Tag: oklahoma

Dec 27, 2024; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) celebrates winning the MVP after the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Blake Horvath, defensive stop propel Navy past Oklahoma

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Blake Horvath ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns and Navy stopped Oklahoma’s two-point conversion in the final seconds to pull out a 21-20 win in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Sooners pulled within one with six seconds remaining after Jake Roberts reeled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Michael Hawkins Jr.

But Oklahoma elected to vie for the win with a two-point conversion, but Hawkins couldn’t find an open receiver before he was sacked by Jake Reed.

The Sooners nearly recovered the onside kick but couldn’t haul it in.

Oklahoma outgained the Midshipmen in total yards (433-318) but came up empty on eight consecutive drives before the late touchdown.

Hawkins finished 28 of 43 for 247 yards and two touchdowns.

After trailing by two touchdowns early, Navy’s defense tightened up and the Midshipmen chipped away.

Down 14-7 late in the third quarter, Navy was pinned inside its own 5.

But on the second play of the drive, Horvath broke through the middle of the Sooners’ defense and had nothing but open space in front of him.

Oklahoma defensive back Woodi Washington chased down Horvath, tackling him right at the goal line.

Horvath initially was ruled down short of the end zone but the play was changed on review, giving Horvath the 95-yard touchdown and the longest run in program history.

The Midshipmen claimed their first lead with a 12-play, 66-yard drive that ate up more than seven minutes in the fourth quarter. The drive was finished by Horvath’s 6-yard touchdown run.

Navy (10-3) finishes with 10 or more wins for just the sixth time in program history while Oklahoma (6-7) ended up with a losing record for the second time in three seasons.

Oklahoma got off to a hot start, scoring touchdowns on each of its first two drives.

The Sooners started the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown run by Gavin Sawchuk.

Sawchuk hadn’t had a run of longer than eight yards this season going into the game.

On Oklahoma’s next drive, Hawkins hit Zion Kearney for a 56-yard touchdown on third-and-7 to put the Sooners up 14-0 just more than nine minutes into the game.

But then the Sooners’ offense struggled, turning the ball over on downs on back-to-back drives even though they moved the ball significantly on both drives.

–Field Level Media

Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) carries the ball against the Army Black Knights during the second half of the the 125th Army-Navy game at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Navy aims for rare 10th win in Armed Forces Bowl vs. Oklahoma

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Brian Newberry grew up just down the road from Norman, Okla., rooting for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Now, Newberry will wrap up his second season as Navy’s head coach when the Midshipmen take on the Sooners in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.

“It’s going to be surreal seeing them across that sideline,” Newberry said. “I’m excited about it. Can’t wait for it.”

Navy (9-3) is looking for just the sixth 10-win season in program history. The Midshipmen are coming off a 31-13 win over rival Army in Landover, Md.

The bowl is Navy’s first against an SEC opponent since the 1955 Sugar Bowl when the Midshipmen beat Ole Miss 21-0.

“When you come to Navy, you’re not expecting that you’re going to be playing Oklahoma,” Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath said. “If you would have told me that when I committed here, I thought that would’ve been pretty cool.”

For Oklahoma, it’s the program’s first appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl and its first bowl game against a service academy opponent.

The Sooners are in a bowl game for the 26th consecutive season, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind only Georgia (28).

Oklahoma had to sweat this one out, needing an upset victory over then-No. 7 Alabama in its home finale to reach bowl eligibility.

The Sooners (6-6) are looking to avoid a second losing season in the past three years after going from 1999-2021 without a sub-.500 campaign.

The game will feature one of the top rushing offenses in the country against one of the top run-stopping teams in FBS.

Navy was No. 7 nationally through the regular season with an average of 249.3 rushing yards per game.

The Midshipmen’s ground game is led by Horvath, who has rushed for 1,091 yards and 15 touchdowns. Horvath ran for 100 or more yards five times this season, including 204 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Army.

The Sooners have allowed just 154.9 yards per game on the ground, 12th in FBS through the regular season.

Oklahoma will be without several key pieces of that defense, though.

Linebacker Danny Stutsman, the Sooners’ leading tackler and a consensus All-American, and safety Billy Bowman Jr. both are expected to miss the game as they prepare for the NFL Draft, while linebacker/defensive back Dasan McCullough entered the transfer portal.

Linebacker Kip Lewis figures to play an even bigger role in the bowl game with Stutsman out.

Navy’s triple-option offense puts plenty of stress on linebackers.

“I’m from east Texas, so I’ve played Wing-T like back in high school, so I’m a little used to it,” Lewis said. “It’s been a minute since I played it, but it brought me back to my roots playing the Wing-T.”

Oklahoma will also be short-handed on the offensive side, as freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will make his first start since mid-October after Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn.

The Sooners have been thin at wide receiver all season and will be again in the bowl after several of their receivers who missed significant time due to injuries entered the transfer portal.

They are hopeful Deion Burks, who played in just one of the past eight games, will be available for the bowl game.

The matchup will be just the second between the programs. In 1965, Navy beat the Sooners 10-0 in Norman.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) walks off the field after a game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Washington State Cougars won 15-14. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Former Wazzu QB John Mateer transferring to Oklahoma

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Former Washington State standout John Mateer, one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, is transferring to Oklahoma, he announced Wednesday evening on social media.

Widely considered the best player available when he entered the transfer portal on Monday, Mateer is following former Cougars offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who was hired by Oklahoma earlier this month, as well as quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski, who is expected to join him.

The Sooners, who lost starting QB Jackson Arnold to Auburn through the transfer portal, were regarded as the front-runners for Mateer. Miami, where former Washington State QB Cam Ward starred this season, became a Heisman Trophy finalist and is entering the NFL Draft, also was considered a potential landing spot.

Mateer, who waited behind Ward at Washington State for two years, is a redshirt sophomore with two seasons of eligibility remaining. He led the FBS in total touchdowns (44) in his first season as a starter in 2024, compiling 3,139 yards with 29 touchdown passes and seven interceptions and rushing for 826 yards with 15 scores in 12 games.

Washington State head coach Jake Dickert left his job to become Wake Forest’s head coach on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) passes against the LSU Tigers during the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Ex-Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold commits to SEC rival Auburn

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Jackson Arnold, a five-star quarterback prospect in the Class of 2023, is transferring to Auburn after two seasons at Oklahoma.

Auburn announced his signing on Saturday and said he becomes the highest-rated quarterback ever at the school, based on his recruiting ranking in high school. 247Sports listed him as the No. 4 quarterback and No. 10 overall player in his class coming out of Guyer High School in Denton, Texas.

He entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month.

“The fit he is for our offense and for Auburn, I couldn’t be more excited,” head coach Hugh Freeze told the school’s website. “He’s a dual-threat guy who understands the RPO (run-pass option) system extremely well and throws the deep ball extremely well.”

At Oklahoma, Arnold began the 2024 season as the starter, lost his spot and later regained it as the Sooners went 6-6. He completed 154 of 246 passes (62.6 percent) for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games. He also ran the ball 150 times for 444 yards and three TDs, including 25 attempts for 131 yards in the Sooners’ 24-3 win over Alabama on Nov. 23.

As a freshman last season playing behind Dillon Gabriel, Arnold appeared in seven games and was 44 of 69 (63.8 percent) for 563 yards, four TDs and three picks.

“His deep ball has been very accurate,” Freeze told the website. “Didn’t throw a ton this year because they dealt with injuries at his previous school, so he didn’t have a lot of shots but going back and watching all his Elite 11 and high school competition, he throws the deep ball as well as you see at most any level.”

Freeze also said the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Arnold will bring other qualities to the program.

“A winner,” Freeze said. “He’s going to create a swagger around our offense that draws people to want to play at a higher level.”

–Field Level Media

Kentucky wide receiver Barion Brown (7) with the ball during an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn.

Transfer portal active before official opening Monday

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Oklahoma wide receiver Nic Anderson plans to enter the transfer portal when it officially opens on Monday, several reports said Thursday.

The 6-foot-4 Texas native hauled in 38 receptions for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns during the 2023 season. Then he missed nearly the entire 2024 season due to a nagging quad injury.

His 10 scores broke the Sooners’ freshman touchdown record.

Players around Division I have begun declaring their intention to enter the portal, which is officially open between Monday and Dec. 28. That includes Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold (1,421 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, three interceptions in 2024), a former five-star who was reported Wednesday to be jumping into the portal.

–Kentucky wide receiver Barion Brown announced that he plans to enter the transfer portal.

A preseason first-team All-American, Brown was held to just 29 receptions for 361 yards and three TD catches in his third season in Lexington, all representing career lows.

In 37 games, he has racked up 122 catches for 1,528 yards, 11 receiving TDs, two rushing scores and five kick return touchdowns.

Tight end Jordan Dingle also plans to move on from Kentucky. He had nine catches for 71 yards and a touchdown in 2024 and has 43 receptions for 615 yards and four scores in his career.

–Southern California wide receiver Kyron Hudson intends to enter the portal as a grad transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.

Hudson has been with the Trojans since 2021, but 2024 was his breakout season, setting or matching career highs of 38 receptions, 462 yards and three touchdowns.

He has 72 catches for 807 yards and eight TDs in 40 career games.

–Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels filed paperwork to enter the portal, On3 reported.

Daniels made 10 starts in 2023 and nine more starts in 2024, when Stanford struggled to a 3-9 record. Daniels had 1,700 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024, along with a team-high 669 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.

For his career, Daniels has amassed 3,986 passing yards, 21 TDs, 20 picks, 1,117 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.

–Quarterback E.J. Warner, the son of Kurt Warner, announced he will transfer from Rice after the program fired coach Mike Bloomgren earlier this season. New head coach Scott Abell is known for running a spread triple-option offense.

“Due to the scheme and philosophy change, I will be entering the transfer portal in hopes for finding the best fit for my final year of eligibility,” E.J. Warner wrote on social media.

Warner spent two years at Temple before transferring to Rice ahead of the 2024 season. He threw for 2,710 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season. He has led the American Athletic Conference in interceptions three years running.

–Southern Miss quarterback Tate Rodemaker is entering the portal, On3 reported.

Rodemaker is best known as the signal-caller who stepped in for the injured Jordan Travis at the end of Florida State’s 2023 season. Rodemaker threw five touchdowns without an interception in nine appearances for the Seminoles last year.

At Southern Miss, he threw for 985 yards, seven touchdowns and seven picks. The Golden Eagles fired head coach Will Hall in October and went on to finish 1-11.

–Coastal Carolina QB Ethan Vasko announced he is heading into the portal after succeeding Grayson McCall as the Chanticleers’ starter under center.

Vasko threw for 2,110 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight picks in 2024. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

–Washington State running back Wayshawn Parker said he will enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.

As a freshman for the 8-4 Cougars, Parker racked up 735 rushing yards on a 5.4 per-carry average and scored four touchdowns.

Washington State’s starting quarterback, John Mateer, is rumored to be a candidate to jump into the portal as well, though no announcement has been made. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was recently hired by Oklahoma.

–New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier told On3 that he is entering the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining. He passed for 2,768 yards and 12 TDs with 12 interceptions in 12 games and also rushed for 1,166 yards on 155 carries, a 7.5 average, and 19 TDs.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) passes against the LSU Tigers during the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Reports: Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold entering transfer portal

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Oklahoma sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold will enter the transfer portal, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

A five-star recruit in 2023 out of Denton, Texas, Arnold began this season as the starter, lost his spot and later regained it as the Sooners went 6-6.

Monday is the first day that underclassmen can transfer during the winter portal window.

Arnold completed 154 of 246 passes (62.6 percent) for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games. He also ran the ball 150 times for 444 yards and three TDs, including 25 attempts for 131 yards in the Sooners’ 24-3 win over Alabama on Nov. 23.

As a freshman last season playing behind Dillon Gabriel, Arnold appeared in seven games and was 44 of 69 (63.8 percent) for 563 yards, four TDs and three picks.

A former Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, Arnold started for Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl last December, when the Sooners lost 38-24 to Arizona.

He was QB1 for the 2024 campaign, but three early turnovers caused him to be pulled in a 25-15 defeat to Tennessee on Sept. 21 and replaced by true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.

Arnold came off the bench to replace Hawkins in a 35-9 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 19, and head coach Brent Venables afterward fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell.

Co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley became the interim play-caller. Venables filled the position permanently on Monday by hiring Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle, who could bring Cougars QB John Mateer with him to Norman, Okla.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders carry flags across the field after a touchdown against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Signing Day notebook: Nebraska flips 4-star WR Cortez Mills

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Nebraska plucked a prize from old rival Oklahoma on Wednesday, inking wide receiver Cortez Mills on early National Signing Day.

Mills committed to Oklahoma on July 1. He decommitted on Wednesday, then signed with the Cornhuskers. Mills, from Homestead (Fla.), told On3 that the Nebraska recruiting staff didn’t let him forget he was wanted.

“Nebraska never went away,” said Mills, who is ranked No. 15 at wide receiver by the 247Sports composite. “They stayed consistent with me. They showed me that I was a top priority for the program and that they really wanted me. How they stayed consistent and true to who they are was very important in my decision.

“The Nebraska coaches never let their foot off the brake. They recruited me, my mom, my sister, we all had a bond and that love meant something. We made the decision as a family that Nebraska is best for me.”

–Oklahoma pulled off a flip of its own, signing quarterback Jett Nieu, a three-star prospect from Lehi (Utah) High School.

He had been committed to Oklahoma State since Sept. 10. According to 247Sports, it was new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle — with whom Niu has built a relationship during the recruiting process — who lured him to the Sooners.

Niu previously was committed to Appalachian State before flipping to Oklahoma State of the Big 12.

–Four-star running back Anthony Rogers signed with Ohio State, picking the Buckeyes over Georgia. The 247Sports composite ranks Rogers, from Carver High School in Montgomery, Ala., as the No. 9 rusher in the class.

Rogers committed to Alabama in June 2023, then decommitted last month. The 5-foot-9 Rogers took official visits to both Columbus, Ohio, and Athens, Ga., this fall.

“It just feels like the right place for me to develop as an athlete and a man,” he told ESPN of Ohio State. He is one of three running backs to sign with the Buckeyes in this cycle.

–Field Level Media

Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Malachi Moore (13) chases after Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.

Oklahoma’s defense does number on No. 7 Alabama

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Oklahoma forced two big turnovers in the third quarter and freshman running back Xavier Robinson ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Sooners to a 24-3 home win over No. 7 Alabama on Saturday.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak in the Southeastern Conference for Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) and clinched bowl eligibility for the Sooners for the 26th consecutive season.

Only Georgia has a longer active bowl streak (28).

The Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-3) had their three-game winning snapped and their chances for a berth in the College Football Playoff in serious jeopardy.

The loss was the Crimson Tide’s biggest since their 44-16 loss to Clemson in the 2018 College Football Playoff title game. The Sooners’ coach, Brent Venables, was Clemson’s defensive coordinator in that game.

Alabama’s 234 yards were its fewest since 2014.

Oklahoma led 10-3 at halftime, mostly keeping the ball on the ground with a steady diet of runs by Robinson and quarterback Jackson Arnold.

Arnold finished with a career-high 131 yards on the ground and went 9 of 11 for 68 yards through the air.

The Sooners’ defense blew the game open with two turnovers in the third.

Cornerback Eli Bowen jumped Alabama’s route and picked off Jalen Milroe’s pass on the third play of the second half, returning the ball 25 yards to the Alabama 14.

Five plays later, Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown put Oklahoma up 17-3.

On the next drive, the Sooners’ defense did it themselves.

Linebacker Kip Lewis picked off Milroe and returned it 49 yards for a score.

Alabama drove 75 yards on its second drive of the game, but had to settle for a field goal after replay showed Ryan Williams stepped out of bounds at the 11 on a 30-yard pass play after he was initially credited with a touchdown.

It was the last sustained drive the Crimson Tide would put together until the fourth quarter when the Sooners held a comfortable lead.

Milroe finished 11 of 26 for 164 yards and three interceptions and 15 carries for 7 yards.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables talks with line judge Jeremiah Harris during the first half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Oklahoma president, AD give Brent Venables vote of confidence

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Embattled Oklahoma football coach Brent Venables received a vote of confidence from his bosses Tuesday evening.

University president Joseph Harroz Jr. and athletic director Joe Castiglione both publicly backed Venables while speaking following a Board of Regents meeting in Norman, Okla.

A 30-23 loss at then-No. 23 Missouri on Saturday dropped the Sooners’ record to 5-5 overall, 1-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Oklahoma has dropped four of its past six games following a 3-0 start.

Harroz said, “We all get emotional over during the course of a season. What’s unwavering is the commitment to him. This is a new era for us, but it’s also a new era for college athletics, and there’s going to be a lot of adjustment, and there’s going to be a lot that takes place. As far as my commitment to Coach Venables, it’s 100 percent.”

Castiglione said, “Obviously the season thus far has not gone as we’d hoped or planned. We’re mindful that we haven’t met the Oklahoma standard for 2024. That said, we truly believe in Coach Venables and our team and are completely focused on both supporting them and looking at all of the ways to address the needed improvements now as soon as possible as well as in preparation for next year.”

Venables, 53, owns a 21-15 record over his three seasons in charge of the Sooners. He never previously served as a head coach, having served as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma and Clemson.

He is under contract through 2029, and a buyout following the current season would cost the school $44.8 million, according to The Oklahoman newspaper.

The Sooners are off this week ahead of their final two regular-season games: at home against No. 10 Alabama on Nov. 23 and at No. 23 LSU on Nov. 30. Losses in both games would leave Oklahoma with a sub-.500 and out of the bowl picture for the first time since 1998.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a pass during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Missouri QB Brady Cook (ankle, wrist) out vs. Oklahoma

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Missouri quarterback Brady Cook will miss Saturday’s contest against visiting Oklahoma due to ankle and wrist injuries.

Cook’s status was in doubt all week but the school downgraded him to out on Friday’s Southeastern Conference injury report.

The missed contest will end Cook’s streak of 35 consecutive starts. He ranks fourth in school history with 8,053 career passing yards and sits fifth with 45 touchdown passes.

Drew Pyne will start in place of Cook for the No. 24 Tigers (6-2, 2-2 SEC), who are coming off a bye.

Cook has passed for 1,575 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games this season. He has thrown just one interception in 218 attempts. He also has rushed for four touchdowns.

Cook initially injured the ankle during a 21-17 victory over visiting Auburn on Oct. 19. He was hurt in the first quarter, went to a nearby hospital for an MRI exam, returned to the field in the third quarter and rallied Missouri to a victory.

One week later, Cook exited with the wrist injury during the Tigers’ 34-0 loss to Alabama.

Pyne has passed for 248 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions in 55 attempts this season. He previously played three seasons at Notre Dame (he was the starter in 2022) and one season at Arizona State before transferring to Missouri.

–Field Level Media