Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Best and worst of 2018 at midseason mark

By Chip Rouse

DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 06: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 06: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 08: Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to throw against the UCLA Bruins at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Bruins 49-21. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 08: Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to throw against the UCLA Bruins at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Bruins 49-21. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

Best individual performance

One of the big questions coming into the 2018 season was what drop off we might expect in the Oklahoma offense with Kyler Murray taking over for Heisman-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield. The answer became clear fairly early: none. In fact, Murray’s numbers through six games are very comparable to Mayfield’s first six games a year ago.

Murray has completed 96 of 135 pass attempts, including 21 touchdowns, for a .711 completion percentage. Through the same number of games last season, Mayfield had completed 117 of 161 passes, a completion percentage of .726, and thrown 17 touchdowns. Mayfield set a new NCAA single-season pass efficiency record in 2017 (198.9); Murray ranks second in that category this season with a 227.8 efficiency rating.

In a 66-33 win over Baylor this season, Murray delivered a career game and almost single-handedly delivered the victory. The redshirt junior quarterback accounted for seven of the Sooners’ nine touchdowns (six passing and one rushing). He completed 17 of 21 passes for 432 yards, an .810 completion percentage and a remarkable .348 passing efficiency rating. That is a new Oklahoma and Big 12 pass efficiency mark for a single game, and the highest rating by any player in college football since at least 1996 (the first season that statistic was recorded).

Murray is only the fourth quarterback in Big 12 history to complete 80 percent or more of his passes, throw for more than 400 yards and six touchdown passes in a game.

Another Sooner named Murray, Kenneth, deserves honorable mention in this category for his defensive performance in the Sooners’ 28-21 overtime victory over Army. Murray, a sophomore linebacker, is second on the team in tackles this season, had a game-high 28 against Army’s triple-option offense. His teammate, Curtis Bolton, added 23. Combined the pair totaled 51 of the Sooners’ 116 tackles in the game.

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