Halftime Huddle: OU leads Temple 28-3
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — All of the talk about a potential “trap game” for Oklahoma has quickly dissipated.
The Sooners lead Temple, 28-3, after two quarters at Lincoln Financial Field. The defense forced a three-and-out to open the game, then the offense scored a touchdown on its first possession. The Sooners have 291 yards of offense while Temple has 63.
Here’s a look at the highlights and key stats from the first half:
THE HIGHLIGHTS
John Mateer shrugs off a Temple defender and finds Jaren Kanak for the first down.
Mateer again finds Kanak to pick up a third-and-19.
Reggie Powers picks up his first career sack and forces Temple to punt.
The Sooners unveil some special teams trickery — Jaren Kanak lines up in the wildcat, then finds punter Jacob Ulrich on a jump pass for the two-point conversion.
Tory Blaylock scores his second touchdown of the game, this one from 18 yards out. It’s the longest rush by an OU running back this season.
THE NUMBER TO KNOW
20
That’s the number of first downs the Sooners’ offense picked up in the first half. A big reason has been their third-down efficiency: They’ve picked up four first downs on seven attempts.
KEY PLAYERS, OFFENSE
John Mateer: 209 passing yards, 16/25 passing
Jaren Kanak: 3 receptions, 55 yards
Isaiah Sategna: 4 receptions, 48 yards
Tory Blaylock: 12 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD
KEY PLAYERS, DEFENSE
Reggie Powers: 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Kendel Dolby: 3 tackles, 1 TFL
Michael Boganowski: 0.5 sacks
R Mason Thomas: 0.5 sacks
David Stone: 1 TFL
Damonic Williams: 1 TFL
THE POSITIVES
— John Mateer hasn’t had any troubles through the air. In addition to averaging x.x yards per completion, he’s completed four passes of 20 yards or more. He has 16 so far this season.
More importantly, Mateer logged just three rushing attempts so far, and one of them came on a sack.
— Jaren Kanak continues to be a go-to option for Mateer, particularly in critical situations. He has three receptions for a game-high 55 yards, and two of those catches have come on third down.
— Tory Blaylock continues to assert his control on OU’s backfield. He leads the team in carries, yards and yards per carry (6.2), and he’s been both explosive and efficient.
— The defense hasn’t allowed Temple to find any momentum on offense. The Owls are averaging just 2.4 yards per play and have picked up three first downs. Three of their first four drives ended in three-and-outs.
Evan Simon has completed 8/15 passes for 51 yards.
THE NOTABLES
— Jovantae Barnes got the start at running back and played every snap in the first quarter, eventually scoring on a two-yard run to cap off the drive. Blaylock took things over in the second quarter.
But there’s been no sign of Jaydn Ott, who did not play in the first half. Xavier Robinson was the third running back to enter the game.
— There’s been more rotation at wide receiver. Ivan Carreon, Jer’Michael Carter and Zion Kearney all logged snaps in the first half. Kearney caught two passes for 31 yards, though he also committed a false start.
— Kendel Dolby got the start at cornerback, making his season debut and his first appearance since suffering an injury last season in Week 4. Gentry Williams did not play in the first half.
— Tate Sandell made both of his field goal attempts, including a 52-yard attempt in the first quarter. That’s encouraging after missed a 42-yard attempt in the fourth quarter against Michigan.
— Mateer threw his third interception of the season late in the second quarter. He found Keontez Lewis through a tight window, but Lewis took a hard hit and had the ball stripped. Lewis was down for a few moments before eventually walking off under his own power.
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