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

Back in the win column and back in the blowout ledger, Oklahoma’s 59-20 victory over West Virginia last Saturday night in Norman restored some things for the Sooners.

It pushed OU to No. 14 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. It lifted the Sooners in several NCAA statistical rankings. Players’ Pro Football Focus grades experienced a surge.

Most of all, of course, it rebuilt what had appeared to be some sagging confidence as Oklahoma finishes the back end of the 2023 college football season with this week’s road trip to BYU and next week’s Black Friday season finale against TCU in Norman.

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

NCAA Statistics

Oklahoma now ranks fourth in the nation in total offense (505.4 yards per game), 35th in rushing offense (181.6), seventh in passing offense (323.8), fourth in scoring offense (41.8 points per game) and fifth in team passing efficiency (174.44 rating).

The Sooners are 68th in total defense (376.8 yards per game), 47th in run defense (137.9), 88th in pass defense (238.9), 27th in scoring defense (19.8 points per game), and 12th in team pass efficiency defense rating (112.98).

OU is 15th in third down offense (48.1 percent) and ninth in third down defense (28.7 percent), and 17th in fourth down offense (68.8 percent) and 59th in fourth down defense (50 percent).

Oklahoma ranks 104th in penalties (6.9 per game) and 101st in penalty yards (59.3 per game).

The OU defense leads the nation with 17 interceptions (Liberty also has 17) and ranks second in takeaways with 21 (behind Bowling Green’s 24), but after three straight games without a sack has fallen to 104th in the nation in QB sacks.

Still, Brent Venables’ defense does rank seventh in the nation in tackles for loss (7.9).

In the red zone, OU ranks 43rd nationally on offense (88.5 percent) and 26th on defense (76.7 percent).

Individually, Dillon Gabriel ranks third in points responsible for (21.6 per game), ninth in completion percentage (.705), seventh in passer efficiency rating (172.1), seventh in passing yards (306.9 per game), eighth in passing TDs (25), 19th in completions (22.90 per game) and 26th in yards per completion (13.40), as well as 16th in rushing touchdowns (11).

Drake Stoops is up to 22nd nationally in receptions (6.2 per game), 13th in TD catches (9) and 52nd in receiving yards (69.2 per game), while Jalil Farooq ranks 52nd in all-purpose yards (103.4 per game) and 99th in receiving yards (57.7 per game).

Pro Football Focus

According to Pro Football Focus data, right tackle Jacob Sexton recorded the most plays of anyone on offense for Oklahoma, replacing starter Tyler Guyton and playing 79 total snaps.

Left left tackle Walter Rouse, left guard Cayden Green, center Andrew Raym and quarterback Dillon Gabriel all played 74 snaps, while wideout Nic Anderson got 66, and wideouts Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops and right guard McKade Mettauer each played 64.

Tight end Austin Stogner was next with 58 snaps, followed by running back Gavin Sawchuk with 53.

Tight end Josh Fanuiel (15), running back Tawee Walker (15), right guard Savion Byrd (15), wideout Gavin Freeman (13), wideout Jayden Gibson (11) and wideout LV Bunkley-Shelton (10) played double-digit snaps, while running back Daylan Smothers (9), wideout J.J. Hester (9), offensive lineman Troy Everett (5), offensive tackle Aaryn Parks (5), quarterback Davis Beville (5), offensive guard Caleb Shaffer (5), wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway (3), wide receiver Brenen Thompson (3) and running back Jovantae Barnes (2) played single-digits.

On offense, 26 players got playing time, while 31 played on defense.

The defense was led by cornerbacks Woodi Washington (63) and Kani Walker (62) and cheetah linebacker/slot corner Kendel Dolby (60). Linebacker Danny Stutsman returned from injury to play 57 snaps, while safety Billy Bowman played 53 and linebacker Kip Lewis played 52.

Defensive ends Ethan Downs (35) and Rondell Bothroyd (34) were next, followed by safety Peyton Bowen (33), defensive tackle Jacob Lacey (33) and safety Robert Spears-Jennings (32). Noseguard Isaiah Coe (28), defensive end Trace Ford (26), defensive end P.J. Adebawore (23), defensive tackle Jordan Kelley (23), defensive end R Mason Thomas (22), linebacker Jaren Kanak (21), defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry (21), safety Reggie Pearson (21) and cheetah linebacker Sammy Omosigho (20) were next.

Safety Key Lawrence (19), defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (18), defensive end Marcus Stripling (15), cornerback Jacobe Johnson (12), cornerback Jasiah Wagoner (11) and linebacker Lewis Carter (11) all reached double digit snaps, followed by defensive lineman Kelvin Gilliam (9), noseguard Gracen Halton (9), linebacker Kobie McKinzie (6), linebacker Konnor Near (5) and cornerback Makari Vickers (2).

As expected, Gabriel led the Sooner offense with a PFF grade of 91.8. That includes a grade of 83.1 on run plays and 88.6 on passes.

Not surprisingly, Stoops was next with an overall grade of 90.2, including a 90.4 on pass plays.

Gibson (81.1) was next, followed by Sawchuk (75.0), Stogner (a season-high 74.0), Anderson (73.5) and Farooq (65.7). Mettauer (64.1), Smothers (60.3), Everett (60.3), Pettaway (60.1), Thompson (60.0) and Barnes (60.0) all posted winning grades as well. Only 13 Sooners graded below 60, and just three graded below 50.

Rouse (86.2), Green (85.2) and Mettauer (84.6) all posted championship grades in pass blocking, while Sawchuk (77.7) and Farooq (75.5) graded high on run plays. Anderson posted the highest run-blocking grade of the night (84.1), followed closely by Gibson (81.1). Stogner’s 81.9 grade on pass plays was also a season-high.

On defense, Johnson posted the highest grade of the night on his 12 snaps (91.7). Dolby posted the highest grade among players with volume snaps (79.0), while Bowman (75.9), Kelley (74.8), Terry (71.9), Laulu (71.7), Omosigho (70.6) and Bothroyd (70.2) all posted winning grades, along with Vickers (69.4), Carter (68.1), Kanak (68.0), Coe (67.4), Bowen (67.2), Washington (66.8), Thomas (63.9), Wagoner (63.8), Near (63.0), Stripling (63.0), McKinzie (62.5), Lacey (60.7), Adebawore (60.5) and Halton (60.2).

Only nine players on defense reported PFF grades below 60, and only one was below 50.

Kanak posted the highest grade on run plays (87.3) and was fifth in tackling (79.3). Stutsman and Kani Walker each posted 80.1 in the tackling department, while Dolby (79.8) and Bowen (79.6) were next.

OU didn’t have anyone reach a 70.0 grade in pass rush, but Johnson (91.6) posted the highest grade in pass coverage, while Dolby (80.1) was next.

As of Monday afternoon, PFF credited Oklahoma with just seven missed tackles against the Mountaineers, led by Lewis’ three. Four players missed just one tackle.

OU’s corners, Washington and Walker, were targeted 13 times but only gave up five completions for 84 yards, with just 24 yards after catch. Washington’s longest completion of the night was just nine yards.

Redshirt report

Most notably, quarterback Jackson Arnold did not play any mop-up snaps against WVU. He’s sitting right at the four-game limit right now, and Venables said the intent this late in the season is to redshirt him — meaning, if starter Dillon Gabriel stays healthy, Arnold won’t see the field again this season. If OU has any more blowouts or if Gabriel needs to take a snap off, it’ll be third-stringer Davis Beville.

True freshmen who played against WVU were Green (his ninth game), Pettaway (seventh) and Smothers (fourth) on offense, and Bowen (10th), Adebawore (10th), Johnson (ninth), Carter (ninth), Omosigho (seventh), Vickers (seventh) and Wagoner (fifth) on defense.

Smothers played in his fourth game and hasn’t surpassed the four-game redshirt limit.

PFF’s special teams report was not posted as of this writing, but no additional freshmen played on special teams, according to the official NCAA game book.

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