Oklahoma football: Best thing I saw from OU’s hammering of Huskers
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma football got off to another slow start in its first road test of the season against longtime former conference rival Nebraska, but it was just the calm before the storm as far as the Cornhuskers were concerned.
The Sooners were held to 12 yards in five plays to open the game before being forced to punt. Nebraska, on the other hand, drove 77 yards in six plays in its first possession, moving the ball relatively easily down the field against the Sooner defense, and scoring on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Casey Thompson to Trey Palmer to take a quick 7-0 lead.
The Nebraska touchdown drive took just under two minutes and with just under four minutes gone in the game.
Faced with third-and-seven on the OU 39-yard line its second possession of the game, OU’s Dillon Gabriel dropped back to pass, but couldn’t find an open receiver, so he tucked the ball and took off through an open lane up the middle. As he reached midfield untouched, Gabriel cut to his right along sideline. He dodged a couple of would-be tacklers around the 15-yard line and, still on his feel, cut back to the center of the field and practically walked into the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown run. The Sooners’ Zach Schmit added the extra point to even the score at 7.
That 61-yard run by Gabriel was easily the longest play from scrimmage in the game and changed the entire complexion of the contest. The Sooners’ scored 42 unanswered points after that, but it was Gabriel’s touchdown run that ignited the fire.
Gabriel had the play of the day, but it was the Oklahoma offensive and defensive lines that stole the show and made the margin of victory so decisive. Spoiler alert: This is a Sooner team that is balanced on offense and defense and is no longer reliant on the offense winning games.
The Sooners scored touchdowns on four of their next six possessions in the first half to break the game wide open and take a commanding 35-7 lead to the locker room at halftime.
Oklahoma scored twice more in the third quarter to go up 49-7 before replacing its starters with backups.
Nebraska went 12 consecutive possessions after its opening touchdown without scoring a point. The Cornhuskers’ final score, a touchdown with 3:17 remaining in the game, came during garbage time with reserves from both sides on the field.
This was a completely dominant performance by the No. 6-ranked Sooners and had the FOX broadcast crew that was doing the game applauding the OU performance as one by a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
Oklahoma outgained Nebraska and the debut of interim head coach Mickey Joseph by over 250 yards, 580 to 327, with 101 of the Cornhuskers’ total yards coming in the fourth quarter.