Coming off a huge emotional win at Tennessee a week ago, it would be natural that OU vs. Tulsa wouldn’t pack the same amount of enthusiasm or expectation for the No. 16-ranked Sooners.
That is not to say that OU will play badly in this contest, but in all probability, they will not have the same respect for their opponent or enter the game with the same chip on their shoulder that they did against the top-25 ranked Volunteers. And therein lies a potential problem for the team that prides itself in being the only team that really matters – “There’s Only One Oklahoma” – in the Sooner State.
Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) takes the snap during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Oklahoma won in double overtime 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sooner fans won’t much like this, but I hasten to point out that the same thing could have been said about the Texas Tech team that raided Norman one stormy October night a few seasons back while No. 1 Oklahoma was in the midst of a 6-0 start to the season, including wins over a top-five-ranked Florida State and a No.-11 ranked Texas, not to mention a nation’s-best 39-game home winning streak.
We all know how that one ended. The heaven’s had sent out a pretty good signal beforehand.
So, back to the immediate task at hand, facing a motivated Tulsa team on Saturday. It would be a big mistake for the Sooners to take its cross-state neighbor for granted. The Golden Hurricane have demonstrated this season they can generate some offense. The OU defense will need to be on its game again this weekend, going up against a Tulsa offense that ranks fifth in the country, averaging 609 yards per game in its two wins.
The Sooner offense sprung to life in the fourth quarter against Tennessee, but truth be told, it did not look particularly good for most of that game. That should be a concern to coach Bob Stoops and offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley because OU is likely going to have to score some points to stay in the win column with a victory over Tulsa.
Which team holds the advantage in the various matchups that will take place in this intrastate non-conference contest?
When Oklahoma Runs the Ball
Dec 6, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Samaje Perine (32) runs for a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the second quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Sooners dynamic running-back duo of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon looked a little better at Tennessee than in the season opener against Akron, but OU has yet to really get its powerful running game untracked. Perine, last season’s Big 12 rushing champion, has just 125 yards in two games. He almost averaged that in every game a year ago. Tulsa is allowing its opponents an average of 226 yards rushing in two games this season. This could be the game in which offensive coordinator unleashes the run-game portion of his Air Raid offense more than he has in the opening two games, and the Sooners obviously have the horses to take full advantage of any open running lanes they are given. Advantage Oklahoma
When Oklahoma Throws the Ball
Sooner quarterback Baker Mayfield looked very good throwing the ball for at least 20 minutes of the Tennessee game. In the final 15 minutes in the victory over Tennessee, Mayfield completed 11 of 14 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns and the Sooners converted 7 of 7 third-down opportunities. The passing game is the bread and butter of the new Sooner offense, but it has taken some time in both of OU’s games this season to get it going. Sterling Shepard is one of the top receivers in the Big 12, and this season it appears that he has a much-better supporting cast than what the Sooners put on the field to catch passes a year ago. Shepard showed the magic he is capable of down the stretch last weekend at Tennessee. If Oklahoma is able to consistently pound the ball forward on the ground, it could be a very long afternoon for the Tulsa secondary. Advantage Oklahoma
When Tulsa Runs the Ball
Oct 31, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane running back Zack Langer (24) carries the ball against the Memphis Tigers during the game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Tulsa’s has shown no mercy on offense this season. The Golden Hurricane rank 10th in the nation in passing yards after two games, but the reason they have been so effective throwing the football is because of the success they have had on the ground. They have two running backs, Zack Langer and D’Angelo Brewer, who are both averaging over 100 rushing yards per game. Langer is averaging 4.0 yards per carry and Brewer 6.2. They also have five touchdowns between them. The Sooner front seven is very good, however, in defending the run game. The Sooners led the Big 12 in that category last season, and they are allowing just 133 ypg this season. Their ability to shut down a very good Tennessee running game in the second half last weekend is an example of how tough OU can be against the rush. Advantage Oklahoma
When Tulsa Throws the Ball
The Sooners have shown marked improvement defending the passing game this season over 2014, when they ranked 117th in the country in pass defense. The ability of the strong OU front seven to get penetration on the line of scrimmage and put pressure on the quarterback is a key to the success Oklahoma has seen this season in the back end of the defense. Tulsa will attack the Sooners’ perceived vulnerability in the secondary with quarterback Dane Evans, who is completing 58 percent of his pass attempts this season and is averaging 372.5 yards per game throwing the football. The Golden Hurricane have a pair of talented receivers, Keevan Lucas and Keeyaris Garrett, averaging seven and six receptions and over 100 receiving yards per game. If Tulsa is going to have success offensively and put enough points on the scoreboard to make this game interesting, this is where they will get it. Slight Edge Tulsa
Special Teams
Both schools appear to be fairly even in the special teams department. True freshman Austin Seibert of Oklahoma is 3 for 3 in field-goal attempts this season, and Redford Jones of Tulsa has connected on 6 of 7 tries. The two punters are averaging 46 (OU’s Seibert) and 44 yards per punt, and both schools are all0wing opponents right around 20 yards per kickoff return. Nick Hodgson, who handles the kickoff duties for OU, has 6 touchbacks in 12 kickoff attempts, and Tulsa’s Preston Soper is 6 of 17 in kickoffs that have gone for touchbacks. Even
Coaching Staffs
Phil Montgomery, formerly the offensive coordinator under Art Briles at Baylor, is in his first season coaching the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Bob Stoops is in his 17th season at Oklahoma and is the winningest coach in OU football history with 170 career victories. Saturday will be his 100th game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where the Sooner head coach owns a career record of 91-8. Advantage Oklahoma