No matter how you wanted to assess Oklahoma in its first game under head coach Brent Venables, it was all pretty good.
Efficient on offense, physical and punishing on defense en route to a smooth 45-13 victory against visiting UTEP on Saturday afternoon.
A first quarter that saw the Sooners run out to a 21-0 lead and saw starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel assert himself from the beginning.
“Just coming out of that tunnel,” Gabriel said. “You can’t really see much from the back and you’re just going through it. It’s just a great feeling and I had a lot of fun. I really will never forget this day for sure.”
Gabriel finished 15 of 23 passing for 233 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score. He set the tone with a 42-yard connection to Marvin Mims on the first drive of the game, punctuated by Gabriel’s 12-yard scoring run.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but Gabriel’s command of Jeff Lebby’s offense was easy to see. Even when it sputtered, they will able to regroup and get it rolling again.
Gabriel missed some throws, he fully admits. He never flinched. He’s not going to get rattled, and it’s something OU will be able to fully count on with Gabriel from this point on.
“It was a starting point for where we’re at from a pro room standpoint, where we’re at as a unit, and what we’re going to do to build on this and see where we’re at after one week,” Lebby said. “So that’s what it was for all of us.
“For him, and again, he’s the same guy, he is, today as he was three years ago. Just proud of his consistency and being who he is.”
Grimes busts through
Overall, the feeling about OU’s defense is it will be much improved from the last couple of seasons. But entering the opener, it was very hard to identify someone who might become a breakout star.
Enter Reggie Grimes. The starting defensive end was phenomenal for OU, with three tackles and 2.5 sacks as OU had six sacks and nine tackles for loss.
“Reggie Grimes, there some circumstances in his corner and he’s responded well, man. I’m pumped for how he played,” linebacker Danny Stutsman said. “He had a day today and he deserves it for everything he’s going through and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Grimes is playing with a heavy heart, but a lot of inspiration. Grimes revealed after the game he has a grandmother who is battling cancer for the second time.
She’s always been at every game, but she won’t be able to this season. Grimes said it allowed him to play free and be who he is.
“Absolutely,” Grimes said. “I play for the name on the back of the jersey as well as the name on the front every game, but especially today it was one of those things where it was important to, again, be who you are, be who you always were meant to be, and I think that’s special in a way.”
Guyton steps up
It was earlier this week when SoonerScoop.com reported offensive tackle Wanya Morris was not going to be playing in the opener.
Despite being listed as the No. 1 right tackle on the depth chart, Morris was nowhere to be found on the sideline vs. UTEP.
“Wanya is going through some things that we're trying to help him through on and off the field,” Venables said. “And hopefully in the next several days, hopefully we'll get that, everything, buttoned up. So he's been practicing and working through some things.
“But I thought those guys did a nice job under the circumstances. And, again, there's no — coach Bedenbaugh, he’s going to be wanting some more. You know, not satisfied with it. But I thought for the first game, I thought those guys did well. Tyler Guyton, his first start, you know, as a collegiate player, so that was cool to see as well.”
Anton Harrison moved from left to right tackle, and Guyton, the transfer from TCU, made the start at left tackle.
OU had 492 yards of total offense, averaging 8.1 yards per play. OU averaged 6.8 yards per rush in totaling for 259 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.
Willis finds the end zone twice
This was why he came back. Maybe not exactly why, but the belief from tight end Brayden Willis was to return one more season and show what he can do.
He finished with three catches for 40 yards and two touchdowns, the first multi-touchdown game of his career.
“I see myself playing whatever role they want me to do,” Willis said. “I take pride in blocking, and I want to do that. If they call me to do anything else, I’ll do whatever I can for the team.
“I have to give credit to my offensive line because there was a lot that set up that play. My quarterback, receivers, Coach Lebby, everything that goes into it. It was nice, nice to get those two touchdowns.”
Willis received the bulk of the snaps because Daniel Parker missed the game for an undisclosed reason.
Freeman’s moment
How’s that for a debut? The very first time walk-on Gavin Freeman touched the ball, he went 46 yards on a fantastic run for a touchdown.
Venables had been talking up Freeman all throughout preseason camp, and he showed Freeman is more than just talk.
“Sweet. His first touch in college being a touchdown and being a play like that,” Gabriel said. “Getting a collision and spinning out of it and making the play. I go back to it: that's what I think is so unique about our team — at least our offense — is just having a bunch of guys who can make a bunch of plays.”
Freeman also saw a number of snaps on special teams.
Williams’ first impression
Staying with true freshmen, defensive back Gentry Williams made the most of his limited opportunities in the fourth quarter.
With UTEP driving to score in the final minute, Williams intercepted a pass in the end zone to put the exclamation point on the victory.
“It meant a lot to him and it meant a lot to all of us, not just Gentry,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “That was a big deal. That keeps points off the board. You want to play a lot of people and the game dictated that we could. Those guys deserve to play. He took advantage of his opportunity and made a play for us that sealed the deal.”
