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Sticky Onion Crunch Wings Onion Crunch Wings

1. Put the wings on a baking sheet and season both sides with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

2. To make the sauce, in a small saucepan, mix together the hoisin, pomegranate juice, brown sugar, garlic, horseradish, scallions, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat. When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt.

grees F. Working in batches, fry the wings; the oil temperature will settle at about 350 degrees ¿ try to maintain that temperature by adjusting the heat while you fry. Fry the wings until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

4. Put some of the sauce in a large mixing bowl and toss the wings in batches, adding more sauce as needed, until completely coated. Put the onions into another large bowl, add the sauced wings in batches and toss to thoroughly coat. Serve warm.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/sticky-onion-crunch-wings-2291139

Ingredients

For the wings:

• 3 pounds chicken wings, whole or separated

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

• 1/2 cup French-fried onions (I like French’s), crushed

For the sauce:

•1 cup hoisin sauce

• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice

• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

• 4 scallions (white and green parts), finely chopped

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

TheView:Arbucklecanmakeabigdifferencestartingrightnow

It is not so hard to understand that Michael Hawkins ascended into the role of Sooner starting quarterback, taking over for a struggling Jackson Arnold against Tennessee and stealing Arnold’s No. 1 status for three consecutive starts.

It is, though, very hard to understand that when it happened, analyst Kevin Johns remained in his analyst’s role, leaving then offensive coordinator Seth Littrell to continue doubling as quarterbacks coach, which he’d not done before and wasn’t having much luck tutoring Arnold to begin with.

Indeed, now that I think about it, perhaps we should be surprised Hawkins chose to remain at Oklahoma, given the true freshman quarterback was very much put in a position to fail by the coaches he trusted.

Yet, because he’s chosen to remain, he’ll be part of the most interesting subplot of the Sooners’ final game of this difficult season.

That would be the Ben Arbuckle subplot, OU’s offensive coordinator elect, who’ll be getting his Sooner career off and running against Navy at the Armed Forces Bowl Friday morning in Fort Worth, as a regular-

old position assistant.

Because we’ve seen Hawkins this season. We’ve seen him thrive momentarily and hit rock bottom quickly, responsible for three quick turnovers against South Carolina in a game that was over as quickly as it began.

What we’ve not seen is Hawkins with the advantage of a real quarterbacks coach, the role Arbuckle will be playing inside Amon G. Carter Stadium.

Not only that, but Arbuckle will have been working with Hawkins since his arrival, not to mention rubbing shoulders with Joe Jon Finley, still the Sooner playcaller, and just maybe we’ll see a real difference.

I’d be surprised if we don’t.

It’s a big game for Hawkins, who still has time to be OU’s starting quarterback at some point in his future no matter how long John Mateer remains

healthy.

Of course, the Sooners won’t be putting their best team on the field.

Jovantae Barnes doesn’t appear to be available at running back, though we can hope Xavier Robinson is first among remaining equals rather than fourth as the latest depth chart indicates.

Bauer Sharp has departed,

which could well be good news, though that means Norman’s own Jake Roberts will start at tight end having caught just 10 passes.

Defensively, OU’s out a couple of stars in Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman, both off preparing for the NFL draft, which is no favor to the Sooner offense either.

For one game, to prevail,

Hawkins may have to be the man. Also, it would appear, for the first time this season, Hawkins has a coaching setup that ought to work to his benefit.

Arbuckle, who left Washington State for OU at regular season’s end, directed a Cougar offense that averaged 268.9 passing

Shelly Hanks | WSU Photo Services

Ben Arbuckle seen during a game with Washington State.

Clay Horning GUEST COLUMNIST

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Hawkins‘wherehewantstobe’leadingSoonersintoArmedForcesBowl

TARIK MASRI TRANSCRIPT SPORTS EDITOR

Jackson Arnold’s decision to transfer to Auburn left many around the Oklahoma football program pondering the future of the quarterback position.

The Sooners seemed to get an answer when former Washington State quarterback John Mateer chose to follow former offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Norman. But while everyone else was uncertain, Arnold’s backup, Michael Hawkins Jr. remained confident.

The true freshman is expected to be the Sooners’ starter against Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. After that, he says he’s not only ready for a quarterback battle this offseason, he would prefer one.

“I love it. I love competition,” Hawkins said before Mateer’s transfer decision was announced. “I think that’s how it should be. I don’t think that it should be any other way. I think we need another guy here. I’m ready.”

The quarterback room has been a bit lonely since the Sooners’ regular season ended. Brendan Zurbrugg, a former three-star prospect

Paxson Haws | The Transcript

OU quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. runs towards the end zone during the game against Tennessee Sept. 21.

from Ohio, also entered the transfer portal.

The only quarterbacks left on the Sooners’ roster heading into the bowl game are Hawkins, Casey Thompson and Steele Wasel.

The rest of the offense will have similar holes to fill.

Oklahoma isn’t expected to play any scholarship wide

receivers that aren’t true freshman. Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson, Jaquaize Pettaway, Andrel Anthony and J.J. Hester all entered the transfer portal.

The offensive line will be missing Josh Bates and Geirean Hatchett.

Hawkins, whose father played defensive back for the

Sooners under Bob Stoops, said transferring was never an option. He was forced to step in to replace Arnold after a disastrous first half against Tennessee.

In his true freshman season, Hawkins won his first career start in a road win over Auburn. His next two starts weren’t any easier,

coming in the Cotton Bowl against Texas and at home against South Carolina.

“I’m going to be at Oklahoma, this is where I want to be. I want to play at Oklahoma, be the quarterback at Oklahoma so I feel like this bowl game can help me. I think that’s going to be a big step.”

Bio

Height: 6-1

Weight: 196

High School: Emerson (Texas)

Passing: 48/77 (62%)

Yds: 536

TDs/INTs: 1/2

Yds per att: 7.0

Rushing: 52-143

Yds per carry: 8.7

TDs: 1

Hawkins wasn’t able to get the Sooners’ struggling offense rolling. He completed 62% of his 77 pass attempts for one touchdown and two interceptions with two fumbles.

He was sacked 11 times during that four game stretch and was benched after some early giveaways against the Gamecocks.

“A lot of learning opportunities for me,” Hawkins said. “I feel like I’ve grown so much from that game and just the whole season.”

Tarik Masri is the sports editor for The Transcript covering OU athletics and area sports. You can reach him by emailing tarik@normantranscript.com

Scouting the opponent: Navy Midshipmen

TARIK MASRI TRANSCRIPT SPORTS EDITOR

Head coach Brian Newberry has helped lead Navy out of a stretch of four straight losing seasons and just one win away from a 10-win season.

It would be just the sixth time in program history that Navy has reached doubledigit wins. The Midshipmen were picked to finish 11th in the American Athletic Conference knocked off two ranked conference foes in Army and Memphis and finished tied for third.

They opened up the season on a six-game winning streak and reached 24th in the AP Poll before falling to College Football Playoff contender Notre Dame. They lost three of their next four games after their hot start, but closed the year with commanding wins over East Carolina and Army.

The Midshipmen are the only team in the country that hasn’t played in a one-score game this season.

Here’s a preview of Navy on both sides of the ball:

OFFENSE

Navy runs a hybrid of the Wing-T offenses commonly run by the military academies. While it likes to establish the run with mis-

Daniel Kucin Jr. | Associated Press Navy quarterback Blake Horvath, center, runs with the ball for a gain during the ﬁrst half of an NCAA college football game against Army, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Landover, Md.

direction, fake handoffs and option plays, this version of Navy’s offense is comfortable running out of the shotgun and testing defenses vertically.

The Midshipmen finished the regular season ranked seventh nationally in rushing yards per game at 249.3. They’re eighth in the country in rushing touchdowns (35)

and third in fewest tackles for loss per game (3.3).

Still, this is a dangerous offense that can score from anywhere on the field.

Everything starts with

quarterback Blake Horvath (wears No. 11). The junior has tied the school record for passing touchdowns in a season with 13 and is also averaging 99.3

OU vs. Navy

OU / Navy

Seasons: 116 / 131

National titles: 7 / 1

Heisman winners: 7 / 2

Bowl record: 31-20-1 / 12-11-1

Head to head: 1-0 (Navy)

rushing yards per game with 15 rushing touchdowns.

The Midshipmen are No. 2 in the FBS in red zone touchdown percentage and are in the top in offensive plays of 30, 40, 50, 60 and 80 yards or more.

They’ve had five one-play touchdown drives this year which is tied for third nationally.

Eli Heidenreich (wears No. 22) has caught six touchdown passes this season and has 649 yards receiving this year. Navy is averaging 16.5 yards per completion and less than one sack allowed per game.

DEFENSE

In Navy’s nine wins this season it has outscored its

BINGO Every Tuesday at 6:30pm SINGO Wednesday at 6:30pm

Last meeting: 1965 (Navy, 10-0) See NAVY on G6 Owned & Operated By

1150 W. Lindsey Norman, Oklahoma 73069

0 Kalib Hicks RB 5-11 213 R-Fr.

0 David Stone DL 6-3

1 Jayden Gibson WR 6-5

1 Dasan McCullough

2 Jovantae

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

OU FOOTBALL NUMERICAL ROSTER

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.

21 Jeremiah Newcombe DB 5-9 182 Fr.

55 Eddy Pierre-Louis OL 6-3 305 Fr.

TRANSFER PORTAL DEPARTURES

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.

DB — Kani Walker (Arkansas)

DB — Makari Vickers

DB — Jayden Rowe (Kansas State)

DL — Ashton Sanders

LB — Dasan McCullough

OL — Josh Bates (SMU)

OL — Ty Kubicek (Harding)

OL — Geirean Hatchett (Washington)

OL — Evan McClure (Tulsa)

OL — Eugene Brooks (UCLA)

QB — Jackson Arnold (Auburn)

QB — Brendan Zurbrugg

RB — Chapman McKown

RB — Kalib Hicks (Oklahoma State)

RB — Emeka Megwa WR — Andrel Anthony

WR — J.J. Hester

WR — Jalil Farooq

WR — Nic Anderson (LSU)

WR — Jaquaize Pettaway

WR — Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State)

Transfer destination in parentheses As of Dec. 19

Daniel Kucin Jr. | Associated Press Navy defensive tackle Landon Robinson (96) takes down Army quarterback Bryson Daily (13) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Landover, Md.

NAVY

CONTINUED FROM G5

opponents 104-7 off of turnovers. It’s been a similar story for Oklahoma this season.

The Sooners have outscored opponents 77-9 off turnovers in their six wins and have been outscored 58-7 in their six losses.

Newberry was originally hired in 2019 as Navy’s defensive coordinator. The Midshipmen’s offensive turnaround has been a big part of their success this season, but their defense has played complimentary football to give their offense opportunities to make plays.

They play an aggressive scheme that mixes zone and zone blitz looks to force turnovers. They forced 23

over 12 games this season, which is tied for 12th nationally.

Still, they do a great job of being aggressive without giving up big plays. They often drop into quarters coverage and rely on their safeties to come up and make plays in the middle of the field.

Pro Focus has Rayaun Lane III (wears No. 18) as the No. 7 safety in its 2024 rankings. Dashaun Peele (wears No. 1) plays on the outside at cornerback and has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season.

Tarik Masri is the sports editor for The Transcript covering OU athletics and area sports. You can reach him by emailing tarik@ normantranscript.com

yards and 440.4 yards from scrimmage per game.

Meanwhile, Hawkins spent his time as a passer panicking quickly and making a mess of things.

Arbuckle has the opportunity to do a couple of things and the first is to rebuild Hawkins’ confidence, which might not be so difficult because he wasn’t a part of Hawikins’ failure.

He has the opportunity to work closely with Finley, and influence the offense in slightly different directions that may work quite well.

He has the opportunity, in a very real way, to change the temperature around the offense and show us something better and new.

I recall the 2005 Holiday Bowl, when Kevin Johnson ascended into the offensive coordinator role for the final game of the season after Chuck Long accepted the head coaching job at San Diego State, and as soon as the first quarter began you could see the difference.

Long’s offense was sleepy, basic and bland and had been for a couple of seasons. Wilson’s was urgent, excitingly non-vanilla and inventive.

Arbuckle can’t change everything on a dime, but he can get into Hawkins’ head in the best possible way, he can influence and tutor Finley, who also hasn’t had somebody like Arbuckle in his corner before.