In the second game of the season during Brent Venables' first year, the Sooners led Kent State 7-3 at halftime. A year later, in the second game of the season, Oklahoma was up just 14-3 at halftime against SMU. It appears a pattern of slow starts in the first half of the second game of the season was continuing, as the Sooners led Houston by a slim margin of 14-6 at halftime.

The first half was a struggle for Jackson Arnold and the offense, but they caught a break early when Houston dropped a punt, setting up excellent field position for Oklahoma. Arnold capitalized with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Brenen Thompson, giving the Sooners a 7-0 lead. Arnold’s throw was solid, and Thompson’s improved route running, moving beyond his deep-threat role, was evident on the play.

After that early success, the offense hit a rough patch. Arnold managed to connect on a 33-yard pass to Thompson, sparking some movement. A few plays later, Arnold threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jake Roberts, marking Roberts’ first touchdown as a Sooner, which extended the lead to 14-3. It was a long-awaited moment for the Oklahoma native.

However, the offensive momentum faltered after the Roberts touchdown. The Sooners struggled with dropped passes, poor reads, and an ineffective run game, resulting in a stagnant offense for the final twelve minutes of the half. To highlight just how sloppy it was, the Sooners had three plays for zero yards in their final drive of the first half.

Defensively, while Danny Stutsman stood out with ten first-half tackles, the team struggled with tackling issues. At halftime, a Houston team that had been dominated by UNLV was making the Sooners sweat.

If you weren’t nervous when the Sooners led by just one possession at halftime, you certainly were when Houston completed a 44-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 14-12, less than two minutes into the second half. Think it couldn’t get any uglier? Wrong. Arnold threw a pick on Oklahoma’s first offensive drive of the second half, giving Houston the ball while trailing by just two points.

Going into the fourth quarter, Oklahoma found themselves on upset alert, leading only 14-12. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Robert Spears-Jennings came up with a crucial interception, giving the Sooners excellent field position. However, the offense stalled, and SEC Special Teams Player of the Week Tyler Keltner missed a 45-yard field goal attempt, leaving Oklahoma empty-handed.

While the offense continued to struggle, the defense stayed strong. Late in the game, Oklahoma's offense stalled again, forcing a punt and giving Houston the ball with two minutes left to play. But on the Cougars' first play of the drive, Gracen Halton stepped up, forcing a game-saving safety that extended Oklahoma's lead to 16-12. Halton had a strong performance against Temple, but no play was bigger than the one he made here. The safety provided Oklahoma its first points since early in the second quarter.

The Sooners held on for the 16-12 win.

Arnold finished 19-32 for 174 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Jovantae Barnes led the rushing attack with 12 attempts for 40 yards, while Gavin Sawchuk added 11 attempts for 28 yards. Deion Burks was the leading receiver, catching nine passes for 53 yards. Jake Roberts had a big night as well, with three receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown, including a 28-yard catch late in the game. Brenen Thompson contributed two receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Danny Stutsman led the way with 15 tackles, including one tackle for loss. Woodi Washington added six tackles, while Billy Bowman, Spears-Jennings, Kendel Dolby, and Samuel Omosigho each chipped in with five. Omosigho also recorded two tackles for loss. Halton finished the game with two tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss, including the critical safety.

The Sooners must improve quickly as they face Tulane next Saturday at 2:30, followed by a massive showdown with Tennessee in two weeks.

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