Norman, Oklahoma USA

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Mike has 100 articles published.

Soonerguys Editor

Sooners make a game of it in Oxford

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This game will go down as an “L” in the win-loss column. But there was something different about it.

The 26-14 loss to Mississippi felt more like the loss on the road at Oxford that we expected pre-season instead of the humiliation we had recently expected (and Vegas predicted, making the Sooners a three-score underdog) after pitiful Sooner performances in October.

For the first time this year, we saw beginner QB Jackson Arnold look like a young quarterback — making some plays to show his talent and failing at some plays to show his inexperience — but, progressing in his development, rather than the young QB regressing into shell shock (which had been the case earlier in the year, resulting in his benching).

“I thought Jackson did a lot of really good things at times,” Coach Brent Venables said of Arnold.

So did the rest of the team. Given recent developments that has had fans in meltdown mode, it was possible this team could have tanked by now. But, their performance against Mississippi showed they have not.

“These guys aren’t going to flinch — I promise you… I think everyone on the outside might assume guys will give up or check out… Not these guys,” Coach Brent Venables said.

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Mike: This Red River Rivalry was a mess on and off the field

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Maybe the only performance worse than Oklahoma’s anemic scoring offense in the 34-3 loss to Texas was the local production of the game, which ran out of water in the stadium, offered something resembling candied stale pop corn, and had masses of liquored-up pedestrian football fans walking on active railroad tracks while Dallas police were screaming “follow instructions!”

I won’t say the 2024 Red River Rivalry was a shit show because the toilets in the Cotton Bowl were working just fine.

That may have been the most important thing for Sooner fans who were hit with an upsetting dose of second-quarter dysentery when a R. Spears-Jennings hit knocked the ball from Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner into the end zone and Texas WR Silas Bolden fell on it for a touchdown, ending what had theretofore been a tight game (Texas 7, Oklahoma 3) and beginning a Texas rout.

I know some Oklahoma fans weren’t too happy with offensive coordinator Seth Littrell’s play calling (and some in attendance wondered if Dallas city officials had put him in charge of concession stands at the Cotton Bowl.)

After an Oklahoma loss, I am always interested in how living-room-couch Sooners — the fans who watch the game on television — have a somewhat different perspective of the game from those of us suffering the heat from the blistering Dallas sun and the verbal abuse from people who worship a cow.

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Hawkins the guy to face the looming adversity

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When Michael Hawkins, Jr. walked from the field toward the corner of Jordan-Hare stadium, the young freshman quarterback exhibited only a stone-faced expression as he gazed upon the crimson clad fans gathered there chanting his name after witnessing a “Sooner Magic” comeback in Oklahoma’s first Southeastern Conference road game.

It was the same look Hawkins had carried a week before, when coaches called him from the bench to replace a heralded starter and provide a spark for an ailing offense.

Hawkins’ spark had not been enough to eek out a win against Tennessee back in Norman. But, this time, Hawkins had just led the Sooners to a 27-21 win over Auburn in a hostile environment of 88,000 roaring Tiger fans.

This time, Hawkins had darted 48 yards for a touchdown on OU’s first series, giving Oklahoma an early 7-0 lead.

This time, the Sooners down by 11 points and with hope seemingly slipping away in the fourth quarter, Hawkins had thrown a 60-yard bomb to backup wide receiver J.J. Hester, who was called upon because the Sooners top five receivers were sidelined with injury.

This time, Hawkins solidified himself as a fan favorite. It happened the moment he scrambled and careened himself in a leaping arc over a wall of Tiger defenders at the goal line to score a two-point conversion following Kip Lewis’ 63-yard pick six to lead to a remarkable fourth quarter come-from-behind win.

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