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Oklahoma-TCU Review: NCAA Stats, PFF Grades, Redshirt Report and More

Looking back at the game and diving into Pro Football Focus' grades and snap-count totals reveals even more about the Sooners win over the Horned Frogs.
John E. Hoover|
Oklahoma-TCU Review: NCAA Stats, PFF Grades, Redshirt Report and More
Oklahoma-TCU Review: NCAA Stats, PFF Grades, Redshirt Report and More

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Oklahoma Sooners

Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners got what they were after — an improved product on the field, a 10-win season and plenty of football to be proud of.

But Friday’s season finale — a strange, 69-45 home win over TCU — offered a snapshot of the Sooners’ last three months.

OU was spectacular, inconsistent and, just a few times, pretty bad — “abysmal,” head coach Brent Venables offered. “An abomination of football.”

That was the Sooners’ third quarter against TCU, the defense in particular.

But much like the rest of the entire season, the defense was pretty good, the running game came to life, the receivers were dynamic and Dillon Gabriel was spectacular.

The rest of the Sooners’ weekend didn’t work out in their favor — both Texas and Oklahoma State won their games, meaning OU won’t play for a championship this year (that’s three years running) — but as offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby leans toward the head coaching job at Mississippi State and as the transfer portal exits begin to trickle out and as the coaching staff hits the road for one final, heavy recruiting push, the Sooners can take stock in a four-game improvement over last year, another top-five recruiting class and a future that only seems to be getting brighter as next week’s bowl announcement and the future in the SEC awaits.

Here’s a look at some OU numbers — NCAA statistics, Pro Football Focus grades and snap counts — coming off the Sooners’ win over the Horned Frogs:

NCAA Statistics

Oklahoma finishes the regular season up to No. 4 nationally in total offense (502.4 yards per game), No. 6 in passing offense (321.8), No. 39 in rushing offense (180.6) and No. 3 in scoring offense (43.2 points per game.

After giving up 520 yards and 45 points to TCU, the OU defense plunged 13 spots to No. 80 in total defense (389.8 yards per game), 99th in pass defense (242.2), 57th in run defense (147.7) and 41st in scoring defense (22.2 points per game).

The offense ranks 10th nationally in third-down conversion percentage (.494) and ninth in fourth-down conversion percentage (.722), while the defense ranks 14th on third downs (.306) and 72nd on fourth downs (.529). The Sooners are No. 3 in first downs (309) but 73rd in first downs allowed (243). They’re also 35th in red zone offense scoring percentage (.795) and 35th in red zone defense (.891).

OU also improved to No. 6 nationally in defensive touchdowns (4) after Billy Bowman’s third pick six of the season.

Oklahoma ranks No. 2 nationally in interceptions (19), No. 2 in takeaways (25), No. 5 in turnover margin (plus-0.92 per game) and No. 8 in the country in tackles for loss (7.3 per game).

One area that needs Venables’ attention in 2024: OU ranks 99th in penalties per game (6.67) and 92nd in penalty yards per game (57).

Individually, Dillon Gabriel ranks 10th nationally in completion percentage (.693), ,sixth in passer efficiency rating (172.0), sixth in passing TDs (30), sixth in passing yards per game (305.0), fifth in passing yards (3,660), third in points responsible for (252) and third in PRF per game (21.0). He also ranks 22nd in rushing touchdowns (12).

Nic Anderson leads the nation in yards per catch (23.39) and ranks 19th in receiving touchdowns (9), 77th in total touchdowns (9) and 78th in receiving yards 725), while Drake Stoops ranks 18th in catches per game (6.5), 37th in receiving yards (880) and 14th in receiving touchdowns (10).

Danny Stutsman ranks 24th in total tackles (9.0 per game) and No. 8 in tackles for loss (1.5 per game).

Billy Bowman ranks second nationally in interceptions (6) and is the unofficial leader in INT return yards.

Pro Football Focus

Who else but Dillon Gabriel would lead Oklahoma in a game the Sooners scored 69 points?

Gabriel was credited by Pro Football Focus with playing a team-high 79 snaps and posted a team-leading 90.5 PFF grade, including a 90.0 on passes.

Left tackle Walter Rouse, left guard Cayden Green, center Andrew Raym and right guard McKade Mettauer logged 78 snaps, per PFF, while Jacob Sexton played 65 and Tyler Guyton got 18 at right tackle. At the end of the game Aaryn Parks got 5 at right tackle, Caleb Shaffer got 5 at left guard, Savion Byrd got 5 at right guard, and Troy Everett got 5 at center.

Drake Stoops led the wideouts with 76 snaps, followed by Austin Stogner with 71, Nic Anderson with 70, and Jalil Farooq with 65. Running back Gavin Sawchuk played 62 snaps.

Wide receiver Jayden Gibson (20) and running back Tawee Walker (18) also got double-digit snaps against TCU.

Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator Hot Board

Wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton (8), wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway (5), tight end Josh Fanuiel (5), wide receiver J.J. Hester (5), quarterback Jackson Arnold (4), wide receiver Brenen Thompson (3), running back Jovantae Barnes (3), running back Emeka Mega (2), tight end Kade McIntyre (2), and wide receiver Gavin Freeman (2) also played.

Linebacker Danny Stutsman (83) and cornerback Woodi Washington (83) led the defensive snaps. Slot corner/cheetah linebacker Kendel Dolby was next with a career-high 79, followed by safety Billy Bowman (75).

Cornerback Gentry Williams (55), was next, followed by defensive end Rondell Bothroyd (53), defensive end Ethan Downs (47), linebacker Kip Lewis (46), safety Reggie Pearson (44), safety Peyton Bowen (38), defensive tackle Jordan Kelley (35), defensive tackle Isaiah Coe (33), defensive end Trace Ford (33), defensive tackle Jacob Lacey (31), defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry (30), cornerback Jasiah Wagoner (29), defensive end R Mason Thomas (29), safety Robert Spears-Jennings (28), linebacker Jaren Kanak (28) and defensive lineman Jonah Laulu (28).

Safety Key Lawrence (19), defensive end P.J. Adebawore (17), cornerback Jacobe Johnson (15), defensive end Marcus Stripling (13) and defensive tackle Gracen Halton (11) also played double-digit snaps, while linebacker Sammy Omosigho (7), cheetah linebacker Dasan McCullough (4), linebacker Kobie McKinzie (2), linebacker Owen Heinecke (1) and defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam (1) contributed also.

Thompson, who got just three plays but scored a touchdown, actually graded the highest on the team with a 95.4 PFF grade (91.7 on passes). Behind Gabriel’s 90.5, Gibson was next with an 81.4 overall grade (79.8 on passes), while Stoops (75.8) and Barnes (70.6) both graded over 70.

Rouse (67.2), Byrd (66.7), Megwa (65.9), Anderson (65.2), Walker (64.5), Raym (62.3), Stogner (61.9), Parks (60.5), Sexton (60.5), Pettaway (60.2), Hester (60.2), Arnold (60.1 and McIntyre also graded over 60 on offense.

Washington led the defense with a 71.5 overall PFF grade (77.0 on tackling), while Lewis (69.7) was next (77.8 tackling) along with Pearson (69.7 overall, 95.4 on pass rushes).

Bothroyd (68.4, 76.2 tackling), Bowen (68.3, 79.7 tackling), Dolby (68.2), Wagoner (67.4), Thomas (67.2), Coe (66.8), Johnson (65.2), Bowman (65.1), McCullough (63.9), Stripling (63.4), Halton (61.9), Lawrence (60.9, 78.0 tackling)), Downs (60.1), Terry (60.1) and Gilliam (60.0) posted winning grades.

As a team, Oklahoma missed 13 tackles against TCU.

Redshirt report

Four true freshmen played against TCU on offense — Green (his 11th game), Pettaway (his ninth), Arnold (his sixth) and McIntyre (his second) — while five played on defense — Bowen (12th), Adebawore (12th), Johnson (12th), Omosigho (11th) and Wagoner (seventh).

On special teams, linebacker Lewis Carter (his 12th game), Omosigho, Green, Adebawore, Bowen, Wagoner and Johnson all got snaps and have exceeded the four-game redshirt limit.

Cornerback Makari Vickers (seven) didn’t play in the finale but also has passed the four-game redshirt rule.

Running back Daylan Smothers holds at four games for the season. 

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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