This is not a very good football team right now
I hate to say it. But, the Sooners defense gave up mid-way through their stunning loss to TCU.
Then again, after giving up four big plays, each in excess of 60 yards, for touchdowns in the first half, who wouldn’t?
The Sooners suffered their worst loss since the John Blake era, losing to TCU 55-24.
Losing their first two conference games of the season is not unprecedented. Lincoln Riley’s 2020 Sooners team did that.
But losing in such convincing fashion leads one to believe this team just isn’t very good.
“We’re not very good obviously right now. We have a lot to get better at, a lot to improve,” said Coach Brent Venables.
Not only must Oklahoma re-group as they head into the Red River Rivalry next week, they may have to do it without their starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was knocked out of the game in a flagrant targeting tackle and will undergo the concussion protocol this week.
Davis Beville took the reins at QB after Gabriel’s injury Saturday. He is the likely starter next week in Dallas.
Certainly, the future is bright for Oklahoma. Recruiting is off the charts. But, in the short term, this is not a very good football team.
And with the only QB with much previous success sidelined with a concussion, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Oklahoma can win the Red River Rivalry next week and avoid three conference losses (and no wins).
The Sooners defense was atrociously bad on Saturday. It gave up four huge plays for touchdowns:
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- A 73-yard pass from Duggan to Barber.
- A 69-yard run by Miller.
- A 67-yard Duggan run.
- A 62-yard Duggan pass to Henderson
“The explosive runs were back breakers. You can’t give up the explosives. Today we did that,” Coach Brent Venables said.
The injury to Gabriel poses the possibility that he will be unable to suit up next week against Texas.
“I think if that’s what ends up happening, then Davis will be a guy that will be ready to go. That’s the expectation. We’ll put him in a good position and he’ll play his butt off,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said.
The last time OU went 2-0 in conference play was in 2020 under Lincoln Riley.
TCU had a 27-10 lead at the end of the first quarter on QB Max Duggan’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Taye Barber and on a 67 yard run. Just before halftime Duggan found Gunnar Henderson wide open for a 62-yard touchdown pass and OU was doen 41-17 at halftime.
“We have a lot to get better at, a lot to improve. And our guys have been committed. They’ve worked incredibly hard. Thought they competed hard the whole day. And we got to give them answers and we’ve got to help get them better quickly,” Venables said.
With quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who struggled to 7-of-16 passing for 126 yards, knocked out of the contest due to an apparent head injury, OU had little chance to mount a comeback as Pittsburgh transfer Davis Beville stood under center.
Injuries also could impact the team’s showing next week. The Sooners lost defender Billy Bowman to a leg injury in the first quarter. Sophomore safety Damond Harmon was carted off on a stretcher with a head injury.
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