Sooners Report Card: LSU

OK, so maybe you’re not sure how it’s true but the Sooners are 10-2 and headed to the college football playoffs. A 17-13 win over LSU had large moments of struggle but in the end Oklahoma football found a way to reel in a dramatic win. We take a look at our weekly report card and weigh in on another Sooners win with a lopsided score card.

OFFENSE:

QB: John Mateer – 45 – He threw for over 300 yards but almost a third came on two plays that kind of fell in his lap and missed a ton in the game.
RB: Xavier Robinson – 50 – He wasn’t bad, he’s just clearly not right at the moment.
WR1: Deion Burks – 74 – He still can’t block but there’s no doubt he found a big play.
WR2: Isaiah Sategna – 90 – He was really good in this one, guy did a bit of everything for the Sooners.
WR3: Javonnie Gibson – 72 – His best game of the season, made some big plays but that drop could have been costly.
TE: Jaren Kanak – 75 – Sooners have to realize he’s a useful weapon.
OT: Michael Fasusi – 71 – I thought he was quite good and did a great job in pass protection.
OG: Eddy Pierre-Louis – 64 – I thought he was ok but again didn’t see a ton either way.
C: Febechi Nwaiwu – 63 – In a tough spot he did alright but Sooners run blocking was pretty lackluster inside.
OG: Ryan Fodje – 65 – Looked great pulling a few times but thought he struggled a little in the run game.
OT: Derek Simmons – 64 – I actually thought it was one of his better games, particularly in the pass game.

Offensive Average: 66.6 (733)

DEFENSE:

DE: Taylor Wein – 87 – LSU did a good job slowing him down a bit but he was still disruptive.
DT: Gracen Halton – 100 – His best performance in Norman, was absolutely dominant.
NT: Damonic Williams – 91 – Thought he was a big part of LSU finding nothing up the middle.
DE: Marvin Jones Jr. – 81 – He remains very quiet, but was solid enough for the Sooners.
LB: Owen Heinecke – 89 – He made a few key plays that people won’t remember but were vital.
LB: Kip Lewis – 84 – Thought he got a little out of position but was generally steady.
CH: Kendal Daniels – 88 – Not as noisy as we’ve seen him but was so, so steady.
CB: Eli Bowen – 90 – Came up with a few key pass break-ups and good play in space.
CB: Courtland Guillory – 88 – Not many challenges for him but he was strong when called into play.
S: Peyton Bowen – 97 – This guy is just growing as a difference maker, playing great football.
S: Robert Spears-Jennings – 85 – Another guy who wasn’t called on too often but was exceptional.

Defensive Average: 89.1 (980)

Special Teams:

K: Tate Sandell – 87 – A game that didn’t come down to Tate Sandell? Hard to believe.
P: Grayson Miller – 90 – Wasn’t his best game but in a punt off he helped the Sooners stay in the game.
KR: N/A – XX –
PR: Isaiah Sategna – 96 – Return was huge to breathe some life into an Oklahoma offense that was on life support.

Special Teams Average: 91 (273)

Key Reserves:

RB: Tory Blaylock – 74 – He was the one spark Oklahoma had in the run game.
TE: Kaden Helms – 68 – Struggled in some blocking but made a few key plays and the third down just wasn’t on him.
DT: Jayden Jackson – 83 – Actually noticed him more than I had in a few weeks, fought hard.
DT: David Stone – 90 – Man, you just can’t miss him when he’s out there, he’s a constant double team.
LB: Sammy Omosigho – 88 – Feel like he has grown a lot in the last few weeks, was very good tracking from sideline to sideline.
S: Michael Boganowski – 92 – Sooners fans should already be excited about him as a starter next year.

Reserves Average: 82.5 (495)

Team Average: 79.9 (2479)

My Overall Grade: 76

Breakdown: 

This.
Freaking.
Team.

I feel like we’re through a month of November that each and every time it felt like the Sooners couldn’t confuse me or cause me to doubt them more they found a way to dig deeper. Both in the ways they’d dig themselves in a hole as well as finding ways to get out of that trouble.

It’s unbelievable how well the Sooners keep finding a way to fight through things. The reality that John Mateer had 318 yards passing against one of the best secondaries in the SEC – make that make sense? Does that even add up to what we saw as the game wore on.

The offense had moments and actually moved the ball but they just kept finding ways to destroy themselves against a defense far too good to give them help.

Defensively the Sooners dominated as you’d expect against an LSU offense that managed the same point total against Western Kentucky last week.

Now, Oklahoma has a few weeks to figure out something, anything offensively to avoid having to live ‘as the turnovers fall’ in the playoffs.

And finally, is Oklahoma destined to play in games where one team doubles up another offensively and turnovers nearly cripple them? It’s an unending theme that they have, now, been on both sides of.

Scoring Standard:

100-88: Title Contender
87-81: SEC Title Contender
80-73: Playoff Contender
72-60: Bowl Game Participant
59-0: ‘I’ll be hoooome for Christmas‘