Did Michael Hawkins Jr. do enough against Auburn to earn start in Red River Rivalry?

The odds were heavily stacked against Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. as he earned his first career start against the Auburn Tigers last weekend.

Not only was the true freshman making the first start of his college career, but he was having to do so on the road at one of the toughest places for opposing teams in the SEC and without the services of the team's five best wide receivers. Oh, and we should also point out, behind an offensive line that had struggled mightily through the first four games.

Hawkins had come in midway through the game against Tennessee the week before in place of starter Jackson Arnold and provided a much-needed spark to an Oklahoma offense that appeared listless and ineffective couldn't seem to get out of its own way with self-inflicted mistakes from poor execution and bad in-game decision making. Hawkins passed for 132 yards and led the Sooners on a pair of long second-half touchdown drives that made the final score (25-15) seem closer than the game really was.

That earned the Oklahoma freshman the start against Auburn, where it was expected the young quarterback would face even greater adversity, including a highly partisan crowd that was eager to do everything it could to rattle Hawkins and take him out of his game.

Hawkins served notice early in the Auburn game that he wasn't going to be intimidated by any of the surrounding circumstances. On the third Oklahoma play from scrimmage against Auburn, Hawkins dropped back looking to pass on a third-and-five play. When he saw the receivers covered, he tucked the ball and took off on the run, dodged a few would-be tacklers before breaking into the clear and racing 48 yards for an Oklahoma touchdown.

Then with the game still very much on the line with under five minutes to play, Hawkins completed a two-point conversion attempt by leaping over several Auburn defenders and tumbling head over heels into the end zone for a successful two-point try that widened a one-point Sooner lead to three points.

Oklahoma offensive lineman Jake Taylor went up to Hawkins after his end zone leap and let his quarterback know, "Man, I love the way you play."

"You get some quarterbacks that are going to slide, run out of bounds every chance the get," Taylor told reporters after practice this week. "But knowing, when it comes down to crunch time, you're able to put your head down, get that first down, get that touchdown, it's amazing to see, especially as an offensive lineman."

Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was also highly complimentary of the way Hawkins has played the last two games. "I thought he was outstanding," Stoops said in an interview earlier this week on KREF "The Ref" sports radio in Norman. "He played within himself. Played smart. I love the fact that in certain situations when nothing was there, he ate the ball. Sometimes you gotta do that. Live to play another series and not make a big mistake."

That last comment by the former head coach and winningest in program history is a prime reason Hawkins was elevated to the starting role in place of Arnold. Oklahoma has five turnovers in five games, and Arnold has accounted for all of them (two fumbles and three interceptions). Hawkins has yet to commit a turnover in six-plus quarters.

"He's super consistent," said head coach Brent Venables about his young freshman quarterback. "He's calm. Really cerebral. He's super coachable."

Although it has not been publicly announced, Hawkins will probably retain his starting role when the Sooners return to action on Oct. 12 against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. This will be a big challenge for the Oklahoma freshman quarterback. Oklahoma is more than a touchdown underdog to the top-ranked Longhorns, based on the early betting lines, something that has rarely been the case in the last 24 meetings between the two archrivals.

Hawkins knows there is a lot on his shoulders as the Sooners' field general and that his teammates are relying on him. The road game at Auburn was a good example of what life is like in SEC football. And the stage and emotional intensity will be even greater in the Red River Rivalry, which is the next game on the docket.

"It means a lot, just knowing, going to a big stage," Hawkins said after practice on Wednesday. "It's my first time playing in this stadium (the Cotton Bowl) and against this team, too. So this is a big moment for me, (and) I'm just trying to take advantage of it and maximize the opportunity I have."