The No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners (1-0) face the Southern Methodist Mustangs (1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. (CT). The Mustangs should provide a much tougher test for the Sooners than Arkansas State.
Points of Emphasis for Oklahoma
No mistakes on offense:
If the Oklahoma defense happens to struggle against Rhett Lashlee’s Air-Raid scheme, there is a chance this could turn into a shootout. That is why the Sooner offense needs to take advantage of every opportunity they get. SMU’s offense can score in a hurry, so don’t give them any hope by committing turnovers and keeping them in the game.
Get pressure on the quarterback:
The Sooners only recorded one sack in week one. That had a lot to do with Arkansas State making a point of emphasis to get rid of the ball early, but that will need to change in week two. Preston Stone, SMU’s starting quarterback and highest-rated recruit in program history, threw three touchdown passes for 248 yards in a 38-14 victory over Louisiana Tech. On top of that, he did not get sacked one time. OU’s defensive will need to create some pressure and maybe force a turnover or two.
Points of Emphasis for SMU
Test Oklahoma’s secondary:
Oklahoma’s secondary struggled last season in a big way. They look to be much improved this year, but expect SMU’s offense to attack OU’s secondary aggressively. Stone has plenty of weapons to throw the ball to, such as TCU transfer Jordan Hudson and RJ Maryland. They also have running back LJ Johnson Jr. who rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries against Louisiana Tech.
Get off the field on third down:
The Mustang defense is going to have to get off the field because if you couldn’t tell from week one, the Sooners can also score in a hurry. If SMU can force a couple three-and-outs, or even just hold Oklahoma to a few field goals, that could be the difference in a close game or a blowout.
Prediction: 45-24 Oklahoma
