On a day the Oklahoma Sooners got a big piece of their offensive line back from injury, they lost maybe an even more valuable contributor. Bill Bedenbaugh's group just can't catch any kind of break.
OU starting center Jake Maikkula went down with a lower-body injury in the third quarter against Mississippi State on Saturday and hasn't returned since limping off the field. He immediately went into the medical tent after getting to the sideline.
Maikkula has started every game at center for the Sooners since missing the season opener due to an injury. He also started 10 games there last year after transferring from Stanford, where he spent the first three years of his career.
Caleb Nitta called upon with Sooners offensive line already shorthanded
Freshman Noah Best started in place of Maikkula when he was sidelined in Week 1. Best became the first freshman center to start an OU season opener since J.R. Conrad in 1992. He was also the first true freshman since Ty Darlington in 2012 to start at center at all.
Best has since taken over at guard, starting every game of his young career to this point. Bedenbaugh elected not to move Best over after Maikkula's injury, but instead subbed in Western Kentucky transfer Caleb Nitta to play center.
Saturday was just Nitta's fourth appearance of the season after also seeing time against UTEP, Texas, and Kentucky. He started the final nine games of the season at center last year for Western Kentucky. He spent just one season with the Hilltoppers after starting his career at Virginia Tech, where he barely saw the field in two years.
Nitta has held his own so far in the most SEC action he's had, and the Sooners have continued to move the ball against Mississippi State with him manning center.
Nitta is just one of many offensive linemen who have had to step up for the Sooners this season because of injuries piling up. On Saturday alone, OU was without Ryan Fodje and Heath Ozaeta. Both have started multiple games this season.
The Sooners at least got back starting left tackle Michael Fasusi and guard Heath Ozaeta on Saturday after the pair were listed as questionable all week. We hadn't seen Fasusi on the field since he injured his shoulder in the first quarter of the season opener. It was immediately obvious how much better the Sooners' offense is with their best offensive lineman back.
Maikkula, though, will be another devastating blow to the offensive line if the injury sidelines him beyond just the second half against Mississippi State.
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