Oklahoma will roll out the crimson carpet and welcome one of the four Big 12 newcomers to Norman on Saturday. Gus Malzahn’s UCF Knights travel from Orlando, Florida, to take on Brent Venables and the No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners.
Both teams come into the game off of their bye weeks. However, how each team played in the games before the bye will be a significant motivating factor in how things could shake out.
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Oklahoma beat their bitter rivals, Texas, 34-30 in one of college football’s best games of the season while the Knights were steamrolled by the Kansas Jayhawks 51-22.
While the Sooners’ win over Texas is a significant win, the boys from Norman won’t be satisfied. They’ve got bigger ambitions now, starting with taking care of UCF. The next major milestone in getting to Arlington to compete for a Big 12 title.
UCF is a motivated and angry team that boasts the nation’s third-best rushing attack and a very athletic quarterback in John Rhys Plumlee. He can play. Oklahoma has a talent advantage, but execution will be the deciding factor.
Without further ado, let’s look at some of the Sooners that will be to a victory on Saturday.
1
Dillon Gabriel, QB
Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Dillon Gabriel feels like a pretty obvious choice, right?
For the first time since transferring from UCF, Gabriel will lace up his cleats to take on his former school. There’s no way the nerves won’t be something he has to contend with, but Oklahoma saw a composed Dillon Gabriel against Texas.
They’ll need that level of maturity from Gabriel as he has to battle his emotions and look to lead Oklahoma to win number seven on the season.
He’s been really good at home in 2023, averaging 283 passing yards and three touchdowns per game. He’s also averaging a rushing touchdown per game inside Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Look for the Heisman contender to have another big game on Saturday.
2
Jaren Kanak, LB
Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Jaren Kanak put together arguably his best performance as a Sooner against Texas. He had 13 tackles, including seven solo tackles. He and his defensive teammates had their hands full with a stout Texas offensive line and one of the shiftiest backs in the nation in Johnathon Brooks. According to Pro Football Focus, he tied with Danny Stutsman for the team lead in stops.
He’ll be needed to support Danny Stutsman again this week, as the Sooners’ primary focus will be slowing down the Knights’ elite rushing attack.
Gap integrity, making the right reads, and tackling the tough UCF backs will be of utmost importance for the Sooners to get a win.
3
Caleb Shaffer, RG
Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Caleb Shaffer will get to showcase his ability on Saturday. He arrived in Oklahoma in January after spending his first four seasons at Miami (Ohio), starting 35 of the 41 games he appeared in.
He’ll be the first to try and fill in at right guard after McKade Mettauer suffered a high ankle sprain that will sideline him for multiple weeks.
Shaffer is a large man, standing 6-foot-5 and well over 335 pounds. He’s played a lot of college football, but it would be foolish to suggest it’s the same as being a starter for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Regardless, his position coach, Bill Bedenbaugh, and his head coach, Brent Venables, believe in him. We’ll be tuned in to see how he handles his first start as a Sooner.
4
Da’Jon Terry, NT
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Da’Jon Terry has been a terrific addition for the Sooners’ defense. He eats blocks, and he is a force in run defense.
He’s even provided some quality snaps rushing the passer. On Saturday, he’ll be tasked with disrupting UCF’s ground game at the point of attack. Can he continue to be the force inside for the Sooners’ resurgent defense? If he is on his game, it will be nearly impossible for UCF to run between the tackles.
5
Marcus Major, RB
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Saturday should be when Oklahoma finds a way to put up some gaudy numbers on the ground. As good as UCF is at running the ball, they are equally bad at stopping it. It’s so bad that they rank 120th in the nation.
Kansas ran for 399 yards against the Knights in week 6. That’s abhorrent.
Marcus Major is, by all accounts, the defacto starter, and if the Sooners are going to get any positive momentum in the run game, it has to start this weekend.
6
Dasan McCullough, Cheetah
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
As talented as they come, Dasan McCullough is slowly starting to put things together. He has shown up consistently in every game since making his first start against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Against Texas, he was physical setting the edge in the running game and a big reason why Oklahoma held up on the goal line stand. He may be asked to do something similar from the cheetah position again.
Can McCullough continue to solidify himself in his role at cheetah?