Oklahoma-Baylor: Q2 Report

NORMAN — Oklahoma is in for a fight.

A year after two epic victories over Baylor — one the largest comeback win in school history, the other in overtime for the Big 12 Championship — the No. 11-ranked Sooners are locked in a 10-0 defensive tussle with the Bears on Saturday night at Owen Field.

OU, playing without four defensive starters, several backups made numerous substitutions and switches on defense and mostly held the Bears in check.

But without just two frontline contributors on offense, the Sooners could not get anything going offensively in between their first and last drives of the half.

Rhamondre Stevenson’s 3-yard touchdown run with 64 seconds left in the first half gave the Sooners a 10-0 lead.

After Oklahoma’s defense forced a short Baylor punt off its own goal line, Marvin Mims’ punt return set OU up with a short field. Stevenson converted a third-and-1 with a 4-yard run, and Drake Stoops drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone to give the Sooners a first-and-goal.

Gabe Brkic put OU on the board early with a 20-yard field goal on the Sooners’ opening possession, but Oklahoma’s offense went virtually nowhere after that.

Spencer Rattler finished the first half just 9-of-14 for 72 yards and was sacked three times. His second-quarter throw to Stevenson on the goal line went through Stevenson’s hands and was intercepted by Christian Morgan.

Stevenson carried 12 times for just 45 yards in the first half as OU averaged just 1.6 yards per carry.

Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer was just 9-of-20 passing for 94 yards as the Bears outgunned OU 110-99. Both teams averaged just 3.2 yards per play in the first half.

Baylor’s John Mayers was short on back-to-back first-quarter field goals, and the Sooners got a fourth-down stop in the second quarter to preserve their slim lead.

OU was without a number of players: Rush linebacker Nik Bonitto, free safety Pat Fields, nickel safety Brendan Radley-Hiles and cornerback Woodi Washington were all missing after the Sooners had a complete shutdown last week due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Also missing from the defense were backup linebacker Brendan Walker, backup safety Justin Broiles and backup safety Bryson Washington.

That put little-used Robert Barnes — converted from safety to linebacker in the offseason — back at nickel safety to start the game. Nickel corner Jeremiah Criddell found himself back at free safety, and Tre Norwood — who frequently plays multiple positions — played both safety and nickel early.

Also, Jon-Michael Terry returned from missing the Sooners’ last game and started at rush linebacker for Bonitto, and Jaden Davis, who was previously the starter at corner before Washington took over the position, was back in the starting lineup at corner.

Gone from the offensive two-deep are tight end Austin Stogner (knee), running back Seth McGowan and backup linemen Brey Walker and Andrew Raym, as well as backup receiver Brian Darby.

After Oklahoma State lost to TCU earlier in the day, the Sooners need to win just one of their final two games to lock down a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 19. OU plays at West Virginia next week.

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