73-0. Seventy-three to ZERO. Is there any way that season opener could've gone any better? Let's talk about the game and maybe (definitely) overreact a little (a lot).
Photo credit to ESPN.
This game couldn't have gone much better for the Sooners. My score prediction was 52-10; I'm glad I was wrong. OU gained 642 yards while only allowing 208. They scored every possession of the game except for their last one. They shut down the Red Wolves offense the whole game. Let's talk about that game quarter by quarter.
1st Quarter
I can not overhype this first quarter enough. In all three aspects of the game, it was the perfect start to a game. First offensive drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, and a touchdown. First defensive drive: 3 & out, four total yards allowed. First punt from Arkansas State: 82-yard punt return. Offense. Defense. Special teams. All three aspects worked perfectly, playing tough, complimentary football. We saw Dillon Gabriel drop a beautiful deep ball to Andrel Anthony. Gavin Freeman and Drake Stoops (before getting hurt) had a dominant showing. Our offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage. It was a thing of beauty. And don't get me started on the defense. We didn't get any sacks this quarter, but we put pressure on the QB every pass while shutting down the run. There was just no room to move the ball for Arkansas State. This quarter, we averaged 1 point per play: 28 points scored, 28 plays run.
I also need to take a second to appreciate Dillon Gabriel and how well he played this quarter. He was accurate. Whether airing it out deep or dumping it off in the backfield, it felt like he couldn't miss it. It was an elite performance by our starting QB.
Score at the end of the quarter: 28-0 OU
2nd Quarter
This quarter wasn't much different than the first quarter. 17 points were scored in the quarter, but OU did something in this quarter that was incredibly encouraging to see: they did everything you'd ever want an offense to do. They threw the deep ball and connected with receivers in stride. They threw medium routes 10-15 yards down the field. They completed short little out routes and got a lot of run after the catch yardage. Runs for short gains. Runs for long gains. Our offense showed that it doesn't matter this year which aspect of the offense is struggling, we have another 30 levels that won't. OU's offense scored a touchdown on every first-half drive except the last one, where we still made a field goal.
The defense allowed one drive down the field that was helped out by a penalty against OU. This drive ended with a missed field goal. The Red Wolves did not get another first down the rest of the half. Despite leaving some holes open in the zone defense, the whole team sprinted to the ball to ensure no significant gain on any play.
Score at the end of the quarter: 45-0 OU.
3rd Quarter
Jackson Arnold arrived in Norman and couldn't have had a better performance. He did not throw an incomplete pass. They started the first drive of the half for OU and left the game late in the fourth quarter. He ended the game 11/11 for 114 yards, a touchdown pass, and a touchdown run. Both touchdowns were in this quarter. The key was a beauty to Jayden Gibson (who made a top 10 play level catch), and the run was a Blake Bell "Bell-dozer" style run. The offensive line continued to dominate. Jaquaize Pettaway introduced his speed to the offense, catching most of his passes at/behind the line of scrimmage but still getting 56 yards on those nine receptions. Jackson Arnold could not have played any better. On the defensive side, we got a formal introduction to Peyton Bowen when he helped force a fumble and nearly took a man's head off with a big hit.
Score at the end of the quarter: 66-0 OU.
4th Quarter
Garbage time plays here. And we continued to dominate. The Sooners accomplished something in this quarter that I never would've believed was possible under a Jeff Lebby offense: clock-killing. We just drained the clock and finished the game, getting one last touchdown.
Final Score: 73-0
Observations
Our defensive line is enormous. They're going to disrupt the run all year. And they will wreak havoc when we go against QBs who can't/don't get rid of the ball as fast.
Our offensive line dominated most of the game but needs some work. There were plenty of times when they won battles, but they also struggled in some instances against a front like Arkansas State's.
The DBs are a tough and physical group. Reggie Pearson, Justin Harrington, and Peyton Bowen laid the boom against Arkansas State.
Justin Harrington is a man out there.
Jackson Arnold is ready to start. Our QB room is loaded.
Dillon Gabriel has drastically improved. He's playing like he doesn't want to lose that starting job.
We have no idea how good our punter is this year.
The defense knows how to blow up the run.
Our offense will be a top-20 offense in college football this year.
Key Players
Dillon Gabriel: 19/22, 208 yards, two touchdowns, two runs, 15 yards, one touchdown
Jackson Arnold: 11/11, 114 yards, one touchdown, five runs, 39 yards, one touchdown
Justin Harrington: 2 tackles
Danny Stutsman: 4 tackles
Andrel Anthony: 3 receptions, 66 yards
Gavin Freeman: 4 receptions, 19 yards, 1 TD, 82-yard punt return TD
Other Stats:
Offense: 30/33, 422 yards, 12.8 yards per pass, 3 TDs through the air. 49 runs, 220 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, six touchdowns.
Defense: 2/12 on third down, 0-1 on fourth down, allowed 5.9 yards per pass and 2.1 yards per carry.
This game couldn't have gone any better for OU. It was the perfect start to the season. Our offense is better. Our defense is better. Our special teams are better. If this is the OU team that shows up every game, we could see a potential playoff run. But let's not try to get that excited yet. Boomer Sooner!
All stats above courtesy of ESPN.
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