OU 44, Kent State 0: Takeaways from the win
NORMAN — There were no surprises or unexpected developments on Saturday.
The Sooners took care of business, easily handling Kent State, 44-0. The offense scored on all five of its possessions in the first half, while the defense shut out Kent State and limited them to just 135 total yards.
With the win, the No. 5-ranked Sooners improve to 5-0 and will enter next weekend’s Red River Rivalry undefeated.
Here’s a few takeaways from the win:
Michael Hawkins Jr. finishes with serviceable performance
Hawkins Jr. made his fifth career start in place of John Mateer, who missed the game after having surgery on his hand.
The Sooners didn’t need Hawkins Jr. to be spectacular. They just needed him to be solid, and he delivered.
The sophomore tallied 162 passing yards on 14/24 attempts with three touchdowns. His first score came on the first drive of the game, when he found a wide open Isaiah Sategna for a 30-yard score. Hawkins was in the process of being sacked and still got the ball out. His second passing touchdown came on a three-yard connection to Kaden Helms in the second quarter.
His final score of the day again went to Sategna, as the duo linked up for an eight-yard score in the third quarter.
Hawkins was also involved in the running game, as expected, and scored on an eight-yard quarterback-designed run in the third quarter. He finished with 33 yards on nine attempts.
There were definitely some tough moments for Hawkins. His field vision was questionable at times, and he overthrew or simply missed open receivers on a few different plays. He was also sacked twice by a Kent State team that had four total sacks coming into the game.
But for the most part, Hawkins made the plays he needed to make and he didn’t turn the ball over.
Sategna led the way with receiving 75 yards and a pair of scores.
Tory Blaylock, Jaydn Ott lead the rushing attack
Blaylock again assumed his role as the Sooners’ starting running back. He carried the ball 15 times for 78 yards.
Who served as the No. 2 option in the running game? That’d be Jaydn Ott.
Ott entered the game midway through the second quarter, making his first appearance since late in the Temple game. The Sooners made a concerted effort to get Ott the ball, and he entered halftime with 47 yards on seven touches.
Ott saw some additional work in the second half. He finished his day with 11 carries for 49 yards, adding two receptions for 10 yards. Ott had 17 yards on nine carries through OU’s first four games. His usage was notable, considering Jovantae Barnes, Xavier Robinson and Taylor Tatum didn’t log a snap against Kent State.
As a whole, the Sooners finished with 185 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per carry (188 yards not counting sacks). It was a fine output, but well behind the output that Florida State (498 rushing yards, 9.7 YPC) and Texas Tech (230 yards, 5.5 YPC) had against the Golden Flashes.
The turnover drought is over
It took 18 quarters and four-and-a-half games, but the Sooners finally snagged their first takeaway of the season.
OU defensive end R Mason Thomas easily beat his man and made his way to CJ Montes, forcing a strip sack. Gracen Halton scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown.
The Sooners came into the contest as the only FBS team that hadn’t forced a takeaway, and they got their first one in explosive fashion.
But the Sooners weren’t done there, as sophomore safety Jaydan Hardy intercepted Garcia on the following possession to give the Sooners two takeaways on the day.
Those were the highlights in an otherwise ho-hum day for the defense. The Golden Flashes finished with 135 yards on 2.6 yards per play, and tallied 17 yards on 33 carries. The Sooners added five sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Tate Sandell continues his hot streak
The OU kicker has probably done enough at this point to quell any concerns about the kicking game.
Sandell was again fantastic for the Sooners. He started his day with a 49-yard field goal in the first half, then made a 39-yard attempt before halftime. After the break, he calmly drilled a 55-yard attempt — his longest of the season.
Since he missed his first attempt of the season, Sandell has made nine consecutive field goals. During that stretch, he’s made two attempts from 49 yards out, a 52-yard attempt and a 55-yard attempt.
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