Alamo Bowl: Three Keys to the Game

QB Showdown ... Tie Dye ... Coaching Continuity

Caleb Williams :: John E. Hoover / SI Sooners

QB Showdown

Two of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in all of college football take center stage in the Alamodome on Wednesday night as Oklahoma freshman Caleb Williams and Oregon fifth-year senior Anthony Brown guide their teams into the Alamo Bowl. Williams gained instant acclaim as the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation and has absolutely lived up to that hype. But after a scorching start, Williams’ production dipped considerably — just a .493 completion percentage, 160 yards per game, four touchdowns and three interceptions in the Sooners’ last three games. Williams was also less of a running threat, averaging just 40 yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry against Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Brown, who started two years at Boston College, has completed less than 55 percent of his throws in six different games this season. He was, however, a consistent run threat against just about every week, with 123 yards against Washington State and only two full games with less than 35 rushing yards — both against Utah’s ferocious defense.

Travis Dye / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Tie Dye

Oregon running back Travis Dye needs to be contained. The Oklahoma defense must figure out a way. Dye wasn’t the most prolific runner during the 2021 season — he had just two 100-yard games as he split time early before taking over the starting role following an injury — but he was over 60 yards nine times, with highs of 145 against Cal and 211 against Washington. Where Dye really adds a danger element is in the passing game: he caught multiple passes in eight of the Ducks’ last nine games and totaled a team-leading 41 receptions. Remember how a frustrated Alex Grinch used to say, “I promise, we have a plan for the running back out of the backfield” after opposing backs from Tulane, Nebraska, Kansas State, TCU, Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State all caught crucial passes out of the backfield? The Sooners better have a good plan for Dye.

Cale Gundy :: John E. Hoover / SI Sooners

Coaching Continuity

Oregon retains both of its coordinators for this game. The Ducks will roll out defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, both of whom called plays all season. Oklahoma, on the other hand, unveils two first-time play-callers in offensive coordinator Cale Gundy and defensive coordinator Brian Odom. Bob Stoops explained how both Gundy and Odom are ready for their interim duties, but also described how both the planning and the gameday execution would be a collaborative effort. It’s new ground for the whole OU coaching staff — several of whom will be leaving after Wednesday — and there will naturally be hiccups as the game unfolds. Oregon should have no such problems. That might be where Stoops’ experience comes in. The Hall of Fame has racked up 190 career coaching wins and knows his way around a staff room and a game plan. By comparison, Oregon interim coach Ryan McClendon, has just one win as a head coach: Georgia’s 2015 Taxslayer Bowl victory over Penn State, when McClendon was, interestingly, the Bulldogs’ interim head coach.