Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Striking early and often gives Sooners a nice cushion

By Chip Rouse

NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 01: Linebacker Bryan Mead #38 and defensive back Caleb Murphy #26 congratulate linebacker Curtis Bolton #18 of the Oklahoma Sooners after scoring on a blocked punt against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Owls 63-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 01: Linebacker Bryan Mead #38 and defensive back Caleb Murphy #26 congratulate linebacker Curtis Bolton #18 of the Oklahoma Sooners after scoring on a blocked punt against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Owls 63-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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Teams looking to get the best of Oklahoma football this season better be good second-half teams and avoid falling too far behind by halftime.

Through four games this season, the Sooners are striking early and often and pouring it on their opponents in the early going, forcing them to play double-digit catchup before they know what hit them.

Oklahoma has outscored four opponents in the first quarter this season by a combined score of 66 to 14. The Sooners have kept their foot on the gas through the second quarter, as well, and have an 87-point scoring margin over their 2018 opponents, 118-31, in the first half.

The Sooners have not been as impactful in the scoring column over the final 30 minutes so far this season, outscoring their opponents by just a 10-point margin, 62-52. Overall, OU’s four wins have come by a victory margin of 24 points and by an average score of 44-20.

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The Oklahoma offense has been particularly prolific in the first quarter. In 10 offensive possessions in the opening 15 minutes through four games, quarterback Kyler Murray has led the Sooner offense on scoring drives on all 10 possessions, nine of which have resulted in touchdowns.

Moreover, OU has scored on its opening possession in three of its four games.

The offense hasn’t been the only standout performer for the Sooners, though, in the first half this season. The Oklahoma defense has been stellar, as well. The 31 combined points OU has given up in the first two quarters are the fewest by the Sooners since yielding 21 points through four games.

Defensively, Oklahoma has continued to have its troubles this season, but that has not been the case in the first half of games. The Sooners have given up points in just five of 26 first-half possessions, a success rate of 81 percent.

Look out if the Sooners are ever able to put together this same first-half effort for a full 60-minute game. That day can’t come soon or often enough.

Information for this article was extracted, in part, from the Oklahoma-Baylor Game Notes prepared by the OU athletic department.

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