Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: Sooner ‘D’ has not allowed a TD in 14 of 16 quarters this season

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) scrambles away from Cincinnati Bearcats defensive end Jowon Briggs (0) in the fourth quarter of the NCAA Big 12 football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Oklahoma Sooners at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The Bearcats lost their first Big 12 football game, 20-6, to the Sooners before a sellout crowd.
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) scrambles away from Cincinnati Bearcats defensive end Jowon Briggs (0) in the fourth quarter of the NCAA Big 12 football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Oklahoma Sooners at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The Bearcats lost their first Big 12 football game, 20-6, to the Sooners before a sellout crowd. /
facebooktwitterreddit

The last time the Oklahoma football team won a game scoring 20 points or fewer was two years ago — 16-13 over West Virginia — but before that you have to go all the way back to 2013.

The point is, because of a defense that has seriously struggled in recent season, 20 points wouldn’t have been nearly enough to secure a Sooner victory.

The beauty of the road win at Cincinnati was that it was a complementary win with both the offense and defense making the plays when they needed to in contributing to the victory. It was easily the best defensive performance by OU against a Big 12 opponent in several seasons.

The last time Cincinnati (2-2) scored as few as six points in a game was in a 27-6 loss to Alabama in the semifinal round of the 2021 College Football Playoff. Conversely, the last time Oklahoma scored 20 or fewer points in a win was that same season. The Sooners defeated West Virginia 16-13.

The Sooner defense has not allowed a touchdown in 14 of 16 quarters to start the 2023 season.

Oklahoma scored on just 4 of their 12 offensive possessions but scored in every quarter and had just two three-and-outs.

OU improved to 4-0 for the 42nd time in program history and the 17th time since the 2000 national championship season.

Here are some more numbers that tell the story of OU’s win over Cincinnati this past weekend:

3 — Cincinnati kicked a field goal at the 7:39 mark in the first quarter giving the Bearcats a 3-0 lead. It was the first time this season that the Sooners have trailed.

6 — Cincinnati’s six points is the fewest the Bearcats have scored at home since the 2016 season.

7 — OU WR Andrel Anthony, a Michigan transfer, recorded a career-high seven catches for 117 yards. It was his second-straight game with over 100 receiving yards.

9 — Nine different Sooner receivers caught passes in the game.

10-3 — OU’s lead at halftime against Cincinnati. That was the fewest points by Oklahoma in the first half since the 49-0 loss to Texas last season.

21 — Cincinnati’s third- and fourth-down conversion percentage in the game (4 of 19). The Sooners rank 13th in the country in third-down percentage defense (28 percent).

34 — Points allowed by the Sooner defense through four games, an 8.5 average, tied for second best in the nation with Ohio State.

75-10 — Oklahoma’s record in September games since the beginning of the 1999 season.

107 — Dillon Gabriel threw one touchdown pass in the Cincinnati game. That gives him 107 for his career, 13th best among FBS teams.

239.3 — Cincinnati’s rushing average coming into the game against the Sooners. That was the eighth best in the country. OU held the Bearcats to 141 yards and 3.8 yards per attempt.

Home/OU Football