Ou football

The Brent Venables era started out with a lopsided win over the UTEP Miners on Saturday.

Playing in his first game with the Oklahoma Sooners, true freshman Gavin Freeman took his first career touch 46 yards for a touchdown.

It didn’t take the Oklahoma Sooners long to get going in the season opener against UTEP. Freeman took a reverse toss from Gabriel and found open space going against the grain. They jumped on the board quickly with a five-play 75-yard drive that took just over a minute and culminated in a Dillon Gabriel 12-yard touchdown run to open the scoring for the 2022 season.

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to embark on a new era, here are some final thoughts on the matchup with the UTEP Miners.

Whether it’s a long completion, a big run, or a turnover, the Oklahoma Sooners don’t need to give the less-talented UTEP Miners any life through big plays. The nation may not know it yet, but the Oklahoma Sooners have a talented group of pass rushers along the defensive line. Oklahoma’s edge trio of Grimes, Downs, and Stripling will be dynamic and disruptive against the Miners. Brent Venables’ intensity and aggressiveness will be the driving force behind a team that won’t take their foot off the gas. In the current playoff system, how a team wins matters. Whatever it was, Oklahoma let teams hang around too often, which was reflected in the way the College Football Playoff committee ranked the Sooners in the initial playoff rankings. It was supposed to be the one that restored Oklahoma as a legitimate national title contender. In 2021, the Oklahoma Sooners had a hard time putting teams away. It isn’t just his success that breeds confidence in the program moving forward. At the same time, it never felt as if this team was getting any closer to national title contention. It’s time to see what the Sooners can do under first-year head coach Brent Venables. He inspired a fan base to set a new spring game attendance record.

No. 9 Oklahoma (1-0) throttled UTEP (0-2, 0-1 CUSA) 45-13 in its season opener on Saturday afternoon. With the victory, coach Brent Venables earned his ...

Oklahoma football routed UTEP 45-13 how did they look under the hood though? The X's and O's tell us more than what the scoreboard and box score ever could!

Gabriel got sped up on a few of the second-quarter drives and was not as sharp as he was to start the game. I have heard of living rent-free in someone’s head, and the Sooners certainly do that when it comes to the Texas Longhorns. Early in the game the Sooners and the fans brought a lot of energy, and before you knew it Oklahoma was up 21-0. The defensive line was sensational, not only against the run but also at getting to the QB. It was evident watching that he is the man in charge, not just the quarterback. In other words, the Sooners controlled the line of scrimmage against an inferior opponent, something that has not always been a guarantee over the last few years, particularly on the defensive side.

It didn't take long for Oklahoma to get comfortable in their first game under a new coaching staff.

NORMAN — It's been nearly nine months since Brent Venables was hired to replace Lincoln Riley as OU's football coach. Venables makes his head-coaching debut ...

In the three of those meetings in Norman, OU has averaged nearly 60 points per game. 11 Texas’ 41-7 win over the Miners in 2016 — was there fewer than 61 points scored. Then there’s the history between the teams. In total, 60 have never played a game with the Sooners. 3, 1994, the No. Venables then added plenty of expected impact players through the transfer portal as well — quarterback Dillon Gabriel, offensive lineman McKade Mettauer, defensive lineman Jeffery Johnson and defensive end Jonah Laulu included. On Sept. [Can the Sooners start the Brent Venables era with a blowout win?](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2022/09/02/ou-football-vs-utep-will-brent-venables-get-win-in-sooners-debut/65462133007/) Ethan Downs: There are plenty of strong options here but none better suited than Downs, the sophomore defensive end. [For Brent Venables, 'all the hard work has built up to this' with OU football](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2022/09/02/ou-football-brent-venables-head-coaching-debut-sooners-vs-utep/65467553007/) [Sooners host UTEP at 2:30 p.m. Who cares, considering how accurate he is.](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2022/09/02/ou-football-dillion-gabriel-height-sooners-quarterback/65468279007/)

With all eyes on a resurgent Marvin Mims and a healthy Theo Wease, quarterback Dillon Gabriel might be wise to get the football to sophomore Jalil Farooq.

Kelley has been in the program and fans know him well, but it feels like an opportunity has opened up here for him to make some noise in his final season in Norman. If Gibson can make another flashy play in the second half like he did in Oklahoma’s spring game, then he could make the case to get a few more snaps next week against Kent State. But the pace at which Jeff Lebby’s offense wants to run should allow plenty of opportunities in the passing game, and true freshman Jayden Gibson could be a beneficiary in Week 1.

It's finally time. No more preseason rankings. No more talking heads ranking the new head coaching hires. No more college football playoff expansion.

The only teams Oklahoma beat by more than a score were TCU and Texas Tech: both of which had recently fired their head coaches. How will that change affect how the team plays on Saturdays? A year ago, Oklahoma played Tulane in Norman after a hurricane pushed the game out of New Orleans. If the Sooners have similar issues against UTEP today, something went horribly wrong. The coaches feel it and so do the players. Both starting quarterbacks departed for USCs on opposite sides of the country.

Read on for college football odds, betting picks and predictions for UTEP vs. Oklahoma on Saturday, September 3.

Lebby will look to replicate the success of Matt Corral in Oxford with a family quarterback in Dillion Gabriel. Oklahoma’s linebacker unit of DaShaun White and David Ugwoegbu have been excellent against the run but a liability against opposing passing attacks. The defense undergoes a similar change with Venables and coordinator Ted Roof. UTEP came together last season by winning seven games and covering in a loss to Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. A number of highly-graded cornerbacks and safeties return for Venables’ zone coverage scheme. At 24 seconds per play, the new-look Oklahoma offense is expected to execute around the same tempo. UTEP ended the game without a sack, quarterback hurry or tackle for loss. A new age of Oklahoma football is set to begin under head coach Brent Venables. Get up-to-the-minute [college football odds here.](https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/odds) [BetMGM](https://www.actionnetwork.com/online-sports-betting/reviews/betmgm). The results against North Texas were not successful on the scoreboard but not because of a lack of Armed with a new quarterback and a proven offensive coordinator, the Sooners expect nothing less than a national title as Oklahoma moves to the SEC in the coming years.

John Hoover and Ryan Chapman offer their real-time observations from the Sooners' season-opener against UTEP.

Barry Switzer, Bob Stoops and Brent Venables all made an appearance. Gabriel then scoots around the right edge for a 13-yard TD run. Two plays later, Gabriel finds Mims in coverage for 43 yards. Reggie Grimes gets tagged with a late hit/roughing the passer penalty on UTEP QB Gavin Hardison. Quick throw to Mims covers 31 yards, Gray grabs one over the middle for 24 yards, and it’s first and goal. Both sides of the ball involved early on. Justin Broiles for Key Lawrence the only non-defensive line substitution so far in the first quarter. Tyler Guyton had to come out after his shoe popped off, and Aaryn Parks struggled a bit. The east side upper deck is almost empty as well. Marcus Major needs to be the guy for the Sooners in the red zone this year. Simply refresh your browser to see the latest posts. Newest posts appear at the top.

The UTEP Miners take on Oklahoma Sooners football team after a loss to North Texas in week one at the Sun Bowl. Follow along for live updates.

30 minutes to kickoff: This is the second time in three years UTEP is playing against a Big 12 team departing for the SEC in its opener. Obviously a quick start will be essential for UTEP as it looks to hang with Oklahoma for as long as it can. UTEP pins Oklahoma on the 7. An 85-yard drive takes 5:10 off the clock and the Miners get the touchdown on a 2-yard run from Ronald Awatt. OU 21, UTEP 10, 7:14 2nd: Three and out for the UTEP defense. After an incomplete pass, the Sooners' next four plays go 16, 5, 42 and 12 yards, with the scoring coming from quarterback Dillon Gabriel on a draw. OU 35, UTEP 10, 5:07 3rd: Miners get three first downs but stalls and Hardison throws incomplete on 4th and 6 from the Sooner 36. Gabriel to Brayden from 6 yards out for the score. For the record, the last time UTEP won after falling behind by 21 points was in 2007 at SMU. Twelve plays, 68 yards, 4:01 off the clock, touchdown on a 28-yard pass to tight end Brayden Willis. That is a positive development for the rest of the season. OU 42, UTEP 13, 12:15 4th: Another stop for the Miners, who are better in even numbered quarters.

Get the final score and highlights from the UTEP-OU football game played Sept. 3 in Norman.

[Oklahoma football](https://soonersports.com/sports/football/schedule/2022) team opened the 2022 NCAA season against the [UTEP Miners](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/schedule/2022) at 2:30 p.m. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel scores first touchdown with OU football Dillon Gabriel connects with tight end Brayden Willis for second OU touchdown vs. OU football highlights: Sooners vs. UTEP OU football highlights vs.

OU cruised in the first game of the 2022 season behind a productive running game and stingy defense.

The coaching staff rotated players in and out of the lineup from the start of the game. The Sooners racked up six sacks on the day, with defensive end Reggie Grimes accounting for 2.5 of them. The Miners eschewed their typical boom-or-bust mentality on offense in the first live action for OU’s new look defense. UTEP head coach Dana Dimel clearly wanted to keep the OU offense off the field with a game plan that produced a significant disparity in time of possession. He also scored the game’s first TD on a 12-yard run on OU’s opening drive of the game. The transfer from Central Florida completed 15-of-23 pass attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns.

Welcome home, Brent Venables. More than a decade after leaving Oklahoma for Clemson, Venables finally had his first game as a head coach.

The Sooners not playing down to a Group of Five opponent feels good. The defense had a new fire we haven’t seen in Norman in years. I was impressed with how Gabriel came out in the second half after it looked like UTEP had figured out how to slow the Sooners’ offense. His speed and ability to make defenders miss are going to be very valuable to the OU offense this year. He looked good in the quick passing game, he can tuck it and run when he needs to and he has the arm talent to win football games. OU returned to its no-huddle style and got Gabriel back in a groove with a few easy completions. That’s something to keep an eye on as the season progresses. Hardison made several good throws on the run and didn’t make it easy for OU’s defense. I was among the first people in line. The tackling looks much better, and everyone seems a step or two faster. I just couldn’t shake this feeling that something was going to go wrong. Over 80,000 fans packed the Palace on the Prairie for his long-awaited debut.

Nine months after he was hired to take over for Lincoln Riley, Brent Venables opened his tenure as OU's football coach with a rousing victory.

“For believing in me,” Venables said. “I love his intensity. “It seemed like dog years many times,” Venables said. “That man can’t dance,” Stutsman said. “But that’s OK cause he can really coach. And I don’t take that for granted at all.” [How did Dillon Gabriel & Sooners grade out in season-opening win vs. “He’s so positive and so happy. UTEP?](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2022/09/04/oklahoma-football-dillon-gabriel-solid-debut-vs-utep-miners/65471986007/) There wasn’t any grand bit of advice for Swinney to dish out Saturday. “He is so awesome, man,” Venables said. UTEP.](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2022/09/04/ou-football-gavin-freeman-scores-touchdown-in-first-play-with-sooners/65471942007/)

From a fan's perspective -- and, I'm sure, from the Oklahoma football coaches and players, as well -- it feels really good to get the first game of the new.

When Riley left OU last fall, Venables and the OU staff became interested in Freeman, and he ultimately decommitted from the Red Raiders and elected to bet on himself as a preferred walk-on at Oklahoma. Having grown up in nearby Oklahoma City, playing football at OU was a dream come true, for both dad and son. Marvin Mims hauled in three of four targets for a game-high 81 yards, and Brayden Willis and Marcus Major each recorded a pair of touchdowns, Willis on a pair of TD catches and Major on a couple of rushing TDs. OU football historian Mike Brooks told The Oklahoman he is not aware of anyone who has scored an Oklahoma touchdown the very first time he touched the ball in his college career. Dillon Gabriel accounted for three touchdowns, two by air and one on the ground, on the way to a 78-percent completion day and 233 passing yards. And what’s more, there were pleasing differences from what we have seen under Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch the past three seasons.

The Brent Venables era got off to a dominating start against UTEP on Saturday afternoon. Oklahoma beat the Miners 45-13, controlling the entirety of the ...

The Sooners struggled to control the clock and the pace of the game in the first half because they couldn’t stop scoring. It didn’t end up costing the Sooners, but UTEP was able to score 10 quick points and stall Oklahoma’s offense in the second quarter. But the offense started early and started fast. With so much focus on the defense, it was likely widely expected that Venables and Co. Venables is widely known for his elite defenses, and Oklahoma fans were thrilled to see the new-look scheme. The Brent Venables era got off to a dominating start against UTEP on Saturday afternoon.

Oklahoma football once had three rivalry games every season. Because of conference realignment, that may very soon be down to just one.

The Sooners and Huskers have combined for 96 conference championships (50 for Oklahoma and 46 for Nebraska), which ranks one and two in college football history. Despite the Nebraska rivalry and the natural in-state rivalry with Oklahoma State, which some would argue is hardly a rivalry because of the Sooners’ total dominance, Oklahoma will always consider Texas to be its only genuine rivalry. OU and the Huskers renewed the Big Red rivalry series in 2021 after an 11-year hiatus, and the two teams will play again on Sept. Between 1921 and 2010, the two teams played virtually every season until 2010, when the met for the final time for an 11-year period in the Big 12 Championship. The Big Ten, largely made up of teams in the upper Midwest, has brought in teams from the East Coast and soon will add the two biggest schools in the Los Angeles market. In 1921, the Sooners and Cornhuskers met for the first time as members of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (which later evolved into the Big Six, Big Seven, et.

“…It went by really fast the last nine months, and in many ways it seemed like dog days,” the OU head coach said about his head-coaching debut. “But everything ...

141 — This was the 141st consecutive sellout of an originally scheduled Oklahoma home game. 28 — The Oklahoma defense held UTEP to 28 rushing yards for the game on 33 carries. A lot of players experienced some things for the first time… OU started out the game slinging the ball around the field but resorted later in the contest to a run-heavy attack. We did a lot of things for the first time. Physical, aggressive but smart, confident and complementary in all phases of the game.

On the Oklahoma offense's 13th play from scrimmage Saturday, true freshman receiver Gavin Freeman made his second appearance of the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a fast start in week one of the 2022 college football season. Literally. Taking the ball to open the game, the Sooners took ...

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Behind a strong performance up front, the Sooner defense held the UTEP Miners to just 28 rushing yards in No. 9-ranked OU's 45-13 win at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma ...

[Click here](http://allsoonersforums.com/) to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today! “I felt like we played the way we wanted to,” Bowman said. We got a lot of work to do, but I thought it was a great start. “That’s the same offense we go against every single day in practice, so we’re used to that tempo,” he said. They max protected some, so the guys had to have a lot of fight to them because it's many times, it was seven-on-three in protection or seven-on-four. “It's a team that arguably their offensive line is probably their best-coached position on the team, with their emphasis to run the football.