Every play matters in a college football game but some do a better job of explaining the outcome than others. Here are the five plays that told the story of Oklahoma’s 37-31 victory at Kansas State.
No. 6 OU 37, KSU 31
Play No. 1: Bonitto gets the takeaway, hits empty
We start with the very first drive as KSU is having no problems at all going down the field and into the red zone.
And OU finally gets a turnover vs. the Wildcats, something that didn’t happen in the two upset losses in 2019, 2020.
The effort by Reggie Grimes to force the fumble, and Nik Bonitto returned it 70 yards, which is a school record for a recovery.
“Coach Grinch always preaches running to the ball. When you run to the ball, good things always happen,” Bonitto said. “That play, I was just coming from the backside, I was just trying to hustle to the ball and it was a great play for Reggie Grimes to strip the ball out. I just picked it up and then my tank went on E real fast. But it was still a great play by Reggie.”
OU would cash in with a field goal.
Play No. 2: Williams-to-Williams debuts
As a singular play, not sure how big of a deal the Caleb Williams completion to Mario Williams was for the game.
However, for the season? Hmm, maybe a wrinkle to be on watch for in certain situations.
In the first drive of the second half with OU leading 13-10, the Sooners are doing a good job of driving down the field. On a first-and-10, Caleb with the short pass to Mario who does the majority of the work on an 18-yard connection.
Kennedy Brooks would score a touchdown to close out the drive.
Play No. 3: Rattler-to-Mims returns
This is a big part of the game, and hopefully, a big part of the season the rest of the way. OU needs Spencer Rattler and Marvin Mims to have those deep ball connections once again.
This one didn’t go to the end zone, but a 40-yard reception felt like a 70-yarder for this offense after the first five games.
“Really, it's just the plays that are drawn up,” Mims said. “Week in and week out, for most part it is kind of the same stuff. Today we hit on them big time. They were just open and we hit them.”
That was in a 90-yard drive that saw the best of Rattler this season. The Mims throw, the connection to Drake Stoops on third-and-14 and culminating in the Mike Woods touchdown to make it 27-10.
Play No. 4: Have to talk onside again, right?
But no, this is not the story of a blowout. After OU came out blazing to start the second half, KSU bounced back and led to an onside kick that nobody saw coming.
It was first reviewed to make sure it went 10 yards, and it did. But then OU alerted the officials that its staff believed it was double-kicked, which would mean illegal touching.
It felt like it took forever for the officials to review and re-review everything, but in the grand scheme of things, it was worth it. KSU didn’t get the ball down 27-17, and chalk one up for Lincoln Riley.
“I tell ya what, I give the officials and the replay crew a lot of credit because they could have very easily saved face after reviewing it once and stayed with the call on the field,” Riley said. “It was clearly the right call. That kind of went through my head – even if it’s right are they gonna change it? Because it almost showed they didn’t see it the first time. Give them a lot of credit.”
Play No. 5: Brooks reasserts himself
Continuing the theme of being close, OU was close to busting one in the running game as Kennedy Brooks had a huge performance in Manhattan.
We close things off here with a 28-yard run in the fourth quarter that led to Jeremiah Hall, his roommate, and his second touchdown of the game.
“I give all my credit to the O-line,” Brooks said. “I mean they made my job hella easy today. Made me find the holes so I mean, my role hasn't really changed. I'm just here to do whatever I can to help my team and today I just had a little bit more.”
Brooks finished with 15 carries for 91 yards and the touchdown.
