How the Sooners completely flipped the script in 17-6 win over Missouri

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s Brent Venables and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz found themselves in a cat-and-mouse game on Saturday.

It came midway through the second quarter.

The Tigers led 3-0 and had the Sooners’ defense on their heels as they faced a fourth-and-3 from OU’s 17-yard line. The Tigers’ offense remained on the field and was set to go for it before Drinkwitz called a timeout.

After the timeout, the Tigers’ offense came back on the field. As the tight end motioned from the left side of the formation, Venables called a timeout just before the snap and brought his defense back to the sidelines.

This time, Missouri decided to settle for three points, bringing its field goal unit on the field for a 35-yard attempt. That played right into what the Sooners wanted.

Peyton Bowen came in on a free run from the right side of the formation and got a clean block, keeping the score at 3-0. That proved pivotal in the Sooners’ 17-6 win over the Tigers.

“That was a great moment in the second [quarter],” Venables said. “We just wanted to get a peak at what they were gonna be in, and we liked what we had called but wanted to see as much of a glimpse (of their formation) to make them go to the next best play. They probably had one play they love there.

“The blocked kick, they’ve been leaky in their coverage and inconsistent in how they’ve kicked field goals. Our defense did an amazing job there at coming up with another huge stop, huge play. Another blocked field goal. Our coaches did a great job. That was a very defined plan in how we were going to attack their protection.”

But that play didn’t just keep the Tigers from scoring points. It directly led to points for the Sooners.

The Sooners’ offense was completely off the tracks to start the game. They gained just 17 yards and two first downs on their first three drives, which included back-to-back three-and-outs to start the game.

But the Sooners finally had some life after that blocked kick. Three plays later, with OU facing a third-and-seven, John Mateer found Isaiah Sategna for an 87-yard touchdown that gave the Sooners a 7-3 lead and completely swung the game.

“Obviously, wasn’t going real well before that (play),” Mateer said of Sategna’s touchdown. “And that was a big third-down conversion. Like, it was third down, we needed that one, and so it just flips everything.”

That momentum kept going. The OU defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, which included a nine-yard sack from Taylor Wein. A bad punt set OU’s offense up at the Missouri 35-yard line.

Mateer capped off the next possession with an eight-yard touchdown to Javonnie Gibson. In five minutes of game time, OU went from trailing 3-0 to leading 14-3.

It was a complete momentum swing that started with Bowen’s block. It’s the Sooners’ second field goal block in two games.

“They kind of tried to test us,” Bowen said. “So, I know they’re going to come out in some tricky stuff, and whenever they called timeout and then Coach BV saw that — that’s how people are whenever they play us. They’ve got to get our eyes wrong and do some other stuff, but having that blocked field goal,

“I feel like was a real turn of the tide in that game. They were doing pretty good on offense (before that).”

That block was part of the formula the Sooners have found as they’ve marched to a 9-2 record, including three consecutive wins over ranked opponents.

The defense completely dominated Missouri’s offense, holding them to just 301 total yards (122 in the second half) without a touchdown. The special teams again made momentum-changing plays, including Tate Sandell’s 45-yard field goal in the third quarter to give him 22 consecutive makes.

It’s enough to overshadow the Sooners’ struggles on offense. The Sooners had just 276 total yards and scored just three points outside the second quarter. But whether it’s plays like Bowen’s block, or the defense holding opponents completely in check, the Sooners have found ways to win.

And it’s got them one win away from the College Football Playoff.

“Not every win is going to be pretty,” Bowen said. “The fact that we are winning in all different types of ways just shows how capable we are, whenever we put it all together, of what we can accomplish.”

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