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Dave: Let’s send the untested ‘horns to the corny dog stand

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The SEC got a good taste of what Sooner Magic is all about when Oklahoma walked out of Auburn with
what seemed like an unlikely win, trailing deep into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers helped a little by trying to throw the ball in their last few possessions rather than stay with the ground game and milk the clock. Kip Lewis literally tripped backwards into coverage, snagged the ball out of the air and ran down the sideline reaching the end zone just as the defender pulled him to the ground.

And in doing so coined the term “Kip Six”.

As impressive as that was, maybe the more important take away from the game was the play of quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and the offense.

Being a true freshman in his first start in a road game in the SEC is daunting enough. But throw in the fact that he was without OU’s top five receivers and a suspect offensive line, and it was an amazing showing. He played with a poise that defied his age and experience. No turnovers and in a tight game, hit a massive pass to J.J. Hester for 60 yards to set up the touchdown that brought OU within one possession of the lead.

Add to that a flying two-point conversion after Kip’s heroics that eventually won the game, we could not have asked for more from Hawkins.

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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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An improbable Sooner win down South — Oklahoma 27 Auburn 21

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A 61-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Kip Lewis was the late fourth quarter magic needed by the Sooners to overcome what had previously looked like an Auburn victory, marking a 17-point fourth quarter comeback for the Sooners’ 27-21 win at Auburn — it’s first Southeastern Conference win.

“First experience with Sooner Magic as a head coach. Boy was that an amazing last four drives for our offense and defense. Great example of kind of sticking together,” OU Coach Brent Venables said.

“We didn’t play very good, but we played amazing when we needed to.”

Most of the game was a struggle for Oklahoma, but with two bookends of success — first being true freshman QB Michael Hawkins’ spectacular 48-yard TD run on his first series as a starting quarterback, giving OU a 7-0 lead.

The last was the late fourth quarter play from a resilient Oklahoma defense, that had given up 144 yards rushing and 338 passing, but managed important sacks by R. Thomas Mason of Auburn QB Payton Thorne, whose errant throw under pressure dialed up by defensive coordinator Zac Alley put Lewis in the spot to grab the pass and run to the Tiger end zone to give the Sooners a late lead they would not relinquish.

In between those high points, Auburn seemed to have Oklahoma’s number. In the first half, half of the Sooner offense was Hawkins’ TD run. The Sooners only managed 111 yards offense in the first half.

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