OU-Kansas: Q2 Report

NORMAN — Spencer Rattler’s right arm is known for its power.

He should use it more often, rather than the left one he put to work on Saturday against Kansas.

Rattler took off on a scramble and lowered his shoulder — his left one, the non-throwing shoulder — to plow over Kansas free safety Ricky Thomas for an Oklahoma touchdown Saturday in the second quarter.

It wasn’t exactly what Lincoln Riley was hoping for out of the play — Rattler running over someone at the goal line never is — but it built the Sooners’ lead to 21-0.

Rattler came on to start the next drive, but he left the game after just three plays, yielding to Tanner Mordecai, who was sacked on third down, leading to a Gabe Brkic field goal that put the 19th-ranked Sooners up 24-0.

Back on the sideline, OU’s medical team worked on Rattler’s left hip. He returned to action on the Sooners’ next drive, threw a 22-yard pass to Austin Stogner and even attempted to block on a reverse run by Marvin Mims that set up T.J. Pledger’s 4-yard TD run to build Oklahoma’s lead to 31-0.

On the play before his touchdown run, Rattler threw into the end zone for Jadon Haselwood, but a pass interference penalty against KU’s Gavin Potter prevented what would have been a triumphant moment for Haselwood, who was playing in his first game of the season after suffering an offseason knee injury in April.

OU stopped winless Kansas on a fourth-down gamble immediately after Rattler’s TD run and took over at the KU 27, but the Sooners could only manage the field goal to extend the lead to 24-0.

Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in the first half, while Pledger rushed for 36 yards and a score on seven carries.

Rattler finished the first half with 140 yards on 9-of-17 passing with one touchdown and one interception — his first since the Texas game.

Stogner led the Sooners at halftime with three catches for 75 yards.

The OU defense harassed KU quarterback Jalon Daniels throughout the first half, sacking him five times and hurrying him four others.

Rattler’s 20-yard TD throw to Stogner put the Sooners on the scoreboard after Tre Brown’s interception ended KU’s first possession, and Stevenson’s 13-yard run gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Brendan Radley-Hiles also had a first-half interception, but had the ball stripped and fumbled it back to the Jayhawks.

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