That's a wrap. The regular season is over. It went by way too fast. I hate it's over, but why not end the season with a basketball score in Norman? That was a fun game to watch, and we've got the breakdown here.
1st Quarter
The offense wasted no time to start this game. The very first play of the game was a deep shot to Nic Anderson for 50 yards. He also threw a deep shot to Jayden Gibson for 59 yards and a touchdown. Every other throw this quarter was straight fire. This was one of those scenarios where the stats don't tell you the whole story. He started 4/8, but those four incompletions all hit a receiver in the hands in stride. OU caught a lucky break when a (perfect) pass was ruled incomplete when, in reality, Nic Anderson caught it and fumbled it. The offense was firing on all cylinders through the air. I've brought up multiple times this season how good the work Emmett Jones has done with our receivers has been this year. The first quarter showed there is still some work to be done, but our wide receivers were on it. On top of all this, the offensive line gave Gabriel enough time to make a sandwich on every throw. If Gavin Freeman hadn't muffed another punt, this quarter could've been more explosive offensively.
The defense started off looking good, forcing punts on back-to-back drives. Unfortunately, the defense this year has been very heavily affected by momentum. After Gavin Freeman muffed a punt on TCU's second punt of the game, the defense allowed big play after big play, didn't stop TCU on third down, and two consecutive touchdowns. The defense shut down the run for the most part in the first quarter but got burned quite a bit through the air. I won't act like it's easy to go on the field after a sudden change situation and get a stop. Those situations will be far more crucial when playing Alabama and Georgia in the SEC than playing TCU every year. There was some more questionable defensive playcalling in this quarter, as we persisted with the soft coverage that has burned us all year.
Score at the end of this quarter: 14-13 OU.
2nd Quarter
We didn't slow down in the second quarter. We started the quarter showing we were all gas and no brakes, hitting a 53-yard bomb to the Texas transfer Brennan Thompson for a touchdown. After a dominant start to the game through the air, we wanted to show we had just as dominant of a ground attack, and the offensive line answered the call. We stopped trying to fool them with the run and just started trying to pound it up the middle. Once we did this, Gavin Sawchuk started running free. It began with a walk-in 12-yard touchdown run, followed by another walk-in seven-yard touchdown run. The next drive saw Gavin run for 41 yards, and the drive finished with an easy nine-yard touchdown run for Tawee Walker. Our run game was on it. Dillon Gabriel kept torching TCU through the air. When you score on every second-quarter drive, it's hard to find any criticism.
The defense kicked into overdrive in the second quarter. They saw what they did in the first quarter and said, "We're tired of this." On the first three drives of the second quarter, the OU defense allowed seven yards. TCU tried a fake punt after a three-and-out that the OU defense stuffed. There was nowhere to run the ball. There was nowhere to throw the ball. There was constant severe pressure on the quarterback. The TCU offense seemed to have been neutralized. It looked like they might not cross the 50 again for the rest of the game. But their last drive of the first half was a glimpse of what the rest of the game would look like defensively. TCU had their way with our defense at the end of the quarter and got a field goal to end the half. Overall, this was a great defensive quarter for Oklahoma.
Score at the end of this quarter: 42-16 OU.
3rd Quarter
The offense came into the third quarter somewhat slow. We found a way to score on the first drive, but our offense had been seemingly neutralized. Dillon Gabriel had all day to throw, but no one was coming open. The run game also began to slow down to start the quarter. The first play of the next drive was an underthrown pass that was intercepted. Considering the defensive collapse in the second half, Sooner Nation began to get nervous. After this, however, we found a way to score on every drive for the rest of the game. The play that restored our offensive momentum and shut down any fears of a TCU comeback was a 40-yard run by Dillon Gabriel on fourth and one deep in our territory. After that, the game was over. Drake Stoops put the final touches on his senior day performance with consistent catches and even scoring a touchdown. The run game was returning to what it had previously looked like. This was a fun quarter to watch once we got going.
I won't talk too much about the defense in the second half. These will be shortened reviews because that would imply that there was a defense in the second half. After allowing 16 points in the first half, TCU torched our defense and scored 22 points in this quarter alone. We couldn't stop the run. We weren't getting pressure on the QB. We allowed receivers to come wide-open. There's not much I can say about the third-quarter defense for OU. 22 plays, 228 yards, 22 points. Do with that information what you will.
Score at the end of this quarter: 52-38 OU.
4th Quarter
All the offense needed to do in the fourth quarter was kill the clock and maybe score another time or two. We accomplished both of those feats. Most of the fourth quarter was Gavin Sawhchuk finishing his fourth consecutive 100+ yard game. He scored his career-high third touchdown of the game. The offensive line struggled in pass protection, but only for a few plays. They had a brilliant fourth quarter. They delivered ten-fold when we needed a first down to put the game away. The best moment of the game came on the last drive. Gabriel gave the ball to Javontae Barnes for a short gain, and he signaled to Sooner Nation that he had (potentially) taken his final snap on Owen Field. After the first down run, Dillon Gabriel and Drake Stoops were subbed out of the game and received a standing ovation from the fans. An excellent performance by both players capped off with a standing ovation. What a moment for those two.
The defense wasn't much better in the fourth quarter, but they did a little better. Seeing the defense get pressure and get a fourth down stop to open the quarter was fun. But the highlight of the quarter (and arguably the whole game for the defense) was the Billy Bowman pick-six. This guy has a nose for the endzone, unlike any DB I've seen at OU. If he chooses to come back for next season, I will have no concerns about having an SEC-ready defense. His speed and ability to break tackles is just mesmerizing to watch. This season, he has six interceptions, three of which were returned 40+ yards for a touchdown. What a great performance.
Final Score: TCU 45, Oklahoma 69
Observations
Danny Stutsman was an island out there at linebacker. While he played well, constant missed assignments by a lot of the defense (primarily linebackers) allowed a defensive collapse.
Somehow, our offense is better without Lincoln Riley. Who knew?
Our WR room is loaded, and Jackson Arnold will have fun with them next year.
Billy Bowman is one of the best DBs in college football. I will hear nothing to the contrary.
Our defense needs to rely less on momentum. They were playing lights out until TCU gained that end of the first-half momentum.
We need to get better at special teams. Constant muffed punts are just not a way to play good football.
Jayden Gibson has been a hidden gem in our WR room.
Our defense reads screens better than anyone in the country, and it was fun seeing Trace Ford shut down another one.
Key Players
Dillon Gabriel: 24-38, 400 yards, three touchdowns, one interception. Seven rushes, 36 yards, one touchdown.
Drake Stoops: 12 catches, 125 yards, one touchdown.
Gavin Sawchuk: 22 rushes, 130 yards, three touchdowns.
Billy Bowman: Nine tackles, four solo, one interception returned 45 yards for a touchdown.
Danny Stutsman: Eight tackles, five solo, 0.5 tackles for loss.
Woodi Washington: Three tackles, two pass deflections.
Other Stats
Offense: 24-38, 400 yards, 10.5 yards per pass, three touchdowns, one interception. 41 runs, 207 yards, five yards per carry, five touchdowns. 8-14 on third down, 2-2 on fourth down, 30 total first downs.
Defense: 7-16 on third down, 1-3 on fourth down, allowed 5.9 yards per pass and 6.1 yards per run—25 total first downs.
The Sooners' last-ever Big 12 home game ended in a resounding victory. Let's celebrate, root for BYU to beat OSU so we can go to the Big 12 Championship, and enjoy the rest of the season. Boomer Sooner!
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