No Father's Son

Post by **redsox907** » 20 Jun 2026, 02:35

Oklahoma Overcomes Slow Start To Trounce OK State

Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: October 25th, 2031

It wasn't always pretty, but in the end, the Oklahoma Sooners showed who ruled Oklahoma with a 37-7 trouncing of in-state rival Oklahoma State. The win moved Oklahoma to 3-0 since the rivalry was restarted following a five year hiatus, but more impressive than the win streak is the fact that Oklahoma continued to roll without star quarterback Markelle Nickey.

AJ Hatchett, replacing Nickey as the starting quarterback, wasn't sharp early. He went 0/3 on the Sooners' opening drive of the game, throwing an interception at midfield to end the opening drive.

Leo Hawkins and the Cowboys took full advantage, marching 66 yards before Hawkins tossed a three-yard touchdown to Joel Signer to put the Cowboys up early.

Unbeknownst to anyone, those would be the last points of the contest for the Cowboys. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Hatchett, who threw another interception and fumbled on a scramble late in the second quarter, but the Sooners' offense did enough to buoy the swarming defensive effort in the win.

Hatchett would finish the day with 309 passing yards and three touchdowns, but the story of the day was the defensive effort put forth by Cole Leo and Co. Leo led the charge with four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in the game, over a third of the Sooners' nine sacks in the contest. Add in the Oklahoma defense's 21 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery and the Cowboys never had a chance.

In fact, they gained more yards on their first drive of the game (66), than they did for the remainder of the contest—after calculating sack yardage—as the Cowboys finished with a meager 124 total yards of offense in the dismantling.

•••

Question One - James McDavid (OU Daily): "Hatchett looked a little shaky early with a pair of interceptions. What did you see after halftime that gives you confidence for the upcoming showdown in College Station?"

Armando Leon: "The first interception was ugly, AJ knows that. The second was just a miscommunication. Receiver went one way, AJ thought he was going the other. Overall, though, I think he did a great job of staying within himself, shaking off the mistakes, and taking the necessary precautions to make sure the mistakes didn't compound."

Question Two - Hank Oiler (The O'Colly): "Coach, what changed for your defense after that first successful drive by the Cowboys offense? Because it seemed like they had wide open throwing lanes and Leo couldn't miss for those first 66 yards, then the wheels came off."

Armando Leon: "Pressure is a wonderful thing, Hank. Bursts pipes or makes diamonds. We sent the pressure, almost every play, and Leo burst like a pipe. Once he got hit the first time, he got shifty. Second time? He was scared. Once the quarterback starts playing scared, he second-guesses himself, doesn't trust his eyes, and once that happens? We got him."

Question Three - Meg Semental (SEC Network): "Tyler Ryder was mostly absent from the game plan with the return of Isaac Adcock. Is that going to be the plan going forward, or is he going to have an expanded role as the season reaches its climax?"

Armando Leon: "We wanted to make sure that Isaac got plenty of PT to knock the rust off. We had some packages for Ty if the situation came up; they didn't. He knows his value and will continue to prepare so that when we need him, he's ready."

•••

I started to wonder something during this game, folks, as AJ Hatchett was having a meltdown like Markelle Nickey. I don't recall Nickey having stretches like this last year. Yet now, here we are, with two different QBs having the same struggles.

Is it the quarterbacks, or the offense?

Don't kill the messenger, I'm just saying. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire. Maybe we've been barking up the wrong tree this whole time? Just a thought.

But, not to cast a shadow over another rivalry win. For now, all we have to worry about is how we're going to remind the Cowboys who runs this state for the next year!

#BoomerSooner

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Oklahoma State	7	0	0	0	7
Oklahoma	7	9	14	7	37

Q	Team	Time	Play	Oklahoma State	Oklahoma
1st	Oklahoma State	5:00	Joel Singer, 3 Yd Pass From Leo Hawkins	7	0
1st	Oklahoma	3:21	Isaac Adcock, 50 Yd run	7	7
2nd	Oklahoma	7:52	Isaac Adcock, 7 Yd Run	7	14
2nd	Oklahoma	6:40	Safety	7	16
3rd	Oklahoma	6:47	Maurice Lucky, 2 Yd Pass From AJ Hatchett	7	23
3rd	Oklahoma	0:54	Maurice Lucky, 12 Yd Pass From AJ Hatchett	7	30
4th	Oklahoma	8:16	Dillon Slye, 3 Yd Pass From AJ Hatchett	7	37

Oklahoma State                                                   Oklahoma

Passing               | Stats                                    Passing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Leo Hawkins           | 19/32, 189 Yds, TD, 3 INT                AJ Hatchett        | 26/41, 315 Yds, 3 TD, 2 INT

Rushing               | Stats                                    Rushing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Leo Hawkins           | 10 Att, -63 Yds                          Isaac Adcock       | 10 Att, 107 Yds, 2 TD
Dorian Mercer         | 6 Att, 4 Yds                             Dillon Slye        | 5 Att, 12 Yds

Receiving             | Stats                                    Receiving          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Miles Talbot          | 4 Rec, 52 Yds                            Dillon Slye        | 7 Rec, 74 Yds, TD
Joel Singer           | 3 Rec, 20 Yds, TD                        Maurice Lucky      | 7 Rec, 75 Yds, 2 TD
Terrance Blizzard     | 3 Rec, 22 Yds                            JaMichael Buggs    | 3 Rec, 51 Yds

Defensive             | Stats                                    Defensive          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
SS Larry Salaam       | 8 Tkl, INT                               MLB Gordon Paul    | 9 Tkl, 5 TFL, Sack
LB Eric Sabri         | 6 Tkl, INT                               CB Antwan Phung    | 7 Tkl, 2 TFL, 2 INT
DT Marco Landry       | 3 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack                       DT Cole Leo        | 4 Tkl, 4 TFL, 3.5 Sacks, 2 FF

SEC Week Nine Results
35 Texas A&M (5-3) @ Missouri (6-3) 34
14 Vanderbilt (2-5) @ #14 Auburn (6-2) 35
24 #7 Tulane (8-0) @ LSU (4-4) 10
31 South Carolina (1-8) @ #5 Tennessee (7-1) 35
59 #13 Georgia (5-2) @ Mississippi State (4-4) 21
21 Kentucky (3-4) @ #11 Alabama (6-1) 31
43 #15 Texas (5-2) @ Ole Miss (4-4) 41
38 #16 Florida (7-1) @ Arkansas (4-3) 31

Notable Week Nine Results
17 Michigan (5-2) @ #2 USC (8-0) 59
34 #4 Duke (6-1) @ #10 Clemson (6-2) 27

Post by **Caesar** » 20 Jun 2026, 06:54

Man going back to peak Coastal Carolina with all these interceptions

Post by **redsox907** » 20 Jun 2026, 22:11

Caesar wrote: ↑
20 Jun 2026, 06:54
Man going back to peak Coastal Carolina with all these interceptions

I had to go back and look, I never threw less than 12 interceptions in a season

Post by **redsox907** » 20 Jun 2026, 22:49

2031 Week Ten Preview - #3 Oklahoma (7-1) @ Texas A&M (5-3)

Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: October 31st, 2031

The Oklahoma Sooners will find themselves on the road for three of their final four games to close out the 2031 season, with the first stop landing in College Station, Texas to face off against the Texas A&M Aggies.

Despite a 5-3 record, the Aggies are still technically alive for the SEC Championship Game with a 3-1 conference record, but Oklahoma will be looking to not only put them behind the eight-ball with a loss, but also keep their conference record squeaky clean.

After the graphic, we'll get into another "Schooner Scoop" where coach Leon will talk about facing old friends, the difficulty facing a freshman quarterback, and his own inexperienced starter.

•••

#3 Oklahoma Sooners (7-1)              | Description                   | Texas A&M Aggies
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
97 Overall // 96 Offense // 99 Defense | Team Rating                   | 84 Overall // 84 Offense // 86 Defense
Armando Leon (49-5)                    | Head Coach                    | Mike Elko (66-34)
Air Raid                               | Offensive Scheme              | Power Spread
3-3-5                                  | Defensive Scheme              | 4-2-5
47.6 (3rd)                             | Offensive Points Per Game     | 27.8 (85th)
17.9 (3rd)                             | Defensive Points Per Game     | 25.9 (57th)
473.5 (16th)                           | Offensive Yards Per Game      | 372.8 (92nd)
293.9 (3rd)                            | Defensive Yards Per Game      | 382.9 (66th)

Oklahoma Sooners                  | Description     | Texas A&M Aggies
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
56-36                             | Combined Record | 60-33
@ Miami (5-2) W 31-26             | Week One        | Pittsburgh (3-6) L 41-14
Nebraska (6-2) W 81-14            | Week Two        | Bowling Green (2-6) W 37-27
South Carolina (1-8) W 44-10      | Week Three      | @ Baylor (6-2) L 23-16
Oregon (7-1) L 38-35              | Week Four       | @ Ole Miss (4-4) W 23-14
BYE                               | Week Five       | FCS W 35-0
Auburn (6-2) W 59-7               | Week Six        | Arkansas (4-3) W 38-20
Texas (5-2) W 49-24               | Week Seven      | BYE
@ Vanderbilt (2-5) W 45-17        | Week Eight      | Alabama (6-1) L 48-24
Oklahoma State (5-2) W 37-7       | Week Nine       | @ Missouri (6-3) W 35-34

Oklahoma Sooners                                                Texas A&M Aggies
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QB Markelle Nickey (88) Broken Ribs (3 Weeks) | Injuries      | HB Chance Ojabo (91) Fractured Hip (19 Weeks)

 
Oklahoma Sooners                                          2031 Stats   Texas A&M Aggies
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SO Markelle Nickey (88) 192/265 (72%), 1,915 Yds, 24 TD, 10 INT| QB  | FR Lorenzo Blades (76) 135/242 (55%), 1,739 Yds, 13 TD, 9 INT
FR Tyler Ryder (81) 88 Att, 552 Yds, 5 TD                      | HB  | SO(RS) Dean Bull (90) 108 Att, 493 Yds, 8 TD
JR(RS) Johnny Chubb (91) 38 Rec, 451 Yds, 5 TD                 | WR  | SR(RS) Joey Cardoza (87) 47 Rec, 627 Yds, 3 TD
JR Maurice Lucky (81) 42 Rec, 528 Yds, 12 TD                   | WR  | SO(RS) JC Johns (85) 28 Rec, 397 Yds, 2 TD
FR SS Quincy Enagbare (80) 47 Tkl, 7 TFL, 3.5 Sack, 4 INT      | DEF | SR(RS) CB Jason Cleveland (88) 58 Tkl, 4 TFL, INT
SR MLB Gordon Paul (92) 49 Tkl, 17 TFL, 5.5 Sacks              | DEF | SO(RS) DE Adrian Walsh (85) 18 Tkl, 6 TFL, 2.5 Sacks
JR DT Cole Leo (93) 21 Tkl, 18 TFL, 7.5 Sacks                  | DEF | SR(RS) DT Garrison Middlebrooks (91) 22 Tkl, 11 TFL, 5 Sacks
JR(RS) CB Antwan Phung (88) 34 Tkl, 4 TFL, 5 INT               | DEF | FR(RS) George Silvera (83) 25 Tkl, 2 INT

SEC Week Ten Schedule

► Show Spoiler

Notable Week Ten Matchups

► Show Spoiler

•••

Schooner Scoop

BT: "Coach, two talented running backs in a row have left Norman and found themselves in College Station. Two years ago it was Maurice Awosika and Chance Ojabo who joined the rival Aggies, this year it was Dean Bull. What about College Station is inviting to former Sooners looking to get on the field in a less competitive environment?"

AL: "I mean, it's a cause of doing business. We recruit heavily in Texas, so when guys are looking for their next home after not seeing the playing time they want, A&M is right there. I think part of it is not wanting to be villainized by the Sooner fanbase for donning burnt orange, so it's a safer option. But you'd think they'd learn from Oscar Robledo, College Station is a step down from Norman anyway you slice it."

BT: "The Aggies are starting a true freshman QB in Lorenzo Blades, the former four-star out of Georgia. You obviously started a true freshman last year with Nick. What challenges does that present as a head coach with a green quarterback? Additionally, how difficult is it as a defensive coordinator to plan for a guy you don't have a ton of tape on."

AL: "The biggest challenge with your own freshman QB is understanding it's a bit like riding a roller coaster. You know there are going to be hills to climb, you just hope the drop isn't too steep when you reach the crest. On the other hand, game planning for a guy without a ton of tape is even more difficult. Typically we watch tape and develop a plan to break their tendencies, or take advantage of bad habits. With a freshman QB you have to make three game plans in one, essentially. If they counter one thing well, you have to be able to adapt and find what throws off their rhythm. A lot of people think freshman QBs are easy because they are less seasoned, but the good ones make it even harder, in my opinion."

BT: "We saw a bit of that with AJ Hatchett last week, but once he settled in it looked like he'd found his groove. Are we going to see more of a focused running game this week to get AJ some confidence, or is it back to an aerial onslaught?"

AL: "The goal is to get AJ comfortable as fast as possible. That could be timely running plays, play action, hitting a few big screens. We'll play it by ear, but the plan is to make sure he's comfortable with the call at all times."

•••

A&M looks like a cakewalk on paper, but that defense is dangerous and Blades has some magic in his arm, and definitely some in his legs. If we go sleepwalking into College Station, we may not survive.

However, Coach Leon is undefeated against freshman quarterbacks, so until that streak is broken, we ride.

38 Oklahoma, Texas A&M 14.

Post by **redsox907** » 23 Jun 2026, 01:41

Chapter Fifty-Five: A New Legacy

It had been a month since Raul and I, accompanied by nearly a full bottle of tequila for Raul, had begun to tentatively build what resembled a brotherly connection. What had begun as a strained, distant understanding at best had blossomed—with the help of text messages, hilarious reels, and the occasional phone call—into what I had imagined having a brother would have felt like.

Our relationship had grown to the point that almost a month later when we agreed to meet in College Station—the night before I faced the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field—it felt like we’d known each other for years, rather than just officially acquainting ourselves a month ago.

Within moments of sitting down at De Baca Steakhouse, Raul promptly ordered a double of tequila, that is until our eyes met across the table.

“Uh, actually on second thought,” he said catching himself mid order with the waitress, “Make it a single.”

“With a splash of seltzer,” he added at the last second.

“Sorry, Mano, old habits,” he apologized, turning to fully face me again with both hands up at his sides in surrender.

I hadn’t told him to ease up on the drinking, in fact all I’d mentioned of it was that it reminded me of an earlier time in my life the last we spoke of it. It was something that Raul had merely picked up on and had made a mental note, it appeared, to correct. I had learned quickly that Raul was a quick study, and once you told him something, he rarely forgot it.

It was one of the many things I’d started to realize we had in common. Raul was athletic, determined—to the point of stubbornness on both our parts as Jessica loved to point out—quick witted, and able to read a situation in an instant.

Much like me, he had also delved into a life of crime early. Unlike me, however, he did not have a Tara to guide him back to the righteous path, to condemn the pursuit of quick, easy money in pursuit of a more rewarding calling.

Instead, he had the same absent father, with an equally absent mother. And that, more than anything, had sparked the core reason for my request for Raul to make the quick-trek from his home—if you could call a dingy studio apartment, his words not mine, a home—in Navasota to College Station.

In truth, I was still ultimately on the fence about my decision, but his conscious decision to taper down his own drinking was definitely a reassuring factor.

We dove right back into the usual banter we’d developed over the last month; each talking about their going-ons in life—mine in noticeably more detail than Raul, a reminder that there were cons to my plan—while we each interjected our own jokes, the conversation moving along steadily. To anyone sitting adjacent to us, this was just another meeting among a long history of joyous occasions between two brothers.

When the waitress came and took what remained of our Filet’s away, I noticed again that instead of a third cocktail, Raul opted to a glass of water. I nodded silently to myself. ‘He may not be perfect,’ I thought to myself, steeling myself to broach the subject I desperately wanted to address, ‘But that isn’t the point.’

‘The point is, he deserves an opportunity.’

I cleared my throat to get Raul’s attention, which had drifted to follow the waitress to the other side of the restaurant, took a deep breath in, then slowly began to reveal the true intentions behind the dinner.

“Raul, listen. I’ve been thinking a lot about our childhoods. The similarities we share, but also, the areas where I had perhaps more….”

I had paused, searching for the right word. I didn’t want to start this off by offending him. If Raul was as much like me as I’d come to believe, the idea of someone pitying him with help would do nothing to help my cause.

“Guidance,” Raul finished, his face neutral despite undoubtedly sensing my unease at the word choice.

I nodded and waited to see if he would add any commentary. When he simply remained silent, waiting for me to continue, I took the hint.

“I don’t know how much I believed in the ‘Nature vs. Nurture’ argument up until now. To be frank, I thought we were who we became. It was a sum of choices, good or bad, and that’s what you ended up with. That is until, I met you,” I finished, gently pointing a finger at Raul.

Instead of the surprise I expected at this assertion—it had surely surprised me the first time it tumbled through my subconscious—Raul simply nodded as if this was one of life’s many mysterys he’d already pondered and decided that it was in fact, true.

“Because, I look at you and I see myself,” I continued, still somewhat surprised at the lack of astonishment on my brother’s face, “You have the same qualities that I no doubt inherited from our father. But while I had my mother, Tara, you didn’t.”

“That is the only thing I can point to and definitively say was different in our upbringing.”

“I didn’t want to be no Flyboy,” sternly interjected Raul. For a moment, the tension in the air held, then we both burst into laughter.

“I already figured that part out, Mano,” noted Raul after the fit of laughter died out, “So what. Are you telling me you want to find me a mother?”

“No la llamo madre,” he added, grinning to himself, knowing full well I had no idea what the joke was.

“No, I think you’re a little old for a mother,” I laughed, guessing at what he’d meant. I was at least close, because he matched my laugher with a brief shake of his head.

“But I do think you need someone to believe in you, like my mother did for me,” I added with a more serious note.

Raul shifted uncomfortably in his chair, downing the drink in front of him—perhaps forgetting it was merely water—before looking desperately around the restaurant for a distraction. Or perhaps the waitress, hoping it wasn’t too late to turn his water into tequila.

“What do you even do for work, Raul? All you’ve ever said was odd jobs, or to not concern myself with it.”

Raul opened his mouth to answer, but I cut him off before the words had left his mouth.

“And don’t tell me you do fine. Either the apartment you live in is as much of a shit hole as you’ve told me, or you’re the most modest dude I know.”

“And you’re too much like me to be that modest,” I added with a grin, hoping the joke would break the tension that had built in his face.

“Es complicado,” Raul muttered under his breath.

“Raul, surely you’ve realized how much alike we are at this point, no?”

Raul seemed to consider this for a minute, before bobbing his head with an agreeable expression on his face, raising both hands to his sides in acceptance.

“Then it shouldn’t surprise you that I’m not an idiot. I know what ‘es complicado’ means,” I said, embellishing the Spanish to make sure he realized I was mocking him.

Before Raul could speak, I continued, perhaps in a harsher register than I meant in retrospect.

“It means you’re a fucking criminal, like Arturo.”

Raul recoiled as if slapped, but made no sign of disagreement. Quite the contrary, the facts finally being brought to life seemed to have deflated him even more.

“That doesn’t mean that’s all you can be, Raul. I know you’ve got talent. You’ve got to have at least a little.”

“After all, you’re related to a two-time National Champion,” I quipped, grinning wide once again, hoping the small joke would ease the pain of the accusation moments ago.

“Easy for you to say,” he shot, clearly fighting back his own grin, “I don’t know what I’m good at except being a criminal.”

“You don’t have to do it alone,” I added reassuringly, “I’m here to help you. Get back on your feet, the right way this time.”

Raul scoffed with a glimmer in his eye. “What, you gonna make me an assistant head coach? I doubt the media will be as forgiving of a criminal on the staff as opposed to your padre being one.”

“You know, that’s not a bad idea.”

At long last, the look of surprise dawned on Raul’s face. His eyes grew wide, eyebrows rose up towards his hairline, and his mouth had involuntarily formed a small ‘o.’

“Yeah, not a bad idea at all,” I continued, barely fighting back another shit-eating grin, “Because it’s a TERRIBLE idea!”

Raul threw his napkin at me before we both broke back out into a fit of laughter, earning more than a few scowls from the tables around us.

“No you dunce,” I finally shot back through laughs, “Not on the staff. But I know enough people, I could get you a job starting out. Even a place that’s slightly nicer than your dingy studio in Navasota.”

The seriousness in my offer knocked the laughter right out of Raul, who quickly adopted a solemn expression. This, knowing myself, I had expected.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that, Armando. You can’t risk your reputation on me so easily.”

“It’s a good thing you aren’t asking. I’m offering, Raul. And you aren’t risking my reputation. If this doesn't work, the only thing bruised is my pride. I've had worse."

“Like when Oregon, how do the kids say…’Ran your pockets’ earlier this year?”

It was my turn to throw a napkin as we once again burst into laughter, earning fresh scowls from the neighboring tables.

“You resented me for a long time,” I continued as the laughter subsided again, “And I don’t blame you for that. Because I was given opportunities you never had.”

Raul opened his mouth to argue, but was quickly shut down by a quick gesture of silence. He needed to hear this, as much as I needed to say it.

“I think I owe it to you to give you this opportunity. Even if you blow it,” I added shooting him another stupid grin, “At least I know I gave you an opportunity that may have never been afforded to you.”

“It’s what my Mom would have wanted. But more than that, it’s what I want.”

Perhaps Raul saw the resolve in my eyes and the determination in my voice, or maybe he just knew I wouldn’t take no for an answer. But regardless of the reason, after a few moments of deliberation, Raul finally relented.

“Fine. But if I’m going to do this, I have to do it right, okay? I don’t want to bring any baggage with me to darken your doorstep. That means I need time to wrap things up.”

I quickly began to protest, but it was Raul’s turn to shut me down with a small gesture.

“If I don’t do that, Armando, then I won’t be able to leave my past behind.”

“You’re going to have to trust me.”

Post by **Soapy** » 23 Jun 2026, 06:32

Post by **redsox907** » 23 Jun 2026, 23:20

Oklahoma Survives Another Scare Behind Swarming Defensive Effort

Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: November 1st, 2031

It may have been another ugly effort on behalf of the Oklahoma Sooners offense, a disturbing trend, but in the end they gritted their way through another hard-fought victory. This time, the Sooners outlasted rival Texas A&M to a 23-16 victory with a safety late in the fourth quarter proving to be the difference between a potential game winning Texas A&M final drive, and what became a final kneel by AJ Hatchett

Hatchett himself was sparkling at times, until the injury bug once again struck. Hatchett threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half, including a 17-yard strike to Maurice Lucky on the Sooners' first offensive play, but after a brutal sack early in the third quarter he was forced out of the game and never looked the same upon his return.

Still, behind a swarming defensive effort the Sooners were able to hold onto the slim 21-10 halftime lead, despite a spirited comeback attempt by the Aggies.

After driving for a field goal earlier in the fourth quarter, the Aggies had one last shot at stealing a game from the defending two-time National Champions.

However, the effort hit the rocks before it ever even got off the ground. A beautiful punt by Marvin Honeycut was pinned at the three-yard line, forcing Texas A&M to march 97 yards before potentially taking the lead.

Two plays later and things snowballed quickly. After Dean Bull, the former Sooner who was held to just 15 rushing yards, was stopped for no gain, freshman Emanuel Madu found himself in a world of trouble. Finding himself in the game since the second quarter after a fourth sack sent fellow freshman Lorenzo Blades to the blue tent, Madu found himself being leveled for his own fourth sack at the worst possible time.

With the pocket collapsing the mobile QB attempted to create magic, like many Aggies QBs before him, but instead found the waiting arms of Fredrick Garbutt for the safety that restored Oklahoma's seven-point lead, but more importantly, gave Oklahoma the ball back with a minute left.

The Aggies were out of timeouts and were forced to watch AJ Hatchett gingerly kneel down the clock and with it, the game.

•••

Question One - Johnny Stebbins (The Battalion): "When he wasn't being swarmed by defenders, freshman Emanuel Madu—in his first taste of collegiate football—found his fair share of big plays against your defense. If his offensive line had held up just a smidge better, do you think this game could have turned out differently?"

Armando Leon: "The big play through the air has always been the Achilles heel of my defense, so it doesn't surprise me when a guy we have no tape on runs into a few big plays. But why would I concern myself with how the game could have turned out differently? My front seven did their job. The quarterback touched grass, a lot. When you do that, you usually win."

Question Two - Meg Semental (SEC Network): "The win keeps the Sooners undefeated in SEC play so far this season. Do you think that Oklahoma has to make the conference championship game to guarantee a spot in the Playoff?"

Armando Leon: "I think as long as we only lose one more game, we should be in regardless. You don't want to back in—I'd much rather win the SEC Championship and be a top-four seed—but beggars can't always be choosers."

Question Three - James McDavid (OU Daily): "Another game and another up-and-down performance by the quarterback. The whispers that it's more than a player problem have continued to grow as AJ Hatchett has faced similar struggles as Markelle Nickey. At what point do you start listening to the rumors and take a hard look at Garrett Riley's play calling?"

Armando Leon: "The day I start feeding into rumors and fan service is the day I should hang up my whistle, James. Fans are going to talk. We know what goes on behind closed doors, when the cameras aren't watching. If there is a move to be made to get more consistency, trust me: we'll make it."

•••

Color me skeptical, folks, but that at the end there did not sound like a ringing endorsement for Garrett Riley by Armando Leon. In fact, I think that may be the first time Leon has failed to defend his first-year offensive coordinator when a reporter has gotten pushy.

It may be something, or maybe it's nothing.

But for now, the wagon keeps rolling.

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Oklahoma	14	7	0	2	23
Texas A&M	0	10	3	3	16

Q	Team	Time	Play	Oklahoma	Texas A&M
1st	Oklahoma	8:30	Maurice Lucky, 32 Yd Pass From AJ Hatchett	7	0
1st	Oklahoma	0:58	Tyler Ryder, 9 Yd Run	14	0
2nd	Texas A&M	8:49	JC Johns, 48 Yd Pass From Emanuel Madu	14	7
2nd	Texas A&M	5:23	Robbie Tuttle, 49 Yd FG	14	10
2nd	Oklahoma	0:17	Maurice Lucky, 19 Yd Pass From AJ Hatchett	21	10
3rd	Texas A&M	4:33	Robbie Tuttle, 49 YD FG	21	13
4th	Texas A&M	4:36	Robbie Tuttle, 49 Yd FG	21	16
4th	Oklahoma	1:22	Safety	23	16

Oklahoma                                                         Texas A&M

Passing               | Stats                                    Passing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
AJ Hatchett           | 24/38, 315 Yds, 2 TD, INT                Emanuel Madu       | 9/21, 214 Yds, TD
Charles Byler         | 1/1, -3 Yds                              Lorenzo Blades     | 6/9, 54 Yds

Rushing               | Stats                                    Rushing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Tyler Ryder           | 12 Att, 34 Yds, TD                       Dean Bull          | 12 Att, 15 Yds
Dillon Slye           | 6 Att, 2 Yds                             Emanuel Madu       | 4 Att, -23 Yds

Receiving             | Stats                                    Receiving          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Dillon Slye           | 9 Rec, 64 Yds                            JC Johns           | 5 Rec, 103 Yds, TD
Maurice Lucky         | 6 Rec, 147 Yds, 2 TD                     Donnie Hobbs       | 5 Rec, 53 Yds
JaMichael Buggs       | 3 Rec, 43 Yds                            Conrad Jewell      | 2 Rec, 21 Yds

Defensive             | Stats                                    Defensive          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
LB Fredrick Garbutt   | 8 Tkl, 4 TFL, 2.5 Sacks                  MLB Taylor Clapp   | 8 Tkl, 3 TFL
SS Quincy Enagbare    | 5 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack                       LB Deon Hennessy   | 5 Tkl, 2 TFL
DT Cole Leo           | 4 Tkl, 3 TFL, 0.5 Sack                   DE Simon Sauer     | 5 Tkl, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks

SEC Week Ten Results
33 Ole Miss (4-5) @ #5 Tennessee (8-1) 36
10 Southern Miss (2-6) @ Mississippi State (5-4) 49
38 #6 Alabama (7-1) @ #21 Texas (5-3) 32
13 Vanderbilt (2-6) @ Missouri (7-3) 34
38 #12 Auburn (7-3) @ Kentucky (3-5) 26
27 #18 Georgia (5-3) @ #11 Florida (8-1) 34
45 LSU (5-4) @ Arkansas (4-4) 20

Notable Week Ten Results
21 Nebraska (6-3) @ #15 Penn State (6-2) 22
45 #15 Arizona State (7-1) @ Houston (4-5) 50
26 #3 Duke (7-1) @ #16 North Carolina (6-2) 23

Post by **djp73** » 24 Jun 2026, 05:38

Hopefully that’s a wake up call and you can build some momentum from here

Post by **redsox907** » 24 Jun 2026, 19:53

djp73 wrote: ↑
24 Jun 2026, 05:38
Hopefully that’s a wake up call and you can build some momentum from here

we're definitely missing that game breaking player on offense. My receivers are good, not great, and the running game has been hit or miss. Which makes ball security the #1 concern and an issue I've struggled with this season.

We've never been more susceptible for an upset than now :yeshrug:

Post by **redsox907** » 24 Jun 2026, 23:14

2031 Week Eleven Preview - Kentucky (3-5) @ #3 Oklahoma (8-1)

Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: November 7th, 2031

In one of the earlier Senior Nights of recent memory, the Oklahoma Sooners will bid adieu to The Palace on the Prairie for the 2031 season—barring a surprising first-round Playoff bout— after hosting the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.

This will be the final game Markelle Nickey will be injured for, making it a possible showcase game for AJ Hatchett to prove he deserves the reins when Nickey comes off the injury list before a Week Thirteen tilt in Knoxville.

We'll talk about all of that and more in the latest "Schooner Scoop."

•••

#3 Oklahoma Sooners (8-1)              | Description                   | Kentucky Wildcats (3-5)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
97 Overall // 96 Offense // 99 Defense | Team Rating                   | 79 Overall // 79 Offense // 79 Defense
Armando Leon (50-5)                    | Head Coach                    | Mark Stoops (113-119)
Air Raid                               | Offensive Scheme              | Multiple
3-3-5                                  | Defensive Scheme              | Base 3-4
44.9 (6th)                             | Offensive Points Per Game     | 29.9 (74th)
17.7(4th)                              | Defensive Points Per Game     | 23.4 (26th)
458.1 (22nd)                           | Offensive Yards Per Game      | 363.3 (99tht)
271.2 (2nd)                            | Defensive Yards Per Game      | 353.6 (29th)

Oklahoma Sooners                  | Description     | Kentucky Wildcats
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
62-41                             | Combined Record | 55-39
@ Miami (6-2) W 31-26             | Week One        | @ TCU (6-2) L 28-23
Nebraska (6-3) W 81-14            | Week Two        | @ Purdue (1-7) W 52-0
South Carolina (1-8) W 44-10      | Week Three      | FCS W 35-10
Oregon (8-1) L 38-35              | Week Four       | @ Georgia (5-3) L 42-17
BYE                               | Week Five       | @ South Carolina (1-8) W 41-10
Auburn (7-2) W 59-7               | Week Six        | BYE
Texas (5-3) W 49-24               | Week Seven      | Missouri (7-3) L 28-24
@ Vanderbilt (2-6) W 45-17        | Week Eight      | BYE
Oklahoma State (6-2) W 37-7       | Week Nine       | @ Alabama (7-1) L 31-21
@ Texas A&M (5-4) W 23-16         | Week Ten        | Auburn (7-2) L 38-26

Oklahoma Sooners                                                Kentucky Wildcats
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QB Markelle Nickey (88) Broken Ribs (2 Weeks) | Injuries      | N/A

 
Oklahoma Sooners                                          2031 Stats   Kentucky Wildcats
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SO Markelle Nickey (88) 192/265 (72%), 1,915 Yds, 24 TD, 10 INT| QB  | SR(RS) Alex Kumar (95) 120/179 (67%), 1,527 Yds, 15 TD, 2 INT
FR Tyler Ryder (81) 100 Att, 586 Yds, 6 TD                     | HB  | JR(RS) James Skaggs (90) 198 Att, 934 Yds, 9 TD
JR(RS) Johnny Chubb (91) 41 Rec, 477 Yds, 5 TD                 | WR  | SR Marcus Nealy (72) 32 Rec, 518 Yds, 6 TD
JR Maurice Lucky (81) 48 Rec, 675 Yds, 14 TD                   | WR  | JR(RS) Tashaun Newcomb (77) 20 Rec, 307 Yds, 2 TD
FR SS Quincy Enagbare (80) 51 Tkl, 9 TFL, 4.5 Sack, 4 INT      | DEF | SO CB Montrell Dawkins (86) 61 Tkl, 2 TFL, 2 INT
SR MLB Gordon Paul (92) 55 Tkl, 18 TFL, 5.5 Sacks              | DEF | JR LB Sammy Gore (76) 19 Tkl, 7 TFL, 3 Sacks
JR DT Cole Leo (93) 25 Tkl, 21 TFL, 8 Sacks                    | DEF | JR DT Shaq Tyree (78) 25 Tkl, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks
JR(RS) CB Antwan Phung (88) 37 Tkl, 4 TFL, 5 INT               | DEF | SO SS Jabari Nwokeji (78) 33 Tkl, 2 INT

SEC Week Eleven Schedule

► Show Spoiler

Notable Week Eleven Matchups

► Show Spoiler

•••

Schooner Scoop

BT: "You don't always get the luxury of getting Senior Night on the season finale, but usually it doesn't come almost a full month before the end of the regular season. How difficult is it going to be managing those emotions for the seniors—and underclassmen who are undoubtedly going to declare—with a good chunk of the season left?"

AL: "It's unfortunate, but we had two off-site games this year and that kind of put us behind the eight-ball scheduling wise. At least, that was the reasoning I was given. It's a shame that what we fully expect to be some of these guys' final game at Gaylord Memorial Stadium happens so early in the season, but that's just more motivation to make sure it's a memorable event. We fully intend to put on a show for the hometown fans tonight. Our guys deserve to have that last standing ovation, and these fans deserve a show."

BT: "Speaking of putting on a show, how much pressure is on AJ Hatchett to perform in what many are calling a showcase game for him, with the imminent return of Markelle Nickey?"

AL: "He can't control what happens next, and he knows that. All he can control is what he puts on tape tomorrow night. And before you ask, Boone, no. I do not have an answer for who is going to be the starter in Knoxville. Nick still has two weeks left to rehab his injury and we know setbacks happen. Until he's fully cleared to play, it's a fluid situation."

BT: "With the offense struggling at times this season, how much pressure does that put on the defense to play perfect and not give up the deep balls in the passing game that have always been an Achilles heel for your defenses?"

AL: "We've got an Achilles heel for big plays, yet are Top five in both yards and points allowed per game. That tells me even when we do get beat, we make up for it, and sometimes it doesn't lead to a score. That's the goal. Make sure when we do get caught slipping, we've got the time to recover. I have full confidence in Pat Surtain Sr. and my defense to hold a lead for as long as they need to."

•••

Coach Leon may not say it, but AJ Hatchett has to show something BIG here if he has any hopes of retaining his role as the starter. Nick has had his ups and downs this year, no qualms there, but we've seen AJ with the same struggles. If I had to make a bet—which I am NOT, just so we're clear—it's that Nick will be the starter in Knoxville if he's healthy.

Even if AJ Hatchett doesn't show us ANYTHING out of the ordinary today, this isn't a game that I expect us to lose. Kumar is a talented quarterback, and that could allow the Wildcats to get a few points out of sheer talent, but the talent around him is subpar, at best. When push comes to shove, our talent is going to rise to the top.

Kentucky 14, Oklahoma 31

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