Oklahoma football made it look easy

John Barry Posted on

The Oklahoma football team needed to come out with a statement game and did just that, proving to everyone in college football the Sooners haven’t lost a step with a 48-0 season-opening win over Missouri State.

Offense

Everyone waited to see what OU’s new non-transfer quarterback could do. Spencer Rattler showed he could do it all and almost perfectly. He only played the first half and still put up ridiculous numbers. By halftime, the Sooners were up 41-0 with Rattler throwing 14 of 17 for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

Rattler was not the only youngster to show out on his debut. Marvin Mims, the true freshman wide out, had three receptions for 80 yards with a 58-yard touchdown to go with it. Mims averaged almost 27 yards per catch.

True freshman running back Seth McGowan had nine carries for 61 yards with a touchdown. Junior Charleston Rambo, who had four receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns, averaged 20 yards per catch.

The Sooners offense could not function without the incredible offensive line, which deserves all kinds of credit. When Rattler dropped back, he seemingly had all the time in the world and looked very comfortable in the pocket.

After Saturday, it is safe to say Lincoln Riley’s young offense is as dangerous as ever. Transfer quarterback, true freshman quarterback, the Sooners offense has not gone anywhere.

Defense

This was the Sooners’ first shutout in five years. The aggressive and fast Alex Grinch defense proved it is making strides in the right direction. OU held Missouri State to zero first downs for nearly the first 25 minutes of the game. The Sooners held the Bears to 135 yards and just seven total first downs.

Brian Asamoah led the way with seven total tackles and one for a loss, while Delarian Turner-Yell followed up with four total tackles and the Sooners only turnover of the game. Grinch knows with less fans in the stadiums, the defense will need to create its own energy. Keeping this momentum going into conference play will be vital for the Sooners as they showed many strengths on both sides of the ball.

Next Up

Oklahoma will get its bye week this Saturday after the home opener, giving the Sooners an extra week to prepare for conference play. Their first matchup with Kansas State is with a team they struggled with over the past couple of years. Last year, the Wildcats beat the Sooners in Manhattan 48-41 with a very controversial onside kick call that sealed the win for Kansas State. Then rewind to 2017 where OU barely escaped Manhattan again. Rodney Anderson’s touchdown run with seven seconds left helped the Sooners come out on top. Nevertheless, the Wildcats will be coming off a bad loss to Arkansas State and looking to slow down Oklahoma football.