Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Special Teams Let Down a Key Piece of Tough Loss in Morgantown
After serving as a major power as lately as two weeks in the past in a win over Iowa State, Oklahoma’s particular groups had been removed from particular on Saturday within the Sooners’ newest loss.
In OU’s 23-20 defeat by the hands of West Virginia in Morgantown, the proverbial “third aspect of the ball” bit Brent Venables’ squad all through the afternoon.
Oklahoma missed two discipline objectives, allowed a giant kickoff return that led to a Mountaineer landing simply earlier than half and likewise gave up a faux punt in what would go on to be a game-tying landing drive within the fourth quarter.
For sure, in a sport determined by simply three factors, particular groups performed a significant function within the Sooners struggling their fifth lack of the season on Saturday.
“As we speak, clearly, it (particular groups) bit us,” Venables stated postgame. “We have been excellent there actually a lot of the yr. And right now once more, we had an alignment (on WVU’s faux punt) that is alleged to be alert. … Not simply an alert. However like an alignment that places us in an alignment to cease the faux. I believed we did a superb job of leveraging it. They tried to run round us. We set the sting and I believed the man for them did a very nice job of slicing again and making a play. Overpursued just a bit bit. Once more, he acquired it by a yard.
“There’s a gazillion of these on the day in my view. We’ll look again on it and present it to our guys once more on Monday and be taught. There’s a whole lot of performs similar to there the place we’re not on the fitting aspect of it and we acquired punished for it.”
After a rocky first half offensively, Oklahoma put collectively its finest drive of the day simply earlier than halftime, going 96 yards in simply over a minute to leap put out to a 10-0 lead.
However, OU’s kickoff protection failed them as West Virginia’s Sam James responded by returning the following kickoff 42 yards out to the WVU 47-yard line.
Simply three performs later, quarterback Garrett Greene ran within the Mountaineers’ first landing to attract the sport inside one rating going into halftime.
“Particular groups is at all times a giant a part of the sport,” defensive again Billy Bowman stated. “That’s why it’s a three-phase sport. So whoever wins the yards differential in particular groups more than likely will win the sport, and we misplaced that right now.”
Then there’s the 2 missed discipline objectives from the usually dependable Zach Schmit that each would have given the Sooners the lead had they been punched by.
The primary one, a 54-yard try that got here up quick by lower than ideally suited kicking situations, was on the primary drive of the sport. The second, although, was definitely the larger gut-punch of the 2.
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With 6 1/2 minutes to play, Oklahoma was offered with a fourth-and-3 on the West Virginia 29-yard line.
Regardless of the sooner miss on his first kick (Schmit did make a 32-yard try within the second quarter), Venables elected to strive the redshirt sophomore kicker once more for a 46-yard strive somewhat than belief his offense.
The choice didn’t repay, as Schmit’s kick doinked off the fitting upright to present the ball again to the Mountaineers.
Oklahoma would by no means see the ball once more, as WVU then drained up the final six-plus minutes, hitting a game-winning discipline objective as time expired.
“Zach (Schmit) — he is been excellent,” Venables stated. “All the best way since spring ball. And as you noticed there he had loads of leg. The situations weren’t that dangerous on the sphere. And, once more, primarily based on how we had been, the dearth of execution all day, I did not suppose we had been going to miraculously give you this massive time conversion on fourth down offensively.”
All in all, it was removed from a banner day for the Sooners in particular groups as quite a few key turning factors of the sport had been seen with that unit on the sphere.
Venables and firm have put a a lot bigger emphasis on particular groups than the earlier regime, and for essentially the most half it has paid dividends all through the season.
However, on Saturday in Morgantown, West Virginia did extra within the third part of the sport — doubtless serving because the distinction in a tightly contested sport.
Whereas removed from the one challenge plaguing Oklahoma towards the Mountaineers, particular groups will definitely be an space the place the Sooners will look to button issues up going into Bedlam subsequent weekend in Norman.
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Oklahoma
How to watch Arizona State at Oklahoma State: New TV channel update
The Arizona State at Oklahoma State Big 12 football game got a TV upgrade.
Originally scheduled to air on FS1, Saturday’s game in Stillwater will now be televised on FOX.
If the Yankees hadn’t blown a 5-0 lead in Game 5 of the World Series, Game 6 would be airing on FOX on Saturday. Instead, Sun Devils and Cowboys fans will get the benefit of the wider reach of a major network.
Arizona State (5-2, 2-2) is coming off a bye week and enters the game as 3.5-point favorites. Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5) is trying to get back on track after losing five consecutive games.
ASU running back Cam Skattebo, who has rushed for 848 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games, could be in line for a big game vs. an OSU run defense that is dead last in the Big 12 – and second-to-last in all of Division I-A college football.
“He very well could be the best back we’ve played,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. said “He’s a good back. They feed off him. So if you want to slow them down, in my opinion, you better tackle him.”
The Cowboys are giving up 251 rushing yards per game and are coming off a 38-28 loss to Baylor where they missed 21 tackles and allowed a staggering 343 yards on the ground.
Here are the updated details on how to watch and follow Arizona State at Oklahoma State on Saturday:
Arizona State at Oklahoma State TV Channel, Live Stream, Betting Odds
Who: Arizona State (5-2, 2-2) at Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5) in a Big 12 football game
When: 4 p.m. MST/6 p.m. CT | Saturday, November 2
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium | Stillwater, Oklahoma
Live Stream: Stream Arizona State-Oklahoma State live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
TV Channel: FOX
Our Prediction: Arizona State 34, Oklahoma State 30
Betting Odds: Arizona State is favored by 3.5 points per FanDuel Sportsbook
Live Updates, Highlights: Follow the game on Arizona State On SI for live updates and big-play highlights throughout Saturday’s matchup
More Big 12 News & Analysis
Oklahoma
Saturday a Must-Dominate For Oklahoma
NORMAN — It isn’t lost on Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables that the Maine Black Bears are looking for their fifth win against an FBS opponent in the Sooners this Saturday.
“I could brag on Maine,” said Venables, the Sooners’ third-year man, during Tuesday’s press conference. “They’ve got 17 graduate [seniors]. What does that mean? They’ve got a lot of experience.”
The Black Bears, who play in the FCS Colonial Athletic Association, will bring their 4-4 record over 1,900 miles to Memorial Stadium. Two weeks ago, they scored a 35-7 win over FCS No. 5 Villanova and beat No. 21 Albany 34-20 on Sept. 28. If ever there was a game featuring a vulnerable Sooners team hosting a scary FCS team that could be too close for comfort, this Saturday is ripe for that opportunity.
“There are schemes that we’ve got to get ready for, and we need to get them down quickly, and otherwise they get sloppy and it don’t look good,” Venables said. “That’ll show up, too, and if I said, ‘Hey fellas, we’re playing this opponent this week, we’ll see you on Thursday. Give you the first three days of the week off and we’ll start up on Thursday.’ How do you think that’s going to look? No matter who you play, that’s going to look like crap.”
Maine defeated Mississippi State 9-7 in 2004, its only SEC win in program history. That year’s Bulldogs went 2-6 in conference play with wins against No. 20 Florida and Kentucky on consecutive weeks. After this week, the Sooners will have three chances to win their second conference game in their inaugural SEC season: Nov. 9 at No. 25 Mizzou; Nov. 23 vs. No. 14 Alabama; and Nov. 30 at No. 16 LSU.
“They’re a good FCS team,” freshman cornerback Eli Bowen said Monday night during player media availability. “They’ve beaten a lot of top teams in that division, so we can’t take them lightly and that’s shown by our record also.”
“That’s the last thing you want to do is kind of fall asleep on an opponent,” senior corner Dez Malone concurred. “This still is the game of football, and you’ve got to go out and compete and play your 1/11 and I think we’re treating them like we would treat anyone else on the schedule. And that’s the best thing we can do at this point.”
It also isn’t lost on this team — though it might be hard to imagine them winning another game after Saturday — that Maine is a must-win, fifth win to have a prayer of reaching the six-game bowl eligibility threshold and a must-dominate for further consideration. The Sooners hold the second longest active bowl streak in college football and have not missed bowl season since 1998.
“It’s actually pretty important to win this because we’re one more closer to getting to a bowl game,” junior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas said. “I know that’s huge because we have a bowl streak going back a long time. We’re not trying to look forward, but we know we have to win to make a bowl.”
Oklahoma
San Antonio vs. Oklahoma City, Final Score: Spurs outshot and out-defended by Thunder, 93-105
Oklahoma City (4-0), clamping down on a Spurs squad with its top-ranked defense, used an 18-2 run in the first quarter to stake itself to a comfortable lead that was not threatened in a 105-93 victory. The Thunder started white hot from three (14 first half makes), while many San Antonio forays stalled out deep in the paint with 2-3 defenders lurking nearby. Chet Holmgren got the better of his more heralded counterpart throughout much of the first half with 15 points and two blocks, while Victor Wembanyama had his worst output of the young season.
San Antonio (1-3) was led again by Jeremy Sochan (17 points and 9 rebounds) accompanied by grizzled veterans Harrison Barnes (18 points and 4 rebounds) and Chris Paul (14 points and 9 assists). The team let Wembanyama (6 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks) down by not being able to find him in advantageous spots in the halfcourt, which was not helped by him getting bogged down by his own frustrations. Malaki Branham chipped in 15 points off the bench.
The Thunder were led by Holmgren (19 points and 5 rebounds) who paced four starters in double figures – Luguentz Dort (20 points and 6 rebounds), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (18 points and 5 assists), and Jalen Williams (12 points and 8 assists) — a group that thoroughly outplayed their counterparts.
The visitors had considerable difficulty getting through the lane amidst a sea of Thunder arms, and settled for jumpers with many of them clanging off the rim. Oklahoma City’s success from three allowed them to settle into the catbird seat. While the Spurs steadied themselves and kept OKC off the boards over the last two minutes of the first, they still ended a difficult opening frame down seven.
The Thunder (editor’s note: like a bad case of dysentery – JRW) made life difficult for San Antonio at one both ends, while shooting confidently and brazenly from distance in their halfcourt offense. The Spurs’ deficit ballooned to 19 before they found a veteran line-up that could somewhat deter the hopeful contenders. Chris Paul’s timely shooting staved off OKC running away with things, but the Thunder still went to the half up 59-44.
The Thunder started the second half by attacking the basket at-will. Holmgren tagged Wembanyama with an elbow to the face on a drive, and Harrison Barnes’ fadeaway brought San Antonio within 11. Behind Barnes and Paul, the Spurs managed to impressively win the quarter 26-23 despite Oklahoma City’s astounding success from distance.
Observations
- With the stirring Celtics / Pacers tilt spilling into overtime, the Spurs / Thunder telecast started with San Antonio up 10-7.
- OKC is forcing a turnover on one of every five possessions, per Zach Kram of The Ringer. They thusly generated countless deflections and steals in triumph tonight.
- Those SATX uniforms are pretty meh.
- With the Spurs being on the national airwaves again, we (well, mainly I) need to get used to the longer television timeouts.
- It’s these type of tough road games where Barnes needs to more forcefully assert himself on the offensive end – and he ended up doing that!
- I lost count of the times that Tim Legler and Dave Pasch commented on San Antonio’s suboptimal offense.
- This might have been the first game this season that felt a little too big for Stephon Castle.
- Victor Ease: Not sure how to feel about Wembanyama stationed on the free throw line (like Dirk Nowitzki used to). While he is able to see the floor well from that perch, he can’t punish the defense with that mid-range jumper yet.
- Sequence of the Game: After Zach Collins emphatically turned away Aaron Wiggin’s dunk attempt at the start of the second period, Malaki Branham’s connected from the wing.
- In a fast-paced opening handful of minutes, the Spurs briefly held a small lead. Jalen William’s steal of Paul’s crosscourt pass and breakaway dunk drew Pop’s ire. San Antonio had trouble converting its looks from the perimeter, while Holmgren hit two early ones of his own. As the Spurs’ field goal drought spanned nine attempts, OKC extended out to a 20-10 advantage. Zach Collins’ three and a spinning lay-up by Blake Wesley fended off an early blowout. The Thunder had the Spurs down 26-19 after one.
- San Antonio managed to get a pair of shot-clock violations on OKC late in the first and at the start of the second. Wembanyama tumbled to the floor with his defender, and Jalen Williams found a streaking Holmgren for a transition dunk. A visibly frustrated and possibly injured Wembanyama went straight to the locker room. Holmgren’s three after an inbounds turnover and Ajay Mitchell’s three put the Spurs down 19. After Holmgren inexplicably tried throwing himself a lob off the backboard, Paul hit a pair of threes to bring San Antonio within ten. Paul’s third three was answered very quickly by Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort, and the Spurs were fortunate to be down only 15 at the break.
- OKC held a lay-up parade to start the second half to match their biggest lead at 19. Julian Champagnie encouragingly hit a corner three, and Barnes’ driving dunk brought San Antonio within two touchdowns. Dort’s second uncontested three of the frame put the Thunder up 19 again. Paul hit a patented mid-range jumper and found Sochan for an acrobatic lay-up. Barnes’ wing three brought the Spurs within eight as they mounted their first serious push. After San Antonio’s finest defensive stand of the game, Keldon Johnson’s three trimmed their deficit to seven.
- Malaki Branham’s bankshot three again brought San Antonio within seven to start the fourth, which ended up being the closest that they would get. No other Spurs could help Branham mount a comeback attempt in the stanza.
San Antonio heads west for a road SEGABABA against Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz tomorrow night at 8:00 PM CDT.
Happy Halloween Pounders!
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