Just maybe, possibly, one can hope … at least part of what Oklahoma managed defensively against Temple Friday night atop Owen Field can translate into Southeastern Conference play three weeks from today when Tennessee visits Norman and thereafter, too.
Probably not the yards allowed, which was 197, nor the scoring, which was three in the Sooners’ 51-3 victory.
But the turnovers, yes.
Just because you can’t gain yards nor score points doesn’t mean you can’t keep hold of the football, yet, Friday night, Temple couldn’t.
In the first half alone, OU forced four giveaways and, sure, “forced” is an overused term in such sentences, but this time it’s apropos.
Ethan Downs indeed forced a fumble from Temple quarterback Brock Forrest and Da’Jon Terry picked it up.
Two Owl drives later Kendel Dolby managed to tip a Forrest pass, allowing Kani Walker to catch it, despite being shielded from the ball.
Robert Spears-Jennings forced and recovered a fumble following a 3-yard run from Owl running back Dante Wright and just before the half, Gracen Halton dislodged another ball that Billy Bowman grabbed.
Two more takeaways came after the half, one, on a punt, turning into a 21-yard touchdown fumble return from Jaren Kanak.
All of it was fabulous and made the Sooners look like a team that knows how to turn a team over, be it Temple or anybody else.
What did not appear remotely transferable, however, was the offense, even on a night first-year starting quarterback Jackson Arnold played quite well, thank you.
Arnold completed 17 of 25 passes for 141 yards and four scores, which, of course, is light on yardage, though it wasn’t like he was missing receivers wide open over the middle or, really, missing them at all.
Because nobody was wide open over the middle and frequently other spots, there were times Arnold had to throw it away and, holy cow, how can it be, the Sooner quarterback was sacked three different times.
Or how about this.
The Sooners punted the ball five times, more than they’d punted the ball in any game since punting five times against Central Florida a year ago, the the seventh game of the season.
In fact, only once all of last season did OU punt more than five times, at Cincinnati, in game four when it punted six.
Indicating a lack of confidence from the coaches in the offensive line specifically and the conventional run game generally, Deion Burks, the Purdue transfer, who caught two of Arnold’s touchdown tosses, carried the ball three times in the first half which is hardly typical of an inside receiver.
On top of that, not Gavin Sawchuk, nor Jovantae Barnes, nor any other running back led OU in ground chances.
That honor was left to Arnold, who carried 11 times for 34 yards, a 3.1 average that easily surpassed Sawchuk’s 2.5, or 15 yards on six attempts.
Despite it all, the Sooners still covered the 44-point spread, which is bound to mean they won’t cover a week from today against Houston when oddsmakers and bettors conflate their week one point total with terrific offense
Yet another measure?
OU averaged 5.8 yards per snap and only that thanks to third-team and fourth-team running backs Taylor Tatum and Sam Franklin galloping for a combined 110 yards on eight carries.
But the number was a scant 3.9 in the second quarter and 5.2 in the first half, all surprising in the wake of averaging 6.8 yards per snap the whole of last season and 7.8 against Arkansas State opening day last season.
Did we mention the opponent was Temple, chosen to finish last in the American Athletic Conference after winning one conference game in each of the last four seasons?
You figure if OU must throw the ball more to make up for a struggling running game, Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley will come up with a game plan that allows for it, and if there’s one thing the Sooners appear to have it’s lots of capable receivers.
Still, what happened offensively in this one was alarming, though six turnovers conspired to make it appear it wasn’t.
Early in the third quarter, OU started at its own 43. Five players later it had earned first-and-goal from the 4. Three plays after that, Tyler Keltner kicked a field goal from 24 yards, his third of the night, following boots of 50 and 42.
He was terrific.
The offense that made him have to be wasn’t remotely.
Celebrate the turnovers.
Not since OU’s 65-13 2003 victory over Texas had it forced so many and not since opening the 2000 season at UTEP had it forced more.
It’s something and it counts, even against the lowly Owls.
The offense?
It counts, too, but not in the right direction.
