Five Burning Questions as Oklahoma State Hosts Oklahoma for the Final Bedlam Matchup
As Bedlam comes to a close for the foreseeable future on Saturday, All Pokes took the opportunity to collaborate with the team over at All Sooners (AllSooners.com) to give the Cowboys fans an opportunity to view this game through a different set of lenses. We chatted with Randall Sweet to learn more about Oklahoma as they travel to Stillwater for the final battle of the top two Oklahoma schools.
Question: With Danny Stutsman suffering an injury against Kansas, do you expect him to be a go in Stillwater? If so, how do you think his play and the overall defense will be impacted?
Answer: Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday that he “feels good” about star linebacker Danny Stutsman but that his status for Saturday “may not be something we don’t know until close to game time”. If Stutsman is unable to play, look for redshirt freshman linebackers Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie to get plenty of playing time in his absence. Lewis has played very well recently, earning plenty of praise from his coaches and the OU media. Against Texas, the Carthage, TX, product played a big part in the Sooners' crucial goal line stand. Last weekend when Oklahoma traveled to Lawrence, Lewis recovered a fumble and made multiple impressive plays in run support. While Lewis and McKinzie have looked promising in their limited action, not having Stutsman, who is arguably the best player on OU’s entire team, would be a huge blow against a run-heavy offense.
Q: Running back Tawee Walker also suffered an injury against Kansas, and his impact was missed. Will his play be impacted? If so, how can Oklahoma utilize the different backs in the room?
A: Tawee Walker’s injury caused Oklahoma’s leading rusher to miss a few key drives against the Jayhawks, which ended up costing the Sooners the game. On Tuesday, Venables said that Walker’s status is the same as Stutsman, meaning we likely won’t know until closer to game time whether the 5-foot-9 tailback will play in Bedlam. If Walker isn’t able to go or his play is hampered by the injury, it would be a huge detriment to OU’s offense, which struggled against Kansas when the former Juco transfer was not in the game. Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk will probably be the next two backs off the bench, but neither of the aforementioned players have seen the field consistently this season. Marcus Major, a redshirt senior from Oklahoma City, missed last weekend’s game against the Jayhawks but was previously the Sooners’ leading rusher. One of Oklahoma’s biggest struggles this season has been running the ball, as only Walker and quarterback Dillon Gabriel have recorded 100-yard performances in 2023.
Q: Dillon Gabriel was essentially taken out of the game last week by Jeff Lebby's play calls. With Andrel Anthony going down earlier this season, what can the Cowboys do to ensure Gabriel can't get in this game?
A: The best thing Oklahoma State can do to take Gabriel out of the game for a second straight week is to make sure their corners and safeties on the back end are in the correct position when the Sooners run deep routes. Against Kansas, Lebby and company were very conservative in their playcalling, resulting in an uninspiring performance through the air from OU. The Sooners’ offensive coordinator didn’t allow Gabriel to push the ball deep down the field until the game’s final drive, which allowed Kansas to overplay short routes and run defense. While Drake Stoops is a great possession receiver, he alone is not enough to carry Oklahoma’s offense for an entire game. If Nic Anderson, Brenen Thompson, Jalil Farooq and others are unable to get open down the field, Gabriel — and the Sooners’ offense — will likely struggle once again. Gabriel has also been very effective as a runner. If the Cowboys can limit the former UCF QB’s ground yardage, it will have a huge impact on the game’s outcome.
Q: Reggie Pearson was flagged for targeting last week, meaning that he is disqualified from the first half of Bedlam. How much will his impact be missed for the first half?
A: Pearson has had an up-and-down season for the Sooners, but is an enforcer in the run game and a veteran on the back end. While his absence in the first half could hurt OU regardless, it will be even more of an issue if true freshman safety Peyton Bowen is still dealing with an injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of Oklahoma’s last two contests. The Denton Guyer (TX) product has made a handful of key plays for the Sooners this season, including two punt blocks, a forced fumble against Texas and a sack against UCF. While Pearson is unable to play in the first half, Billy Bowman and Key Lawrence will take most of the team’s snaps at safety.
Q: What will give the Sooners the best chance to slow down Ollie Gordon, who leads the FBS in rushing yards?
A: Until the past two games, OU’s defense had made huge strides from where it was last season. Last week, however, the Sooners had trouble getting off blocks up front and making tackles on the back end. Against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma will see a better offensive line group and one of the best running backs in college football. If the Sooners want any chance of slowing Gordon down, players like Isaiah Coe, Jacob Lacey, Da’Jon Terry and Isaiah Kelley will need to be much better at breaking down blocks and OU’s defensive backs need to once again become reliable tacklers. With starting cornerback and Tulsa native Gentry Williams likely back in the lineup after being unable to play against Kansas, Oklahoma’s secondary will get a huge boost, as Williams is great at blowing up screens and sweep plays. Additionally, playing Dasan McCullough more should help Venables’ defense in run support, as the 6-foot-5, 230-pound linebacker/safety hybrid (known as the Cheetah position) played great when he was in the game last weekend in Lawrence.
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022