AUBURN, Alabama — “Michael Hawkins” chants echoed through Jordan-Hare Stadium as Oklahoma walked off the field after its late-game rally over Auburn.

There, as his name sounded repeatedly through the air, Michael Hawkins Jr. slowly removed himself from the embrace he shared with his parents, and started walking, even-keeled, with his teammates.

"It's big,” Hawkins said, reflecting on the moment postgame. “But I'm a humble guy, and our team is humble. So we're just going to stay down.”

As he left the field, the moment — which stood as a symbol of acceptance from OU’s fan base after Hawkins led the Sooners to a 27-21 win over Auburn during their first Southeastern Conference road game — passed, without him stopping to acknowledge it.

Instead, it was the quiet pockets of time that gave insight into who Hawkins is.

A brief hug shared with his parents, a soft-spoken exchange between him and offensive coordinator Seth Littrell in the tunnel, and a subtle glance back toward the scoreboard before leaving the stadium were the snippets of emotion he provided.

Walking off the field, many were focused on the big picture as Hawkins made history as Oklahoma’s first-ever true freshman quarterback to win in his debut. However, step by step, he showed he was always meant to be a leader defined by the moments that matter and not a follower fooled by the noise.

"It was a great moment for me,” Hawkins said about the postgame atmosphere in Jordan-Hare. “It was a great moment for our team, just knowing we got the win. Just kept going, great experience for my first (in the SEC) on the road."

After head coach Brent Venables named Hawkins as OU’s starter on Monday, the true freshman spent the week of practice leading up to the game learning how to navigate his new role. On Saturday, during OU’s first offensive drive, it seemed he took that in stride.

On the fourth play of the series, Hawkins found a gap, darted up the middle for a 48-yard touchdown and notched OU’s longest scrimmage play up to that point in the season, giving the Sooners an early 7-0 lead.

But Hawkins would later struggle to move the ball during the second and third quarters, as OU’s offense continued to dig themselves into a hole. The Sooners punted on five consecutive drives, before redshirt senior placekicker Zach Schmit knocked in a field goal in the third, making the score 21-10.

However, Hawkins, who was called up by Venables right before halftime during OU’s game against Tennessee, has quickly become accustomed to high-pressure situations.

"The biggest thing for us this game was just staying down,” Hawkins said. “It was about keeping our head down, knowing that we're going to get it going and just move the ball successfully as a whole."

As Hawkins watched Auburn’s defense continue to play with a lot of inside leverage on OU’s receivers, he hit redshirt senior wide receiver J.J. Hester, who led Oklahoma in receiving with 86 yards, in the gap for a 60-yard reception, setting up junior running back Jovantae Barnes for a 2-yard touchdown. OU failed to convert the two-point conversion. 

With time ticking in the fourth, hope dwindled for OU to pose a comeback, but a 63-yard pick-six by redshirt sophomore Kip Lewis — which is the fourth longest by a linebacker in Oklahoma history — late in the quarter would set Hawkins up to make the play that has the potential to define him as a quarterback.

To put the Sooners up by three, they decided to attempt their second two-point conversion of the day, but this time, as the quarterback flipped into the endzone, he changed the trajectory of the game.

“The one play I keep thinking of is that two-point conversion,” Hester said when talking about Hawkins postgame. “He somersaulted, but before he did that I knew he was getting in (to the endzone). That kid is a warrior.

“That play just gets everybody’s mojo going. You see somebody like that do a front flip into the endzone and you are like, ‘Oh my god, did somebody really just do that.’ It is great to have that around the team.

Although Hawkins struggled in the middle of the game, Venables’ decision to make the change from sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold to the true freshman was solidified as Schmit added on to OU’s lead with a field goal to secure OU’s first SEC win.

Hawkins finished the night with 14 rushing attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback was 10 of 15 in the air for 161 yards.

“That’s a pretty strong litmus test right there, right?” Venables prompted after the game. “He went right into the Tigers’ den, if you will, and he was fearless. So not perfect, but he did a really nice job of not taking a bunch of sacks.”

As Hawkins addressed the media post-game, he spoke quietly, his voice even-toned as he answered questions after Oklahoma’s late-game rally over Auburn.

There it was evident, that this moment, and the ones which are destined to come after it, will not shake him.

“It is just another game,” Hawkins said. “That's what you've got to tell yourself. Go out there and play. It definitely was on another level."

This story was edited by Daniel Homrok. 

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