Oklahoma football: Bold predictions for OU vs. South Dakota

Oklahoma football makes a rare foray into FCS territory this week when they host South Dakota State. Here are a few bold predictions for what most are predicting to be a lopsided Sooner win.

Oklahoma football will have three 100-yard rushers, none of which will be Jalen Hurts

Last week Oklahoma football running backs got only 21 carries in a game dominated by Jalen Hurts’ arm and feet. This week, it’s time to feed all of them. The Sooners are going to bully South Dakota up front and establish their running game early and often in a perfect opportunity for the offensive line to build some more cohesion. Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks are both going to topple the century mark by midway through the third quarter and Rhmondre Sevenson will hit it sometime in the fourth. We will probably even see Marcus Major get some work for the first time in his career in what should be a dominant day on the ground for the Sooners.

Drake Stoops will get at least two catches

The Sooner faithful are going to go crazy when Drake Stoops gets on the field for Oklahoma against South Dakota. Remember last year when he hauled in his first career reception against Florida Atlantic? I think we’ll hear the crowd get even louder than that as the son of Robert Stoops gets significant playing time. A dedicated member of the team, Stoops’ talent has stood out even with the abundance of talent the Sooners boast at receiver. This will be his chance to shine.

The defense will score a touchdown

Last week we predicted the Sooners would get a pair of turnovers and missed. This week, we’re doubling down and saying someone on this defense ends up in the end zone before the game is over. Whether on a strip and score or a pick six, this will be the day Grinch’s mantra of producing turnovers starts to come to life. The Sooners should be able to pressure with their front four, allowing the secondary to swoop in on rushed throws and get in front of a couple of passes. When they do, look for them to make up for lost time by taking it to the house.

Spencer Rattler will score a touchdown

The only player who has a chance to get a bigger reaction in the second half than Drake Stoops is Spencer Rattler. The five-star quarterback is most likely the future at Oklahoma and he will show just how bright that future is by getting into the game sometime in the second half and producing his first career score. Thanks to the four-game redshirt rule, more and more true freshmen are getting a chance to taste big-time college football early and this will be the perfect atmosphere for Lincoln Riley to break in his next star pupil with minimal pressure and plenty of room to operate against the least talented team on the Sooners’ schedule.

The Sooners will score a shutout

Look, South Dakota isn’t even in the top half of FCS teams. Heck, they would be lucky to call themselves the third-best team in the Dakotas behind North Dakota State and South Dakota State. The Sooners should clearly have the talent advantage on both sides of the ball, add in the fact that Alex Grinch could not have been too happy about the Sooners surrendering 14 points late against Houston last week and you have the recipe for what could be Oklahoma’s first shutout since 2015. You know there was an extra emphasis on finishing and playing four quarters after Oklahoma slipped a bit on defense in down the stretch against the Cougars and even though OU will likely feature some younger guys late, I still expect a ton of intensity all the way up to the final whistle.

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