The Oklahoma Sooners and Auburn Tigers both are trying to bounce back from 10-point losses in their Southeastern Conference openers where turnovers proved costly and backup quarterbacks were called upon in the second half. The similarities don’t go much beyond that.
Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. passes against Tennessee during the second of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Norman, Okla. Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is greeted by fans as he and the team arrive at the stadium before an NCAA college football game against Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Norman, Okla.
Hawkins replaced former five-star recruit Jackson Arnold in the second half of that 25-15 loss to Tennessee and the Sooners did close the gap. Arnold had three first-half turnovers. “We didn’t want it to hang over anyone’s head and have speculation kind of create an additional story,” Venables said. “Mike’s a really talented guy, can really spin it. Makes quick decisions and is really athletic.Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has bigger problems. He had already benched starter Payton Thorne after a four-interception game in a loss to California.
“It’s sickening, truthfully, to know that you’re averaging almost 7 yards a rush and creating explosive plays and not scoring the points that should come with what those stats say,” Freeze said. “But I’ve never been any team that turned the football over and won football games.”Both teams lean heavily on transfer receivers in their passing game. Oklahoma’s Deion Burks, a Purdue transfer, has 26 catches, the most by any player in their first four games with the Sooners.
The Sooners’ only other game in the state of Alabama ended with Stoops’ top-ranked team beating the Alabama Crimson Tide 20-13 in 2003.
Auburn Tigers College Football Auburn Auburn Tigers Football AL State Wire AP Top 25 College Football Poll Oklahoma Sooners Football OK State Wire Hugh Freeze Payton Thorne Oklahoma Sports Brent Venables Hank Brown
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