The Sooners run game is aided by the offensive line
Oklahoma’s matchup with Florida State was going to be a difficult one upfront. The Seminoles entered the Cheez-It Bowl boasting a top-20 defense as well as a very strong front.
With Andrew Raym Chris Murray Injury and Anton Harrison Wanya Morris Opting out, the Sooners had several backups who were available for much of the season, beginning in Oklahoma’s 35-32 loss to the Seminoles.
Making their first start were Jacob Sexton Savion Byrd. Aaryn Parks Sexton was hurt on the first drive, so Sexton was forced to take over. Sexton got his first extended action as a Sooners player. Tyler Guyton Only the fifth time he started his career. Robert Congel McKade Mettauer were the only players up front that had started more than Guyton’s five games in the career coming into 2022. Congel, who’d been a backup to Raym for most of the season, was starting his third-straight game to close 2022.
It wasn’t always pretty, as Oklahoma struggled in pass protection at times, but the Sooners’ offensive line helped OU have a great day on the ground, rushing for more than 250 yards. Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes, both true freshmen, ran for over 100 yards. This was the first time in 1985 that the Sooners had two freshmen run more than 100 miles in a single game.
The Seminoles entered the game with a record of only 148 rushing yards per match at 3.9 yards per carry. The Seminoles’ offensive line was able to rise against a formidable Florida State team.
“The guys up front, they played physical, they played with purpose,” Head Coach Brent Venables said after the loss. “The players played with a tremendous amount of physicality and toughness that we’ve asked from them. Coach (Bill) Bedenbaugh did a great job getting these guys ready… I love the sense of desperation they played with up front.”
The Sooners had a glimpse of the future for their offensive line in 2023. Although there will be questions regarding their performance in pass protection, they were outstanding in the ground play.
You can take the sacks from the equation and the Sooners ran for 289 yard at 5.9 yards per try.
This was a great showing by the guys who were getting extended college playing time. With three starting jobs up for grabs as Harrison, Morris, and Murray head to the NFL, the offensive line’s efforts in the Cheez-It Bowl provided the start to the retooling process upfront.
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5 takeaways from Oklahoma’s 35-32 loss to Florida State
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Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners 35-32 loss to Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl
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