Oklahoma Sooners 44, Baylor Bears 34: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Biggest regular season road win for OU since Kansas State in 2000. That’s how big this win was.
Great efforts by players on both sides of the ball.
The Great
The New Triplets
Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine and Sterling Shepard were just great on Saturday night.
Mayfield is playing quarterback at a level equal to the hallowed three of Josh Heupel, Sam Bradford and Jason White. Meanwhile, Shepard might win OU’s first Biletnikoff Award if he keeps up this level of play. Perine is easily a top five running back in college football.
Defense
Thirty-four points sounds like a lot, but when your opponent is averaging 55, you’ve played great defense. Charles Walker, Charles, Tapper, Jordan Thomas and Jordan Wade all gave great efforts. The linebackers stuffed the run, and the defensive backs forced a bunch of poor throws or throwaways.
OU held Baylor 250 yards below its usual average. Perhaps a much better stat to highlight how well OU’s D played: The Sooners forced six punts and five three-and-outs, more than doubling the Baylor's average punts per game and forcing more than three times its average in three-and-outs.
That’s how you win on the road, playing great defense.
Mental Toughness
OU responded on offense and defense to every move Baylor made. Every time Baylor seemed ready to seize momentum and the game, OU took control back.
Final 10 Minutes
Baylor had just scored to get within three. Mayfield led OU on a six-minute touchdown drive with a possible Heisman moment on and third-and-goal TD pass to Dmitri Flowers. Right after Baylor got the ball back, OU picked off the Bears with four minutes plus to go.
Baylor never got the ball back, as OU killed the clock on offense. OU never gave Baylor a chance to pull off some goofy play/onside kick nonsense.
OU has not shown that level of fourth quarter execution since 2004.
The Good
Offensive Line
The young unit played a very good game. OU doesn’t rush for 250 yards, throw for 270 and score 44 points if the OL isn’t doing something right.
The two personal fouls were bad. Overall, though, they did a good job.
Saturday signified a huge level of improvement from early in the season. OU's OL has a bright future.
Austin Siebert
His punting was really a weapon all night. He flipped the field twice, and in contrast to Baylor’s punter Seibert was much more consistent.
He never put OU in bad field position.
The Bad
I’m just going to skip this. Baylor has a talented roster, and the Bears made some plays.
OU made some bad plays, but it’s not the focus after a big time clutch win.
The Ugly
Targeting No-call
The uncalled targeting penalty by BU safety Taion Sells on Joe Mixon was just awful.
The Baylor DB left his feet, launched at Mixon and smashed his helmet into Mixon’s helmet, knocking it completely off.
The result should have been first-and-goal for OU at Baylor's 7-yard line, with Sells disqualified.
*What’s next?
OU has everything in its grasp. It’s all there if the Sooners win out.
Bob Stoops has a huge opportunity to reverse the trend that has impacted so many of his
colleagues late in their tenures by getting OU back to the national championship picture. OU has to win out, though. Lose to TCU, and all the good vibes may disappear.
The coaching changes have clicked. OU has an All-Big 12 QB again. The Sooners may have players pass for 3,000 yards and top 1,000 yards receiving and rushing for the first time since 2010.
The defensive talent is on the rise, and schematic changes are having an impact.