One position group OU head coach Brent Venables was pleased with most in the Sooners’ 73-0 win over Arkansas State was the offensive line.
OU was led by starters redshirt sophomore left guard Savion Byrd, redshirt junior right tackle Tyler Guyton, redshirt senior right guard McKade Mettauer, senior center Andrew Raym and redshirt senior Walter Rouse.
The Sooners’ quarterbacks completed 90.9% of their passes combined, which set a school record and was largely due to having a clean pocket provided by the starters up front.
“They played with great passion and intensity,” Venables said Tuesday. “You could say they led the way. They had a sense of desperation and great focused intensity about them and (they were) precise and finished a lot of plays as a unit for four quarters.
“(I) was pleased with what we saw. … Just the effort, the physicality. And again, the maturity and the sense of desperation was there. That's how you’ve got to play the game and the game will honor you when you have that kind of a mindset and that kind of an attitude.”
Raym, the leader of the room and a fourth-year veteran, was proud of his unit.
“The big focus is details,” Raym said. “But you know what I saw was an O-line that was finishing, they were trying to get after people's butts and we have a group of guys that really just wants to dominate people this year. We’ve just got to keep working on small things with details and it's going to take us a long way.”
Rouse, who transferred from Stanford, made his first appearance in an Oklahoma uniform.
“Aside from the heat of the game itself,” Rouse said when asked if he enjoyed his first OU game. “Just being behind the tunnel and getting around the Sooner Schooner and the horses running out, seeing the fans in the stadium was a sight to be seen, that was amazing. … It was a lot of fun.”
Venables’ buzzword, competitive depth, was present within the offensive line as much as any position. Redshirt senior Miami (OH) transfer Caleb Shaffer, Appalachian State transfer redshirt sophomore Troy Everett and promising freshmen Joshua Bates, Cayden Green and Heath Ozaeta all made their debuts.
“It was huge,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said Monday. “Being able to play with all those guys, it was great just for our locker room. So many guys put in so much time, so much effort, so much work that they got to go out there and get to play and that was fun.”
Freshman defensive back Peyton Bowen during the game against Arkansas State on Sept. 2.
Bowen, Walker finding roles in secondary
Redshirt freshman Kani Walker and freshman Peyton Bowen showed flashes on Saturday, as the duo looked to find their roles in a young defensive backs room.
Walker, who redshirted for most of 2022, saw his first game action of the 2023 season against the Red Wolves. The Suwanee, Georgia, native finished with three tackles and one forced fumble, a performance that has affirmed the work he’s done in the offseason.
“I’d say last year it took a lot longer,” Walker said. “It took longer to click but like now even just going through practice like we’re all just clicking. … We may mess up and stuff like that here and there.”
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Walker said it took him a bit longer to figure out the Sooners' technique on defense last season. With the help of cornerbacks coach Jay Valai and the constant prodding from Venables, he said it finally started making sense in fall training camp.
He now knows the right spots and right areas to position himself in when playing in the secondary.
“Our goal, or our challenge is gonna be like how hungry I am, how humble we're gonna stay,” Walker said. “As long as the season goes on. … We take one weekend. We take our first game as our best game and our biggest game of the year.”
Bowen, a former five-star recruit, finished with three tackles and was active in coverage for the entire game.
Not much surprised Bowen in his first action.
“I'd say it's a little bit faster,” Bowen said. “We run against the first team offense and they run some tempo, so that helps a lot. I'd say the speed is a little bit faster like some of the players will be faster but it's not like anything I haven't ever guarded.”
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As the season moves forward, both Walker and Bowen will continue to fight for playing time. The pair is impressed by what they’ve seen from the defense so far.
“We got a lot of guys, we got a lot of scrappy guys, and a lot of hungry guys,” Walker said. “We got a couple people coming back like myself. … No matter who you put out there, who you choose to put out there, if you want somebody who's strong who is going to dominate it we got it. We got people that can cover and run all day long.”
Sophomore tight end Blake Smith on Feb. 16.
Blake Smith thriving under Joe Jon Finley
Redshirt junior Texas A&M transfer Blake Smith caught his first pass on Saturday.
“It was really good," Smith said. “It was a great atmosphere, great energy all around from the guys and fans and just the whole experience overall, and we put everything on display on Saturday and it felt good to do it the way we did.”
Smith, who’s learning under senior Austin Stogner, has been pleased with the progress he’s made. Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley recruited Smith to the Aggies in 2019, but never got a chance to work with him.
“He showed nothing but love,” Smith said of Finley. “I just love the way he coaches his players, and I wanted to be a part of it. When I got the opportunity to transfer, it was kind of a no-brainer to come here.”
Smith maximized his opportunity with a 28-yard catch. While Stogner transferred back to Norman from South Carolina, many figured Smith wouldn’t see many touches.
“I knew from wherever I went, I was gonna try to contribute any way possible,” Smith said “I worked extremely hard to do anything, so I can just set foot on the field and contribute.”
