2030 Week Eight Preview - #1 Oklahoma (7-0) @ Ole Miss (4-3)
Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: October 18th, 2030
Fresh off their seventh straight win, the Oklahoma Sooners are once again taking the Schooner on the road as they head down to Oxford, Mississippi to face the struggling Ole Miss Rebels.
The bigger challenge for this Oklahoma Sooners team may not be the opponent on the field this week, but simply avoiding looking ahead to next week's showdown with the currently No. 2-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.
After we see how the Rebels and Sooners stack up so far this season, we'll get to the "Schooner Scoop" where Leon talks about reinforcing his mantra, more injury troubles, and keeping focus despite the continued chatter about the NCAA.
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#1 Oklahoma Sooners (7-0) | Description | Ole Miss Rebels
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99 Overall // 99 Offense // 99 Defense | Team Rating | 86 Overall // 84 Offense // 89 Defense
Armando Leon (33-4) | Head Coach | Mike Gundy (34-24)
Spread | Offensive Scheme | Power Spread
3-3-5 | Defensive Scheme | 3-4 Multiple
47.0 (2nd) | Offensive Points Per Game | 26.7 (93rd)
16.0 (6th) | Defensive Points Per Game | 20.7 (21st)
507.6 (5th) | Offensive Yards Per Game | 396.1 (73rd)
291.4 (3rd) | Defensive Yards Per Game | 318.6 (12th)
Oklahoma Sooners | Description | Ole Miss Rebels
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47-26 | Combined Record | 43-24
Oregon (3-2) W 44-14 | Week One | @ Oregon State (2-3) W 17-14
@ Oklahoma State (4-1) W 49-30 | Week Two | Georgia Southern (3-2) W 24-10
@ Nebraska (2-3) W 56-21 | Week Three | FCS W 49-3
@ Mississippi State (1-5) W 55-13 | Week Four | @ Alabama (5-2) L 24-34
Texas A&M (3-2) W 33-7 | Week Five | @ LSU (4-2) L 40-25
Alabama (5-2) W 55-6 | Week Six | Appalachian State (3-2) W 26-7
Texas (4-3) W 37-21 | Week Seven | @ Georgia (6-0) L 37-22
Oklahoma Sooners Ole Miss Rebels
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HB Dillon Slye (90) Foot Fracture (7 Weeks) | Injuries | RT Eric Bergeron (84) Partial MCL Tear (7 Weeks)
SS Tiquan Middlebrooks (82) Broken Hand (1 Weeks) | Injuries | CB Keilan Rourke (87) Partial PCL Tear (2 Weeks)
TE Dexter Olson (76) Foot Sprain (2 Weeks) | Injuries | DT Dalton Carruthers (80) Broken Wrist (4 Weeks)
Oklahoma Sooners Ole Miss Rebels
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FR Markelle Nickey (78) 153/226 (67%), 1,939 Yds, 25 TD, 7 INT| QB | SR(RS) Dom Colon (84) 135/228 (59%), 1,590 Yds, 11 TD, 3 INT
JR Terrance Butcher (96) 76 Att, 616 Yds, 3 TD | HB | JR Alexander Slayton (83) 128 Att, 634 Yds, 4 TD
SO TE Maurice Lucky (79) 22 Rec, 342 Yds, 6 TD | WR | JR(RS) George Kaikai (79) 36 Rec, 449 Yds, 4 TD
SR(RS) Floyd Canaday (89) 18 Rec, 269 Yds, 5 TD | WR | SO(RS) Mike Schlottmann (86) 28 Rec, 416 Yds, 4 TD
SR MLB Alan Breckner (88) 52 Tkl, 13 TFL, 6 Sacks | DEF | SR(RS) MLB Tobias Forrest (86) 36 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack, INT
JR MLB Gordon Paul (86) 39 Tkl, 8 TFL, 2 Sacks | DEF | JR(RS) DT Ezekiel Grimm (85) 18 Tkl, 8 TFL, Sack
SO(RS) DE Vai So'oto (85) 10 Tkl, 8 TFL, 6 Sacks | DEF | SR LB John Madubuike (86) 25 Tkl, 7 TFL, 4 Sacks
SR(RS) SS DeMarco Slayton (90) 36 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack, 3 INT | DEF | SR(RS) Edward Clemens (88) 34 Tkl, 2 INT
SEC Week Eight Schedule
► Show Spoiler
LSU (4-2) @ #4 Tennessee (5-0)
#3 Auburn (6-0) @ Kentucky (3-4)
Texas (4-3) @ Alabama (5-2)
Arkansas (3-3) @ #23 Texas A&M (3-2)
Florida (1-5) @ Mississippi State (1-5)
#2 Georgia (6-0) @ Vanderbilt (2-3)
► Show Spoiler
#12 Clemson (5-1) @ #17 Virginia Tech (5-1)
"Coach Leon, looking at this matchup and you would assume this would be another layup for the Sooners on their quest to repeat as National Champions. The Ole Miss Rebels have already dropped three SEC conference games and have yet to score over 25 points against an FBS school this season. You've preached one game at a time your entire career, how do you keep the boys from letting their minds wander to next week's showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs?"
AL: "It's simple, Boone. Aside from continuing to keep our focus on one week at a time, next week's matchup doesn't mean jack if we lose tomorrow against Ole Miss. There are currently four SEC schools without a conference loss, if we exclude ourselves from that category by letting a lesser opponent get the better of us, we lose our pole position and are hoping for a miracle. I'd rather make our own luck, than needing a little at the end of the season. This may seem like a "gimme" game, but in the grand scheme of things its value is of equal consequence."
BT: "Another week, another injury. I'm not going to ask how you expect to deal with the loss of Dillon Slye, your team has proven that no matter the running back, the train keeps rolling. When does it start becoming a concern, however, that you're going to run out of playmakers as the games only get more challenging?"
AL: "That's a bridge we'll cross when we get there, to be honest. Right now, we've got three backs who can shoulder the load, while also having the benefit of Deon Bull sitting in the bullpen itching for a shot. So long as we can limit the injuries to one, maybe two players, at key positions? We should be fine."
BT: "I'm not asking you to get into specifics, even if you wanted to I'm not sure what good it would do, but what does the weight of the looming NCAA Investigation have on a team on a week-to-week basis? I would imagine, it adds extra pressure to each moment to prove themselves, no?"
AL: "I thought we'd shed the "us vs. the world" mentality after winning the championship last season, but once you build that kind of mindset, it never really goes away. We're still out here proving ourselves each and every day, even with a shiny trophy in the bookcase. The looming witch hunt only intensifies our desire to prove that we don't need to cheat, we are simply that good."
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It feels a little like Leon is playing with fire there at the end, specifically calling the investigation a "witch hunt," but that is his business, not mine.
I don't think Ole Miss has the talent to hang with Oklahoma for a full sixty minutes, not even close. Their defense is impressive, but with an offense that has struggled to put more than 20 points on the board, I simply don't see how they can generate enough offense to edge out Oklahoma. 'Cause let's be real, it's going to take more than a 25-point effort to slay the Goliath that Oklahoma has become.
45 Oklahoma, 14 Ole Miss.
