NORMAN — Oklahoma’s offensive line had an eventful day in Saturday’s 45-13 victory over UTEP.
Two transfers — left sort out Tyler Guyton and left guard McKade Mettauer — made their first begin at OU. Anton Harrison made his first begin at proper sort out. Proper guard Chris Murray and middle Andrew Raym had been collectively once more. And high backups Robert Congel, Brey Walker, Savion Byrd and Marcus Hicks received taking part in time. So did reserves Aaryn Parks, Jake Taylor, Jacob Sexton and Nate Anderson.
The Sooners gave up two sacks and an excessive amount of strain on new quarterback Dillon Gabriel, but additionally opened holes within the floor recreation to common 6.8 yards per carry.
“Saturday, it was the whole lot that I may have anticipated — and in loads of methods, extra,” Mettauer stated.
Mettauer performed beforehand at Cal, however being from Houston, he knew a lot about OU soccer. Guyton, alternatively, hails from Manor, TX, and performed beforehand at TCU and — nicely, he knew concerning the Sooners, in fact. However he additionally knew one thing concerning the crowd at Memorial Stadium.
“I truthfully hated it (in 2021),” he stated. “I hated taking part in in opposition to y’all simply because we had been actually near that pupil part and all people is simply in your ear speaking, doing this and that. I truly love taking part in right here. I like the format of the stadium. I like how I can hear the followers screaming. I like who we’re. I like the scholar part. I like the whole lot about it.”
Guyton was requested to check his expertise at TCU together with his one recreation thus far at OU.
“I really feel like this stadium, there’s much more juice and much more vitality,” he stated. “At TCU, I really feel like our pupil part and our followers used to look down on us once we began shedding or doing dangerous within the recreation. However I really feel like Sooner Nation simply offers us that vitality each single recreation, every single day. No matter we want from them, we’re going to get it. We feed off the vitality.
“If (followers) are going to see this, we feed off the vitality, and we love when y’all get stay.”
Like Mettauer, Saturday exceeded expectations for Guyton.
“It’s a dream come true,” Guyton stated, “particularly taking part in at a college like this with the coach that I’ve, Coach B (Invoice Bedenbaugh). It is a dream come true. His monitor document and the fellows that he has put within the league, it is superb. It feels superb.”
Mettauer thought he knew what to anticipate, however he was instantly caught off guard by one among OU’s oldest traditions.
“One factor,” Mettauer stated, “after our first landing, I used to be working down the sideline, and one of many Ruf/Neks shot that gun, and the smoke went all in my face, and I inhaled all that, you realize, no matter is inside these issues. However yeah, apart from that, I feel it was superior.”
Raym supplied his tackle the brand new guys, how they performed Saturday and what they convey to the offensive line.
“(Guyton) is athletic,” Raym stated. “He’s an athlete. When he will get fingers on, he’s going to get folks off the ball. There’s some extra movie that must be accomplished there, extra watching movie, extra studying the protection, however as an entire I feel Tyler did nice.
“Having McKade taking part in subsequent to me taking part in is unbelievable. You’ll be able to inform he’s received expertise by way of his fingers and his footwork. You understand, he’s not out of place fairly often. That makes it quite a bit simpler for me and for the left sort out to only play higher, play quick and simply play extra freely. As a result of we now have belief in our left guard.”
Raym, a junior, stated getting Brent Venables his first profession win was cause to have fun.
“That was was most likely probably the most hype locker room I’ve ever seen,” Raym stated. “And that was simply the UTEP recreation. I can’t think about after we beat Texas.”
Guyton and Mettauer know there’s an extended technique to go this season. Fast enhancements should be made up entrance when Kent State involves city on Saturday evening.
However getting that first recreation in Crimson and Cream underneath their belt was one thing they’ll always remember.
“Rising up in Texas, these are the video games that I watched,” Mettauer stated. “My household went to A&M, however I knew I needed to interrupt the chain of that. And I needed to play big-time soccer, and Oklahoma was simply that title and that model that I needed to be part of.”
“All people on the offensive line is all the time giving me juice and all the time telling me I am good,” Guyton stated. “They offer me that further oomph I would like generally all through the day. Particularly Schmitty (power coach Jerry Schmidt). Schmitty is my dude. I really feel like I received all of my confidence from Schmitty as a result of he believes in me.”
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