OUInsider: Oklahoma Sooners Football & Basketball Recruiting - The Cool-Down: 4 takeaways from OU's win over Temple (2024)

NORMAN — It was pretty smooth sailing for Oklahoma on Friday.

The Sooners delivered as heavy favorites in their season opener against Tulane, coming away with a 51-3 win over the Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Sooners never had an issue in this one, taking a 14-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game and a 34-point lead into halftime.

This marks the eighth-straight season the Sooners have won their season opener. Here's a look at five key takeaways:

The former Purdue receiver was praised as one of the Sooners' biggest offseason additions.

Against Temple, he showed exactly why his addition is a difference-maker for this offense.

Burks wasted no time making his presence felt in Norman, catching his first touchdown with his new team on a 14-yard pass from Jackson Arnold on OU's second drive of the game. Midway through the second quarter, he added an eight-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone.

He wasn't done. After the defense recovered a fumble forced by Gracen Halton, Burks added a five-yard touchdown with just 36 seconds before halftime. In soccer terms, the score gave Burks a hat trick (three scores in one game).

He finished the game as the team leader's in receptions (6) and targets (7) while adding 37 yards.

But it wasn't just Burks' involvement as a receiver. OU offensive coordinator Seth Littrell constantly utilized Burks in pre-snap motions and even a few times in jet sweeps, as he carried the ball three times for 14 yards.

Drake Stoops was Dillon Gabriel's safety blanket in the slot last season. It appears Burks could be that for Arnold this year.

The Sooners' defense simply suffocated Forrest Brock and the Owls.

The Owls finished with just 197 yards of offense, averaging just 3.3 yards per play. Things were particularly tough sledding for the Owls in the first half, when they finished with 80 total yards. Temple QB Forrest Brock completed just 12 of 25 passes for 128 yards.

But the biggest thing were the takeaways. Ethan Downs forced a fumble on the second drive of the game that was recovered by Da'Jon Terry, marking the first takeaway of the game. Later in the first quarter, Kendel Dolby's pass break up led to an interception by Kani Walker. Robert Spears-Jennings also added a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

The Sooners snagged their third takeover of the game to end the first half, when Billy Bowman recovered a fumble forced by Gracen Halton. That takeaway led to Burks' third touchdown just before half.

Four of the Sooners' takeaways came in the first half. But just for fun, the Sooners added two more forced turnovers in the fourth quarter. Lewis Carter forced a fumble on a Temple punt return, and Jaren Kanak recovered it and returned it for a scoop and score.

The sixth and final came on an interception from Jayden Hardy on a poorly-thrown ball from Brock. Considering the Sooners ranked seventh nationally in takeaways with 26, it appears they picked up right where they left off.

Markus Strong led the team with two sacks. Gracen Halton added 1.5 sacks, while Dolby had one and Ashton added a half sack.

The Owls' 197 yards marked the lowest output for OU against an FBS team since 2017. The Sooners' six takeaways is their most since 2003.

The kicking battle between Keltner and Zach Schmit went to the very end of fall camp. OU coach Brent Venables made his decision on game week, with Keltner taking the field goals and Schmit handling things on kickoffs.

It's just one game, but Keltner has already solidified his spot.

The Florida State transfer calmly sank a 50-yard attempt in the first half, marking the Sooners' first make from 50 yards or more since 2021. He added makes of 42 and 24 yards, finishing the day 3/3 on field goal attempts and 5/5 on extra points.

It was a significant contrast from Schmit, who made just two of five attempts on field goals of 40 yards or more last season. Considering it was a major question in the offseason, the Sooners can feel confident that they have potentially found their answer at kicker.

There's no doubt that the offensive line was the biggest question mark for OU heading into 2024.

The season opener didn't do much to remove those fears.

It was already tough that Jake Taylor — one of the presumed starters at tackle, when healthy — dressed for the game but didn't play. But the situation grew worse when starting center Branson Hickman went out with an apparent ankle injury in the first quarter, and didn't return.

But it was still a mixed bag for the offensive line — and the offense as a whole — against a Temple defense that was one of the worst in the FBS last season. Arnold was sacked three times; the O-line gave up just one sack in non-conference play last season and only surrendered three sacks in three games. The Sooners averaged just 4.1 yards per carry in the first half.

The Sooners finished with 378 total yards — their season low last year was 365 — but only had 280 midway through the fourth quarter before a flurry of long runs by freshman Taylor Tatum.

The most glaring stat — the Sooners converted just one of their 12 third-down attempts. They failed on their first 11 attempts before Tatum's eight-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The Owls ranked 125th in third-down defense a year ago.

It's hard to complain or criticize too much about a 48-point victory. The Sooners still finished with 51 points, and Arnold (141 yards, 4 TDs, 68% completion) was solid in his debut while making smart decisions. But it's clear the Sooners have some kinks to work out, and some questions to answer on the offensive line.

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