Postgame Thoughts: Oklahoma 42, Temple 3
The Oklahoma Sooners were facing a classic letdown spot against the Temple Owls on Saturday after scoring a marquee win the week before over the Michigan Wolverines. Fortunately, the early kickoff in a cavernous NFL stadium did nothing to impair OU’s focus. The Sooners used a sharp start to build up a comfortable lead, allowing them to cruise to an easy 42-3 win.
A few thoughts on the game, based on a viewing of the live broadcast.
*Defense travels, as the saying goes.
OU looked sharp in clamping down on the Owls from the start of the game. Their offensive statistics tell the story: three points, seven first downs, 104 total yards.
Notably, Temple got its only score of the game on a possession that started deep in OU territory off an interception thrown by John Mateer. The Sooners simply gave the Owls no room to breathe at any point.
*The Sooners were especially rough on Temple quarterback Evan Simon. He got battered repeatedly by oncoming OU rushers, with the Sooners tallying four sacks on the day. Even when the Owls got a throw off, Simon was taking big shots from OU defenders.
*Defensive back Reggie Powers gave a standout performance, looking every bit of the animal we heard about during preseason practices. Seeing DB Kendel Dolby out on the field for the first time this season was encouraging. Defensive lineman Damonic Williams is making some money in his contract year, too.
*In terms of biggest concerns, the running game remains lackluster. A total of about 230 rushing yards will do, of course. It just seems like the yards should come easier versus an opponent like Temple.
Sitting left tackle Michael Fasusi could have played a part in today’s unimpressive effort on the ground, although replacement Logan Howland seemed to hold up well enough. In fact, it might be worth considering Howland at right tackle when Fasusi makes it back to the lineup.
Or maybe it’s just a matter of who is actually running the ball. Tory Blaylock’s 100 yards on 14 carries likely cemented his status as the top option in the backfield. Xavier Robinson also seemed closer to finding his rhythm versus the Owls, toting the rock five times for 26 yards and snagging a touchdown catch.
*Is there any hope of Jaydn Ott contributing this season? Frankly, in what little time he has seen on the field, the transfer from California hasn’t done anything to suggest the Sooners are missing much with him on the bench.
If you saw Ott in action in 2023, though, you know he could turn into a major weapon. The entire situation makes no sense.
*To be fair, OU continues snapping off big gains using jet sweeps and tap passes. Not quite the same as running the ball, but close.
*John Mateer needs to do something nice for Keontez Lewis. OU’s QB threw Lewis one hell of a hospital ball on the play that knocked the receiver out of the game. If Lewis can’t play next week against Auburn, Mateer loses his go-to target on money downs.
*Could Zion Kearney take Lewis’ place? The sophomore wideout rotated into the action against Temple earlier than usual, and he caught two balls for 31 yards. Kearney’s size makes him an intriguing candidate to see more snaps as an outside receiver, but he hasn’t shown much play-to-play consistency yet.
*Slot receiver Isaiah Sategna provided a nice spark for the offense, hauling in seven catches for 97 yards. He bounced back well from last week’s shaky performance.
*Mateer’s interception and Temple’s lack of a giveaway brings OU’s turnover margin to -5 through three games. Next week seems like a good time to turn that around.