Sept. 26-28, 2019

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OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch yells during the game against Houston Sept. 1.

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JUMP AROUND Alex Grinch looks to launch defense to new heights

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• Sept. 26-28, 2019

SPORTS

George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

Receiver taking reps at safety

Five-star freshman may move from offense to defense GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia

Oklahoma sophomore safety Patrick Fields pointed to the words above him in OU’s locker room when asked about freshman Trejan Bridges’ possible move from wide receiver to safety.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS: Doing the right thing for the team ... When everything isn’t perfect for you.

“I think it kind of speaks volumes to that quote right there,” Fields said. “He’s done a phenomenal job ...

You see glimpses of him playing defense and being aggressive.”

Bridges, a former five-star wide receiver from Hebron High School in Texas, was expected to be a key playm a k e r i n t h e S o o n e r s’ high-powered offense. But according to defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, Bridges has been taking reps at safety over the last week after Bridges personally asked coach Lincoln Riley to try him out on the defensive side of the ball.

He hasn’t officially moved positions, Riley and Grinch said. But just thinking about the move is surprising, to say the least. While the Sooners are struggling at safety

maybe more than anywhere else on the field — they currently rank 53rd in passing defense — most didn’t see this coming, especially of Bridges’ own accord.

“Him being a five-star wide receiver, being a highly recruited guy — that’s one of the last guys you’d think would switch and make a transition to defense,” Fields said.

Some players didn’t even know Bridges was thinking about moving positions.

“I was kind of surprised, actually,” sophomore safety Delarrin Turner-Yell said.

“I saw him in the meeting room with us, and I was like, ‘Whoa.’”

But those who know Bridges aren’t surprised.

In high school, while still being Hebron’s top offensive weapon, he played safety regularly and in key situations. When his former offensive coordinator, Jeff Hill, heard Bridges was considering moving to the defensive side of the ball, he was in no way shocked.

“No, it doesn’t surprise me. That’s Trejan. That’s who he is,” Hill said. “He’s a guy that you want on your team because of his athletic ability but also because of his selflessness. Who doesn’t want a kid that’s willing to make your team better no matter what?”

In three games, Bridges has shown flashes of potential that he could not only be

productive at safety but also possibly be a playmaker for Oklahoma.

Against Houston in the Sooners’ opener, Bridges had an impressive tackle on a kickoff. He did it again the next week against South Dakota on special teams.

At 6-foot-1 and 183 p o u n d s, B r i d g e s i s b i g enough and has the speed to play the position. Oh, and he has great hands too.

“A guy like that, with the knack for the ball that he has, imagine what he can do back there for them defensively,” Hill said. “He’s got the ability to be a great player on either side of the ball.”

And there’s no doubting Bridges’ work ethic to excel at the position. “ Trejan is a dog. He’s still learning. I’m excited to see him when he fully starts learning the defense,” Turner-Yell said. “Once he does that, like I said, this kid’s a dog. He’s gonna fly around. He’s gonna make plays. He just came from the offensive side last week.

“I’m excited to see what he has in store for us.”

Turner-Yell brings up a good point — having to learn Grinch’s defense will be a tall task. Bridges clearly has the athletic skill set to make the move, but it’ll be the mental side that’s the most challenging.

But Grinch said if anyone can do it, it’s Bridges.

“It’s such a compliment to

JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY

Freshman wide receiver Trejan Bridges checks with the referee if he is on the line of scrimmage during the game against Houston Sept. 1.

a guy,” Grinch said. “There are a number of positions in the program, whether it’s on the offensive side of the ball or the defensive side of the ball — corner, safety nickel.

There’s very few guys that you can circle and say they can help you in six different spots. There’s not a much bigger compliment that you can give an individual.”

In just a week at the position, Bridges has been impressive so far, his teammates said. Switching positions is never an easy thing to do, especially mid-season.

“He’s already a guy that’s well-respected throughout the team because he’s a phenomenal player offensively too,” Fields said. “But seeing him being able to come over to the defensive side and transition so fast, and be willing to learn the new defense and all that, it just makes you respect him that much more.”

No m a t t e r i f B r i d g e s makes a significant impact on the defensive side of the ball or not, his decision to ask Riley to switch sides tells a broader narrative about

this team.

He’s a representation of what the Sooners want to be as a team — a group of guys who will do anything to help the player next to them.

“I think it speaks volumes to the type of program we have,” Fields said. “Guys want to see our program succeed, and they’re willing to sacrifice whatever it takes for the team.”

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

Former pro offers advice to Trejan Bridges Andre Woolfolk recalls own past between positions GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia

Following the 2001 OUTexas game, then-Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops had a meeting with Andre Woolfolk.

A j u n i o r a t t h e t i m e, Woolfolk was playing both wide receiver and cornerback for the Sooners. He was coming off his best defensive game of his career, totaling seven tackles, one pass breakup and an interception in a 14-3 win over the Longhorns.

After the game, Stoops had a heart-to-heart with Woolfolk.

“He asked if I would move full time to the defensive side of the ball,” said Woolfolk, who ended up playing four years in the NFL. “He was just open and honest about it, and I think that’s the best thing about it and something that this school has always done. It sounds like (head coach Lincoln) Riley

Freshman wide receiver Trejan Bridges celebrates a successful play Sept. 1.

is doing the same thing now, being open and blunt about everything.”

N o w , 1 8 y e a r s l a t e r, Oklahoma freshman Trejan Bridges is considering a similar move from wide receiver to safety — a decision he made on his own.

The former five-star wide

receiver from Texas’ Hebron High School was anticipated to be a standout in Riley’s offense. But, according to defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, Bridges approached Riley about switching to defense last week and has been taking reps at safety since.

With an abundance of star

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wide receivers and a lack of depth at safety, Bridges’ potential move makes sense.

Woolfolk faced a similar situation his junior year.

“The kid taking my spot on offense at the time just so happened to be Mark Clayton,” Woolfolk said with a laugh about Clayton, who

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went on to play seven years in the NFL. “So, yeah, it made sense.”

But unlike Bridges, Woolfolk was primarily a defensive back at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver. He redshirted his freshman season at OU as a corner under then-head

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coach John Blake, but the Sooners already had great defensive backs like Michael Thompson, J.T. Thatcher and Derrick Strait as starters.

In 1999, Woolfolk told Bob Stoops he was a receiver.

At first, he spent most of his time on scout team as a receiver during the 1999 season. Partway through the year, after a couple defensive injuries and both Bob and Mike realized he played defensive back in high school, they asked him to play both ways. Still, he mostly played receiver in 1999 and 2000.

Woolfolk then became a key offensive contributor in the 2000 national championship. He caught 42 passes for 614 yards and five touchdowns, and he had maybe the catch of the year against then-No. 1 Nebraska. He was the team’s second-leading wide receiver behind Antwone Savage.

In 2001, he became more of a defensive contributor, having to start on both sides. He recalls playing close to 110 snaps in the season opener against North Carolina. see WOOLFOLK page 3

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SPORTS

Sept. 26-28, 2019 •

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Motley to build on strong start Sooner cornerback begins season with impressive stats VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds

To most Oklahoma fans, the numbers probably didn’t look right.

On Sept. 11, Pro Football Focus, a popular football analytics website, tweeted that senior cornerback Parnell Motley was the nation’s leader in completion percentage allowed with 8.3 percent.

In 2018, Motley was a regular starter on a secondary that gave up the most passing yards per game in the country with 280. With the Sooners’ recent defensive woes, his stats could have easily been brushed off as an anomaly.

Parnell Motley

8.3

completion percentage allowed (leads country)

.07 4

yards per cover snap allowed (leads country) pass breakups (leads team)

Source: Pro Football Focus

B u t e i g h t d a y s l a t e r, Motley’s name was once again at the top of a national statistical category according to PFF. This time, he was leading the nation in fewest yards per cover snap with .07.

The entire defense has struggled in years past, but Motley is no stranger to hot starts. In the first month of the season in 2017, Motley snagged a key interception in the second half of the Sooners’ 31-16 upset victory at Ohio State. He proceeded to take an interception 77 yards to the house against Tulane the following week.

In 2018, Motley got two

September interceptions as well, including a game-ending one in a 28-21 overtime win against Army.

However, Motley didn’t pick up any more interceptions after his first two in 2017, and he caught only one additional pick in 2018.

“In 2017, I got out to an early jump. In 2018, I had a good start then kind of declined,” Motley said.

“It’s good to feed off the motivation from that. I don’t look at those kind of things as anything other than that — it’s good to see it, but it’s got to keep me motivated.”

What may be different in 2019 for Motley is that the stats that are leaping off the page aren’t interceptions, but more advanced statistics. For the team at PFF, cornerbacks present a unique evaluation challenge because the mainstream stats aren’t necessarily reflective of a cornerback’s overall abilities.

It’s easy to look at offensive stats like receptions, yards gained and touchdowns, but the secondary’s job isn’t to rack up stats — it’s to prevent the offense from getting stats.

“The thing about cornerback play is that it’s pretty outcome driven. We can look at interceptions, but that’s pretty noisy because oftentimes a guy will be targeted a lot, which means more interceptions, even if he’s not great,” said PFF senior data scientist Eric Eager. “You need to be able to chart and look at all the times he’s targeted, but then there’s the whole skill of being not targeted at all. If you’re a good cornerback, then teams aren’t going to throw at you, so there’s value in looking at that.”

Along with Motley’s history of hot starts and declines, the stats could be misleading for two more reasons: a small sample size and weak competition.

Motley’s .08 completion percentage was through only two games, and the yards per cover snap of .07 was through three. While it is encouraging, a larger sample size will be more reflective of a dramatic improvement on

Senior cornerback Parnell Motley walks off the field after the game against South Dakota Sept. 7.

Motley’s end.

The Sooners’ three opponents this year — Houston, South Dakota and UCLA — each have 1-3 records, and only UCLA has shown elite offensive potential. His stats would be more impressive if the Sooners took on a tougher nonconference slate.

“When you play UCLA, Houston and South Dakota, you really do have to look at how good the team is relative to how you’re playing,” Eager said. “You do have to be careful about reacting to small sample sizes because they might not be predictable.

We’re going to see Oklahoma play in the Big 12 now with a lot of elite receivers, and that’ll show more. It’s better to be good in the first part of the season than it is to be not good in the first part of the season, but you don’t want to take too much out of it.”

Motley will have his opportunity to show whether or not the numbers are a product of small sample size and weak

competition on Saturday against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have traditionally been among the nation’s best offenses, and they are known to throw the ball at a high rate.

Texas Tech’s main receiving threat is junior T.J. Vasher, who’s entering the game with 18 receptions, 246 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot6 wideout has a combination of elite height and speed that makes him a matchup problem for secondaries, but Motley is prepared for the challenge. “ I’ m e x c i t e d f o r t h a t matchup and for the competition to get even better,” Motley said. “I’ve been checking this guy since my sophomore year. It’ll be great to guard him again — he’s tall, can catch the ball, he can run. He’s not your average receiver, and it’ll be great to line up against him again.”

Advanced metrics have become more popular in recent years in sports like basketball

and baseball, but the football coaching community has been slower to get behind the data and prefer exclusively looking at game video.

Eager and his colleagues are experts in analyzing data, but they understand that stats are simply a tool that can help coaches get a better understanding when evaluating players.

“If you look at defensive backs specifically, getting burned on one play is probably all a coach sees when they go back and look at a game,” Eager said. “But if you see in the numbers that a player is playing terrific on 79 out of 80 snaps, and one snap goes over his head — he’s more likely to play 80 great snaps next week than to get burned twice. ... Like every position in football, you can get a lot out if you watch a lot of tape and add some contextual analysis with stats.”

Among the coaches that understand the balance of stats and video is Oklahoma

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. He is often hesitant to talk about his opinion on practice or a game before watching the game video, but he also is a proponent of using stats to add more context to his evaluations.

“What we do as coaches is we’ll tell you if it’s a good performance or a bad performance, and the stats are driven by just that — good performance and bad performance,” Grinch said. “I certainly think the (analyzing video and stats) go hand in hand, but ultimately we’re in the behavior business.

Everything we tell them is to either curb behavior that’s not right or enhance behavior that is right. Sometimes numbers can generate that conversation, but ultimately the video is the tell-all.”

Vic Reynolds

victor.reynolds@ou.edu

Former Sooner recalls postgame interview ‘Go Raiders’ fan video lives on after almost 15 years CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

Watch the “Go Raiders” video on YouTube. Words alone don’t do it justice.

Former Sooner fullback J.D. Runnels won’t forget Texas Tech running back Taurean Henderson scoring on a 2 -yard touchdown run to beat the Sooners, 23-21, back in 2005. He still hasn’t forgotten the postgame interview, either.

The same goes for most

WOOLFOLK: continued from page 2

“It was literally going offense to defense every play,” Woolfolk said. “It sounds great, going both ways, but you cheat yourself and the team a little bit because you’re tired out there. You can’t be the best you want to be on certain plays. You might be able to affect a play better if you have more energy.

“There were some days I didn’t know what position I was playing until I saw the color of my jersey before practice.”

Then, after the Texas game, he made the complete move to cornerback.

Texas Tech fans, probably thinking that the latter lives on more prominently than the former.

Distressed from multiple questionable calls in the game — one of them being the refs declaring Henderson wasn’t short of the goal line — and with a camera pointed at Runnels as he tried to answer questions from the media, he heard it.

“G o Raiders!” a fan screamed from the stands during the interview.

The chant was exclaimed over and over again as the Sooners were answered to reporters. Runnels would

speak but wouldn’t be able to finish his sentences. The infamous fan yelled the phrase over and over again as Runnels tried finishing the sentences, “It’s definitely ...” and, “It’s just one of those games …”

He never did. Runnels ju st ke p t l o o k i ng u p at the fan, unable to find the words he was looking for.

“I paid to get into the game,” said the infamous Texas Tech fan. “I can say whatever I want.”

The video of Runnels’ interview on YouTube has over 300,000 views, and 14 years later, as the Sooners head into a home matchup

a g a i n s t Te x a s Te c h o n Saturday, Runnels hasn’t forgotten it.

“Basically, I got roasted,” Runnels said. “People laugh at it still. It was a bad time for us as a team because we had lost that game.”

In the midst of the yelling, Runnels just smiled into the camera and ended the interview. Today, he doesn’t know what he would say if he saw the man again.

“I don’t think he would be a rational human being,” Runnels said. “I don’t think we can have a rational conversation. Maybe he was

drunk that day.”

The “Go Raiders” fan is still unknown to the general public, and the video remains a classic.

Texas Tech’s win over OU was its first over Oklahoma since 1999, and Sooner fans are still learning to forgive the referees. But Runnels, now a head football coach at Moore West Junior High School after spending four years in the NFL, has moved on.

“Over the years,” Runnels said, “it’s gotten a little bit funnier.”

Only one person has the nerve to mimic the chant to Runnels: his son, James

Runnels III. “When he searches for his dad, he finds the ‘Go Raiders’ video,” Runnels s a i d . “ He s ay s i t re a l l y often. He’s probably the worst one about it.

“What better can a son do than heckle his dad?

Now he’s got video evidence of how to do it.”

“It was kind of hard at first, going from catching the ball and all the ‘divaness’ that comes with playing wide receiver, and then going to defense,” Woolfolk said. “You kind of have to remove yourself at first and be objective, and see how you can help the team the most. ... It hits you in the face at first because you feel like you’re losing a part of your identity. But then eventually you realize, ‘OK, wow. This is really going to benefit our team.’”

That ’s what Woolfolk likes most about Bridges’ decision to try and play on the defensive side of the ball.

He re s p e c t s B r i d g e s’ mentality to realize his talents can be used elsewhere, even if it isn’t his first option or where he currently

fits best.

“It shows great character,” Woolfolk said. “You can have five-star kids all day long, but the main thing is if you’re an awesome athlete and you have the ability to play anywhere, and right now you’re not a main contributor for the team, I think it’s awesome that someone can step out and say, ‘I want to try doing something else.’ I think it speaks volumes to the school and the program.”

Woolfolk said he doesn’t think Bridges will have a difficult time transitioning, noting that guys that play on the outside — whether they’re wide receivers, corners or safeties — already have the mindset that every time the ball is in the air, they want to attack it.

For him, going from wide

receiver to corner was likely corner is your ball-attackmore difficult than it would ing ability and your hands,” Woolfolk said. “But going from wide receiver to safety, that should be easier in “There are definitely the sense that some of the some nuances he’s demands of safety are not going to have to get exactly like a corner. A lot used to, but watching of times you do have help him, I don’t think he’ll or are the help. It’s a good thing he’s not just going have any issues.” to corner, because that’s a lonely place.

ANDRE WOOLFOLK, “ There are definitely FORMER OU WIDE RECEIVER some nuances he’s going to have to get used to, but watching him, I don’t think have been going from re- he’ll have any issues.” ceiver to safety.

Everything worked out “All it comes down to for Woolfolk in the end. He is technique, which real- started at corner the rest of ly, really sucks because the season in 2001 and all of it does not transfer over 2002 as a team captain. He at all. Whatever you were was taken 28th overall by d o i n g ov e r at re c e i v e r, the Tennessee Titans in the the only thing that trans- 2003 NFL Draft and played fers over when you go to four seasons in the league.

He thinks Bridges can be just as successful at safety and a key component in Oklahoma’s defense.

As for the biggest piece of advice Woolfolk can offer?

Take it day-by-day.

“Each week I had to choose something I was going to get better at. There (were) a few games and practices that had some teachable moments. And you don’t want to get baptized right there on the field, but sometimes that’s t h e b e s t w ay t o l e a r n ,” Woolfolk said. “So I would tell him that, each week, he should have a goal of something he wants to get better at that position. Trust the process.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ ou.edu

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

4•

SPORTS

Sept. 26-28, 2019

MEET THE OPPONENT TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

After rolling comfortably with a 3-0 record and into a bye week, the Sooners will start conference play against Texas Tech (2-1) Saturday.

The Red Raiders, also coming off a bye week, feature a first-year head coach in Matt Wells. Sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman suffered a shoulder injury in Tech’s 28-14 loss to Ar izona (2-1) the w eek before, and will be out for several weeks. It’s not yet known how losing Bowman will affect the Red Raiders, who are No. 20 in the FBS in total offense.

Meet the Sooners’ opponent, Texas Tech.

COACH: MATT WELLS With the departure of now-Ar izona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech hired Wells, who spent six seasons as

the head coach of Utah State.

Wells also coached at Navy, New Mexico, Tulsa and Louisville before joining Utah State, his alma mater, and was promoted to head coach at Utah State in 2013. Wells has a 46-36 overall record as a head coach.

OFFENSE Texas Tech will bring its passing game to Norman on Saturday. The Red Raider offense ranks 20th in the FBS in total offense (508.7 yards per game) and 12th in passing offense (341.3 yards per game).

But with Bowman being o u t i n d e f i n i t e l y , q u a rterbacks Jett Duffey and Jackson Tyner are both expected to fill in throughout the season. Bowman tallied 1,020 passing yards and six touchdowns before his injury.

Duffey racked up three touchdowns — two passing and one rushing — after

OU VS. TEXAS TECH When: 11 a.m. Saturday Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium How to watch: Watch on FOX or stream at foxsportsgo.com How to listen: KRXO FM 107.7 or KOKC FM 95.3 (Oklahoma City) CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Texas Tech defensive back Justus Parker screams at fans before the game against OU Nov. 3, 2018.

Bowman left OU’s 51-46 e x p e r i e n c e t o t h e R e d win over Tech in 2018.

Raider defense. Brooks leads the team with 32 DEFENSE tackles, and Coleman has Through three games the two interceptions on the Red Raiders rank No. 32 in season. total defense, allowing an Th e d e f e n s e f e atu re s average of 306.3 yards per first-year Texas Tech degame from opponents. fensive coordinator Keith Senior linebacker Jordyn Patterson, whose college Brooks and cornerback coaching career spans 17 Douglas Coleman III add years.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Senior running back Armand Shyne has rushed for 238 yards and two touchdowns through three games, and averages 7.4 y a rd s p e r c a r r y . S hy n e rushed for 125 yards in Texas Tech’s 45-10 opening win against Montana State.

Junior wide receiver T.J. Vasher has racked up 246 receiving yards through three games and caught for 78 yards and two

touchdowns against UTEP. Coleman will be a test for Oklahoma senior quarterback Jalen Hurts’ arm. He leads a defense that ranks third in the FBS in passing yards allowed (133.7).

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ ou.edu

THREE KEYS TO BEATING TEXAS TECH VIC REYNOLDS

@vicareynolds victor.reynolds@ou.edu

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Redshirt sophomore running back Kennedy Brooks runs the ball during the game against South Dakota Sept. 7.

1.

BE PREPARED FOR DIFFERENT LOOKS AT QUARTERBACK

Texas Tech is in a precarious quarterback situation following the injury of Alan Bowman in the Red Raiders’ 28-14 loss to Arizona.

Red Raider head coach Matt Wells has yet to name a starter, but it’s between Jett Duffey and Jackson Tyner. In 2018, Duffey played in the second half against OU and threw for 139 yards and two touchdowns, and added 47 yards and a touchdown rushing, as well.

Tyner is a Rice transfer who started only three games for the Owls and struggled, only throwing one touchdown to four interceptions. He has the prototypical size for the position at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, but his ability leaves a lot to be desired.

Due to his experience in the system, it’s safe to say Duffey will start, but the two quarterbacks present different skill sets, and the Sooner defense needs to be ready for either one heading into the game.

2.

CONTAIN T.J. VASHER

The Red Raiders have crafted a reputation for being one of the nation’s best passing attacks in the last several years, and this year they’ve continued to throw at a high rate.

Wide receiver T.J. Vasher is their top target, entering the game with 18 receptions, 246 yards and two touchdowns. The biggest problem he may create for the Sooner defense stems from his 6-foot-6 frame, and Oklahoma’s tallest defensive back is Parnell Motley at 6-foot-1.

Containing Vasher will be a crucial part in stifling the rest of Texas Tech’s offense, and if the Sooners can pull that off, then it’s safe to say that the rest of the Red Raiders’ passing attack will struggle.

3.

RUN THE BALL

The Red Raiders have never been known for having an elite defense, but their secondary has shown flashes of potential recently. In 2018, they snagged two early interceptions on Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, and they held opponents to just 133 passing yards per game in 2019.

That’s not to say that quarterback Jalen Hurts won’t be able to pass the ball effectively, but this game could be an opportunity for the Sooners’ running backs to shine.

Juniors Trey Sermon and Rhamondre Stevenson and redshirt sophomore Kennedy Brooks have all had moments of brilliance in the first three games, but Hurts’ dual-threat capabilities have stolen the show.

The trio of running backs can help the Sooners control the clock and provide steady yardage and points.

This week’s DAILY predictions

No. 6 Oklahoma (3-0) is set to open conference play against Texas Tech (2-1) this Saturday in Norman, and from all indications, the Sooners should have no problem. With the Red Raiders’ starting quarterback out, OU should start conference play off with a win.

OU 52, TEXAS TECH 24 Oklahoma should have no problem against the Red Raiders, especially with starting quarterback Alan Bowman not playing due to injury.

Texas Tech has looked good deGEORGE fensively, currently ranking 32nd in STOIA, total defense. But the Red Raiders SPORTS also haven’t played the most dynamEDITOR ic teams. They beat Montana State and UTEP, while losing to Arizona on the road. But Oklahoma should have no problem moving the ball with Jalen Hurts leading the way.

Defensively, this shouldn’t turn into a shootout like in years past. Texas Tech isn’t what it was under Kliff Kingsbury, and with Bowman out, quarterback Jett Duffey has a tall task ahead of him.

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

OU 49, TEXAS TECH 24 Sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman being out for Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury is a tough loss for the Red Raider offense.

But junior quarterback Jett Duffey is still capable of putting up big numCALEB bers. After Bowman left OU’s 51-46 MCCOURRY, win over Tech in 2018, Duffey racked ASSISTANT up three touchdowns — two passing SPORTS and one rushing — to keep the game EDITOR close.

The Oklahoma offense most likely won’t roll like clockwork as it has in its last three games, with the game being the conference-play opener and the Tech defense being ranked No. 32 in total defense through three games.

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu

OU 45, TEXAS TECH 17 With the injury of Texas Tech quarterback Alan Bowman, the Red Raider offense will not be as good as usual.

The Red Raider secondary is VIC strong, as it has only allowed 133 REYNOLDS, passing yards per game through SENIOR three games, including two interSPORTS ceptions against Arizona’s Khalil REPORTER Tate. But the Sooner passing attack is more dangerous than anything Texas Tech has faced yet.

With a steady running attack from Jalen Hurts and the Sooners’ trio of running backs, they will dominate time of possession, and Texas Tech will struggle offensively.

Vic Reynolds

victor.reynolds@ou.edu