SCOOPHD takes a closer look at the five plays that told the story from OU’s 27-13 victory
Every play matters in a college football game but some do a better job of explaining the outcome than others. Here are the five plays that told the story of Oklahoma’s 27-13 win at Iowa State.
OU 27, ISU 13
Play No. 1: OU sets defensive tone
The two teams traded turnovers in the first three possessions of the game, but ISU was starting to get things going on its second drive.
But the OU defense, especially the run defense, was up to the task time and time again. The first big time was here.
ISU faced a fourth-and-one at its 47 yard line and decided to go for it. The combination of Justin Broiles and David Ugwoegbu were up to the task though, not only stopping it but earning a one-yard tackle for loss.
“Just winning your gap. Winning your responsibility, winning your one-on-one matchup,” linebacker DaShaun White said. “You know it’s a team game but it’s also, you’ve got to beat your matchup. Especially in the run game. So we did a great job of just setting up a wall and when guys came free we made tackles.”
ISU averaged less than three yards per carry in the game.
Play No. 2: All about Schmit
To the obvious one we go. To the call and play that special teams analyst Jay Nunez drew up during the bye week.
If the alignment and personnel was there, he told kicker Zach Schmit to be ready for the fake field goal. It was 3-3 early in the second quarter, and OU pulled the trigger.
“I can’t even explain. I was so happy,” wide receiver Jalil Farooq said. “It actually caught me off guard. I didn’t hear that it was a fake, so when I seen it on TV, I was jumping and screaming.
“I was just looking at the screen, tired, catching my breath on the bench. I looked up and said, ‘Oh.’ Happy as I’ll ever be. It was a moment we needed.”
Punter Michael Turk flipped it to Schmit, who made a nice cut for the two-yard touchdown
Play No. 3: Patience pays off
That wasn’t a monster numbers game for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, but he did absolutely what he needed to and what the offense needed him to do.
And he was able to take a shot and score.
Facing a third-and-11 at the ISU 41 yard line with OU up 13-6 midway through the third quarter. Gabriel did a great job of stepping up in the pocket to allow himself the time. The pass protection allowed the routes to be fully run, and the safety bit on the underneath route.
That led to a wide open Farooq, who coasted in for the 41-yard touchdown.
“Trusting in the training,” Gabriel said. “Knew that we had a shot if we got the look. We did. Great pro. Jalil stayed on his angle. Shoot, we had a wide open one. Glad we took advantage of it.”
Play No. 4: Broiles dives for the takeaway
OU stumbled, though, and it’s 20-13 midway in the fourth quarter. The defense had already played a pretty stout game, but it was time to put its stamp on it with a couple of massive takeaways to guarantee OU’s fifth victory.
It started with Broiles. On a third-and-eight, Hunter Dekkers overshot his target, but it was a tremendous diving effort by Broiles to snag the interception.
Momentum, and the defense realizing it can make the big-time plays when they matter most.
Play No. 5: Stutsman ices the game
Unfortunately, OU’s offense couldn’t get the job done. It was time for one more defensive stand and game-changing takeaway.
It was linebacker Danny Stutsman providing the moment. The pick was a nice read by Stutsman, but the 37-yard return was the one that sealed the deal.
“I mean those are things that we need,” White said. “I know I talked previously about when we don’t get interceptions or just turnovers in general how things can kind of get and our momentum is really bad as a team. And so we always talk about playing collective or playing together as a team. And I think that us creating turnovers is kind of our responsibility for the team to create momentum.”
Eric Gray would punch it in later in the drive, and OU was leaving Ames with the win.
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