Here is our Oklahoma vs Houston review. Game one for both schools is in the books. With that said, were more questions answered or have bigger questions yet to be resolved? Do these teams know more than they did prior to game one?\u00a0 On the other hand, did game one provide more questions than answers?<\/p>\n
Oklahoma Sooners 49<\/p>\n
Houston Cougars \u00a0\u00a0\u00a031<\/p>\n
Clearly, Houston has a lot of questions on the defensive side of the ball. Houston still has a lot of talent on the offensive side. Houston will need to outscore a lot of opponents to be successful this year.<\/p>\n
Undoubtedly, Oklahoma hasn\u2019t skipped a beat on offense.\u00a0 Also, hopes should be high for an improved defense.\u00a0 Conversely, there should be concern about special teams.\u00a0 Oklahoma is accustomed to virtually every kickoff being a touchback. That just didn\u2019t happen in game one and 0-2 on very makeable field goals. There is work to be done from Oklahoma’s perspective in the special teams game.<\/p>\n
Obviously, Houston has a lot of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. D\u2019Eriq King<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is definitely one of the top quarterbacks in the country.\u00a0 Junior wide receiver Marquez Stevenson<\/a><\/strong> is an extremely talented pass catcher. Houston has quality athletes at running back, as well as most skill positions on offense. The offensive line is solid as well.\u00a0 Despite the big deficit, the offense didn\u2019t phone it in. The offense will improve as the season goes forward under first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n With that being said, the Houston defense was atrocious. The defense was not good in any area. Oklahoma was able to move the ball at will, both on the ground and through the air.\u00a0 On many occasions, it appeared there was a total lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball. There doesn\u2019t appear to be much improvement on the defense, at least in game one.\u00a0 If Houston hopes to be competitive in the America Athletic Conference the defense must make dramatic improvements.<\/p>\n It appears Oklahoma hasn\u2019t missed a beat on offense. Despite a somewhat different style than Baker Mayfield<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and Kyler Murray<\/a><\/strong>, Jalen Hurts<\/a> <\/strong>has a firm handle on the offense.\u00a0 Hurts was clearly the leader on the field and was the dominant player on offense. The Oklahoma quarterback amassed 508 yards of total offense in his debut.\u00a0 Hurts was 20-23 for 332 yards and three touchdowns, Hurts also rushed for 176 yards and three scores.<\/p>\n The offensive line performed better than expected. Conversely, the success was partly due to the poor performance by a very mediocre and eventually worn-down defense. All things considered; Oklahoma\u2019s offense was relatively penalty-free.<\/p>\n The running backs and wide receivers performed well as expected.\u00a0 Oklahoma is without a doubt loaded at receiver. There is no better group as a whole in the country.<\/p>\n Conversely, the offense put the ball on the ground too much. The turnovers allowed Houston to get off the field and put points on the board.<\/p>\n Much unlike the offense, there was a lot of inconsistency on the defensive side. Oklahoma can take away many defensive positives from this game. The Oklahoma coaches have a lot of good teaching opportunities heading into game two.<\/p>\n The defense did a much better job of tackling, and much more aggressive getting players to the ball. The defense seemed a lot more organized than a year ago. A much better job on third down and getting actual red-zone stops. As well, the secondary had far fewer busts against a quality offense like Houston. The defense seems to have bought into first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch\u2019s <\/strong>aggressive style of play. Without a doubt, the top players on defense are Kenneth Murray<\/a> <\/strong>and\u00a0Ronnie Perkins<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Conversely, there is a lot of room for improvement. There were still far too many missed tackles. Clearly there are areas needing improvement. Oklahoma\u2019s defense committed too many needless and costly penalties. That being said, Oklahoma has an opponent in South Dakota next week that should give the defense an opportunity to get experience for younger players and iron out some mistakes from game one.<\/p>\n The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start. With that being said, many opportunities were missed in the first half. The Sooners could easily have been up by 28 to 35 points at the break. With respect, the Houston Cougars they didn\u2019t panic and they kept the game a two-possession game at halftime.<\/p>\n In conclusion, Oklahoma is clearly a dominant offensive team again in 2019. Conversely, there should be hope for a much-improved defense. Although the defense was not without areas needing improvement. Arguably, Houston has the best offense Oklahoma will face until they are in the playoffs.<\/p>\nHouston Defense<\/h3>\n
Oklahoma Offense<\/h3>\n
Oklahoma Defense<\/h3>\n
The Final Word<\/h3>\n