Oklahoma-Auburn Review: NCAA Stats, PFF Grades, Redshirt Report and More

Looking back at the game and diving into Pro Football Focus' grades and snap-count totals reveals even more about the Sooners' win over Auburn.

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kip Lewis / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma mounted its biggest win of the season this weekend. 

The Sooners used a fourth-quarter comeback to leave Auburn with a 27-21 win to notch their first SEC victory and improve to 4-1 heading into the bye week. Both sides of the ball were lackluster through the first three quarters until both units were ignited at the end to avoid a second straight loss to start conference play. 

“It was 21-10 and there was probably a lot of doubt on the outside, and maybe justifiably so, I don’t know, but thankful for our guys and their belief in one another and their fight,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “We played our best ball when it mattered the most.” 

Here’s a look at some OU numbers – NCAA statistics, Pro Football Focus grades and snap counts – coming off the Sooners’ win over Auburn. 

NCAA Statistics 

Although still in the top 5 in all of FBS, the Sooners dropped from the top to tied in third for turnovers gained with 13. Along those lines, they’re No. 1 in fumble recoveries with eight. 

Defense has carried OU so far with a top-50 defense. The Sooners give up 324.2 total yards a game, the 48th best average in FBS. OU is best at stopping the run, allowing 105.6 rushing yards a game, the 30th best mark in the country. 

Offensively, OU is still the worst in the SEC in total offense, averaging 297.8 yards a game. That’s 122nd out of 133 teams ranked in FBS. Those woes come from the 114th passing offense, averaging 169.2 yards a game, and the 103rd rushing offense, averaging 128.6 yards a game. 

Pro Football Focus

Overall, OU was graded at a 70.9 by Pro Football Focus, its highest grade since a 74.3 Week 2 win over Houston. Offensively, the Sooners received a 62.4, a drastic improvement from the season-worst 47.6 last week after a loss to Tennessee. 

Freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., along with offensive linemen Jake Taylor, Jacob Sexton, Febechi Nwaiwu and Branson Hickman, played all 54 offensive snaps, according to PFF. Right tackle Michael Tarquin was the only starting lineman who didn’t play every snap, but he missed only two plays. Logan Howland filled in the two snaps Tarquin missed. 

Tarquin was the highest-graded offensive lineman while resting a pair of snaps and earning a 70. He was followed by Nwaiwu (62.8), Sexton (60.4), Hickman (60.2), Howland (60) and Taylor (51.9). 

In his first career start, Hawkins was graded at a 60.8. For comparison, Jackson Arnold’s season grade through four games was 67.1. 

Hawkins was missing myriad possible weapons, though, with OU’s top five receivers out. Out of the depleted unit, Brenen Thompson played the most snaps, according to PFF, at 47. Other wideouts to get in the game included JJ Hester (38), Jaquaize Pettaway (28), Zion Ragins (16), Zion Kearney (4) and Ivan Carreon (3). 

Hester posted the best grade out of the wideouts at 76.8, the second-highest on the entire offense. Tight end Bauer Sharp received the best offensive grade at an 85.6 in 40 snaps. Jake Roberts also lined up at tight end with 27 snaps, followed by Kade McIntyre with 11. 

Down freshman Taylor Tatum, Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk saw an uptick in snaps at running back. Barnes played the most at 37 snaps, while Sawchuk had 19. Sawchuk had the better grade, though, at 62.1. Barnes received a 55.4. 

Defensively, the Sooners earned a 73.8 as a unit, down from a 76.2 last week. 

Linebacker Kip Lewis, who had the game-winning pick-six, earned the highest grade by far at 92.4. Lewis played 31 snaps. Fellow linebacker Danny Stutsman didn’t come off the field, though, playing all 72 snaps, according to PFF. Safety Billy Bowman also played every snap. 

Other linebackers to get in included Kobie McKinzie (37) and Lewis Carter (4). Listed as linebackers by PFF but playing the cheetah position, Samuel Omosigho and Trace Ford nearly split time, playing 37 and 35 snaps, respectively. Of defenders to play at least 10 snaps, Ford had the second-best grade at 75.1. Omosigho wasn’t too far behind, though, at 71.3. 

Robert Spears-Jennings, who played 49 snaps at safety, had the best grade in the secondary with a 74. Other defensive backs included Dezjhon Malone (61), Kani Walker (56), Peyton Bowen (40), Woodi Washington (34), Eli Bowen (29), Makari Vickers (5) and Michael Boganowski (4). 

Up front, fourth quarter hero R Mason Thomas logged the most snaps among defensive linemen with 50 and earned a grade of 65.4. Behind Thomas was Ethan Downs (46), Gracen Halton (44), Damonic Williams (39), Jayden Jackson (33), Da’Jon Terry (28), Caiden Woullard (18), Adepoju Adebawore (11) and David Stone (1). 

Terry was the highest-graded defensive lineman at 75.3. 

Redshirt Tracker

After five weeks, four freshmen surpassed their four-game limit to redshirt this year. Defensive linemen Jayden Jackson and David Stone, and defensive backs Jaydan Hardy and Michael Boganowski have all appeared in every game so far and are now unable to redshirt as freshmen. 

Jackson, who starts, played the most snaps, according to PFF, among those freshmen, logging 33 snaps. Boganowski played four, while Stone appeared only once. Hardy only saw time on special teams. 

Other freshmen to get in Saturday included defensive backs Devon Jordan and Reggie Powers III, and receivers Zion Kearney, Zion Ragins and Ivan Carreon. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and Ragins both started, as Ragins has reached his four-game limit. It was only Hawkins’ third game. 

Freshman running back Taylor Tatum, who was out because of injury, has also already reached his four-game limit and will likely burn his redshirt once healthy.