You can point to key penalties and a late fourth quarter interception by young QB Spencer Rattler, but the Sooners lost for the first time in 60 years in Ames, Iowa because of something much simpler: tackling.
Or rather, the Sooners defense’s inability to do it.
Oklahoma’s 37-30 loss to Iowa State on Saturday night dropped them to 0-2 in the Big 12. It was the first back-t0-back loss for the Sooners since 1999.
Sooners Coach Lincoln Riley called the loss “gut wrenching.”
The Sooners will go into the Red River Rivalry next weekend with a 1-2 record.
“Our backs are against the wall as a football team. We know that, we accept that. Our guys are hurt. Most of the guys in our room have never experienced a start of a season like this, but it’s still how you respond and I believe I know how this group will,” Riley said after the game.
Rattler played well. He threw two touchdowns (to Jeremiah Hall) and ran for another. The redshirt freshman completed 25 of 36 passes for 300 yards.
He showed good poise throughout the game, despite occasional breakdowns in the offensive line’s pass protection and despite uncharacteristic drops by receivers of well thrown balls.
The most critical was a drop by WR Theo Wees of a spectacular pass by a scrambling Rattler late in the fourth quarter that may have scored a touchdown.
The Sooners never quite got their run game in gear. The Sooners rushed the ball 33 times for 114 yards. Seth McGowan lead the rushers with 12 carries for 47 yards.
Kicker Gabe Brkic missed a 54-yard FG attempt in the closing moments of the first half. It marked his first-ever missed field goal during his college career. Perhaps that was an omen of the second half to come (although Brkic’s 51-yard FB in the fourth quarter was his career best and the longest by a Sooner kicker since Austin Seibert’s 51-yarder against West Virginia in 2017).
If Oklahoma cannot intercept (ISU’s) Purdy, they may not get any interceptions this year.
On defense, four errant passes of ISU’s Brock Purdy were opportunities for the secondary to get interceptions. They dropped them all.
Frankly, if Oklahoma cannot intercept Purdy, they may not get any interceptions this year.
But officials were calling the game closely, throwing flags on Oklahoma’s secondary for pass interference and defensive holding throughout the game.
The Louisiana Rajun’ Cajons held Iowa State to only 14 points earlier this year.
Although the defense’s breakdowns kept Oklahoma struggling, the Sooners still had a chance late in the game. Defensive tackle Isaiah Thomas jarred the ball from Purdy at the Cyclones’ 39. Four plays later Rattler found Hall for a four-yard TD pass and the Sooners took the lead 30-23 with 8:17 left.
But, the Cyclones’ Kene Nwangwu returned the following kickoff 85 yards, setting up Purdy’s short touchdown run to tie the game.
Iowa State’s Breece Hall scored the go-ahead TD with 4:06 left.
Rattler’s late game pass attempt to Charleston Rambo in the end zone was intercepted by Isheem Young, sealing the win for Iowa State.
“Despite this sickening feeling in my stomach right now and how disappointed we all are, we still have the makings of a good football team in there,” Riley said, outside the visitor’s locker room following the game.
“I’ll continue to ride with this team.”
Hang on Sooner fans. This ride is going to be rough.
Photo credit: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
NEXT: Texas in Dallas. 11 a.m. October 10. FOX
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