Oklahoma hopes new QB starter will kick-start offense vs. Auburn in first SEC road game

On Saturday, Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1) will play its first true road game of the 2024 season and its first road game as a member of the SEC. As long as we're on this iteration of "firsts," Saturday's game against the Auburn Tigers will also mark the first career start for Sooner true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.

Hawkins replaced sophomore starter Jackson Arnold in the first half against Tennessee last Saturday. He finished the game at quarterback for the Sooners and performed well enough to earn the start at Auburn. Hawkins led OU on two long touchdown drives and accounted for 154 of Oklahoma's 222 yards of total offense.

This will be the third meeting all-time between Oklahoma and Auburn. Both of the previous games, won by the Sooners, were in the postseason. No. 3 OU defeated No. 5 Auburn 40-22 in the Sugar Bowl in the final game of the 1971 season, and No. 7-ranked Oklahoma won a 35-19 decision behind Baker Mayfield in the 2017 Sugar Bowl.

Saturday's game will be just the second time ever Oklahoma has played a football game in the state of Alabama. Top-ranked Oklahoma downed Alabama 20-13 in Tuscaloosa in 2003.

Both teams lost at home last weekend by similar scores. No. 15 Oklahoma lost to No. 6 Tennessee 25-15. Auburn fell to Arkansas 24-14.

The game will be televised on ABC beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. Joe Tessitore will do the play-by-play with Jordan Rodgers providing analysis and Katie George reporting on the sidelines.

What to know about the Auburn Tigers

• Auburn ranks eighth in the SEC in scoring offense (36.5 per game) and seventh in total offense (462.0 yards per game). Defensively, the Tigers allow 16.8 points per game, ninth best in the SEC and hold opponents to 338.5 total yards (13th in the SEC).

• Auburn has used two quarterbacks in the first four games. Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne is in his second season at Auburn. Hank Brown is a redshirt freshman. Thorne is the designated QB1, but Brown has seen action in all four games and started and finished the game against New Mexico in Week 3.

• Junior RB Jarquez Hunter leads the Tigers in rushing with 340 yards this season and 7.1 per carry. Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith leads the Auburn receivers with 12 receptions for 338 yards and five touchdowns. His five TD catches are tied for fourth nationally and he averages nearly 30 yards per reception.

• Auburn is turnover prone on offense, which plays heavily in favor of the Oklahoma defense. The Tigers rank 133rd out of 133 FBS team in turnovers with 14 through four games and rank 131st in turnover margin (minus-2.5).

• Auburn is one of the best teams in the nation in limiting opponents in the red zone. The Tigers rank seventh nationally in red zone defense.

What to watch for from Oklahoma

• The biggest thing to watch for in this game from the Oklahoma side is at quarterback with true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. making his first start in place of Jackson Arnold, on the road and in a hostile SEC environment. This will be a major challenge.

• The Sooners' struggles offensively go well beyond the quarterback. The same offensive line has not started in any of the four games and injuries have decimated the wide receiver group to the point that their now down three levels on the depth chart just to get WRs on the field.

• The Oklahoma running game has been non-existent, averaging just 128 yards per game. Jovantae Barnes and QB Jackson Arnold lead the Sooners with just 138 total yards on the ground through four games, and OU had yet to throw for more than 200 yards in a game. A complete turnaround for a team that has long been know for prolific offenses and led all of college football in total offense just a few years ago.

• Oklahoma is tied for the national lead with 12 takeaways and leads the country with eight fumble recoveries (two more than all of last year).

• The Sooners continue to have trouble converting third downs on offense. They have successfully converted just 16 of 57 third down tries this season, which ranks 125th out of 133 FBS teams.

Injury report

Oklahoma

WR Jayden Gibson (out); WR Jalil Farooq (out); WR Nic Anderson (out); WR Deion Burks (out); DB Gentry Williams (out); OL Geirean Hatchett (out); DB Kendel Dolby (out); K Tyler Keltner (out); RB Taylor Tatum (Out); WR Andrel Anthony (doubtful); LB Dasan McCullough (questionable); OL Jake Taylor (probable).

Auburn

DB Tyler Scott (out); DB Champ Anthony (out); TE Brandon Frazier (out); DL Isaiah Raikes (questionable); K Alex McPherson (questionable); OL Izavion Miller (questionable).

Key matchup

Auburn ranks 22nd among FBS teams in third-down conversion offense (18 of 36, .500). Oklahoma comes into the matchup with Auburn ranked 27th in third-down conversion defense (19 pf 62, .306).

Weather forecast

Partly cloudy with clouds and sun and humid. Temperature at kickoff close to 80 degrees.

Prediction

Both teams are struggling right now. For Oklahoma, it is the offense that he having trouble getting into a rhythm and sustaining drives. For Auburn, the problems are in protecting the football, which can be a huge issue because that is how you lose games by giving an opponent extra posessions and scoring opportunities. If the Sooners are to win this game, it will largely be on the backs of the defensive unit. The Sooners manage to do just enough to squeak by in this one. Oklahoma 24, Auburn 20