Game Day 10-26

gameday

October 26, 2024

The View, G3 | Gameday Info, G4 Player Spotlight, G5 | Scouting the Opponent, G6 Things to Watch, G7

Gameday

Recipes Ingredients 1/2 to 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 1/3 cup barbecue sauce 1/4 cup whiskey 2 tablespoons liquid smoke 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Whiskey Barbecue Pork

3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

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to 4 pounds) 1 medium onion, quartered 8 hamburger buns, split

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/whiskey-barbecue-pork

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SAT U R DAY, O C T O BE R 2 6 , 2 0 2 4 • GA M E DAY

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THE VIEW

Beyond winning Sooners mired in such a funk, progress, not victory, all that can be asked t just doesn’t matter.

Do you remember it, that particular phrase?

Maybe heard it in movie, a bunch of kids chanting it, led by an adult?

Type it into Google and by the time you’ve pecked out “It just doesn’t,” the search engine’s likely to offer “matter meatballs.”

Because “Meatballs” was the movie, Bill Murray was the adult, and one way or another, Murray’s kids from Camp Northstar were going to find a way to take down the cooler and more athletic kids from Camp Mohawk because, well … “It just doesn’t matter.”

Oklahoma football, though, will be experiencing a mostly different version of “It just doesn’t matter” when it arrives in Oxford to meet Ole Miss inside VaughtHemingway Stadium.

A competition’s at hand, so maybe that’s a similarity, and the way it’s gone for the

I

Oklahoma at Ole Miss

Clay Horning GUEST COLUMNIST

Sooner offense, Bill Murray, not Seth Littrell, might as well have been the offensive coordinator the first seven games of the season, so there’s that, too.

Mostly, it just doesn’t matter for the Sooners because it happens to be the Bulldogs, but it could be anybody; it happens to be in Oxford, but it could be anywhere; because not the opponent, not the site, not even the conference matters.

All that matters is OU. Heck no, these Sooners aren’t going to go win — it’s true, there was the day Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in Tokyo and the night Chaminade stunned Ralph Sampson and No. 1 Virginia in Honolulu, so maybe anybody has a slight puncher’s chance — but maybe they’ll hit for a couple

When: Saturday, 11 a.m.

Where: VaughtHemingway Stadium, Oxford, Miss.

TV: ESPN Radio: KREF FM 99.3 / AM 1400

plays more than 20 yards; maybe they’ll limit Ole Miss to four or five sacks rather than nine; maybe they won’t have their tight ends, Bauer Sharp and Jake Roberts on islands, trying to handle big-time defensive ends.

Hey, I’m hardly qualified to be a playbook author, but maybe line those guys up in the slot so somebody has to account for them rather than run around them on the way to Jackson Arnold, after all they’re far better receivers than blockers.

It’s an idea.

Anyway, that’s where OU finds itself.

The defense is terrific and if it can force an opponent to See HORNING on G10

Paxson Haws | The Transcript

OU wide receiver J.J. Hester slides to the ground after trying to catch the ball as the Oklahoma Sooners competed against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024.

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OU FOOTBALL NUMERICAL ROSTER 0 Kalib Hicks RB 5-11 213 R-Fr. 0 David Stone DL 6-3 294 Fr. 1 Jayden Gibson WR 6-5 197 Jr. 1 Dasan McCullough LB 6-5 223 Jr. 2 Jovantae Barnes RB 6-0 207 Jr. 2 Billy Bowman Jr. DB 5-10 200 Sr. 3 Jalil Farooq WR 6-1 207 Sr. 3 Robert Spears-Jennings DB 6-1 219 Jr. 4 Nic Anderson WR 6-4 219 R-So. 4 Dez Malone DB 6-0 204 Sr. 5 Andrel Anthony WR 6-1 183 Sr. 5 Woodi Washington DB 5-11 195 R-Sr. 6 Deion Burks WR 5-9 190 R-Jr. 6 Nigel Smith II DL 6-4 267 Fr. 7 Jaren Kanak LB 6-2 223 Jr. 7 Zion Kearney WR 6-1 200 Fr. 8 Taylor Tatum RB 5-10 205 Fr. 8 Makari Vickers DB 6-1 192 So. 9 Michael Hawkins Jr. QB 6-1 204 Fr. 9 Gentry Williams DB 6-0 187 Jr. 10 Kip Lewis LB 6-1 221 R-So. 10 Bauer Sharp TE 6-4 247 R-Jr. 11 Jackson Arnold QB 6-1 211 So. 11 Kobie McKinzie LB 6-2 242 R-So. 12 Devon Jordan DB 5-11 179 Fr. 12 Brendan Zurbrugg QB 6-2 202 Fr. 13 J.J. Hester WR 6-4 202 R-Sr. 13 Reggie Powers III DB 5-11 208 Fr. 14 Jaydan Hardy DB 5-10 174 Fr. 14 Steele Wasel QB 6-3 219 R-Fr. 15 Kendel Dolby DB 5-11 185 Sr. 15 Brenen Thompson WR 5-9 165 Jr. 16 Danny Okoye DL 6-3 253 Fr. 16 Casey Thompson QB 6-0 192 R-Sr. 17 Taylor Heim LB 6-6 216 R-Fr. 17 Jaquaize Pettaway WR 5-10 189 So. 18 Kaden Helms TE 6-5 239 R-So. 18 Erik McCarty DB 6-1 185 R-Fr. 19 Jacobe Johnson WR/DB 6-2 200 So. 19 Kade McIntyre TE 6-3 221 R-Fr. 20 Lewis Carter LB 6-0 227 So. 20 Sam Franklin RB 5-10 198 R-Jr. 21 Jeremiah Newcombe DB 5-9 182 Fr.

21 Xavier Robinson RB 6-0 222 Fr. 22 Peyton Bowen DB 6-0 200 So 22 Chapman McKown RB 5-5 174 R-Fr. 23 Eli Bowen DB 5-9 186 Fr. 23 Emeka Megwa RB 6-0 211 R-Jr. 24 Samuel Omosigho LB 6-2 236 So. 25 Andy Bass RB 5-11 208 Fr. 25 Michael Boganowski DB 6-2 211 Fr. 26 Kani Walker DB 6-2 205 R-Jr. 27 Jayden Rowe DB 6-2 223 R-So. 27 Gavin Sawchuk RB 5-11 200 R-So. 28 KJ Daniels WR 5-9 152 Fr. 28 Danny Stutsman LB 6-4 241 Sr. 29 Casen Calmus DB 5-10 196 R-Fr. 29 Gabe Sawchuk RB 5-10 185 Fr. 30 Trace Ford DL 6-2 246 R-Sr. 31 Cale Fugate DB 5-10 190 R-Fr. 31 Ashton Logan P 6-2 217 R-So. 32 R Mason Thomas DL 6-2 240 Jr. 33 Phil Picciotti LB 6-3 239 R-Fr. 34 Adepoju Adebawore DL 6-4 251 So. 34 Zach Schmit K/P 5-10 196 R-Sr. 35 Liam Evans K 5-7 181 Fr. 35 Jakeb Snyder DB 5-8 180 R-Fr. 36 Josh Plaster K/P 6-0 187 R-Sr. 38 Owen Heinecke LB 6-2 227 R-So. 39 Peter Schuh DB 5-8 184 R-So. 40 Ethan Downs DL 6-4 265 Sr. 41 Emmett Jones III DB 6-0 182 R-Fr. 42 Wyatt Gilmore DL 6-4 245 Fr. 44 Taylor Wein DL 6-4 267 R-Fr. 45 Hampton Fay TE 6-5 245 R-Jr. 45 Mykel Patterson-McDonald DB 5-10 172 Fr. 46 Dax Noles DB 6-0 192 Fr. 47 James Nesta LB 6-3 216 Fr. 48 Luke Elzinga P 6-4 229 R-Sr. 48 Jocelyn Malaska DB 6-1 186 R-So. 50 Ben Anderson LS 6-5 240 R-So. 51 Branson Hickman OL 6-2 301 R-Sr. 52 Troy Everett OL 6-3 308 R-Jr. 52 Damonic Williams DL 6-1 319 Jr. 54 Febechi Nwaiwu OL 6-4 339 R-Jr. 55 Eddy Pierre-Louis OL 6-3 305 Fr.

55 Ashton Sanders DL 6-1 295 R-Fr. 56 Eugene Brooks OL 6-3 336 Fr. 56 Gracen Halton DL 6-2 291 Jr. 57 Gunnar Allen OL 6-0 297 R-So. 58 Spencer Brown OL 6-6 321 R-Sr. 58 Ethan Lane LS 5-11 230 R-Sr. 61 Kenneth Wermy OL 6-5 305 R-Fr. 64 Joshua Bates OL 6-3 309 R-Fr. 65 Jayden Jackson DL 6-2 300 Fr. 65 Ty Kubicek OL 6-2 294 R-Fr. 66 Geirean Hatchett OL 6-5 312 R-Sr. 70 Michael Tarquin OL 6-6 317 R-Sr 71 Logan Howland OL 6-6 317 R-Fr. 72 Josh Aisosa OL 6-3 323 Fr. 73 Isaiah Autry-Dent OL 6-6 310 Fr. 74 Evan McClure OL 6-4 275 Fr. 75 Daniel Akinkunmi OL 6-6 321 Fr. 76 Jacob Sexton OL 6-6 322 Jr. 77 Heath Ozaeta OL 6-5 318 R-Fr. 79 Jake Taylor OL 6-6 309 R-So. 80 Josh Fanuiel TE 6-3 250 R-Jr. 80 Bergin Kysar DL 6-3 245 Fr. 81 Zion Ragins WR 5-8 145 Fr. 82 Ivan Carreon WR 6-6 223 Fr. 83 Major Melson WR 5-10 187 R-Sr. 84 Davon Mitchell TE 6-3 250 Fr. 85 Trey Brown WR 5-9 181 R-Fr. 87 Jake Roberts TE 6-4 252 Sr. 88 Jacob Jordan WR 5-9 182 Fr. 89 Eli Merck WR 6-0 206 R-Fr. 90 Caiden Woullard DL 6-4 259 Sr. 91 Drew Heinig DL 6-5 288 R-Fr. 93 Ace Hodges DL 6-1 284 Fr. 94 Mari Atchison DL 6-2 268 Fr. 95 Da’Jon Terry DL 6-3 323 R-Sr. 96 Davon Sears DL 6-2 295 R-Sr. 97 Kyle Carlson LB 6-3 190 R-Fr. 98 Tyler Keltner K 5-11 181 R-Sr. 99 Markus Strong DL 6-3 290 R-Fr. Last updated Aug. 7, 2024 Weights as of June 27, 2024

OU Two-Deep Roster OFFENSE QB 11 Jackson Arnold 9 Michael Hawkins Jr. RB 2 Jovantae Barnes OR 27 Gavin Sawchuk TE 10 Bauer Sharp OR 87 Jake Roberts WR 15 Brenen Thompson 4 Nic Anderson LT 70 Michael Tarquin 71 Logan Howland LG 76 Jacob Sexton 77 Heath Ozaeta 51 Branson Hickman OR 52 Troy Everett RG 54 Febechi Nwaiwu 55 Eddy Pierre-Louis RT 79 Jake Taylor OR 58 Spencer Brown SLOT 6 Deion Burks 17 Jaquaize Pettaway WR 13 J.J. Hester 7 Zion Kearney

DEFENSE

AVAIL ABILIT Y REPORT OLE MISS CB Cedric Beavers — Out RB Logan Diggs — Out RB Matt Jones — Doubtful WR Tre Harris — Questionable OL Jayden Williams — Questionable OL Jeremy James — Questionable

DE Princely Umanmielen — Probable LB TJ Dottery — Probable WR Cayden Lee — Probable

OKLAHOMA WR Jayden Gibson — Out WR Jalil Farooq — Out WR Nic Anderson — Out

WR Andrel Anthony — Out DB Gentry Williams — Out DB Kendel Dolby — Out OL Geirean Hatchett — Out RB Gavin Sawchuk — Doubtful WR Deion Burks — Questionable

LDE 40 Ethan Downs 90 Caiden Woullard DT 65 Jayden Jackson 56 Gracen Halton NT 52 Damonic Williams OR 95 Da’Jon Terry

RDE 32 R Mason Thomas 30 Trace Ford MIKE 28 Danny Stutsman OR 11 Kobie McKinzie WILL 10 Kip Lewis OR 28 Danny Stutsman CHEETAH 24 Samuel Omosigho 1 Dasan McCullough LCB 26 Kani Walker OR 5 Woodi Washington SS 2 Billy Bowman Jr. 14 Jaydan Hardy FS 22 Peyton Bowen OR 3 Robert Spears-Jennings RCB 4 Dez Malone OR 9 Jacobe Johnson SPECIALISTS 34 Zach Schmit 98 Tyler Keltner 48 Luke Elzinga 31 Ashton Logan KO 34 Zach Schmit 98 Tyler Keltner KR 2 Billy Bowman Jr. 6 Deion Burks PR 22 Peyton Bowen 2 Billy Bowman Jr. LS 50 Ben Anderson 58 Ethan Lane 36 Josh Plaster 48 Luke Elzinga As of South Carolina Game

As of Wednesday’s report

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SAT U R DAY, O C T O BE R 2 6 , 2 0 2 4 • GA M E DAY

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PL AYER SPOTLIGHT

Walk-on Jacob Jordan’s big game a reminder for Sooners to ‘stay ready’ TARIK MASRI TRANSCRIPT SPORTS E D I TO R

Jacob Jordan didn’t expect to see any action during last week’s game against South Carolina.

When he arrived on campus this year as a tr ue freshman walk-on, it wasn’t guaranteed he would see the field at all this season. Listed at 5-9, 182 pounds, the wide receiver from South Lake Carroll, Texas only received scholarship offers from a few FBS schools.

Texas Tech, North Texas, Tulsa and Western Kentucky all sent offers, but when Jordan got an offer to be a preferred walk-on in Norman, he jumped at the opportunity.

“To be honest with you, it wasn’t that hard for me,” Jordan said. “I was confident in my abilities, and I know it was going to take a lot of work, obviously, but I was confident that I was going to able to come in here and play.”

Jordan didn’t just end up playing last week against the Gamecocks, he was the Sooners’ biggest offensive bright spot in a frustrating 35-9 loss.

He had three targets in the

OU Football Schedule Oklahoma 51, Temple 3 Oklahoma 16, Houston 12 Oklahoma 34, Tulane 19 Tennessee 25, Oklahoma 15 Oklahoma 27, Auburn 21 BYE WEEK Texas 34, Oklahoma 3 South Carolina 35, Oklahoma 9 Oct. 26 at Ole Miss,

Paxson Haws | The Transcript

OU wide receiver Jacob Jordan tries to out run his opponent as the Oklahoma Sooners competed against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Oct. 19. second quarter and caught all three. The second went for 27 yards, which is the team’s seventh-longest completion this season.

“Halfway through the second quarter, Coach (Emmett) Jones just told me I’m in,” Jordan said. “So I went in there and made the most of

my opportunity and made a few plays. I’m happy with it.”

He caught three more passes in the fourth quarter including two for 18-yard gains.

Not only did Jordan lead the game in receiving with six catches for 86 yards, he tied the most receiving yards

by any OU player this season.

The other, J.J. Hester against Auburn, reached that mark primarily from a 60-yard completion in the fourth quarter.

The only other receiver that has played as complete a game statistically as Jordan did last Saturday was Deion

Burks against Tulane (seven catches for 80 yards).

Nothing has come easy for the Sooners’ offense this season, but the undersized true freshman was made it look easy in his first action.

“I remember him coming up to me saying, ‘Man, it’s easier than in practice,’” junior Brenen Thompson said.

Oklahoma’s receiving corp was its deepest position group on the offense coming into the season, but has been decimated by injuries. The Sooners have been down five starting wide receivers since the Tennessee game over a month ago.

The true freshman was still a long-shot from seeing play-

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ing time, but after several weeks of poor offensive performances, the Sooners are looking for a spark.

Still, OU head coach Brent Venables said he didn’t simply get playing time because the team was desperate. Jordan has been doing all the right things in practice to earn the trust of his coaches.

He’s an excellent route runner with great situational awareness and the right attitude to get better.

Venables sees Jordan as a great example for other players on the team.

“That was a message to guys to stay ready, keep working, keep developing, See SPOTLIGHT on G10

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Scouting the opponent: Ole Miss Rebels week against the Gamecocks, OU could have a chance if it’s able to limit the Rebels offense, which has the capability to be explosive.

DAVIS CORDOVA CNHI SPORTS OKL AHOMA

Last Meeting

Losing two of its last three has Ole Miss scrambling for a win.

No. 19 Ole Miss will host Oklahoma football on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN in Oxford, Mississippi. The Rebels are coming off of a bye week, but lost two weeks ago at No. 13 LSU in overtime and at the end of September, lost to Kentucky at home. In both games, the Rebels lost by a field goal.

The Rebels’ lone win is at South Carolina by 24 points – the same team that trounced the Sooners last week in OU’s worst home loss since 2014.

Ole Miss has a reasonable schedule and has played just one ranked opponent (LSU), but is still a good football team that still has an outside chance at the CFP. The Rebels, though, would need to win-out including Saturday’s game.

The Sooners roll into Oxford with a new offensive coordinator and a new, or returning, starting quarterback. Will there be significant change? Who knows, but the Rebels have shown to wield strengths that OU has had trouble with this season.

1999 Independence Bowl Ole Miss 27, Oklahoma 25 • The final college football game of the 20th century.

• Rebels’ 39-yard field goal with no time left thwarted an 18-point second-half comeback.

• OU would go on to win its next 20 games, its next loss wouldn’t come for 666 days (Nebraska, 2001).

Artie Walker Jr. | Associated Press

Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin, left, talks to quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. Here is a breakdown of the SEC teams – have been somewhat of a struggle.

Ole Miss team: The Rebels have standout OFFENSE quarterback Jaxson Dart, The Rebels have one of the who is third in the country best offenses in the country, in passing yards with 2,384 but the past three weeks – and is the third-most efficient since the Rebels have played quarterback.

Georgia State – teams with a combined record of 12-16.

In the past three games, the Rebels have averaged 23.3 points per game and scored just seven offensive touchdowns in SEC play.

The Rebels scored 27 points against the Gamecocks three weeks ago in a win. Ole Miss scored three touchdowns – all were less than 5-yard runs for a touchdown.

Hope for OU is that the Rebels have had struggles against SEC defenses – like South Carolina’s offense – and that if OU doesn’t have a start similar to the one last

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Ole Miss’ greatest strength will go against OU’s greatest weakness.

The Rebels’ defensive line is one of the best in the country and is the best group on the team.

The Rebels are tied-seventh in the country in sacks with 24 this season, while OU has allowed 29 so far – second-worst in the country.

Ole Miss has feasted on offensive line’s all season with defensive end Jared Ivey leading the team in sacks with five while six other Rebels have at least 1.5 sacks this season.

Two weeks ago, though, the Rebels had zero sacks against LSU, but had six against South Carolina the game before.

The Rebels have allowed just 10.6 points per game this season – mostly from the nonconference schedule where they allowed just 22 points – but still pose a huge threat to the OU offense, which has struggled with pass protection all season.

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Ole Miss is also second in the country in total offense, averaging 560.7 yards per game, but much of that historic offensive success came in the first four games against Furman, Middle Tennessee State, Wake Forest and

DEFENSE

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SAT U R DAY, O C T O BE R 2 6 , 2 0 2 4 • GA M E DAY

3 THINGS TO WATCH

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STATS TO KNOW

DAVIS CORDOVA

TARIK MASRI

CNHI SPORTS OKL AHOMA

TRANSCRIPT SPORTS E D I TO R

1. OU’S DEFENSE WITH A BETTER START The Sooners got off to one of the worst starts they could possibly have last week with three turnovers – two returned for touchdowns – and a 21-0 deficit early in the first quarter against South Carolina. The defense was put into a bad situation and was dealt a bad hand, but the Sooners’ defense put up a good fight against the Gamecocks, limiting South Carolina to just 12 points following the meltdown.

The Ole Miss offense has seen a struggle since starting SEC play, but the Rebels have statistically the thirdbest offense in the country.

In the Rebels’ last three games, losing two of those, they have averaged just above 23 points per game.

For the Sooners, a better start will go a long way for the defense to get into a rhythm and use its ability to keep the Sooners in the game.

2. ARNOLD’S RETURN Ja c k s o n A r n o l d w a s benched during the Tennessee game, but after Michael Hawkins Jr.’s historically bad start last week, Arnold got back into the game and playe d de c ent ly, wh ich

271

Paxson Haws | The Transcript

OU defensive back Reggie Powers III before the Oklahoma Sooners competed against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024. earned him the start for this week in Oxford.

A r nold t hrew for 225 yards and a touchdown on a 50% competition percentage against the Gamecocks last week. It was the most yards Arnold has thrown in a game since the Alamo Bowl last season.

Arnold will still have many wide receivers out, with four of the five starting receivers ruled out for Saturday and Deion Burks listed as questionable, and still have the same struggling offensive line from his first four starts, but he does have a new coordinator.

Seth Littrell was fired on Sunday after seven games

as offensive coordinator and Joe Jon Finley will be calling offensive plays. This will be his first time calling plays, but he did spend the South Carolina game in the press box with Littrell.

It’s unsure whether or not there will be a positive difference from the change, but surely with a change that massive in the middle of a season, there will be many changes to the way the Sooners call plays and what plays are called.

not been great.

Ou is second-to-last in the country in sacks allowed, while Ole Miss is tied for seventh in the country in team sacks. That matchup alone doesn’t bode well for the Sooners.

Sacks are drive-killers and was apparent last week when multiple drives were squashed by a sack from the Gamecocks, sacking OU’s quarterbacks nine times.

The Rebels biggest strength is its ability to get to the quarterback and into the backfield to disrupt plays.

3. OU’S WEAKNESS For OU, eff icient pass AGAINST THE REBELS’ blocking is key for any type STRENGTH of success on offense on SatThe OU offensive line has urday.

Through seven games, Ole Miss has outgained its opponents by 300 or more yards four times. Meanwhile, the Sooners’ offense has reached 300 yards of total offense just three times all season.

The Rebels are ranked first nationally in yards per game margin at 271 yards per game. They rank first in the SEC and second nationally in total offense and fifth in the SEC and 13th national in total defense.

Sooners hadn’t been at an SEC venue since facing Alabama in 2003. Still, the Sooners have had a pedestrian road record in three seasons under Brent Venables. They’ve gone 5-5 in that time and are still looking for their first ranked road win.

2.9

The Sooners’ run defense had a bounce-back game against South Carolina after their worst performance of the season the week before against Texas. They held the Gamecocks to 74 yards rushing on 41 carries and are ninth nationally in yards allowed per rush (2.9). The 39 It isn’t hard to guess where Rebels lead the way allowthe football is going when ing just under 2.0 yards per Jaxson Dart steps back to rush. pass. Out of his 151 com28 pletions, 39.1% have been Saturday will mark just caught by Tre Harris, who currently leads the nation in the 28th game the Soonreceiving yards (987), which ers have played as an AP is the largest share by a QB/ unranked team since the WR duo in the FBS. Har- 2000 season. Oklahoma ris averages 8.4 catches per is 17-10 in those games. 11 of them have come against game. ra nked opponents a nd 5 they’ve gone 7-4 in those Oklahoma is a perfect games.

5-0 all-time when facing SEC opponents on the road. Tarik Masri is the sports The Sooners have only editor for The Transcript played one true road game covering OU athletics and this season and pulled out area sports. You can reach a comeback victory over him by emailing tarik@ Auburn. Before that, the normantranscript.com

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WHAT TO WATCH

LSU visits Texas A&M to battle for first place in the SEC ERIC OLSON A P C O L L E G E F O OT B A L L WRITER

No. 8 LSU’s visit to No. 14 Texas A&M this weekend gives us an improbable, late October battle for first place in the Southeastern Conference.

The Tigers were picked fifth in the preseason media poll and the Aggies ninth.

Both have won six straight since season-opening losses and are the only SEC teams unbeaten in conference play.

LSU’s ascent has coincided with freshman Caden Durham’s emergence at running back and first-year defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s unit coalescing since linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. and defensive lineman Jacobian Guillory went out with season-ending injuries.

Texas A&M was without quarterback Conner Weigman for three games because of a shoulder injury. Marcel Reed was solid as Weigman’s replacement, and the Aggies have been able to lean on running back Le’Veon Moss and a Nic Scourton-led defense that’s allowed 20 points or fewer in five games.

The SEC’s other Top 25 matchup has No. 5 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt. The

Longhorns have a shaky quarterback situation coming out of last week’s loss to Georgia. The Commodores, on a three-game winning streak and ranked for the first time in more than a decade, already have beaten Alabama and are looking to collect another big pelt.

No. 20 Illinois will play its first regular-season game west of the Rocky Mountains since 2014 when it visits No. 1 Oregon. The Illini have beaten three Top 25 opponents after having gone 3-40 against ranked teams since the 2008 Rose Bowl. The Ducks entered the week No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2012 and are 7-0 for the first time since 2013.

No. 24 Navy, which has been part of one of the season’s feel-good stories along with No. 23 Army, will put its unblemished record on the line when it faces No. 12 Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

BEST GAME No. 8 LSU (6-1, 3-0 SEC) at No. 14 Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC) This matchup, like many, could have major College

NUMBERS TO KNOW 7 — Consecutive seasons Kansas State has blocked at least one punt, the longest streak in the nation.

8 — Consecutive quarters Oklahoma has not scored a touchdown.

13 — Tulane’s winning streak in regular-season conference games (AAC), longest in the nation.

81.6% — Ohio State quarterbac k W i l l How a r d’s completion rate over the past two games (49 of 60).

598 — Career scrimmage touches by Rutgers fifth-year running back Kyle Monangai — all with no fumbles, according to Sportradar.

UNDER THE RADAR Randy J. Williams | Associated Press

Texas A&M offensive lineman Ar’maj Reed-Adams (55) and running back Le’Veon Moss (8) react during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Starkville, Miss.

Football Playoff implications by the end of the season. That particularly resonates with A&M’s 12th Man fan base, which hasn’t forgotten being left out of the four-team playoff in 2020 in favor of Notre Dame. The Aggies are looking for a second top-10 win here.

Mike Elko is off to the best start by a first-year Aggies coach since D.X. Bible went

8-0 in 1917. LSU’s roll has included narrow wins over South Carolina and Mississippi.

The home team has won each of the last seven meetings. A&M is favored by 2 1/2 points, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

building his case. His 319 yards passing against Louisville last week made him the first Hurricanes quarterback to throw for over 300 in seven consecutive games. His average of 362.6 per game leads the nation, as do his 24 touchdown passes. Next up is the rivalry game against HEISMAN WATCH floundering Florida State at Miami’s Cam Ward keeps home.

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No. 17 Boise State (5-1, 2-0 MWC) at UNLV (6-1, 2-0), Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network) The CFP’s expansion to 12 teams guarantees a bid to the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion, and both of these teams are in the thick of the race for it.

If the season ended today, Boise State would be the G5 entry based on an AP Top 25-based projection. UNLV is getting the third-most votes See LSU on G9

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among teams outside the Top 25, and No. 23 Army and No. 24 Navy right now represent the American Athletic Conference’s best chances.

Br onc o s s t a r A s hton Jeanty will be challenged by the Mountain West’s top run defense. The Rebels are bowl-eligible in consecutive seasons for the first time.

Regardless of outcome, these teams could meet again Dec. 6 in the MWC title game.

HOT SEAT Lincoln Riley won 17 of his first 20 games at Southern California; he’s lost nine of his last 14.

The Trojans have not shown themselves to be finishers during their 1-4 start in Big Ten play. The four losses are by a combined 14 points, and all in games USC held leads in the second half.

Last week’s collapse in a 29-28 loss at Maryland was egregious. The Terrapins, down 28-14 with 13 minutes left, converted two fourth downs during a touchdown drive and a two-point pass, and a blocked field goal and pass interference penalty set up the winning touchdown with 53 seconds left.

The heat will get turned up another notch if the Trojans Michael Woods | Associated Press don’t win at home against LSU running back Caden Durham (29) dives into the end zone for a touchdown against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college football Rutgers, which has lost three game Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. straight.

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cough the ball up multiple times inside the Sooner red zone, maybe the earth will stop spinning on its axis and deliver Sooner Nation a victory.

Otherwise, any imagined progress is bound to come in the tiniest increments because the offensive linemen OU selected in the transfer portal last offseason were either talentless hacks despite several power conference starts or simply aren’t being reached by timeless assistant Bill Bedenbaugh, whose magic may have run out or at least taken hiatus.

I have no idea what Joe Jon Finley can do his first week on the job and it’s reasonable to be concerned he might actually fare worse than Littrell.

He’s never play-called before, though he finished up as a Sooner player 17 years ago it somehow feels more like 5 or 10 and it’s hard not to worry the space between his idea of what the offense he’s inherited can

keep believing in yourself, trust the process, all of those things,” he said. “He’s a living, breathing example of what that looks like. And taking all the things that you do in practice, taking it to the game.”

The school is no stranger to walk-on success stories.

Most recently Drake Stoops went from walk-on to now a practice squad member for the Los Angeles Rams at the same position Jordan plays.

Of course there’s the story of Baker Mayfield, who originally walked on at Texas Tech before transferring to OU. “I looked up to Drake a lot and before he left for the Rams I got to train with him, and pick his brain on a couple things,” Jordan said. “I look up to Drake a lot and try to model my game after him a little bit.”

Paxson Haws | The Transcript

An OU player grabs his opponents feet as the Oklahoma Sooners competed against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024. do and what it actually can could fill the Grand Canyon.

Still, if he knows his stuff at all, perhaps he can get OU out of plain dumb plays, like putting the tight ends on blocking islands, like dropping back deep to throw when the line can’t

protect at all, like even creating a small package to take advantage of Michael Hawkins’ athleticism even as Arnold remains QB1.

They say when you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have one, yet if the Sooner line is the Sooner line is the

Sooner line, OU probably needs two quarterbacks.

It’s another idea.

Sorry.

The only thing good about where OU finds itself?

Future stars stand ready to be identified, because when it just doesn’t matter,

a walk-on receiver like Jacob Jordan can step on the field and be terrific, as he was last week, and maybe it will be somebody new today.

When it just doesn’t matter, the progress bar is awfully low.

Tarik Masri is the sports editor for The Transcript covering OU athletics and area sports.

You can reach him by emailing tarik@normantranscript.com.

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