NORMAN — If you weren’t one of the 87,177 fans at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to mark OU’s 119th straight sellout, or you didn’t watch the game on pay-per-view, here’s what you missed from the now sixth-ranked Sooners’ 28-21 nail-biting overtime victory over Army:
Patriotic party
From the field-sized American flag with the service men and women holding and flapping it during the National Anthem to reunited families, Saturday’s patriotic-themed game had something for every proud American.
It all started with the Black Daggers special ops unit parachuting into the stadium and a military helicopter flyover. Before the game, fans took pictures with artillery, tanks and other Army machinery and vehicles, including an INERT missile round trainer vehicle.
The crowd let out loud cheers during a tribute video thanking the unselfish soldiers who make sure we can play and watch the game we love week in and week out.
Included in that group is Oklahoma National Guard member Sgt. Brandy Dill who was reunited with her family in the south end zone during the second quarter as her kids sprinted toward her arms open wide with tear-filled eyes.
The Army Silent Drill team put on a stellar halftime show while the OU band spelled out “ARMY” during its halftime performance.
After the game, Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray went around shaking hands with members of the armed forces, thanking them for their service.
Tackling records, taking names
Speaking of Kenneth Murray, the sophomore linebacker tallied a program-record 28 tackles in the win over Army, which led to him being named the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week.
Murray’s 28 tackles, courtesy of Army’s triple option, also set an NCAA FBS record.
“I probably told 10 of my teammates that I was gonna break the record this week,” said Murray, whose previous career-high was 10 tackles in a single game.
One of Murray’s teammates, fellow linebacker Curtis Bolton added 23 tackles, also a career-high. Their 51 combined tackles is the most ever by an OU duo.
“Every play was a war in the trenches,” Murray said. “That type of offense is a tough offense to play and those guys are in the military so their mindset is a tough mindset. You have to match that mindset.”
Contrasting styles
Oklahoma last played Army at Yankee Stadium in 1961, and their meeting 57 years later was all about contrasting styles.
Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley noted the 47-play differential and how Army had possession of the ball for 44:41, nearly three quarters, compared to OU’s 15:19.
“It was kind of a strange game,” said Riley, highlighting Army’s 21 third downs to OU’s three. “It was a weird game, but our guys found a way to win. Our crowd helped push us.”
OU wanted to run a track meet with its first two scoring drives each lasting six plays in less than 2:40. Army went 16 plays and 75 yards on each of its scoring drives, chewing up more than eight minutes both drives to tie the game at 14.
When the Black Knights stuffed OU at the goal line with 12:23 left in the fourth quarter, there had to be some concern that Army could pull off a 99-yard game-winning scoring drive while running out the clock.
Army chewed off another 10 minutes off the clock on 17 plays and gained 65 yards, but OU forced the Black Knights into a third-and-long passing situation at the 34-yard line.
OU got a batted pass which defensive end Kenneth Mann picked off with 2:17 remaining.
“Keep swinging and things are gonna happen,” Bolton said. “Get some negative plays at the end and force them into doing stuff they don’t like or aren’t comfortable doing and you see the result. It turns into picks.”
The Sooners forced another third and fourth-and-long in overtime, ending in a Parnell Motley interception to seal the win.
“It’s hard. It’s frustrating, but I’m proud of the guys,” OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “They got the stops when we needed them.”
Triple-option, triple the problems
Army racked up 339 rushing yards on 78 carries, good for 4.3 yards per rush while converting 13 of 21 third downs and its first four fourth down attempts.
“I think that shows we’re in pretty good hands living in the United States,” Stoops joked. “They’re very courageous and they’re not scared of anything, and they played that way tonight.”
OU had been preparing for the triple-option since the spring, but couldn’t get off the field when it needed to due to Army’s execution.
“People don’t face this offense very often, and you can prepare for it, but frankly it’s just a bugger sometimes to defend,” Army coach Jeff Monken said.
The Sooners defensive personnel has rarely played against a triple option in their careers.
“The last time I played a triple option team they were super terrible,” Bolton said. “This Army team… those boys are tough. You can say what you want how the triple option is a little outdated, but at the end of the day those boys are out there trying to win a football game.”
OU stacked the box and played a 5-2 base defense, but had trouble stuffing all three options. Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins had 108 yards and a touchdown, Kell Walker had 86 yards and Darnell Woolfolk added 71.
“We knew it was gonna be a slug fest and a boxing match,” Bolton said. “You’re all stacked in the box and you know they’re gonna run a QB sneak. You know it’s coming, but it gets real frustrating.”
The Sooners got the overtime stop by not getting down on themselves.
“The message was get up off the bench and don’t cry about it,” Bolton said. “We told our offense, ‘You go score, we’ll get a stop and we’re gonna get out of here.’ I’m just glad it worked out.”
Seibert’s surprising miss
With several late game misses in college and the pros, it hasn’t exactly been a banner week for kickers.
OU senior kicker Austin Seibert, who has been practically automatic in his career, missed a 33-yard chip shot to win the game at the end of regulation. Instead, it hooked left and the Sooners and Black Knights went to overtime deadlocked at 21.
Seibert tweeted out an apology Saturday night.
“I let my teammates my coaches and sooner nation down tonight,” wrote Seibert, who ended his message with a reference to a Bible verse, Joshua 1:9. “I want to thank all my teammates and coaches for battling through the adversity and getting the win. Everyone goes through adversity at some point in life. It’s how you respond to the adversity that shows true character and I will not let this kick define me.”
Everyone was surprised of Seibert’s miss, including those in charge of the celebration, which launched crimson fireworks prematurely assuming the kick won the game.
Even coach Riley was stunned, but his confidence in his kicker has not wavered.
“I was surprised he (Seibert) missed it, but he’ll make the next one,” Riley said. I had full confidence he was going to make it. If I’m ever in the same situation again, I’ll probably do exactly the same thing.”
Browns hero Baker returns to Norman
At the end of a Heisman shuffle video on the jumbotron in the first quarter, the camera returned to last year’s Heisman Trophy winner and former OU quarterback Baker Mayfield, who received a resounding round of applause.
Mayfield, now the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, had some free time this weekend and decided to pay a visit to his old stomping grounds after leading the Browns to their first victory in 635 days on Thursday night.
Mayfield, who replaced the injured Tyrod Taylor shortly before halftime, completed 17 of his 23 passes for 201 yards in the Browns’ 21-17 win over the New York Jets.
Life without Anderson: Chapter 2
Saturday marked the Sooners second full game without star running back Rodney Anderson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against UCLA earlier this month.
In Anderson’s absence, Trey Sermon has taken the bulk of the carries and finished Saturday with 119 yards on 18 carries, but he was stopped inside the 1-yard line on both third and fourth-and-goal early in the fourth quarter of a tie ball game.
Sermon is a great cutter and does a great deal of damage in the open field — as showcased by his 22-yard run at the end of the third quarter as the Sooners inched closer to the goal line — but he’s not your ideal power back in short yardage situations.
Anderson, who began the season on the Heisman Watch shortlist, is built for both situations.
There’s no guarantee Anderson gets that go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, but if you’ve seen videos of him jumping out of pools or highlight videos of him shifting to another gear while sprinting down the sideline against Florida Atlantic this season, you’d be willing to bet money he would’ve scored.
Sermon and the other tailbacks will continue to step up, but the success rate in short yardage or goal line situations needs to be higher if the Sooners are to remain unbeaten.
Heisman hopeful Murray sharp again
Outside of one forced throw downfield which was picked off, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray was sharp again.
Murray showcased his elite speed with fantastic vision on his touchdown run in the second quarter accounted for 33 of his 84 rushing yards. The redshirt junior transfer threw for three more touchdowns and 165 yards despite only being on the field for a few breaths more than a quarter of the game.
On OU’s second drive, Murray showed off his arm on a precise dee out-route pass to Lee Morris for 38 yards. It set up Murray’s back-shoulder fade throw to CeeDee Lamb for an 11-yard touchdown gave the Sooners a 14-7 lead.
The duo connected again for the go-ahead score in overtime, when Murray sold a nice play-action fake before lofting the eventual game-winning touchdown over the top.