Game Preview: Tulsa

I apologize for the delay in posting the game preview. It has been a very hectic week. That being said, I'm here with a preview for the season's first away game against our in-state foes.

Photo credit to the University of Tulsa Athletics.

Oklahoma

The Sooners struggled a bit offensively for much of the game against SMU last weekend but had a phenomenal defensive showing, especially by Danny Stutsman and Peyton Bowen. Below are the leaders from week two for OU:

• Passing: Dillon Gabriel, 19/27, 176 yards, four touchdowns

• Rushing: Tawee Walker, 21 rushes, 117 yards

• Receiving: Andrel Anthony, seven receptions, 76 yards, one touchdown

• Tackling: Danny Stutsman, 17 total tackles, five solo, one sack, 2.5 tackles for loss

The offensive line was one of the most significant issues with our offense in week 2. The Sooners had a good rushing attack for much of the game, and it got shut down in other parts. On top of that, Dillon Gabriel was running for his life on almost every pass. The receivers didn't do Gabriel too many favors by not separating from the defensive backs and dropping the ball on at least three occasions. The offense did just enough to win decisively in the fourth quarter but still has many issues to fix. In this game against Tulsa, the Sooners will look to make a statement with the offensive line and receivers. We know Dillon Gabriel is solid. This is a tempo-oriented offense, and it's hard to succeed in such an offense without having dominant OL play paired with good receiver play. This game will be a good test to see how they've adjusted to the adversity they have faced this season.

The defense played an elite game. There is very little the defensive backs or linebackers need to fix. However, the defensive line is one area where you can expect a change in the game plan this week. I was adamant about defending them after week one because of how fast J.T. Shrout got rid of the ball. On top of that, for the second week in a row, except for one or two plays, the line shut down the run game. Despite all of that, in week 2, it was more of the same in terms of a complete lack of pressure on the QB. Almost every play where we pressured Preston Stone last week resulted from a linebacker or corner blitz. The defensive line alone could not find ways to pressure Stone. Some changes you should expect to see against Tulsa in week three are more rotation of the linemen to find who can play consistently, different alignments, and changes in the at-the-snap movement of each lineman. Hopefully, we also see fewer open receivers in zone coverage.

Tulsa

They are coming off a blowout 43-10 loss to #8 Washington in week two and are hoping to fare better against Oklahoma at home this week. On offense and defense, they are good on the run but not very good through the air. Below are the leaders from week two for Tulsa:

• Passing: Roman Fuller, 12/18, 85 yards, one touchdown

• Rushing: Jordan Ford, 15 rushes, 67 yards

• Receiving: Braylin Presley, three receptions, 54 yards

• Tackling: Kanion Williams, seven total tackles, three solo, 0.5 tackles for loss, one pass deflection

This offense tries to have a balanced offensive attack. Last week, they threw the ball 32 times and ran it 40 times. Despite this, they aren't very balanced in the success of their offense. Their rushing attack averages 214 yards per game, with Jordan Ford leading the way. Their passing game? 203 yards per game. Those are excellent rushing numbers, but you need to average more than 203 yards per game through the air to have a successful passing game. Against Washington last week, they used two quarterbacks, neither of whom crossed 100 yards through the air. Given how the OU defense has played, Tulsa's best shot at success through the air against OU this weekend would be in short out-routes/curls thrown to the outside within 2 seconds of the snap.

The Hurricanes' defense has contained the run pretty well but struggled mightily against the pass. They're allowing only 105.5 yards per game on the ground, but they're allowing 302 yards per game through the air. Tulsa's game against Washington last week was their first against a good quarterback, and Pennix threw for 409 yards and three touchdowns. So, how will the Hurricanes' defense succeed against Oklahoma's offense? Pressure. Lots of it. If they send 5-6 rushers on every snap, Dillon Gabriel will need to force things down the field, and the running game could struggle. Prepare to see Tulsa bring a lot of pressure to slow down Oklahoma's offense.

Prediction

Tulsa has been a quality team over the past few years, but this year isn't one of them. Oklahoma currently outranks Tulsa in the following categories: Total yards per game, passing yards per game, total yards allowed per game, passing yards allowed per game, rushing yards allowed per game, and points allowed per game. Tulsa is only outdoing the Sooners in rushing yards per game, but they only lead that statistic by 13.5 yards. I'm expecting the Sooners to bounce back offensively while improving on defense. We'll give up a score at some point in the first half, but Tulsa won't find points after that.

Score Prediction: Oklahoma 56, Tulsa 7

Oklahoma Yardage

• Passing Yards: 280+

• Rushing Yards: 180+

• Total Yards: 460+

Tulsa Yardage

• Passing Yards: 150-200

• Rushing Yards: 50-75

• Total Yards: 200-275

Oklahoma must make a statement this week against Tulsa as we prepare to go up against quality conference opponents. This game against Tulsa is the perfect opportunity to show we know where our issues are and how to fix them. Boomer Sooner!

All stats above courtesy of ESPN.