Transfer of ‘Bama QB provides compelling story for the 2019 Sooners’ season
The Jalen Hurts era — if one year could ever be called an “era” — begins Sunday when Oklahoma begins their 2019 campaign with a former opponent at quarterback leading the Sooners against a former opponent coach.
It will be the first Sunday night game ever for the Sooners, the result of television’s control over college sports and the viewing public’s thirst for college football on a Labor Day weekend that brings a smorgasboard of games to the telly.
It will provide a national network stage at 6:30 pm on ABC, when no other football games are scheduled in the country.
Hurts was named OU’s starting quarterback last week. That was probably the least surprising happening to occur in an otherwise uneventful pre-season training camp in Norman.
With Hurts at QB, the question becomes whether he will fill the shoes left by Heisman-winning quartebacks Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield, who took the Sooners to the college football playoffs. The odds makers say he can. After all Hurts has been on the big stage before, as an Alabama quarterback not only the field general in a playoff game, but for a national championship for the Tide.
Sunday also begins a national story, worthy of one of those ESPN Gameday pieces: Demoted Alabama QB goes to Palace on the Prairie to lead them back against his former team in a national championship contest. You couldn’t write the script any better. Well, if it happens.
The story begins Sunday against former West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, who became the Houston Cougars head coach in the off season. Holgorsen coached against the Sooners seven times at West Virginia and never won any.
Holgorsen has provided some bulletin board fodder for Sooners players, promising the Houston media his trip to Norman will result in an opening day victory for the Cougars.
“We start in Norman, Oklahoma, and we can’t wait to go up there and play those guys and bring back a victory,” Holgorsen said to a crowd of students this week. “There’s no question about that.”
But that won’t be easy, although Houston is bringing a speedy offense that Sooners’ defenses traditional struggle to contain. Oklahoma squeeked out a 59-56 win at Morgantown against Holgorsen’s Mountaineers last year.
So Sunday might be another shoot out.
Perhaps a key will be Houston’s secondary, which will face a different kind of quarterback in Hurts — one that not only will pass and run, but can run like a tailback with power.
Houston’s focus will be on stopping Hurts’ scrambling. Oklahoma may place more emphasis on their run game, which will again feature RBs Trey Sermon (junior), Kennedy Brooks (sophomore) and T.J. Pledger (sophomore).
Holgorson brought his West Virginia secondary coach Doug Beck with him to Houston as his co-defensive coordinator. At WVU his secondary lead the Big 12 in interceptions. That was the strength of that defense.
But Houston may be hard pressed to stop Oklahoma’s very talented corps of wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, who lead the team in TD catches with 11 last year, Charleston Rambo, Lee Morris and Mykel Jones. In addition, the Sooners recruited well at wide receiver, bringing in five-star recruits Theo Wease and Trejan Bridges.
Dana Holgorsen promises a Cougar upset: “There’s no question about that.”
Dana Holgorsen promises a Cougar upset: “There’s no question about that.”
In the end (as Bob Stoops might say), most Sooner fans will be commenting after the Houston game — be it as victor of vanquished — on the Oklahoma defense under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.
Oklahoma finished the 2018 season ranked 96th in scoring defense. Will they at least improve upon that?
Your guess is as good as mine. But, we may know more about that by 10 pm on Sunday night.
If there is a strength of the defense it may be at defensive line, lead by senior Neville Gallimore. Kenneth Mann and Jalen Redmond make for a solid line. Junior Kenneth Murray leads what was sometimes a disappearing linebacking corps last year.
And to make things even more interesting, the Sooners likely will start a redshirt freshman place kicker, Gabe Brkic.
GAMEDAY: Oklahoma vs Houston. 6:30 pm kickoff, Owen Field. Norman, Oklahoma. ABC.
Favorite: Oklahoma by 23.
What Others Are Saying:
Oklahoma is just one game for Holgorsen and Houston – Houston Chronicle.
Holgorsen says it’s silly for OU not to release depth chart – The Oklahoman.
(Photo credit: Caitlyn Epes/The Daily)
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