OU football shuts down Missouri, moves closer to CFP bid | 5 takeaways
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NORMAN — OU is one win away from the College Football Playoff.
Outside of allowing points on Missouri’s opening drive, the Sooners’ defense overwhelmed Missouri in a 17-6 win Saturday at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. OU dominated the second half, forcing two turnovers and holding the Tigers to just 122 yards and zero points.
Linebacker Owen Heinecke led the Sooners with nine total tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry.
OU defensive lineman Gracen Halton added two tackles for loss, while Taylor Wein notched a sack and a half and two tackles for loss. Wein has now recorded six sacks and 14 tackles for loss this season.
The Sooners held Missouri to zero touchdowns and 2-for-14 on third down despite the Tigers possessing the ball for five minutes longer.
Here are four more takeaways from the Sooners’ (9-2, 5-2 SEC) win:
OU’s offense does enough
Entering the second quarter, the Sooners’ offense had only recorded minus-7 total yards, while having the ball for just two minutes and 45 seconds.
Then, something flipped.
In the second, quarterback John Mateer found wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III for an 87-yard touchdown. Mateer also connected with Javonnie Gibson for an 8-yard score.
OU’s offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, but it did enough to win.
Mateer completed 14 of his 30 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 60 yards, — three more than Mizzou running back Ahmad Hardy — which included a 14-yard scramble on third-and-7 late in the fourth quarter.
With his surgeon, Dr. Steven Shin, in attendance, Mateer looked a lot closer to his pre-injury self, attempting a plethora of deep passes for the first time in weeks and putting the ball in spots for his receivers to make plays.
The chatter all week leading up to the game was, “Can the Sooners’ offense do enough to keep winning?”
It wasn’t pretty again, but OU will live to see another day in the playoff race.
Sooners’ banged up run game struggles
A week after injuring himself against Alabama, Xavier Robinson gutted it out for the Sooners.
Amidst a banged up running backs unit, the former Carl Albert High School standout rushed 12 times for 42 yards, despite limping off the field several times in OU’s win. No other running back carried the ball.
Tory Blaylock, who has been dealing with an injury over the past several weeks, saw limited action against Mizzou. Running back Jovantae Barnes hasn’t played since the Auburn game on Sept. 20 and hasn’t been traveling with the team on road trips.
Sooners coach Brent Venables said this week his team’s running back depth would be tested in the final two games.
That was putting it lightly.
“Hopeful that we can stay healthy,” Venables said. “We’re probably going to have to spread it out a little more to manage the next couple of weeks.”
Robinson also led OU in receptions with four for 16 yards.
Tate Sandell extends field goal streak to 22
Tate Sandell continued his dominance against the Tigers.
With 11:36 remaining in the third quarter, Sandell drilled a 45-yarder with ease to give the Sooners a 17-6 lead. The make was the UTSA transfer’s 22nd consecutive and he’s now 22 of 23 this season.
Sandell was named a Groza Award semifinalist this week.
Powers, Johnson sequence reminiscent of Alabama turn of events
OU experienced some deja vu.
Last week against Alabama, one play after linebacker Kobie McKinzie failed to pick up a fumble, Eli Bowen recorded an 87-yard pick-six to put the Sooners on the board.
This week, one play after OU defensive back Reggie Powers III was ejected following a targeting call, Jacobe Johnson picked off Beau Pribula.
The Sooners’ defense has preached having a short-term memory and creating opportunistic turnovers.
OU will aim to punch its ticket into the 12-team field when it hosts LSU in its regular-season finale at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday, Nov. 29, at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on either ABC or ESPN.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
OU vs. LSU
KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman (ABC or ESPN)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football stymies Missouri, nears berth in College Football Playoff
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