The game may not have always been pretty, but the Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) pulled out a 28-11 victory over the SMU Mustangs (1-1). OU also managed to cover the spread. This game may have given us a better idea of what the season will look like for the Sooners.
Defense off to a great start
If you would have told Sooner fans before the game that the defense would hold SMU to just 11 points, I would think they would’ve been very pleased.
The Mustangs only touchdown came on a drive where Oklahoma could not get off the field due to penalties. Other than that, the defense held strong, forcing four punts and two turnovers. The Sooner defense also held the Mustang offense to 4 of 16 on third down and 2 of 4 on fourth down.
Linebacker Danny Stutsman had himself a night with 17 total tackles and a sack.
Tawee Walker is the go-to guy in the backfield
It is looking like Walker has separated himself from the rest of the running back room. He was the Sooners’ leading rusher against SMU by quite a large margin. SMU allowed just 48 total rushing yards in their win against Louisiana Tech. Walker rushed for 117 yards on 21 carries. He was also the third leading receiver for Oklahoma, hauling in three catches for 25 yards. Marcus Major was Oklahoma’s second leading rusher with 39 yards on eight carries.
If Oklahoma fans are wondering who will be getting the majority of the carries this season, it’s looking more and more like Tawee Walker.
Sooners need to crack down on penalties
Oklahoma had nine penalties called against them for 88 yards. As mentioned earlier, two of those came at crucial times when the Sooner defense could have gotten off the field, leading to SMU’s only touchdown of the game, making it just a three-point game. This is an area that needs improvement, so that it does not come back to bite them down the road.
Up Next
The Sooners will make a quick trip for an in-state matchup against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-1) on Sept. 16.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (CT).
