The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Oklahoma Sooners 29, Texas Longhorns 24
A hard-fought, close game. Any win against Texas is a great win for OU. That’s just a simple fact.
After a terrible effort against Iowa State, there were definite signs of life on defense. Offensively, OU continues to have some third quarter droughts. But, overall, you will take this level of effort every week.
The Sooners now have the back half of a difficult schedule to continue to improve on both sides of the ball and hopefully get some playmakers healthy. The rash of top 10 upsets have opened up a path back into the top five for the Sooners if they continue to win out. However, that path goes thru four teams with better passing games than any team OU has faced to date (Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU and West Virginia).
The Very Good
Baker Mayfield’s first half
Just awesome. Only a great play by UT’s defense kept it from being a perfect half. The passing game was humming and producing big plays.
Trey Sermon
His first Texas game was very good. He continued to show power and moves in logging more than 100 yards of total offense. His pass protection is excellent for a freshman, and he continues to show signs of being OU’s next big time running back.
Austin Siebert
He had an almost perfect game. Booming touchbacks, field-changing punts and good field goals. It was easily his best game of the year. Those three FGs were clutch, even if they didn't come from long distance.
The Good
Marquise Brown
Maybe his best day as a Sooner. Brown showed more initiative and play-making ability than he has in any other game this season. With CeeDee Lamb playing hurt, Brown did a nice job stepping up and making plays.
Defense
The D made two stops in the fourth quarter to preserve the five point lead for the Sooners. This was progress. Maybe something OU can build on.
The Encouraging
Defensive effort
Sure, UT hurt OU with some delayed RB screens, but no defense is going to be perfect all the time. The depth and rotation of the defensive line combined with the overall pressure signified a big step forward.
Amani Bledsoe, Neville Gallimore, Du'Vonta Lampkin, Marquise Overton, Kenneth Mann, D.J. Ward, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Mark Jackson gave a huge effort in stuffing the Texas run game and putting significant pressure on UT QB Sam Ehlinger down after down. Save for defending RB screens, OU played good pass defense. The coverage downfield was much improved.
Keep building depth and attacking.
The Awful
Refs
As a Big 12 fan, I know the refs don’t want to call holding on pass protectors. When the defensive linemen routinely get tackled, even Big 12 refs usually call holding.
The spots that OU got all game were awful, too.
-Atlantasooner