NORMAN — A lot of the season-long trends continued in the Sooners’ 50-20 win over Iowa State.

Dillon Gabriel and the passing game clicked for much of the game, while the running game again struggled to generate consistent momentum. The defense did struggle for most of the first half, but bounced back for a dominant second-half performance.

All of that is important to consider when looking ahead to the Red River Rivalry matchup with Texas this weekend. While the Sooners still have a few things to figure out, there’s other things that we’ve figured out through five weeks.

So before we look ahead to Texas, here’s are the letter grades for the Sooners’ win over Iowa State:

The Sooners simply had it rolling all game. Gabriel had 105 passing yards in the first quarter, which he capped off with a 39-yard touchdown to Nic Anderson on a perfectly-thrown ball. Gabriel finished the day with 366 passing yards and three touchdowns on 26 of 39 attempts.

The biggest takeaway is the depth of the Sooners’ receiving room, which has continued to be on display this season. While Andrel Anthony led the team in receptions and yards after the first four games, it was the Jalil Farooq (five receptions, 81 yards) and Drake Stoops (five receptions, 32 yards, 1 TD) show against the Cyclones. Other players like Jayden Gibson (two catches, 50 yards, 1 TD) and Nic Anderson (two catches, 56 yards, 1 TD) made big plays, too.

Overall, 10 different players recorded at least one reception, again showing the Sooners’ commitment to spreading the ball around.

Now, there were a couple of moments where Gabriel missed an open wide receiver down the field. The biggest one came late in the second quarter, when Gabriel missed a wide-open Nic Anderson in the end zone.

But Gabriel made a lot more plays than he missed. For example, on the drive he missed Anderson, he found Stoops for a two-yard touchdown right before halftime.

Considering the passing game looked a little uneven against Cincinnati, it was good to see Gabriel and the receivers in a rhythm.

The Sooners’ backfield simply hasn’t been explosive this season, and that was the case against the Cyclones. Marcus Major made his second career start but didn’t make a huge impact, carrying the ball 19 times for 66 yards.

Gavin Sawchuk, making his first appearance since the Tulsa game, ran for just 20 yards on seven receptions. Tawee Walker was, again, the most efficient running back, but he only saw four carries which he turned into 17 yards. Gabriel had eight rushes for 37 yards and two touchdowns, proving to be the most effective ball carrier.

The team ran for 157 yards on 41 carries, recording just 3.8 yards per carry. It’s the fifth-straight game the Sooners have failed to run for more than 4.4 yards per carry. Unfortunately, it's not gonna get any easier against a Texas defense that ranks 18th in rushing defense, surrendering just over 94 yards per game.

The running game is the biggest question mark for the Sooners heading into this weekend.

Had it not been for the second half, the Sooners’ passing offense would’ve seen a failing grade. Despite Billy Bowman’s pick-six on the first possession, the Sooners still surrendered 149 passing yards and two touchdowns in the first half. The touchdowns the Sooners surrendered went for 67 and 51 yards, respectively.

But the second half was a completely different story. ISU quarterback Rocco Becht threw for just 53 yards on 11 of 17 attempts after halftime, as the Sooners’ secondary completely shut down the Cyclones’ passing offense.

The Sooners won’t be able to afford giving up big passing plays like that against Texas. But it was encouraging to see the secondary make adjustments and eventually shut down the Cyclones.

Gentry Williams also recorded his second interception of the season on Saturday, and the Sooners now have 10 interceptions on the season.

Like the passing defense, the rushing defense struggled in the first half. The Cyclones averaged 7.6 yards per carry in the first half, turning 16 carries into 121 yards. It was pretty alarming, considering the rushing defense had been a strength through the first four weeks.

But the front seven eventually found its rhythm, too, holding the Cyclones to just 29 rushing yards and 2.6 yards per carry. The Sooners finished with nine tackles for loss, led by Ethan Downs’ 1.5. Jaren Kanak played 42 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and finished with the highest grade on the team in rushing defense (76.9).

On one hand, the Sooners made a huge special teams play when Peyton Bowen blocked ISU’s punt in the second quarter, leading to a safety. The Sooners also didn’t surrender any big plays on special teams. But on the other hand, the Sooners missed some opportunities.

OU’s Zach Schmit missed his first field goal of the season on a 36-yard attempt, though he did come back to make a 46-yarder later in the game. While Bowen’s punt block produced points, Trace Ford mishandled the recovery and the ball went through the back of the end zone, costing the Sooners a touchdown. The Sooners also tried two different punters — Josh Plaster booted his only attempt for 42 yards but Luke Elzinga’s only punt went 36 yards and didn’t look good coming off his foot.

The Sooners have been mostly good on special teams and again made another big play on Saturday. But there’s still some things to work on.