NORMAN — Things are shaking out pretty well for Oklahoma to open the 2024 season.
The Sooners have been unrelenting against Temple to begin Friday's opener. They lead the Owls 34-0 at halftime, opening the door for the reserves to see the field in the second half.
Behind a flurry of forced turnovers and a very fast start on offense, the Sooners are in good shape. Here's a look a couple of takeaways from the first half:
New additions fuel OU's fast start
It didn't take long for two of OU's offseason acquisitions to have an impact.
Seth Littrell took an early gamble on the opening drive, opting to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Temple 16-yard line. Gavin Sawchuk converted with a two-yard run, giving OU a fresh set of downs.
On the ensuing play Jackson Arnold found tight end Bauer Sharp for a 14-yard score, marking the Sooners' first touchdown of the season. Sharp, who transferred from Southeastern Louisiana and asserted himself in the spring as OU's TE1 in the spring, became the 19th player in program history to score a touchdown on his first drive.
Sharp has three receptions for 27 yards and a score.
Something else that's sure to excite OU fans? The Sooners ran a lot of 12 personnel with both Sharp and TE Jake Roberts on the field. Roberts was actually sent in motion on the play where Sharp scored.
But a fellow transfer threw his hat in the ring on the next drive. Arnold found slot receiver Deion Burks for a touchdown, also from 14 yards out, to give Oklahoma a 14-0 lead. Burks followed that up with an eight-yard touchdown from Arnold in the second quarter.
He wasn't done. The OU defense forced a turnover right before half, and Burks capitalized two plays later on a five-yard touchdown from Arnold.
Deion Burks has four receptions for 30 yards and three scores at the half. In soccer terms, that's a hat trick.
The Sooners have used Burks all over the field. They've constantly put him in pre-snap motions and has been utilized on jet sweeps, carrying the ball three times for 14 yards.
The Sooners' offense has 208 total yards at halftime.
Defense absolutely shuts down Temple's offense
The Sooners have simply not allowed the Owls to find any kind of rhythm.
The Owls head into halftime with only 80 total yards, averaging just 2.6 yards per play. Temple quarterback Forrest Brock has completed just 3/11 passes for 29 yards yards.
But the biggest kicker has been the takeaways. The Sooners have already forced four turnovers. Ethan Downs and Robert Spears-Jennings have each forced a pair of fumbles — the Sooners recovered both — and Kani Walker snagged the first interception of the season following a pass break up from Kendel Dolby.
Right before halftime, Gracen Halton forced a fumble that was recovered by Billy Bowman. That set up Burks' third touchdown just before halftime.
Considering the Sooners led the country with 20 interceptions last season, that's an incredibly encouraging start.
In addition, the Sooners have five tackles for loss and have gotten sacks from Gracen Halton and Dolby.
NOTES
— The injury bug has already struck. Branson Hickman, who started at center, went down early with an ankle injury and hasn't returned. Jalil Farooq opened the game with a 47-yard reception then went to the locker room shortly after with an injury. He's yet to return.
— Something to monitor: Sixth-year cornerback Woodi Washington is available but didn't see the field in the first half. Dez Malone and Kani Walker were the starters at cornerback.
— The Sooners went 0/7 on third downs.
— Jovantae Barnes leads the team with 28 rushing yards on three carries. True freshman Taylor Tatum also saw early action, turning his lone carry into four yards.
— Arnold has completed 13 of 19 passes for 121 yards and four touchdowns. He also has a team-high seven carries for 25 yards.
— Tyler Keltner booted a pair of field goals, making them from 50 and 42 yards out, respectively.
Zach Schmit was two of five last season on kicks of 40 yards or more.
Check back at OUInsider for full takeaways following the conclusion of the game.
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