'Humbled' by first loss, OU football players say practice ahead of TCU game is intense
NORMAN — If the Sooners didn't believe in Murphy's Law at first, they do now.
The adage essentially states that if anything can go wrong, it will. And it did this past weekend.
OU suffered a 41-34 loss to Kansas State in a game where it struggled to get out of its own way. The Sooners committed a season-high 11 penalties for 87 yards, and they didn't lead at any point in the game.
"In life, Murphy’s law happens," junior defensive end Reggie Grimes said. "Murphy’s going to show up at some point. But it’s really just how you deal with that."
OU's players got hit with a harsh reality, but it was a lesson they needed to learn as they now shift focus to a road game against TCU at 11 a.m. Saturday.
"As cliché as it may sound, we honestly needed that to be humbled," junior safety Key Lawrence said. "We started getting ahead of ourselves. I'm glad that we lost early in the season. Football is a sport where it's better to lose early than later. We're taking the coaching points in all the areas and fixing it so it won't happen again."
More: OU football coach Brent Venables previews Sooners' Week 5 game against TCU
OU got its first chance to turn a new page on Monday.
The team held its first practice since the loss to Kansas State, and it didn't take long for Lawrence to notice a difference in the level of intensity.
"It feels like it's fall camp again," Lawrence said. "We're bringing the intensity and bringing the passion back. We understand there is way more detail than we think. This opportunity, we can't take that for granted. We have to understand that. All the guys here, we need everyone to buy in.
"This is the time when we need to uplift each other instead of pointing fingers. We have to come to work."
There's plenty that can go wrong this weekend when OU faces a 3-0 TCU team.
The Horned Frogs' offense is led by senior quarterback Max Duggan, who ranks first in the nation in passing efficiency (216.03). On defense, they have a linebacker duo of Dee Winters and Johnny Hodges that's combined for 5.5 tackles for loss.
The Sooners will have their hands full, but they'll prepare for it all as they try to right the ship.
"We've got a great challenge for us," Venables said. "Our guys are anxious and eager to improve and get better and show that last week wasn’t really reflective and indicative of the type of performance that we’re capable of. At the end of the day, we've got to dust ourselves off."
More: OU football must fix slow offensive starts. Jeff Lebby says the issue starts with him.
Chandler Morris update
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes announced during a press conference Tuesday that redshirt freshman quarterback Chandler Morris will be available for the game against OU on Saturday.
Morris spent his freshman season at OU in 2020. He appeared in five games and finished with 83 total yards of offense and two touchdowns before transferring to TCU the following offseason.
Morris got the start for TCU's opener this season against Colorado but sprained his left knee in the third quarter and hasn't played since. Dykes said Duggan is still expected to start against OU.
More: How will OU's defense respond vs. TCU after 'little kink in the road' in first loss?
Week 5 team captains
OU announced its team captains for its Week 5 road game against TCU.
Junior offensive lineman McKade Mettauer and senior tight end Daniel Parker got the nod on offense. Redshirt senior Jordan Kelley and senior defensive lineman Jonah Laulu were selected on defense.
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OU-Texas kickoff time
The kickoff time is set for the latest edition of the Red River Showdown. OU will face Texas at 11 a.m. on Oct. 8 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
OU football vs. TCU: Broadcast info, betting line, matchup breakdown
Redshirt updates
Venables said Tuesday that freshmen linebackers Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis will redshirt this season.
McKinzie was a consensus four-star recruit who was rated by ESPN as the 90th-best prospect in the Class of 2022. He was a mid-year enrollee.
Lewis was rated by ESPN as a four-star prospect. He chose OU over Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame.
"Kobe missed most of fall camp, so there's a learning curve there," Venables said. "Unfortunately, he's got a ways to go from a mental standpoint, like most freshmen. So, Kip, same thing. He's just got to functionally get stronger in the weight room. He needs a redshirt from that standpoint."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU vs TCU football: Sooners chalk up Kansas State loss to Murphy’s law
