OKLAHOMA VS. WESTERN CAROLINA REWIND

9/11/2021

NORMAN – No. 4/4 Oklahoma football (2-0) controlled all facets of its matchup against Western Carolina (0-2), shutting out the visiting Catamounts 76-0 Saturday at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Spencer Rattler led the Sooners through the air, finishing the first half and his day on the field 20-of-26 for 243 yards and five passing touchdowns. Four receivers caught touchdown passes against the Catamounts with Jadon Haselwood recording two touchdowns on four receptions for 19 yards.

Eric Gray led OU on the ground with 74 yards on nine attempts, while also recording a 20-yard receiving touchdown. Jaden Knowles and Todd Hudson each tallied a pair of rushing touchdowns, while Kennedy Brooks also found the end zone.

Danny Stutsman led the Oklahoma defense with eight total tackles, including seven solo and one forced fumble. Isaiah Thomas also forced a fumble and a sack in the victory.

The Sooners jumped out to an early advantage over the Catamounts, scoring 17 points in the first quarter. OU went into the half with a 45-0 advantage, following five passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.

Oklahoma continued to attack on the ground in the second half, tallying four rushing touchdowns. Knowles and Hudson scored both of their rushing touchdowns in the second half.

Gabe Brkic and Zach Schmit both tallied field goals in the victory with Brkic notching a 56-yard field goal. It was Brkic’s school-record ninth career field goal of 50 or more yards and nation-leading eighth since the start of the 2020 season. It also marked his school-record-setting 15th career field goal of 40 or more yards (broke a tie with R.D. Lashar).

FINAL

OKLAHOMA 76, WESTERN CAROLINA 0

Todd Hudson with a 2-yard rushing touchdown - his second of the game with 1:36 left in the fourth. OU 76, WCU 0 (6 plays, 25 yards, 3:14 time of possession)

Todd Hudson with a 6-yard rushing touchdown with 10:42 left in the game. Schmit with the extra point. OU 69, WCU 0 (6 plays, 73 yards, 6:11 time of possession)

Jaden Knowles with a 29-yard rushing touchdown with 3:43 left in the third quarter. Knowles second rushing touchdown of the game. Schmit with the extra point. OU 62, WCU 0 (2 plays, 50 yards, 0:56 time of possession)

Zach Schmit with a 46-yard field goal for his first points of the season. OU 55, WCU 0 (5 plays, 10 yards, 2:15 time of possession).

We should've invited the backup kicker to the photoshoot...so here's @zach_schmit39 making a FG during the spring game.

OU 55, WCU 0 (8:03/3Q) #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/vJsOu9KHIj
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 12, 2021

Touchdown #Sooners!

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, @JadenKnowles2 begs to differ ??

OU 62, WCU 0 (3:43/3Q) #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/vUI06DHRCO
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 12, 2021

Jaden Knowles recorded a 1-yard rush to score his first touchdown of the game with 11:52 in the third quarter. Brkic with the extra point. OU 52, WCU 0 (8 plays, 75 yards, 3:08 time of possession)

At the half … Oklahoma football stormed out of the gates against Western Carolina and hold a 45-0 advantage at the half at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Spencer Rattler finished the first half 20-of-26 for 243 yards through the air with five passing touchdowns. Eric Gray topped 70 yards in the first half in his second game in the Crimson and Cream, netting 74 yards on nine rushing attempts, while Jadon Haselwood caught two touchdown passes.

Danny Stutsman led the OU defense with four total tackles, while Stutsman and Delarrin Turner-Yell each tallied three solo. Stutsman also forced a fumble.

After making a defensive stop to open the game, Rattler found Haselwood with 10:28 left in the first for the Sooners’ first points of the game.

Gabe Brkic, who tallied a career day last week for the Sooners against Tulane, slugged a 56-yard field goal to push OU to 10-0. Brkic’s 56-yard field goal was his ninth career field goal of 50 or more yards, and his 15th career field goal of 40 or more yards. His 15 made field goals of at least 40 yards is a new school record (broke a tie with R.D. Lashar).

Oklahoma again found the endzone on a 20-yard pass by Rattler to Gray, pushing the score to 17-0 with 5:04 left in the first quarter.

After driving nearly the length of the field for OU’s fourth touchdown of the quarter, a near-diving attempt for Rattler’s first rushing touchdown of the game was denied. OU would quickly score on a Kennedy Brooks 1-yard rush to start the second quarter.

The Sooners would add three additional passing touchdowns in the second quarter. Mike Woods scored on a 4-yard pass with 12:58 remaining, while Mario Williams secured his first touchdown of the game on a 10-yard pass with 8:11 left.

Driving down the field with little time left in the half, OU again found success, scoring on a 6-yard pass from Rattler to Haselwood.

09/11/2021 Oklahoma v Western Carolina football. Photo by Joshua R. Gateley

AT THE HALF

OKLAHOMA 45, WESTERN CAROLINA 0

First Half Notes

• Oklahoma scored 45 points in a half for the 18th time in program history. It marked the 15th time OU has scored at least 45 points in a first half.

• OU gained 398 total yards (243 passing, 155 rushing) in the first half while holding Western Carolina to 68 total yards (-4 rushing yards). OU averaged 8.5 yards per play to WCU’s 2.1 yards per play.

• QB Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 26 passes for 243 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions (218.9 passer rating). He is only the second Sooner QB to throw five TD passes in one half. The other was Jason White vs. Texas A&M in a 77-0 win in 2003 (also first half). Eleven Sooners caught at least one pass in the opening half.

• K Gabe Brkic made a 56-yard field goal (tied career long) for the second straight game. It was his school-record ninth career field goal of 50 or more yards (next most is four) and nation-leading eighth since the start of the 2020 season. It also marked his school-record-setting 15th career field goal of 40 or more yards (broke a tie with R.D. Lashar).

• RB Kennedy Brooks notched his 20th career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. He has scored a rushing TD in both games this season and in five straight contests dating back to the 2019 campaign (he opted to sit out the 2020 season). He rushed six times for 48 yards in the first half.

• RB Eric Gray scored his first touchdown as a Sooner on a 20-yard reception from Rattler. It was his fourth career receiving touchdown (had three TD receptions in two years at Tennessee). He also notched team highs of nine carries and 74 rushing yards in the first half.

• WR Jadon Haselwood scored touchdowns on receptions of 7 and 6 yards in the first half (had four catches for 19 yards). He notched his second career receiving touchdown on a 7-yard play on OU’s opening drive. It was his first TD since the 2019 season (played in only three games in 2020).

• WR Mario Williams scored his second career receiving touchdown on a 10-yard play in the second quarter. He also scored a TD on a 6-yard reception in the season opener last week. The true freshman notched a team-high 49 yards on four receptions in the first half.

• WR Michael Woods II scored his first receiving touchdown as a Sooner on a 4-yard play. It was his 11th career receiving touchdown (had 10 TD receptions in three seasons at Arkansas). He notched two receptions for eight yards in the first half.

• The Oklahoma defense notched three sacks and six tackles for loss in the first half. DL Perrion Winfrey leads the effort with 1.5 sacks. Junior college transfer DL Isaiah Coe registered his first career sack at Oklahoma during the first quarter, and true freshman DE Ethan Downs registered his first career tackle for loss on a fourth-down play in the second quarter.

• True freshman CB Latrell McCutchin made his first career start.

Haselwood caught his second receiving touchdown of the game, while Rattler netted his fifth passing touchdown to push the Oklahoma lead to 45-0. OU 45, WCU 0 (7 plays, 60 yards, 2:56 time of possession).

Rattler with his fourth touchdown of the first half, completing a 10-yard pass to Mario Williams with 8:11 left in the half. Brkic with the extra point. OU 38, WCU 0 (10 plays, 78 yards, 3:28 time of possession.

Rattler with a 4-yard passing touchdown to Mike Woods with 12:58 left in the second quarter. Brkic with the extra point. OU 31, WCU 0 (4 plays, 31 yards, 1:04 time of possession)

Oklahoma scored on the first play of the second quarter on a Kennedy Brooks 1-yard rush. Brkic with the extra point. OU 24, WCU 0 (10 plays, 65 yards, 3:19 time of possession)

Rattler with his second passing touchdown of the day - a 20-yard completion to Eric Gray with 5:04 left in the first quarter. Brkic with the extra point. OU 17, WCU 0 (3 plays, 58 yards, 0:57 time of possession)

Gabe Brkic with a 56-yard field goal with 6:56 left in the first quarter. OU 10, WCU 7 (5 plays, 33 yards, 1:44 time of possession)

Brkic’s 56-yard field goal was his ninth career field goal of 50 or more yards, and his 15th career field goal of 40 or more yards. His 15 made field goals of at least 40 yards is a new school record (broke a tie with R.D. Lashar).

It’s good! ??@GabeBrkic from 5??6??! ??

OU 10, WCU 0 (6:56/1Q) #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/z7jL3InkCx
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 11, 2021

? ?????? '???????????? has powers ?@GabeBrkic | ?? https://t.co/Mo2chy8HSP pic.twitter.com/ccW5YkGPUx
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 11, 2021

Spencer Rattler with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jadon Haselwood with 10:28 left in the first quarter. Gabe Brkic extra point is good. OU 7, WCU 0 (8 plays, 70 yards, 2:17 time of possession)