NORMAN — Oklahoma’s first game as a member of the SEC lacked drama.
Brent Venables’ No. 16-ranked Sooners dominated Temple on Owen Field on Friday night, blitzing the Owls 50-3.
The hype around OU’s defense looked warranted for one game at least, and quarterback Jackson Arnold enjoyed a nice home debut as the Sooners’ starter.
Purdue transfer Deion Burks also introduced himself to the OU faithful with a three-touchdown performance, which set a new Oklahoma record for a season opener.
Here are three quick takeaways from the opening night victory:
Aug 30, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Gracen Halton (56) celebrates with Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) and Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kobie McKinzie (11) during the first quarter against the Temple Owls at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Look, Temple is a bad football team. But Zac Alley’s debut as a defensive coordinator under Venables was still impressive.
Oklahoma, who rotated heavily in the first half, suffocated the Owls.
Temple registered just 80 yards of total offense in the first half alone, and OU forced a trio of fumbles and Kendel Dolby and Kani Walker combined for a tip-drill interception before the teams moved back to the locker room at the intermission.
OU also dragged down Temple quarterback Forrest Brock for a pair of sacks and the Sooners registered five tackles for loss across the first two quarters. A year ago, Oklahoma finished with one sack and six tackles for loss in the entire game against Arkansas State in the opener.
The defensive line dictated play regardless of who rotated in, and the secondary looked to be in full control even without Woodi Washington playing a role in the first half.
Temple finally knocked a field goal through late in the third quarter, but the Owls found little success against Venables’ defense.
The defensive line looked disruptive from the inside, tackling was sound and there were very few busts in coverage on the back end to mark a successful debut for Alley.
Oklahoma forced six total turnovers on the night after Lewis Carter forced a fumble on a punt that Jaren Kanak returned for a touchdown and Jaydan Hardy pulled down another interception late in the fourth quarter. That’s the most turnovers an OU defense has forced in a game since 2003 when the Sooners also turned the Longhorns over six times.
Aug 30, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) throws during the first quarter against the Temple Owls at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The narrative surrounding Arnold’s Alamo Bowl performance took on a life of its own this past offseason.
In his first start on Owen Field, Arnold put a lot of the negatives to bed — at least for one game.
He delivered a steady performance against Temple’s leaky defense, but showed off the variety of throws he has in his arsenal.
On the first drive alone he flashed his natural arm strength with a 47-yard connection to Jalil Farooq and capped off the series by feathering a ball over a defender to tight end Bauer Sharp for the first touchdown of the game.
Six of Arnold’s eight possessions in the first half ended in scores, even after the Sooners lost starting center Branson Hickman for the game on the second possession.
Seth Littrell left Arnold in for the rest of the third quarter and the sophomore finished 17-of-25 through the air for 141 yards and four scores with no turnovers. He also added 34 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) braces for a hit after running the ball in the first half of an NCAA football game between Oklahoma (OU) and Temple at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
Jake Taylor was named a co-starter at offensive tackle on the depth chart Oklahoma released on Sunday, but he didn’t see any action on Friday night.
Throw in the Hickman injury, and the offensive line had to endure an early fire drill.
Still, the unit should have looked much better against Temple.
The Sooners averaged just 4.1 yards per carry in the first half, and OU finished the first two quarters going 0-for-7 on third downs, though the offense did go into halftime 3-for-3 on fourth downs.
Out of halftime, it appeared as if offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh was able to make some adjustments. Running back Sam Franklin popped a 30-yard run by darting through a gaping hole, but when the Sooners got to the red zone, the line struggled again.
Oklahoma finished 1-for-12 on third down, a clear signal that there’s still plenty of work to do up front before SEC play gets underway.
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Publish date : 2024-08-30 15:29:00
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