PLAYERS TO WATCH
–LBs Kenneth Murray and Curtis Bolton have combined to average 25.2 tackles per game. Murray is sixth nationally with 12.8 per game while Bolton has 12.4 per game through five games. Over the last two games, the Sooners’ inside linebacking duo has combined for 85 tackles, the most for an FBS duo since at least 2012.
–QB Kyler Murray has thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of the Sooners’ first five games. Murray’s dad, Kevin, played quarterback at Texas A&M while his uncle, Calvin, played baseball at Texas. Murray, though, grew up a Florida fan in the Dallas area. Murray set several school records in last week’s win over Baylor.
–WR CeeDee Lamb has made a habit of making circus catches early this season. Lamb has 19 catches for 348 yards and five touchdowns so far as a sophomore. Last week against Baylor, he had an 86-yard touchdown catch plus had a one-hand catch where he reached behind his back to haul in Kyler Murray’s pass.
–OL Jonathan Alvarez lost out on the center spot recently as redshirt freshman Creed Humphrey earned the starter spot after the pair rotated through the first three games. But Alvarez continues to be a valuable piece, starting instead at left guard last week with Ben Powers out with an injury. The Sooners have several offensive linemen — Alvarez, Cody Ford and Dru Samia — who have played multiple positions along the line during their time in Norman. Alvarez performed well in Powers’ place last week and looks likely to start there again.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas leads Oklahoma 61-46-5. The Sooners won last year’s game 29-24 and have won three of the last four and six of the last eight meetings.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Maybe down at the end of the stretch on one or two kids. It is a different — we’re recruiting kids from their freshman year on, and it is, it’s 24 hours a day and it’s 365 days a year. If you’re not doing it, then you’re not doing a good job and you’re not going to be a good recruiter. But this is big. This is why players come to Oklahoma. This is one of the games that they want to play in. This is why players go to the University of Texas. You want to play in the big games, and this is a huge game for us and a huge game for them. The environment’s like no other, and you can’t explain it unless you’ve been in it.” — Cale Gundy, Sooners’ co-offensive coordinator, on the importance of the Red River game in recruiting.
