Oklahoma’s season opener certainly didn’t produce expected results but it did end with a win thanks to some outstanding team and individual efforts. Here are a few notes and tidbits from the 40-35 win over Tulane that you might have overlooked.
Game Notes
• Oklahoma improved to 98-23-6 all-time in season openers and to 80-15-4 in home openers at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Sooners have won 16 straight home openers.
• Sixteen players made their first appearance in an Oklahoma uniform Saturday. Eight players made their first starts at OU: RB Eric Gray, WR Jadon Haselwood, OL Anton Harrison,OL Robert Congel, OL Chris Murray, WR Michael Woods II, DE Reggie Grimes, DB Billy Bowman.
• Oklahoma registered three fumble recoveries on the day, all in the first half. That’s the same number of recoveries the Sooners had all of last season and one fewer than they had in 2019.
• OU has scored at least 27 points in a school-record 63 consecutive contests. The next longest streak nationally since at least 1980 is 31 by UCF (2017-19). The next longest active streak is 23 games by Alabama.
• The win was the Sooners’ ninth straight, good for the second-longest streak in the country.
• The game was the 1,300th in OU program history. The Sooners are 918-329-53 (.727).
• Two true freshman scored for the Sooners today (QB Caleb Williams on a one-yard first-quarter rush and WR Mario Williams on a six-yard second-quarter reception).
Individual Notes
Spencer Rattler
• Completed 30 of 39 passes for 304 yards and one touchdown, and rushed for a one-yard touchdown. It was his seventh career rushing TD.
• Has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 12 career starts.
Nik Bonitto
• Registered his first career fumble recovery in the second quarter.
• Now has 12.0 career sacks, tied with Brian Bosworth for sixth most in program history by a linebacker.
Gabe Brkic
• Tied an FBS record with his three field goal makes of at least 50 yards (51, 56 and 55). No Sooner had ever made more than one 50-plus-yard field goal in a game.
• Also made a 26-yarder in the second quarter and finished the day 4 for 5, tying a school record for makes in a game (11th time in school history and third time by Brkic).
• His 56-yarder to end the first half tied as the third-longest in school history (tied with Tony DiRienzo vs. Oklahoma State in 1975) and is the longest since a 58-yarder by Uwe von Schamann vs. Oklahoma State in 1977. It also marked the longest made field goal in a season opener in school history.
• This was his 15th career game with multiple made field goals, and his eighth straight game with at least two made field goals (dating back to the TCU game last year).
Kennedy Brooks
Notched his 19th career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. It was his first TD run since the 2019 Peach Bowl (he opted to sit out the 2020 season).
Reggie Grimes
Was credited with a sack and forced fumble in the second quarter. It was his second career sack and first career forced fumble.
Marvin Mims
• Notched six receptions for 117 yards, including a 49-yard reception in the first quarter that set up a 1-yard TD run.
• Had four receptions for 102 yards in the first half. It was his first career game with at least 100 receiving yards in a half. His previous high in a half was 86 yards (on six receptions) in the first half of the 2020 Big 12 Championship vs. Iowa State.
Jalen Redmond
Recorded his first career fumble recovery in the second quarter (on Grimes’ strip-sack).
Clayton Smith
Recorded his first career fumble recovery in the second quarter on a forced fumble by Isaiah Thomas. He was credited with one assisted tackle and 0.5 TFL.
Caleb Williams
In his first career play, true freshman scored a rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. It was his only carry in the game.
Mario Williams
Scored his first career touchdown on a six-yard reception in the second quarter. The true freshman had six receptions for 37 yards and completed a 10-yard pass to WR Jadon Haselwood.
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