Report Card: Front seven failures, turnovers doom Oklahoma vs. Baylor
Saturday’s effort for the Oklahoma Sooners followed an almost identical script to the game they played against the Kansas State Wildcats. An inability to stop the run, untimely errors on offense, and a chance late to flip the script. However, a crucial fourth-quarter fourth-down stop was too much to ask for. That same scenario played out in the Sooners 38-35 loss to Baylor.
Things weren’t all bad as a collective, but it wasn’t good enough, and that has become an all too familiar feeling after Oklahoma Sooners games this season.
How did Oklahoma perform in this week’s positional report card?
Quarterbacks: C
Nov 5, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) looks to throw against the Baylor Bears during the first half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Dillon Gabriel’s play on Saturday was far from his best and it also wasn’t his worst. He was victimized by a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage that floated in the air before falling right into the hands of a Baylor defender. Another interception credited to him happened while he was trying to target senior tight end Brayden Willis, who looked like he was a victim of a missed pass interference call. There was no flag on the play, and the Bears took over in Sooners’ territory.
The third interception was just a poor decision and throw.
There were a few throws Gabriel would likely love to have back, but all in all, aside from two of those interceptions, this was a fairly decent day. Gabriel finished 22 of 34 for 261 yards and two touchdown passes. Gabriel also did a good job of using his feet to keep the chains moving when necessary adding 70 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Much like the Kansas State game, the Sooners needed more from Gabriel and the offense and fewer turnovers to offset the poor day from the Sooners’ run defense.
Running Backs: B
Nov 5, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Eric Gray (0) runs with the ball against the Baylor Bears during the second half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Eric Gray continued to do Eric Gray things against the Baylor Bears. His 106 yards and two touchdowns led the way for the ground game. Gray also showed off his dual-threat ability, catching eight passes for 58 yards. Marcus Major carried the ball six times for 23 yards as Jovantae Barnes missed yet another game.
Wide Receivers: B
NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 5: Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. #17 of the Oklahoma Sooners pulls down a 63-yard catch for a touchdown against cornerback AJ McCarty #19 of the Baylor Bears in the first quarter at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 5, 2022 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Marvin Mims bounced back in a big way against Baylor posting four catches for 120 yards and a touchdown catch. After three big drops last week, it was good to see him back at the top of the totem pole.
Jalil Farooq contributed three catches for 39 yards, and Drake Stoops added a touchdown reception as well. It was a solid day for the receiving corps. Their production could’ve been better if those turnovers didn’t kill a few drives.
Tight Ends: B-
Nov 5, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners tight end Brayden Willis (9) makes a catch as Baylor Bears cornerback AJ McCarty (19) defends during the first half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Senior tight end and veteran leader Brayden Willis hauled in three catches for 27 yards and continued his solid run of run blocking as well. He continues to remain a key cog in this offense this season, and that doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
Offensive Line: B
Nov 5, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Marcus Major (24) runs with the ball against the Baylor Bears during the second half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
While the timely interceptions did the offense no favors, the offensive line wasn’t to blame. They put forth another admirable effort clearing the way for Dillon Gabriel to find receivers and for Eric Gray.
Baylor only got him for one sack and they did an equally admirable job handling Siaki Ika and the Bears defensive front. Ika will, without a doubt, be playing on Sundays in the NFL.
Andrew Raym was flagged for untimely illegal hands-to-the-face call that took the Sooners out of field goal range. Against a good defensive front, the offensive line played a good game.
Defensive Line: C-
Baylor’s Blake Shapen (12) looks to pass as Oklahoma’s Jalen Redmond (31) makes a sack during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Baylor Bears at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.
Ou Vs Baylor
Oklahoma’s defensive linemen had an up-and-down game. If you take away eight or nine plays in the run game and look at the rest of their body of work, they did an admirable job. Big plays at the most inopportune times did them in.
Jalen Redmond recorded a sack and two tackles for loss, while Reggie Grimes, Jeffery Johnson, and Ethan Downs all contributed in that department as well.
The lack of commitment to some sort of basic defensive identity and alignment hurts the defense more than it helps. The four-man front was when Oklahoma was most adept at stopping the run. Some of Baylor’s biggest plays on the ground came while the Sooners employed odd-man fronts.
The Sooners don’t have the personnel to stop the run using three down linemen. That lack of personnel combined with the insistence to keep going back to it negatively impacted the defensive linemen they do have, thus resulting in the up-and-down performance we saw on the field.
Linebackers: C
Oklahoma’s Nick Evers (7) warms up before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Baylor Bears at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.
Ou Vs Baylor
David Ugwoegbu played a pretty good game. He made a nice play to force a third and long but the play, which was wiped out because of defensive linemen Isaiah Coe’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Yet another moment where a lack of discipline cost Oklahoma.
Danny Stutsman led the team in tackles with 10 and was credited with a QB pressure as well. Jaren Kanak rotated in and then saw snaps when Ugwoegbu went down for a bit. DaShaun White kept up his decent play at Cheetah with eight tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup.
On third and three with the game on the line, Craig Williams exploded through the line of scrimmage untouched for a 43-yard gain to ice the game.
Ultimately, the linebackers’ run fits, coupled with the Baylor Bears taking advantage of Oklahoma every time they went into odd-man fronts, doomed Oklahoma defensively.
Defensive Backs: B-
Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman (5) and Oklahoma’s Justin Harrington (37) celebrate during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Baylor Bears at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.
Ou Vs Baylor
Billy Bowman made the play of the day for the Oklahoma defensive backs as he nabbed his first career interception. The Sooners as a team allowed just 132 pass yards on 23 attempts from Blake Shapen. That performance led to Shapen having a QBR of just 23.7. Key Lawrence started and finished with nine tackles, but whiffed on a tackle attempt that led to a big gain for running back Craig Williams.
Special Teams: B
An OU flag is flown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Baylor Bears at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.
Ou Vs Baylor
Michael Turk only punted twice, and one punt was a touchback. He dropped the ball inside the five-yard line. It looked like the Sooners downed it at the two, but it was ruled a touchback. It was a largely uneventful day for Oklahoma’s award-winning punter.
Meanwhile, Zach Schmit was pretty busy with extra points where he was a perfect 5 of 5, but Schmit missed his only field goal attempt from 55 yards as the first half came to a close.
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