2024-09-29 10:10:02
(This article has been updated with new information.)
UPDATE: The Oklahoma Sooners rallied for a 27-21 win against the Auburn Tigers on Saturday for their first SEC football road win.
AUBURN, Ala. — OU football hits the road for the first time this season, where they’ll take on Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium beginning at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
After coming on to replace Jackson Arnold just before halftime in last week’s loss to Tennessee, freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. will make his first career start.
The Sooners (3-1, 0-1) will be without several of their top offensive weapons, with wide receivers Nic Anderson, Deion Burks and Andrel Anthony all being listed as out — in addition to the long-term injuries to Jayden Gibson and Jalil Farooq.
The Tigers (2-2, 0-1) have had some quarterback troubles of their own, with Payton Thorne expected to start against the Sooners after Hank Brown started last week’s loss to Arkansas.
OU has never played at Auburn before, with the two previous meetings between the schools — both Sooners wins — coming in Sugar Bowl matchups.
5 TAKEAWAYS:OU football rallies past Auburn as Michael Hawkins Jr, defense shine late
Watch OU football vs. Auburn live on Fubo (free trial)
| 🨀 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| OKLAHOMA | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 | — | 27 |
| AUBURN | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | — | 21 |
REPORT CARD:OU football grades vs. Auburn: Some good, some bad in come-from-behind Sooners’ victory
Payton Thorne’s Hail Mary attempt ends up 13 yards short.
The Sooners win their first SEC road game with a remarkable comeback in the fourth quarter.
The Sooners are 4-1 (1-1 SEC) heading into a bye week before facing Texas on Oct. 12 in Dallas.
—Jeff Patterson, Staff writer
More:Michael Hawkins Jr. stats: OU football quarterback leads comeback win vs. Auburn
The Sooners burned some clock (and Auburn’s remaining timeouts) before Zach Schmit kicked a 39-yard field goal to make it 27-21 OU with 54 seconds left.
—Jeff Patterson, Staff writer
The fourth quarter belongs to R Mason Thomas.
He sacked Payton Thorne on fourth down to give the Sooners the ball at the Auburn 25. The Tigers have two timeouts left.
—Jeff Patterson, Staff writer
More:What did Michael Hawkins Jr. show OU football in his first start? QB ‘fearless’ vs Auburn
Kip Lewis intercepted a Payton Thorne pass and ran it back 63 yards for a touchdown, and Michael Hawkins Jr. flipped over the Auburn defense on a successful 2-point try to give the Sooners a 24-21 lead with 4:01 left to play.
Buckle up for the stretch run.
—Jeff Patterson, Staff writer
More:Jamelle Holieway knows how Michael Hawkins Jr. feels before historic OU football start
Michael Hawkins Jr. connected on a 60-yard deep ball to J.J. Hester to give the Sooners a first-and-goal at the 5.
Jovantae Barnes was in the end zone two runs later to make it 21-16 Auburn.
Hawkins wasn’t able to connect with a receiver on the 2-point try.
—Jeff Patterson, Staff writer
More bend but don’t break from the OU defense after a turnover on downs.
Auburn goes 22 yards in five plays, but Towns McGough can’t connect on a 51-yard field goal.
The Sooners still have life in this one.
—Jeff Patterson, Staff writer
The Sooners couldn’t overcome a false start and holding penalty after getting in field-goal territory.
In no-man’s land at the Auburn 40, the Sooners were denied on fourth-and-10 when Jalen McLeod sacked Michael Hawkins Jr..
—Jeff Patterson, Staff writer
OU’s defense had the chance to give the Sooners momentum headed into the fourth quarter.
Instead, Auburn seized control once again — for now.
Payton Thorne hit Cam Coleman for a 41-yard gain to give the Tigers the ball inside the OU 15.
The Sooners’ Peyton Bowen didn’t turn to find the ball, as Coleman squeezed it in for the big play.
But OU made a big play on third-and-1, as Kobie McKinzie and Sammy Omosigho brought Thorne down just short of the first-down marker.
McKinzie stretched his arm out to bring Thorne in and keep him from making it first-and-goal.
Thorne then connected on pop pass to Luke Deal to extend the Tigers’ lead.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
OU finally got something going offensively.
But the Sooners couldn’t finish it off with a touchdown.
Zach Schmit hit a 24-yard field goal to cut the Auburn lead to four with 2:26 left in the third quarter.
Schmit was kicking in place of the injured Tyler Keltner, who beat out Schmit in the offseason.
Jovantae Barnes looked like he’d given the Sooners a chance to tie it when he slipped into the flare and caught a touchdown pass from Hawkins.
But OU was flagged for an illegal shift, and Hawkins was brought down at the 6 on the next play, forcing the Sooners to kick.
The Sooners’ 11-play drive took up 6:34, more than twice as long as any other Sooners’ drive in the game.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
OU’s defense buckled a bit on their first drive of the second half, but didn’t fully bend even, forcing a punt after Auburn picked up a pair of quick first downs on the drive.
Still, Auburn’s offense was on the field for more than four minutes, making the time of possession mark 23:09-12:51.
The Sooners caught a break on the punt, as Malcoln Simmons was called for kick-catch interference on the punt, giving the Sooners improved field position after Peyton Bowen’s fair catch.
The penalty gave OU the ball at their own 43.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
The Sooners punted in their first drive of the second half — their fifth consecutive drive to end with a Luke Elzinga punt.
OU took a deep shot on second down, as Brenen Thompson found open space, but Hawkins couldn’t connect on the pass.
The Sooners picked up a first down on the next play thanks to a defensive holding flag, but shortly thereafter were forced to punt.
Elzinga is averaging 47.4 yards on five punts.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
OU looked like it had finally forced Auburn to make a big-time mistake.
But it still wound up working out well for the Tigers — but Auburn failed to take advantage.
On second-and-3 from the Sooners 19, OU defensive end Trace Ford extended and knocked the ball away from Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne to force a fumble.
The ball bounded up the field, though, and Thorne scrambled to not only recover the fumble but wind up with the first down.
After Auburn completed a third-down pass short of the first-down marker, the Tigers rushed their field goal unit onto the field as time wound down.
Towns McGough’s 31-yard attempt went wide, but in the hurried scramble, OU had 12 players on the field. After the flag, McGough once again missed to keep the Sooners’ deficit at seven heading into the half.
Auburn is leading the time of possession battle 19:08-10:52 so far and outgaining the Sooners 278-111.
Of OU’s 70 rushing yards, 48 came on Michael Hawkins Jr.’s touchdown run on the Sooners’ first possession.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
After a hot start, OU has struggled defensively with Michael Hawkins Jr. running the offense.
Since gaining 68 yards on the first drive — including a long touchdown run by Hawkins — the Sooners have punted four consecutive times.
OU had its third three-and-out of the game, giving the Tigers the ball back with 3:35 to play in the first half.
The Sooners have gained just 29 yards on their last four drives.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
More:Look: Auburn cheerleader collides with Oklahoma football player during warmups
OU’s defense is showing cracks.
Payton Thorne hit Malcolm Simmons for a 48-yard touchdown to give Auburn its first lead of the game.
Auburn’s offense had put up plenty of yards during their 2-2 start, but the Tigers struggled with turnovers.
So far the Sooners haven’t been able to force and Auburn turnover, and the Tigers’ offense has taken advantage.
Thorne, making his return to the starting role after coming off the bench in last week’s loss to Arkansas, is 9 of 14 for 171 yards and two touchdowns so far.
Auburn is outgaining the Sooners 228-106.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
After picking up two quick first downs, OU’s drive fizzled.
The Sooners were forced to punt for the third time, this time from near midfield.
Freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is 5 of 6 for 41 yards and the Sooners are being outgained 147-106.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
There was no miracle stop on this Auburn drive.
Payton Thorne hit Keandre Lambert-Smith for a 31-yard touchdown early in the second to tie the game.
Lambert-Smith made the catch in the end zone over OU cornerback Dez Malone.
The Tigers needed just four plays to drive 72 yards for the touchdown.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
Michael Hawkins Jr. looked like he’d connected on another massive play.
On third-and-7, Hawkins hit Bauer Sharp for an apparent 47-yard gain.
But Jake Roberts, OU’s other tight end, was called for pass interference on a “pick” play, bringing the ball back to the Sooners 14.
Sharp gained just one on a third-down play and the Sooners will be forced to punt to open the second quarter.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
After a dicey series, OU’s defense once again buckled down.
The Sooners held Auburn to a three-and-out for the second time in three series, and helped give the Sooners better field position.
Auburn’s punt went into the end zone, and the Tigers were called for illegal formation, giving OU the ball at the 25 after their previous drive began at their own 1.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
Michael Hawkins’ second series didn’t go nearly as well as the first.
After two short runs by Jovantae Barnes, Hawkins was brought down at the line of scrimmage on third down to force the Sooners to punt from near the end zone.
Luke Elzinga delivered a 55-yard put to five Auburn the ball at their own 40.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
After a fast first defensive series, Auburn put plenty of stress on the Sooners’ defense on the second drive.
The Tigers answered OU’s quick scoring drive with a long drive of their own, with a 13-play, 74-yard drive.
But still, Auburn came up empty.
Billy Bowman Jr. came up to hit Sam Jackson V just ahead of the goal line and brough him down short to give the Sooners the ball back.
The Sooners’ defense looked like it was in prime position to get off the field quickly once again, as the Tigers threw incomplete passes on each of their first two plays of the drive.
The first was broken up by OU’s Dez Malone, and nearly intercepted by a diving Kobie McKinzie.
Payton Thorne’s second-down pass was batted down in the backfield by a blitzing Ethan Downs.
But on third down, Thorne hit running back Jarquez Hunter for a 15-yard gain and Auburn’s offense settled in.
The Tigers didn’t face third down again until it was third-and-goal at the 3.
The Sooners came up with a big stop there, with Downs bringing Hunter down at the 1.
Auburn kept its offense on the field and before the snap, OU called a timeout to set up the fourth-down play.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
Michael Hawkins Jr. got off to a fast start.
Less than three minutes into the game, OU’s freshman quarterback took off down the middle of the field on third-and-5 and took it 48 yards for a touchdown.
Hawkins, making his first collegiate start after replacing Jackson Arnold in last week’s loss to Tennessee, started the possession with a 15-yard completion to Brenen Thompson.
As Hawkins scrambled toward the end zone, Thompson ran behind him, raising his arm as it became clear Hawkins was about to find the end zone.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
OU’s defense got off to a fast start Saturday.
The Sooners held Auburn to a three-and-out, including a second-down loss of two on a Danny Stutsman/Da’Jon Terry tackle of Tigers’ running back Jarquez Hunter.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
The Sooners look like they’ll start a fifth different offensive line in their fifth game of the season.
During warmups, Jake Taylor — who hasn’t played since Sept. 7 vs. Houston — worked at right tackle.
Taylor was listed as probable on the SEC injury reports during the week and it appears he’ll make his second start of the season at right tackle.
Febechi Nwaiwu, at right guard, is the only Sooners’ offensive lineman to start at the same spot in every game this season.
Branson Hickman worked at first-team center during warmups, snapping to freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. Troy Everett, who has yet to play this season, was working as second-team center, snapping to Jackson Arnold.
Jacob Sexton was working at left guard. Sexton has started two games at left tackle and two games at left guard this season. Michael Tarquin was working at left tackle.
—Ryan Aber, Staff writer
OU offensive lineman Jake Taylor wasn’t listed on the updated SEC availability report Saturday and it appears he’ll be available to play at Auburn.
Taylor was previously listed as probable on Friday.
—Colton Sulley, Staff writer
More:Who has edge in OU football vs Auburn? Breaking down key matchups in Sooners-Tigers
Oklahoma vs Auburn will broadcast on ABC in Week 5 of the 2024 college football season. Joe Tessitore (play-by-play) and Jordan Rodgers (analyst) will call the game from the booth at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with Katie George reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
More:OU football injury report: Andrel Anthony, Deion Burks out for Sooners vs Auburn
More:OU football vs Auburn score prediction for Sooners-Tigers in Week 5 SEC game
OU 21, Auburn 13
BROTHERHOOD
Sooners stick together and come out of their visit to the Alabama Plains with a victory. Brothers Peyton and Eli Bowen each come up with big defensive plays in the second half to lift the Sooners to victory heading into bye week.
OU 20, Auburn 17
CAGE FIGHT
OU and Auburn’s offensive struggles continue but Michael Hawkins Jr. doesn’t turn the ball over. The Sooners’ defense proves their one of the elite in the SEC and help inch out a win.
More:OU football vs Auburn score prediction for Sooners-Tigers in Week 5 SEC game
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:
More:Why OU football QB Michael Hawkins Jr. is starting vs. Auburn: ‘The ultimate dual-threat’
In addition to missing its five best wide receivers, OU won’t be getting back a veteran defensive player.
Sooners linebacker Dasan McCullough was downgraded from questionable to out for Saturday’s game at Auburn in OU’s Friday night availability report.
Wide receivers Andrel Anthony and Deion Burks, as well as true freshman running back Taylor Tatum, were previously downgraded from either doubtful or questionable in Thursday night’s availability report.
Offensive lineman Jake Taylor remains probable to play against the Tigers.
The SEC followed in the Big Ten’s footsteps by installing the availability reports. SEC teams must file their reports Wednesday before a Saturday conference game and update them daily until 90 minutes before kickoff.
OU and Auburn will kick at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Auburn, Alabama, on ABC.
OU football’s Friday night availability report
According to the National Weather Service, temperature at kickoff will be approximately 79 degrees, with a 13 mph wind from the southwest. There is less than 10% chance of precipitation.
Here’s a look at the Sooners’ full 2024 schedule, including available start times and TV channel information:
All times Central.
* Denotes SEC game
Buy OU football tickets this season with Stubhub
Here’s a look at the Tigers’ full 2024 schedule, including available start times and TV channel information:
All times Central
* Denotes SEC game
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