Steven Johnson: An early look at TCU’s next opponent, No. 18 Oklahoma
Sonny Dykes will get his first taste of the Big 12 against perennial powerhouse Oklahoma on Saturday.
This had a chance of being a matchup of undefeated teams, but the Sooners were upset by Kansas State at home.
The loss to the Wildcats was illuminating. Kansas State was coming off a loss to Tulane, a middle of the pack Group of Five program. Yet behind Adrian Martinez, the Wildcats produced more than 500 yards to knock off an Oklahoma team that looked like one of the country’s best in the first three weeks of hte season.
The result shows that Oklahoma is vulnerable.
The Sooners could also play a bit desperate as a second straight conference loss would make it extremely difficult to make it to the conference championship game.
There’s a lot on the line for both teams. Here’s what stands out about Oklahoma:
Troubling signs?
The Sooners rolled their through non-conference slate including a 49-14 blowout at Nebraska. The early performance led the Sooners to a No. 6 ranking. but the surprise loss to the Wildcats exposed many questions about the Sooners’ defense. It was expected that head coach Brent Venables arrival from Clemson would bolster the defense.
If Saturday showed anything it’s that the Sooners still have a long way to go. Adrian Martinez had 382 total yards of offense and scored five touchdowns. Deuce Vaughn added 116 more on the ground. Adding to the defensive struggles was the lack of discipline as Oklahoma was penalized 11 times for 87 yards.
The question is was that just a one-off performance or something indicative of what’s to come for Oklahoma in the Big 12. TCU will be a good test case as the Horned Frogs are a Top-10 scoring offense and have a rushing attack just outside the Top 20.
Offense still strong
Even with the departure of Lincoln Riley (the brother of TCU offensive coordinator Garrett), Oklahoma still has one of the best offenses in the country so far. The Sooners outgained Kansas State, but 550 yards still wasn’t enough.
UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel has transitioned nicely after a season-ending injury and is tied for the lead in the Big 12 with 11 touchdown passes. Gabriel hasn’t thrown an interception yet and will test the TCU secondary over the top with deep passes. Gabriel had two touchdown passes of at least 50 yards against Kansas State.
The run game has still been effective as Oklahoma averages more than 231 yards per game. Eric Gray is having a breakout year and is averaging exactly 100 yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry. The Sooners have two more rushers in Gabriel and Marcus Major that are averaging at least five yards per carry.
At receiver Marvin Mims is one of the nation’s best and is averaging 20 yards per touch. Theo Wease (195 yards, two touchdowns) and Jalil Farooq (136, one touchdown) fill out a nice receiving group. Tight end Brayden Willis leads the team with four receiving touchdowns and is a red zone mismatch TCU will have to account for.
Rising star on defense
While it’s fair to question how good Oklahoma is defensively, there’s no doubt the Sooners have some talented pieces including Denton Ryan standout Billy Bowman. The sophomore safety has quickly become a premiere defender for the Sooners with his versatility.
Bowman is third on the team with 33 tackles. He has the most pass deflections and has forced a fumble while recovering two. All the cliches about a player having a nose for the football applies to Bowman. TCU has done a good job of avoiding turnovers so far. Bowman could present the biggest challenge to ball security for the Horned Frogs.
More names to know
The Sooners have a strong pass rush that leads the Big 12 in sacks. Reggie Grimes has developed into a menace off the edge as he leads the team with four sacks. Ethan Downs is right behind him with 2.5. After surrendering five sacks to SMU, the TCU offensive line will once again be tested. In total nine Sooners have chipped in for a sack.
The return of offensive tackle Wanya Morris has helped bolster the Oklahoma offensive line after he served a two-game suspension at the beginning of the year. Pro Football Focus has graded Morris as a Top 10 tackle the last two games and he will be tough for Dylan Horton and the rest of the pass rush to beat.
Key Lawrence is another standout at safety with Bowman. The Tennessee transfer has an interception and forced fumble.
