All Sooners

Three Quick Takeaways From Oklahoma's Win Over Tulsa

Both sides of the ball fired on all cylinders as No. 19 Oklahoma blew out Tulsa on Saturday.

Ryan Chapman

Three Quick Takeaways From Oklahoma's Win Over Tulsa
Three Quick Takeaways From Oklahoma's Win Over Tulsa /
In this story:

TULSA — Oklahoma closed its non-conference slate in style.

The No. 19-ranked Sooners blew out Tulsa 66-17, as hoards of crimson-clad fans took over H.A. Chapman Stadium.

Brent Venables’ team enjoyed a blistering start, as OU (3-0) led Tulsa (1-2) 28-0 by the end of the first quarter.

Now Oklahoma will turn its attention to Cincinnati, as the Sooners look to open Big 12 play with a victory next Saturday.

Tacking on Takeaways

FB - Kendel Dolby, Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Oklahoma cornerback Kendel Dolby caught OU's third interception of the day in the first quarter.  :: Nathan J. Fish / USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Lebby’s offense was humming in the first quarter, but OU was able to put 28 quick points on the board in large part due to the defense forcing turnovers.

Tulsa product Gentry Williams erased Jalil Farooq’s fumble on the opening kickoff with an interception on the first drive of the game to give the ball straight back to the offense.

Two drives later, linebacker Danny Stutsman made a phenomenal play to tip Golden Hurricane quarterback Roman Fuller’s pass to himself, outrunning the offense for a 30-yard pick six.

Then Kendel Dolby capped off the first quarter onslaught by making a competitive play on the ball and picking off Fuller for a third time, ending Fuller’s day.

Safety Key Lawrence added another takeaway in the third quarter and Trace Ford added another to start the fourth quarter, closing out the defense’s five interception day in Tulsa.

Lebby ditched his self-diagnosed conservative game plan from last Saturday, taking to the skies to allow his quarterback to take advantage of a soft Tulsa passing defense.

Livin’ on DimeTime

FB - Dillon Gabriel
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel finished with 421 passing yards through three quarters :: Nathan J. Fish / USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel was given the chance to throw the ball all over the field on Saturday, and he took full advantage.

The OU quarterback completed 28-of-31 passes for 421 yards, throwing five touchdowns and one interception.

His lone pick, a play where he was planted in the pocket, was his first interception since last year’s regular season finale against Texas Tech.

He sprayed the ball to 10 different receivers, dealing all of his damage to the Tulsa secondary in the first three quarters of the game.

Nic Anderson had a nice catch-and-run to score his second touchdown of the day in the third quarter, but Gabriel wasn’t overly reliant on yards after catch either.

He attacked vertically from the start, connecting with Andrel Anthony downfield and letting Drake Stoops and Jalil Farooq make plenty of plays underneath.

Unfortunately for Tulsa’s secondary, the bleeding didn’t stop when Gabriel left the game.

Jackson Arnold hit Anderson for a 50-yard bomb on his first play after he took over for the OU starter with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter.

Backs Stay Grounded

FB - Jovantae Barnes, Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Sophomore running back Jovantae Barnes led Oklahoma with 11 carries on Saturday against Tulsa :: Nathan J. Fish / USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma’s offensive game plan was simple — attack Tulsa’s weakness.

The Golden Hurricane entered the week as the 115th-ranked passing defense in the country.

So Lebby threw the ball.

While the offensive line’s performance in the run game wasn’t overwhelming, the Sooners only handed the ball to their running backs 16 times through the first three quarters.

Still, OU averaged 4.4 yards per carry headed into the fourth quarter.

Sophomore running back Jovantae Barnes started his first game of 2023, running for 53 yards and a score on 11 carries.

Gavin Sawchuk also got multiple carries for the first time this season on Saturday.

His number was called nine times on the ground, as he ended up with 25 yards and a score. He also caught two passes for nine yards. 

In total, the Sooners finished with 119 rushing yards on 28 carries.

Next week will likely be a different story, as the Sooners will need a balanced attack to keep Cincinnati’s talented defensive line guessing. 

Published
Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is managing editor at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

Home/Football