A week ago in Norman, the Oklahoma Sooners took on the country’s best and brightest when a disciplined, high-character Army squad came to town and almost pulled off the unthinkable upset. This afternoon, OU will take on the Baylor Bears. As Matt Rhule in his second season continues the rebuild of a once-proud dubiously successful program that boasts a familiar, high-flying offense, Oklahoma will need to show that the familiar defensive concerns of soft tackling and sometimes-unsatisfactory pass coverage that have surfaced the last couple of weeks have been addressed and will be much improved. I’m not sure I expect that to happen. I expect a high-scoring game full of big plays and head-scratching moments. But one thing is going for OU — for the most part, Baylor’s defense has been far worse. For better or worse, this should be an entertaining afternoon of football in Norman. Before we continue, we should probably take a second to mention the Kyler Murray situation. On Friday, rumors of disciplinary action — or even a suspension — began to spread regarding OU’s star QB. It now appears that the issue isn’t serious, as it’s apparently a case of the coaching staff sending him (and the team) a message after Murray didn’t fulfill an obligation of some sort. Brandon Drumm of OUInsider provides some insight into what might have happened and what to expect here. Update: According to Austin Kendall’s mom, her son will start against Baylor. Head on down to the comments section for the game thread, where we’ll be asking questions, making predictions and discussing the day’s action with y’all. Coverage Info TV: ABC 2:30 P.M. CT Live Stream: WatchESPN TV Commentary: Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath Radio: OU Radio / TuneIn / SXM 200 / Español Week 5 College Football Viewing Guide (plus Jack’s gambling picks) Quick Game Preview Baylor enters this game at 3-1 on the season with an offense led by freshman signal caller Charlie Brewer and former Tennessee Vols running back transfer Jalen Hurd, who is now a productive receiver. The Bears have the players to hurt the Sooners on the ground and in the air. Wide receiver Denzel Mims, who torched OU in last season’s thriller in Waco, will undoubtedly try to imitate his success this time around, as well — especially after seeing what the Iowa State wide receivers did to Mike Stoops’ secondary two weeks ago. Ultimately, though, the Bears defense doesn’t appear to have enough — particularly against the run — to stop Kyler Murray and the Sooners at home. We could also be seeing the budding of the conference’s most prolific one-two punch in inside linebackers Kenneth Murray and Curtis Bolton, who had their work cut out for them while going for 28 and 23 tackles respectively in last week’s win against Army’s triple option. If the Baylor run game is kept in check, OU should gain control through this contest early and not look back. Combine improved tackling with a defensive front that is currently ranked 18th nationally in tackles for loss and the Sooners could dominate this matchup as the 23.5-point spread indicates. However, Mike Stoops could prevent that from happening. Score Prediction: OU 45, Baylor 35 In case you missed it, here’s episode five of Oklahoma Breakdown:<doc-sep>After an agonizing Saturday spent watching the Oklahoma vs. Army game, I can gladly say that I welcome the return to Big 12 play. Sure, a shootout can be stressful, but nothing really compares to the frustration of watching Army hammer the Sooners defense time and time again on 7-10 minute drives. For most of the game, I was unable to enjoy the magic of the electric Kyler Murray-led Oklahoma Sooners offense. Instead, I had to focus on our defensive struggles without knowing when the offense would ever get back on the field. Luckily, the Oklahoma-Baylor game this Saturday in Norman will most certainly not feature 10-minute drives. Both offenses feed off big plays, and OU is the only one I can picture with long, clock-chewing drives (see: Trey Sermon late in the 2017 game in Waco). The over/under per Westgate Superbook is set at 68.5 (so close), which to me is too low for a game like this. Baylor — while having plenty of flaws — sits at 3-1 after putting the Kansas Jayhawks back in their rightful place at the bottom of the Big 12, while the Sooners are a bit fortunate to be 4-0 going into the game. OU’s defense struggled with Hakeem Butler in Ames, so these DBs are going to need to make a statement against Baylor’s big, athletic receivers. Date: Saturday September 29 Time & TV: 2:30PM CT on ABC/ESPN2 Spread: Oklahoma -23.5 Oklahoma Depth Chart/Game Notes Baylor Depth Chart/Game Notes OU Running Game Has a Chance for a big day against Baylor Oklahoma-Baylor Preview Podcast Here are some key storylines to follow on Saturday! Baylor’s Receivers vs. Oklahoma Secondary This is arguably the most important matchup of the game on Saturday. We saw how Oklahoma struggled to contain WR Hakeem Butler of Iowa State earlier this year. Against the Baylor Bears, Oklahoma will have to deal with a talented stable of tall and fast Baylor receivers including Denzel Mims(6’3), Jalen Hurd(6’4), and Jared Atkinson(6’3). On top of this, Baylor has senior WR Chris Platt back from an ACL injury he suffered against the Sooners last year. Although Platt is only 5’11, he’s a flat-out burner who also runs on the Baylor track team. In sum, this group of receivers is likely one of the best that Oklahoma will face all season, so the secondary needs to put on their big-boy pants for this one. Sophomore cornerback Tre Brown will be available this week to spell Parnell Motley and Tre Norwood. After struggling in certain instances against Iowa State, I thought Motley played really well in the Army game (for what that game was). He made some good tackles on the edge and then iced the game with an interception in overtime. However, the Big 12 challenge returns against the talented Baylor receivers. The corners will have their hands full in coverage, but finishing the plays is absolutely critical in the event of a lost battle. After missing the Army game with an injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tre Brown thrown in there quite a bit. Brown has looked good so far this season on defense and special teams, so look for him to reenter the rotation on Saturday and possibly play a huge role if Motley or Norwood begin to struggle. At the safety position, Oklahoma will need all of the guys to step up just like at the corner position. That means Bookie and Khalil Haughton especially will have to play better. Bookie has been solid on the year and has actually been in position to make some big plays, but has not been able to capitalize with the huge play yet. I think most of that can be attributed to him being a true freshman and maybe trying too hard to make something happen. While I envision Bookie getting better as the season goes on, I am not as bullish on Khalil Haughton. Haughton has struggled to make plays and be in the right position for the Oklahoma defense. Some of that may fall on coaching, but Haughton also needs to pick things up. I think one thing that has kept him on the field now is the fact that Robert Barnes has not been healthy and there is no one behind Barnes that Stoops trusts to step in for Haughton. Haughton is a senior and has yet to really figure things out. Hopefully he can start to find his way against Baylor on Saturday. It will be nice to see more of Justin Broiles, who didn’t really see action against the triple option last week. Hopefully a strong pass rush, effective safety help, sound tackling, and tight coverage by the Oklahoma corners allows Oklahoma to at least slow down the weapons that Baylor QB Charlie Brewer has at his disposal. Oklahoma Ground Game vs. Baylor Front Seven As Seth focused on in his article on the Oklahoma rushing attack against the Baylor front seven, this is a serious mismatch. I expect the offensive line to truly find its footing in run-blocking against a Baylor rush defense that’s 113th in the nation in yards allowed per carry (5.3 ypc). I expect Riley to try and establish the running game with Sermon and Murray early on to open up some big plays for Hollywood Brown and Ceedee Lamb downfield. In order to take full advantage of the Baylor defense, Oklahoma will need to account for Baylor linebacker Terrel Bernard. Bernard is only a redshirt freshman but has been force so far this season for Baylor. He provide’s Baylor’s biggest hope to slow down the Oklahoma running game if he’s not accounted for. I expect Riley and Bedenbaugh to be well-aware of Bernard by now and be prepared for him come Saturday. Oklahoma Pass Rush vs. Charlie Brewer In order to help alleviate some of the pressure that the Oklahoma secondary will face on Saturday, the Oklahoma pass rush will need to be strong. In the first two games of the season, the Oklahoma pass rush looked downright dominant, piling up sacks and TFLs like clockwork. Against Iowa State, they struggled to generate much of a pass rush at all until the fourth quarter. This needs to change against Baylor QB Charlie Brewer, who has shown he is an able passer that can make plays downfield if given ample time. Additionally, he is an adept scrambler. Oklahoma will have ample opportunity to get after him in the pocket. I expect Kenneth Mann, Ronnie Perkins, Neville Gallimore and Amani Bledsoe to demonstrate some strong play rushing the passer from the line of scrimmage. On the second level, JACK LB Mark Jackson seems to be really coming into his own as a pass rusher and will need to continue that play to make Brewer uncomfortable. It would also be nice to see Kenneth Murray, Ryan Jones, and Curtis Bolton on some more blitzes against Baylor. I know that may open up certain opportunities in the passing game, but those linebacker blitzes were lethal in the first two games, and I think it’s usually pretty clear that they’re a net positive. Guys like Parnell Motley excel at jumping routes when the QB is pressured. This may also give Bookie an opportunity to get that elusive first interception. He has been close on a few plays, but has not been able to come down with one thus far. A few early blitzes early on in the game may also have the effect of rattling Brewer, who is a promising young quarterback but is still only a sophomore. Oklahoma Special teams With new special teams coach Shane Beamer at the helm, Oklahoma has looked much better in that area in 2018. They have come close to taking kicks and punts back for 6, and I think this may be the game where they finally pull it off. Ceedee Lamb returning punts has worked well so far, while Tre Brown and others have proven to be promising kick return guys. I also expect Austin Seibert to bounce back in this game. He has had a pretty solid career, and his body of work speaks for itself. Aside from Adam Vinatieri, no kicker makes all the big kicks. Hopefully Austin can knock a couple in on Saturday and get some confidence back. I see this game as a shootout that Oklahoma takes control of in the second half. Baylor will get some early big plays, but the Oklahoma defense will mostly settle in as the game goes on. Prediction: Oklahoma 48, Baylor 31<doc-sep>
NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 22: Members of the Oklahoma Sooners spirit squad celebrate a touchdown against the Army Black Knights at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Black Knights 28-21 in overtime. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) Next to Iowa State, Baylor is the conference opponent Oklahoma football has had its most success against all-time, and the Bears will be in Norman on Saturday for the Sooner’s fourth home game of the 2018 season. Oklahoma and Baylor have played a total of 27 times down through the years and 22 times as members of the Big 12. The Sooners are 24-3 all-time against Baylor and 19-3 as members of the Big 12. Moreover, OU was 20-0 against Baylor before the Bears defeated the Sooners for the first time, in 2011. Since that time, Oklahoma owns a 4-2 record over Baylor. Baylor’s only victories in the series came between 2011 and 2014 during the time Heisman-winner Robert Griffin III and Bryce Petty were the Baylor quarterbacks), when the Bears defeated the Sooners in three out of four games. Since then, however, Oklahoma has won the last three meetings between the two teams. Coming off a game in which they received a giant scare from Army and had to go to overtime to preserve their unbeaten record, the Sooners are probably happy to see Baylor coming in as the next opponent, but OU better not get too comfortable because the Baylor offense is a lot better than Army’s and considerably more balanced, which is a lot tougher to defend. Baylor, which comes into the Oklahoma game with a 3-1 record, ranks 28th in the nation, averaging 486.8 yards of offense per game and 7.00 yards per play. The Bears defeated Kansas last Saturday 26-7. Their lone loss was to Duke, 40-27. In its three wins, Baylor’s average margin of victory has been 19 points. Here are some more numbers to help prepare Sooner fans what to expect when Baylor comes calling on Saturday: 6-5 — Baylor’s record since 2011 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 10. 13 — Baylor has scored all 13 times it has reached the Red Zone on offense this season, and 10 of the 13 times have resulted in touchdowns. 26 of 27 – Oklahoma has ranked in the top 10 in 26 of the last 27 Associated Press college football polls. 33 — Tackles for loss by the Oklahoma defense through four games (8.3 average per game). That ranks 18th nationally. Last season OU averaged 5.4 tackles for loss per game. 60 — Oklahoma ranks second nationally and is first among FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams with four plays of 60 or more yards this season. The Sooners also lead the Big 12 in plays of at least 50 yards (8). 71.6 — In 11 games at quarterback for Oklahoma, five of them starts, Kyler Murray has completed 71.6 percent of his pass attempts (78 of 101) for 1,387 yards and 14 touchdowns. 109-10 — Oklahoma’s home record at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the beginning of the 1999 season. 500 — The Oklahoma offense has produced at least 500 yards of offense in 31 of the 44 games, including 21 of the last 28, since the beginning of the 2015 season (when Lincoln Riley arrived in Norman as offensive coordinator) Statistical information for this article was extracted, in part, from the Oklahoma Football Game Notes for the Baylor game on Sept. 29.