In the 23rd all-time meeting between the two teams, the #18 Sooners got rolled over, losing 55-24 in Saturday’s matchup against the Horned Frogs. OU had previously won eight straight games against TCU. The Sooners last loss to them dates back to Lincoln Riley’s debut season in 2015.
The shock stunned OU
Oklahoma WR Marvin Mims caught a pass and had possession stolen from him on OU’s first drive with a strip by the TCU defender. It seemed that the shock stunned OU, and left TCU figuratively smelling blood. This attack by TCU defenders would continue all game long.
Passes from Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel kept sailing way over the receivers. It even prompted Robert Griffin III in the broadcast booth to try and explain to viewers that Gabriel’s feet weren’t set properly on his release. Comparatively, he later demonstrated a successful pass from Gabriel when his feet were set properly.
A particularly dirty hit
Early in the second, Gabriel was sliding feet-first on a scramble and took a particularly dirty hit by Jamoi Hodge. Gabriel’s head bounced off the turf. Then, Hodge was penalized with targeting and disqualified from the game. Gabriel, who appeared to be knocked unconscious from the hit, eventually walked off the field.
Late hit on Dillon Gabriel. Hope he’s alright. pic.twitter.com/Hajh5qfVM3
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) October 1, 2022
By the end of the first half, the score was 41-17. It seemed that every time OU tried to stage a comeback, TCU had an answer. Too often that answer was a wide-open receiver running down the field. By the time OU’s backup QB Davis Beville hurt his hand, they’d been in trouble for a long time already. The Horned Frogs were more prepared, and frankly, wanted the win more.
Wakeup call
It’s one of the most embarrassing losses OU has taken in a long time. This may be the loss to admit that Venables still has a way to go before he’s ready to beat even the usually battered opponents. Division teams will always play the normally dominant Sooners with everything they have. Hopefully, the team embraces this humiliation and finds a new source of motivation to take on the season with. If nothing else, the loss is a wakeup call. The dream is over. The coffee pot is boiling, and the Oklahoma Sooners are actually 0-2 in the Big 12.
