Special Teams Making a Major Difference for Oklahoma Heading Into College Football Playoff

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s defense is certainly front and center in the Sooners’ run to the College Football Playoff.

But OU’s special teams have been a significant piece as well.

The Sooners’ special teams — led by kicker Tate Sandell, punter Grayson Miller and punt returner Isaiah Sategna — have played significant roles in the team’s success as well.

Sandell, Miller, Sategna and the rest of the No. 8 Sooners will take on No. 9 Alabama at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The special teams was particularly impactful in the first meeting with the Crimson Tide, a 23-21 OU win.

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Just more than a minute into the game, Sategna returned a punt 42 yards that set up Sandell’s 25-yard field goal that gave the Sooners the lead.

Oklahoma forced a turnover on special teams in the second quarter on Miller’s 53-yard punt, and two plays later, John Mateer ran for a 20-yard touchdown to put the Sooners up 17-7.

On the final play of the first half, Taylor Wein got his hand on a 36-yard field goal try to keep the Sooners ahead 17-14 at the break.

Sandell hit a 52-yard field goal early in the second quarter to put OU up 20-14, then added a 24-yarder early in the fourth quarter.

“Went in thinking we had an opportunity to really separate ourselves,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said of special teams after that game. “And it held to be true. … Felt like we dominated in the hidden yardage.”

Oklahoma isn’t the top unit in the CFP according to ESPN’s SP+ rankings of special teams groups.

But the Sooners’ ranking of 21st in FBS is fifth among the teams in the field and all of the teams better than OU in the metric — Georgia (4), Ole Miss (5), Miami (12) Tulane (14) — are on the opposite side of the bracket.

Alabama is 113th. No other CFP team is worse than 89th.

Before this season, Sooners’ kickers had just seven field goals of 55 yards or more. Sandell has four 55-yard field goals this season.

His 23 field goals this season are second in program history, one behind Michael Hunnicutt’s record 24 in 2013.

Sandell is 23 of 24 on field goals this season, making 23 consecutive entering the playoff. He is 7 for 7 on field goals of 50 or more yards.

Miller, who transferred from UCO, is 12th nationally and atop the SEC with a 46.2-yard average.

His 23 punts of 50 or more yards is a school record and six of his punts have been downed inside the 20 with just six touchbacks.

The Sooners’ special teams success was evident Tuesday with the release of the All-SEC Coaches’ team.

Sandell was named first-team kicker, Miller first-team punter and Sategna was both a second-team wide receiver and all-purpose player. Long snapper Ben Anderson was also on the second team.

OU had never before had a first-team all-conference kicker and punter in the same season.

Wednesday, Sandell was named the SEC’s Special Teams Player of the Year.

Their success goes beyond that, though.

The Sooners’ two blocked kicks are tied for 20th nationally and they are 30th nationally in kickoff returns.

“What I see is great strain, tremendous buy-in, guys that are fighting for every patch of grass,” Venables said. “... The punting, the kicking, the protection, the coverage units, it’s been excellent. … It’s been a real weapon from a field-position standpoint.”