NORMAN – New Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 12 of his first 13 passes and had two touchdowns, while the Sooners defense held Houston to 24 yards on its first four series.
Hurts , a transfer from Alabama, started at quarterback and followed back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners and NFL first-round picks Kyler Murray and Baker M Ayfield.
The OU defense was under the direction of first-year coordinator Alex Grinch, who was brought in to bring to life a unit that was historically bad in 2018.
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Game information
Houston at No. 4 Oklahoma
6: 30 pm Sunday, Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
TV:ABC
Radio:KMOD – 5, KTBZ –
Online:TuneIn .com
Records (last season):Houston 8-5; Oklahoma 10 – 2
Last meeting:Houston beat Oklahoma 33 – 23 on Sept. 3, 2016 in Houston
All-time series:Oklahoma leads 2-1
James Aydelotte’s weather forecast:Partly cloudy and dry. Kick off temp in Norman: 87 °. End of game temp: 79 °
Ian Maule
First down | Top storyline
Speed D
Oklahoma has possessed a championship offense during the past two seasons. Alex Grinch was hired during the off-season to help OU build a championship defense. All eyes will be on the new defensive coordinator’s unit. Can the Sooners force Houston into turnovers? Will there be three-and-outs? Will tackling be on point? The spring game was a dress rehearsal. Now it’s time for the real thing.
Staff
Second down | Key matchup
Houston quarterback D’Eriq King versus the OU defense
King will be one of the toughest quarterbacks the Sooners will see this season. While many will focus on King’s running ability, it’s his arm that could give Oklahoma some fits. OU will need to maintain discipline and try to contain King as much as possible. Any early turnovers would create confidence for Oklahoma.
Joe Buvid
Third down | Player to watch
QB Jalen Hurts
The biggest question surrounding Hurts during fall camp has been his passing ability. While it’s possible he may not have the pinpoint accuracy of Baker Mayfield or Kyler Murray (and, to be fair, it’s a high bar), Lincoln Riley will put him in position to make plays against Houston. Hurts ’debut will be important in setting the tone for the rest of the season.
Alonzo Adams
Fourth down | Who wins and why?
With run game and defense, OU prevails
From Bill Haisten:Last season, Kyler Murray averaged 27 pass attempts per game. In 2017, Baker Mayfield averaged 29 attempts. If all goes well in the Houston game, Lincoln Riley won’t need more than 18 or 20 pass attempts from Jalen Hurts. The best-case scenario: The Kennedy Brooks-Trey Sermon run game flourishes all night, and OU doesn’t need anything heroic from Hurts in his Sooners debut. Alex Grinch’s defense flaunts better-than-expected improvements in tackling and ferocity, and OU prevails 49 – 31.
Sue Ogrocki
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