Every play matters in a college football game but some do a better job of explaining the outcome. Here are the five plays that told the story of Oklahoma’s 45-13 win vs. UTEP to begin the Brent Venables era in Norman.
OU 45, UTEP 13.
Play No. 1: Gabriel goes deep to Mims
All the talk about defense, but the Sooners won the toss and wanted the ball. The very first play saw quarterback Dillon Gabriel go for a long pass to Marvin Mims, but it was underthrown.
OK, let’s try it again. After a completion to Drake Stoops on the next play, Gabriel returned to Mims for the next pass.
This worked to the tune of 42 yards and set the tone.
“It's important. Obviously, that first play we wanted to get to it, add some pressure and just didn't give him a ball,” Gabriel said. “But I think flushing the next play and playing each play individually is super important. And creating a rhythm and tempo as best as we can.”
Gabriel scored on the ground on the next play, mission accomplished. Mims had three catches for 81 yards.
Play No. 2: Freeman with the ultimate feel-good
OU is already up 14-0 midway through the first quarter when Jeff Lebby brought out the Gavin Freeman package.
Facing a second-and-one at the UTEP 46 yard line, couldn’t have gone any better. Freeman came around and rushed to the right sideline. He absorbed some hits and just kept going, willing his way into the end zone.
“How about Gavin Freeman? We've been talking him up,” head coach Brent Venables said. “We've been talking him up, first touch of his collegiate career, touchdown. Isn't that great? Isn't that a great story? That's like a great story.”
Freeman, an OU legacy, is one of those walk-ons that you know will be making a difference throughout this season. An incredibly special moment.
“Oh, for sure. For sure. It’s crazy,” Freeman said. “There’s nothing better than this.”
Play No. 3: Grimes, Thomas meet at the QB
Let’s get some defense in this one. And with six sacks, there are a few choices. No play epitomized the OU defense better than the combo sack by Reggie Grimes and R Mason Thomas to close out the first quarter.
Thomas already had the UTEP quarterback down low when Grimes was coming from the far edge to close the deal up high, smashing him for a loss of 11 yards.
“Love Mase. Love Mase to death,” Grimes said. “Every time you ask me, I will keep saying it because he’s a special kid. I think he’ll have an amazing career here and I honestly just can’t wait to see what happens next for him. Couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Grimes had 2.5 sacks, a career high.
Play No. 4: Ugwoegbu figuring it out
Maybe the only scary moment of the game. OU was up 21-0, but now it’s 21-10 and OU went through another three-and-out.
It was time for linebacker David Ugwoegbu to assert himself on the first play of the next drive. He actually stumbles, but he doesn’t give up on the play and ends up with a 10-yard sack.
“David Ugwoegbu, he really led that defense, man,” linebacker Danny Stutsman said. “That was something me and him talked about, and he did an excellent job. He was a leader out there from the first snap to the very end.”
OU needs Ugwoegbu to be a difference maker. It’s a work in progress, but seven tackles and that sack is a good beginning.
Play No. 5: Welcome back, Theo
In his first game back since the 2020 season, wide receiver Theo Wease was blanked in the first half, with just one errant target in his direction.
That changed with OU’s initial drive of the second half. Wease caught a pass for five yards and then re-introduced himself to OU fans with a 33-yard catch-and-run.
“The second one made it a big play, which was great, him catching on sideline, being able to get out of that,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said. “Again, Theo, man, he’s been a pro. He’s done a great job. He’s been the same guy every single day and been a great teammate. To me, at the end of the day, he’ll get rewarded for that. I feel like he was today. Proud of him.”
Marcus Major scored the first of his two touchdowns to make it 35-10, and it was cruise control the rest of the way.
