12, 14th)

After Temple: 30.8% (8th, 51st)

After Houston: 28.6% (7th, 36th)

After Tulane: 30.2% (7th, 36th)

Why: Oklahoma held Tulane to 5-of-15 on third-down attempts.

RED-ZONE DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 86.2% (7th in Big 12, 88th)

2023: 81.0% (5th in Big 12, 43rd)

After Temple: 100% (14th, 76th)

After Houston: 100% (15th, 86th)

After Tulane: 100% (14th, 101st)

Why: Oklahoma allowed Tulane to score touchdowns on both of its red-zone opportunities.

NET PUNTING (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 43.08 net yards per punt (1st in Big 12, 5th)

2023: 39.60 (7th in Big 12, 44th)

After Temple: 43.80 (7th, 34th)

After Houston: 43.15 (10th, 25th)

After Tulane: 41.61 (9th, 35th)

Why: Oklahoma averaged 43.4 net yards per punt against Tulane.

KICK RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 19.79 yards per return (6th in Big 12, 71st)

2023: 21.05 (7th in Big 12, 50th)

After Temple: 0.00 (N.A, N/A)

After Houston: 10.00 (12th, 119th)

After Tulane: 15.50 (13th, 106th)

Why: Oklahoma had one kick return for 21 yards against Tulane.

KICK RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 24.94 yards allowed per return (10th in Big 12, 122nd)

2023: 18.00 (2nd in Big 12, 37th)

After Temple: 18.33 (10th, 72nd)

After Houston: 18.50 (11th, 71st)

After Tulane: 18.50 (11th, 71st)

Why: Oklahoma did not allow a kick return to Tulane.

PUNT RETURNS (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 14.08 yards per return (1st in Big 12, 12th)

2023: 6.52 (10th in Big 12, 95th)

After Temple: 13.00 (7th, 30th)

After Houston: 8.75 (10th, 57th)

After Tulane: 11.80 (5th, 39th)

Why: Oklahoma had one 24-yard punt return against Tulane.

PUNT RETURN DEFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 2.83 yards allowed per return (3rd in Big 12, 10th)

2023: 4.69 (5th in Big 12, 25th)

After Temple: minus-5.00 (1st, 2nd)

After Houston: minus-3.75 (1st, 4th)

After Tulane: 0.60 (7th, 29th)*

Why: Oklahoma allowed one 18-yard punt return against Tulane, but it was called back due to an illegal block. *Note: the 18-yard return does not show up in the final game book but is listed on the NCAA's official stat site; if the return was negated, Oklahoma did not allow any punt return yards and would thus be at minus-3.75 yards allowed per return, which would be third nationally and first in the SEC.

TURNOVER MARGIN (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: plus-6; 0.46 per game (2nd in Big 12, 24th)

2023: plus-6; 0.46 per game (3rd in Big 12, 23rd)

After Temple: plus-6; 6.0 per game (1st, 1st)

After Houston: plus-7; 3.5 per game (1st, 1st)

After Tulane: plus-8; 2.67 per game (1st, 2nd)

Why: Oklahoma forced two turnovers and committed one against Tulane.

PENALTY YARDS PER GAME (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2022: 50.15 (9th in Big 12, 53rd)

2023: 58.46 (14th in Big 12, 97th)

After Temple: 62.00 (13th, 93rd)

After Houston: 64.50 (12th, 95th)

After Tulane: 58.00 (7th, 77th)

Why: Oklahoma was flagged six times for 45 yards against Tulane.

 

The solid D will fall apart too when the offense keeps giving Tn the ball in our own territory.  Yikes

[Royale with cheese 1,466]

8 hours ago, Longboard Horn said:

Good luck guys. Hopefully Arnold doesn't get killed. 

 

[thunderlounge 7,816]

4 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

Not this century I’m pretty sure.  Maybe Nebraska in 2000 when we won the title.  They were ranked 1 I believe.  

The solid D will fall apart too when the offense keeps giving Tn the ball in our own territory.  Yikes

Doc, you seem like a nice guy. In that respect, for you personally, you have my sympathies. We’ve been there, and still have PTSD while sitting on top this week.

But at the same time, it’s 6:40 and ou still sucks.

 

[ChiTownDoc 21,148]

5 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

Doc, you seem like a nice guy. In that respect, for you personally, you have my sympathies. We’ve been there, and still have PTSD while sitting on top this week.

But at the same time, it’s 6:40 and ou still sucks.

 

Anyone in my family under 12 is a hardcore UT fan so it’s pretty easy to stomach UT doing well.  Just hoping OU is competitive in their bigger games.  Most of our cousins went to UT and we are all Texas born.  

[MAUFRAIS 6,623]

Nice to hear a true American success story

[Vic Mackey 47,017]

 

[thunderlounge 7,816]

8 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:

 

 

First reply:

 

And from a team we recently  took out back. 

[ChiTownDoc 21,148]

16 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:

 

Whatever.  We aren’t aggy.  Most OU fans realize UT is VERY good.  Also in the portal era there’s likely more parity.  That takes nothing away from UT and Sark’s work.  

Edited September 17 by ChiTownDoc

[horn009 139]

I could end up being wrong, but I think that Tennessee is significantly overrated. Two of the three teams they've faced so far are FCS teams. Ole Miss also runs up the score on FCS teams only to get brought back down to earth when conference play starts. I know that they beat NC State, but go and look at NC State's other two games outside of Tennessee. It wouldn't surprise me if OU gives them a scare or even outright wins. 

[closetojumping 62,596]

4 hours ago, horn009 said:

I could end up being wrong, but I think that Tennessee is significantly overrated. Two of the three teams they've faced so far are FCS teams. Ole Miss also runs up the score on FCS teams only to get brought back down to earth when conference play starts. I know that they beat NC State, but go and look at NC State's other two games outside of Tennessee. It wouldn't surprise me if OU gives them a scare or even outright wins. 

As bad as Kent State is this season, they are not an FCS team. Play like one? Sure. In a conference as one? No.