It was a relatively clean opening game for Oklahoma in its 45-13 win against UTEP, so in talking to offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and Ted Roof on Monday, no immediate causes for concern.

There’s always room for improvement, though. All coaches will say that, but what they need to improve on is completely different when it comes to the offense and defense.

UTEP had an 82-61 play advantage and a time of possession edge of 38:33-21:27. Offensively, it was the lack of rotations and getting players in.

Entering the final drive, it was basically all starters for the offense. At that point, it was only nine drives and only three in the second half.

No, we didn’t play as many guys as maybe we hoped or wanted to. Just the way the game worked out,” Lebby said. “You look at it and up 21-0 after 15 plays of offense… I would have loved to have played guys a little earlier and get them in for a couple of series. It didn’t present itself that way.

“I have to be a little more mindful on making sure some of these guys are getting in a little bit earlier. That’s how it unfolded. That was a regret. I wanted to play, we wanted to play more guys and give them more access.”

That’s going to be important, said Lebby. He’s happy with what the guys did across the board, especially in the heat with the offensive line, but the only way to know what they really bring to the table is to throw them out there.

“We’ve got to continue to develop guys. You have to play guys to develop guys,” Lebby said. “You have to live experiences and that’s the reality of it.”

Flip it over, and it’s the opposite for Roof and the defense. A group that played more than 30 guys in the game and on the field for 45 plays in the first half but still played at a pretty high level.

“I’ll tell you what I learned too is that we had some competitive stamina,” Roof said. “High 40’s to mid 40’s in snaps I think in the first half, so there was some competitive stamina that was developed. You train and those guys work extremely hard to get in shape to play football, but you really play by playing, because leaning on one another, striking one another, getting off the ball — all the things that go into it.

“I saw some competitive stamina and that’s a good thing, because that’s what it’s gonna take. But also our depth, we played in the low 30’s on defense with players, so that was good to play a lot of players. We almost went three-deep. It was good for everybody to get a little taste of it and understand that if you work hard in practice, you’re gonna get rewarded if the situation dictates that.”

Finding the mix at RB

Not a lot to complain about with OU’s production at running back between Eric Gray and Marcus Major. It marked the first 100-yard game of Gray’s OU career, going for 102 yards on 16 carries. Major added 54 yards and two touchdowns.

“I felt good about both of those guys,” Lebby said. “I think we left some yards out there, but both guys played incredibly tough. We took care of the football. Marcus had the two tough runs down there in the tight zone, which were huge. He had the big explosive (run).

“Want it to be maybe a little more even. Eric’s probably going to lead the way obviously from a tough standpoint, but Marcus is going to be right there clipping at his heels. Again, Marcus has done an unbelievable job. But I expect both those guys to be ultra-productive and play at a really high level.”

OU averaged 6.8 yards per carry, and it was definitely a good sign to see Major find the end zone twice after an incredibly disappointing 2021 season.

Harrison’s move best for OL unit

OU had to make an adjustment at offensive line, with Wanya Morris not starting at right tackle. What Lebby and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh decided to do was shift Anton Harrison from left tackle to right tackle and let Tyler Guyton be the left tackle.

“Just the experience piece of it. Playing a lot of games where necessarily hadn't,” Lebby said. “He's been working at left and (we) felt good about Tyler playing left. And then Anton moving over felt like that was the best thing for the unit and for the offense.

“So you know, played good. Gotta play better. We all got to play better. We're not where we want to be. We've got to be more dominant and finish and be a little more violent than we were on Saturday and coach Bedenbaugh will get it done.”

R Mason growing up

He arrived in the summer, but it hasn’t taken freshman defensive end R Mason Thomas to make an impression on his coaches and his teammates.

He saw a lot of reps in Saturday’s win, including earning his first sack, credited with a .5 sack with Reggie Grimes late in the first quarter.

“He reported here as a 17-year-old freshman,” Roof said. “And his maturity — he's got like an old soul. You know, and he's put a lot of work in. He's approached it in a very mature manner. And I think you saw the results of that.

“He’s going to be a very good football player if he continues to approach the game like he does right now. Because he's got a wonderful attitude, a wonderful perspective and a great work ethic. Really, really pleased with him.”

White handling transition

The CHEETAH role is going to be one to watch all season between DaShaun White and Justin Harrington, but White fared well, according to Roof, in White’s first game at the spot.

“He’s a guy that’s playing his best football at least since I’ve been here,” Roof said. “Very comfortable in his role out there. Very instinctive. And he’s playing his best ball since I’ve been here. Look for him to continue to improve and get better. But I’m proud of him.

“Also as a leader, I’m proud of his leadership. He’s become more vocal and taken on more of a leadership role, and that’s important as well.”

White had five tackles and credited with two quarterback hurries. Harrington also had five tackles, making some plays on special teams as well.