Sooners shine in Saturday’s stellar showing

NORMAN — If there were those unhappy with Oklahoma’s season-opening victory at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, then they’re likely not going to be able to celebrate until the Sooners win their eighth national championship.

To be sure, OU’s 73-0 blasting of Arkansas State was practically flawless, and surely made Sooner coaching legend Barry Switzer happy by hangin’ half a hundred on the Red Wolves.

After last year’s lackluster 6-7 campaign, Brent Venables’ first at the OU helm, there were undoubtedly plenty of antsy Sooner Faithful heading into the opener. They were unrealistic in expecting perfection a year ago, and understandably tempered their enthusiasm in anticipation of OU’s 129th football season.

But early in Saturday’s debut, Dillon Gabriel, Drake Stoops and Gavin Freeman answered any questions to allay any trepidation.

Just 142 seconds into the game, OU owned a 14-0 cushion over Arkansas State, and the rout was on.

The blowout, the was OU’s largest margin in a season opener in 106 years, since a 99-0 win at Central Oklahoma in 1917. It was also OU’s 100th season-opening victory, as the Sooners improved to 100-23-6 all-time in openers and 82-15-4 in home debuts on Owen Field, which hosted its first game in 1923. OU has won seven straight season openers and 13 of its last 14. It was OU’s 18th straight home-opening win.

The Sooners notched the win behind near-perfect outings by quarterbacks Gabriel and freshman Jackson Arnold, who combined fore a school record for completion percentage. The duo teamed up to complete 30 of 33 pass attempts, an eye-popping 90.9%. Gabriel was 19 of 22 on the day for 308 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Arnold celebrated his birthday with an 11 of 11 passing clinic for 114 yards and a TD in his collegiate debut.

The Sooners totaled 642 yards, its fifth most ever in a season opener. OU’s 422 yards through the air were its fourth most in a debut, and OU’s 220 yards on the ground surpassed ASU’s 208 total yards, a paltry 48 of those via the run. The Sooners averaged 7.8 yards per play, far outdistancing the Red Wolves’ 4.2 clip.

The Sooners scored on their first 11 offensive possessions, while ASU’s only scoring threats came on missed field goal attempts from 44 yards in the first quarter and 43 yards in the second stanza.

OU took the opening kickoff and went 70 yards in five plays for all the points it would need for the win. The score came on a 10-yard pass from Gabriel to Stoops.

Following Arkansas State’s first of seven punts on the day, lightning struck for the second consecutive year for Freeman, who was named the Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week. The sophomore from Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hall fielded the punt and raced virtually untouched 82 yards to paydirt for a 14-0 count at the 12:38 mark. A year ago, the first time Freeman touched the ball, he raced 46 yards for a touchdown.

The Sooners capped their third possession with a two-yard score by Marcus Major for a 21-0 advantage with 7:50 left in the opening period.

Aside from a couple of personal fouls in the opening quarter which cost OU 30 yards, the Sooners could do just about anything they wanted against the Red Wolves.

When Freeman hauled in an eight-yard Gabriel pass for a TD — the second time Freeman touched the ball on the day with the same result as his first, it was 28-0 for the Sooners half a minute before the second stanza.

It quickly became a 35-0 game less than three minutes into the second quarter when the Jayden Gibson snared a 33-yard pass from Gabriel to the 1 yard line, then a dive into the end zone by Tawee Walker cashed in for OU.

Gabriel’s five-yard scoring run with 8:33 to go before halftime made it 42-0, and OU was on its way to hangin’ half a hundred on the Red Wolves. A 21-yard Sooner field goal 37 seconds before intermission made it 45-0.

Although it was OU’s 147th consecutive sellout, there were plenty of fans masquerading as empty seats, especially in the upper decks, to start the game. It was worse after halftime, when several fans headed for the house, leaving the Palace on the Prairie half full for the final two quarters.

It was the third game ever between the Sooners and the Red Wolves, and was the most lopsided of the three. OU had amassed a 106-7 advantage in the first two games, including a 61-0 win in 1992 when Gary Gibbs was OU’s coach, and the Sooners scored at will Saturday to add to their series scoring total.

Walker’s two-yard TD at the 9:46 mark made it 52-0, and Gibson made a highlight-reel circus catch on a 21-yard pass from Arnold three minutes later for a 59-0 score.

Arnold rushed for a seven-yard score before the end of the third period, and Kalib Hicks capped OU’s scoring midway through the final frame with a six-yard run to the end zone.

The Sooners host SMU at 5 p.m. next Saturday. Both teams are unbeaten on the young season, after the Mustangs recorded a 38-14 win over Louisiana Tech.