No. 12 Oklahoma will begin a new era at quarterback while No. 14 Arizona will be trying to match its longest winning streak in 25 years when the teams meet Thursday in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.
Only Jets fans thought Aaron Rodgers was coming back
The Sooners (10-2) narrowly missed playing in a New Year’s Six bowl matchup, while the Wildcats (9-3) come in as one of the nation’s biggest surprises, having won six consecutive games.
“They play with incredible passion and energy,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said of Arizona. “They play with great confidence. They know what they’re doing. You’re going to have to earn everything that you get.”
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Nationally, the storyline is Oklahoma true freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold, a consensus 2023 five-star recruit who will step in for Dillon Gabriel, who is transferring to Oregon for his final season.
Arnold, a dual threat who will be leading the Sooners from the Big 12 into the Southeastern Conference next season, has appeared in six games as a backup, completing 18 of 24 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
Arnold will have ample weapons, including wide receivers Drake Stoops (78 catches, 880 yards, 10 TDs), Nic Anderson (31, 725, nine) and Jalil Farooq (41, 637, two), among others, as well as running back Gawin Sawchuk (610 yards, 5.8 per carry).
One question will be the offensive line. Left guard Cayden Green ransferred to Missouri, while center Andrew Raym and right tackle Tyler Guyton declared for the NFL draft.
“We’re going to practice what we saw on the film,” Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen said. “I don’t think they’re going to install a brand-new offense in three weeks. They still have great players.”
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On defense, the Sooners lost safety Key Lawrence (transferring to Ole Miss) but return star junior linebacker Danny Stutsman (99 tackles, 16 for loss).
Arizona, playing its final game as a member of the Pac-12, is mostly intact, losing only senior left tackle Jordan Morgan (preparing for NFL draft) and has a young team that could very well be the preseason Big 12 favorite in 2024.
That starts with quarterback Noah Fifita. Taking over in the fourth quarter of the fourth game of the season, the redshirt freshman is eighth nationally in passing efficiency, completing 217 of 295 passes for 2,515 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.
His former Servite High School teammate in Anaheim, Calif., sophomore receiver Tetairoa McMillan, has caught 80 passes for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns. At 6-foot-5, he’s a matchup problem with the look of a future first-rounder.
Each team has big-time offense — Oklahoma averages 502.4 yards per game (fifth in FBS); Arizona is at 453.4 (17th) — but the Wildcats’ defense has made big strides this season. Arizona has improved to 37th nationally in total defense (340.9 yards per game) after ranking 124th last season (467.7).
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Undersized but active linebacker Jacob Manu (108 tackles, 9.5 for loss) is one to watch.
After coach Jedd Fisch took over in 2021, Arizona’s losing streak reached 20 games during that season. Now, just over two years later, the Wildcats are trying to win seven games in a row for the first time since 1998 and post double-digit victories in a season for just the fourth time.
Oklahoma is making its 25th consecutive bowl appearance. This is Arizona’s first bowl game since 2017, a 38-35 loss to Purdue in the Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif.
“We want to make sure that our players understand it is a privilege to play in a bowl game,” Fisch said. “It is a celebration of a job well done.”
The Oklahoma Sooners are continuing to rebuild their wide receiver room through the transfer portal. After the 2024 season saw the top five wideouts miss all or the vast majority of the season due to injuries, and three of those five players decided not to come back, Brent Venables and his coaching staff have been hard at work building back the wide receiver depth chart in stronger, healthier fashion.
Oklahoma has now added former Arkansas Razorbacks wideout Isaiah Sategna in the transfer portal, marking the third WR that will be transferring to Norman.
Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas Pine-Bluff) and Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois) will have some work to do when it comes to playing in the SEC, but Sategna will be right at home in college football’s toughest conference. That trio will join returners Deion Burks and Jayden Gibson to try and help the wide receiver room rebound.
Sategna is a smaller receiver at 5’11 and 185 pounds, but he managed to haul in 37 receptions for 491 yards this season. He also had a punt return touchdown for the Hogs.
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There’s still plenty of work to be done when it comes to remaking OU’s wide receiver depth chart, but three additions in a few days is a good start.
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The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has been in operation for 77 years with the goal of creating and maintaining Oklahoma’s turnpike systems.
Executive Director Joe Echelle spoke with News On 6 about various topics surrounding the OTA including why it hasn’t invested in a high-speed rail system despite having the authority to do so.
Has the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) considered implementing train systems or parking garages?
According to Joe Echelle, Executive Director of the OTA, there are provisions in state statute that allow for the potential development of parking garages or train systems under the agency’s purview. However, these concepts have not materialized due to their immense costs and logistical challenges.
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What are the challenges of building a train system between Oklahoma City and Tulsa?
Echelle explained that constructing a high-speed rail system between the two cities would cost billions of dollars. Beyond the upfront expense, the operational logistics make it difficult to justify such a project.
“In order to affect the number of vehicles that travel the Turner Turnpike, which is north of 40,000 vehicles on a weekday, you’d need to get thousands of people on a train. That’s just not feasible,” said Echelle.
Factors like frequency, ridership demand, and infrastructure costs all contribute to the challenge.
Could other forms of transportation, like buses, be more feasible?
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Echelle believes there is potential for alternative solutions, such as an express bus service connecting Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He pointed to the success of the OSU bus system, which transports students between campuses in Stillwater, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City.
“As we get the Turner Turnpike widened, I think it’s a real possibility to get an express bus service. But first, we need to address congestion by separating truck traffic from commuter lanes,” Echelle said.
To be clear, OTA wouldn’t have any role in creating or maintaining a bus service, but Echelle believes the expanded turnpike would be able to facilitate one.
Why is expanding the Turner Turnpike prioritized over alternative transportation?
Echelle said the Turner Turnpike currently handles traffic effectively, but ongoing efforts to expand it to six lanes aim to improve flow and address future congestion. Echelle emphasized that widening the turnpike will allow truck traffic to remain in the outer lanes, giving commuters smoother travel options in the inner lanes.
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Could parking garages still be part of OTA’s future?
While state law includes provisions for parking infrastructure, the focus for the OTA remains on improving roadways and exploring more viable transportation alternatives.
What is OTA’s overall vision for transportation in Oklahoma?
Echelle stated that a well-rounded transportation network, which includes trains, buses, and rapid transit, is essential for the state’s growing metropolitan areas. However, practical solutions like express bus services are more likely in the near term, especially as the Turner Turnpike widening progresses.
Report Card: Oklahoma moves to 11-0 with an 87-86 win over Michigan
The No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners are now 11-0 after a wild 87-86 win over No. 24 Michigan, erasing an 11-point second-half deficit. Freshman Jeremiah Fears was the star down the stretch, finishing with 30 points, including a game-winning four-point play in the final seconds, to push OU to victory.
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Fears wasn’t alone. Duke Miles contributed 17 points, with three big three-pointers, including a clutch shot during a 9-0 run that gave the Sooners their first lead of the second half. Jalon Moore also had 16 points before fouling out late.
The two seven-footers for Michigan — Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf — were a tough matchup for OU, as they are for most teams. Goldin dropped 26 points, while Wolf added 15. Both grabbed 10 rebounds for double-doubles.
Tre Donaldson (14 points) and Roddy Gayle (15 points) also had solid performances for Michigan. But in the end, it was Fears’ late heroics that sealed it for the Sooners. Now, let’s dive into the Report Card from Oklahoma’s ranked win:
MVP: Jeremiah Fears
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It was a slower first half for Fears, but he continued to get to the line, drawing fouls at a high rate and racking up points from the free throw line. In the second half, though, he broke loose, scoring 20 of his career-high 30 points, including the game-winning four-point play.
In 34 minutes of action, Fears also recorded five turnovers and four assists. He shot 8-12 from the field, 3-4 from behind the arc, and 11-13 from the free throw line—making his 30-point performance even more impressive.
Oklahoma needed big-time shot-making from their guards if they were going to pull this one out, and Fears delivered, showcasing why he’s likely a future NBA lottery pick.
Fears has proven to be the biggest difference-maker in Porter Moser’s tenure at Oklahoma. The Sooners simply haven’t had a player who can do what he does. He showed the clutch gene that could make a huge impact as OU heads into SEC play.
Starting Five: A-minus
Fears was phenomenal, but Miles’ impressive play down the stretch cannot be overlooked. Oklahoma starts three guards, and we’ve seen each of them have their nights scoring-wise. The recipe for success, though, is having two of those guards clicking at once, and tonight, Fears and Miles delivered.
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Miles totaled 17 points — 15 of which came in the second half — on 5-11 shooting from the field, 3-6 from behind the arc, and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. He hit several clutch shots, including one three-pointer that gave Oklahoma their first lead of the night.
Moore also contributed, adding 16 points on 4-12 shooting from the field and 3-5 from deep, despite being in foul trouble for much of the night. He ultimately fouled out late in the second half.
Sam Godwin chipped in with 6 points and 7 rebounds on 3-6 shooting, while Kobe Elvis added 5 points on 2-7 shooting, including 1-4 from behind the arc. With Fears going for 30, Miles putting up 17, and Moore adding 16, the starters had a strong night overall.
Bench: B-plus
Glenn Taylor stepped up in a big way for Oklahoma. Playing 29 minutes — second most on the team — Taylor totaled 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 3-5 from the field and 2-4 from behind the arc.
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Taylor was a key defensive presence throughout the entire game, but he also contributed offensively, particularly in the first half. He scored 8 first-half points and hit two timely three-pointers. His all-around play, making several small but important contributions, helped Oklahoma secure the win.
In other bench news: Luke Northweather scored 2 points on 1-2 shooting in 14 minutes, while Brycen Goodine added 2 points on 1-2 shooting in 11 minutes. Dayton Forsythe had a solid 5-minute stint, and Mohamed Wague played just two minutes.
Rebounding: B
It’s important to note that Michigan’s two seven-footers posed a tough matchup for Oklahoma, and heading into the game, it was expected that the Wolverines would win the rebounding battle. They did, 37-32, but the Sooners kept it close, losing the battle by just five. Given the size disparity, losing by just five on the boards is a solid effort for OU.
Three-Point Shooting: A-plus
The Sooners were red-hot from beyond the arc, shooting 6-12 (50%) in the second half and finishing 12-25 (48%) for the game.
This sharp shooting played a huge role in their comeback win. With Michigan building an 11-point lead with just over eight minutes remaining, OU knew they needed to keep knocking down shots from deep—and they did just that. Miles, Fears, and Moore each hit three three-pointers, while Taylor contributed with two of his own.
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