No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves: Sooners Wire staff predictions
The Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The week one contest marks the first opportunity for the Sooners to redefine what Oklahoma Football will look like under Brent Venables.
It won’t tell the whole story, but 2023 is a new year with a new team. What happened a year ago doesn’t matter as much. So with a fresh slate, let’s find out what the staff here at Sooners Wire has to say about the matchup in this week’s staff predictions.
Sooners Wire Staff Predictions
The Arkansas State Red Wolves were one of the worst teams a year ago. They also don’t return much, as they rank 101st in returning production.
This is a game where you should see Oklahoma physically overwhelm their opponent. We should see the signs of the physicality that’s been preached all offseason.
If Oklahoma can hold them under 10 points, that would be a very impressive defensive performance. I think Oklahoma jumps on them early and coasts to the finish line with a lot of young players getting into the game.
Oklahoma 45, Arkansas State 10
Contact/Follow Jaron Spor
Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions
I’ve been flooded with excitement and anticipation that the conversation about college football will shift from recruiting rankings and rumors to actual college football discussions.
Recruiting always continues, but it isn’t at the forefront now. Week Zero is behind us, and now we get the main course. Oklahoma enters this season looking to bounce back in a big way and leave the Big 12, a conference it has dominated, on top one last time.
To do that, they’ll need better situational execution offensively and a completely fresh start on defense with improvements in talent and familiarity at every level.
Before Big 12 play starts, they’ll play some nonconference games to tune up. Arkansas State comes to Norman led by Butch Jones, who Oklahoma beat when he was the head coach at Tennessee. That road win in Neyland gave birth to the legend of Baker Mayfield.
A lot has changed for this Oklahoma program since then.
Dillon Gabriel will throw at least two touchdowns, and we’ll see rushing touchdowns from Marcus Major and Jovantae Barnes. Five-star freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold will see the field in a blowout.
Defensively, highly touted transfer Dasan McCullough notches his first sack. Gentry Williams has a few pass breakups, while the new and improved defensive line has at least five sacks. We’ll see an interception for this defense as well.
We’ll see a lot of players play on Saturday for both sides due to field temperatures expected to be over 100.
Hydrate if you’re out there, and watch as Oklahoma comes out on top in decisive fashion.
Sooners 48, Red Wolves 13
Contact/Follow Bryant Crews
Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions
The time for talk is over and the time to put that talk into action starts on Saturday against Arkansas State. Everyone understands that how Oklahoma’s defense goes in 2023 will determine how much success they have as a football team.
When you welcome a quarterback with a career completion percentage under 50% and doesn’t run the football all that effectively, you have to dominate the game. J.T. Shrout won’t carve them up through the air like the quarterbacks they’ll face against SMU and Tulsa, which will allow the Sooners to focus on stopping the run to put Shrout in third and long situations.
If they can do that, they’ll flirt with a shutout of the Red Wolves.
Oklahoma will dominate this game through the first three quarters before emptying the bench in the fourth. If they get on the board, it’ll be late in the game as the Sooners play out the clock.
Oklahoma 50, Arkansas State 7
Contact/Follow John Williams
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
