2031 Week One Preview - #1 Oklahoma vs. #2 Miami
Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: August 31st, 2031
After defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the 2029 National Championship, Mario Cristobal and Co. had to wait an entire year for redemption, only to get a second helping of defeat as the Sooners claimed consecutive National Championships.
This year, they get an early opportunity to atone for those losses as the defending National Champion will head to Allegiant Stadium to face the Miami Hurricanes in the Vegas Kickoff Classic.
With a slew of new starters on each side, we'll take a look at the expected starting lineups before visiting with two-time National Champion Armando Leon in the first "Schooner Scoop" of the 2031 season.
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#1 Oklahoma Sooners | Description | #2 Miami Hurricanes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97 Overall // 96 Offense // 99 Defense | Team Rating | 99 Overall // 99 Offense // 99 Defense Armando Leon (42-4) | Head Coach | Mario Cristobal (78-15) Air Raid | Offensive Scheme | Spread 3-3-5 | Defensive Scheme | 4-3 Multiple
Oklahoma Sooners 2030 Stats Miami Hurricanes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SO Markelle Nickey (88) 357/525 (68%), 4,191 Yds, 47 TD, 15 INT | QB | SR(RS) Jeremy Donnerson (88) 7/14, 137 Yds, TD, INT SO(RS) Dillon Slye (91) 57 Att, 341 Yds, 6 TD | HB | SO(RS) Tavares Maulet (98) 51 Att, 223 Yds, 2 TD JR(RS) Johnny Chubb (91) 45 Rec, 651 Yds, 3 TD | WR | JR(RS) Jesse Staat (94) 51 Rec, 720 Yds, 9 TD SR(RS) Dillon Booker (90) 19 Rec, 277 Yds, 2 TD | WR | SR(RS) Kahlil Komar (93) 52 Rec, 667 Yds, 3 TD (WISC) SR MLB Gordon Paul (92) 77 Tkl, 16 TFL, 5 Sacks | DEF | SR(RS) DT Diondre Tasini (94) DNP SO(RS) LB Fredrick Garbutt (90) 45 Tkl, 17 TFL, 2.5 Sacks | DEF | SR(RS) MLB Jason McQuarters (93) 97 Tkl, 6 TFL, 2 Sacks (WISC) JR DT Cole Leo (93) 9 Tkl, 5 TFL, 4.5 Sacks | DEF | SO(RS) DE Cameron Horner (92) DNP SR(RS) CB Dom Sierra (89) 71 Tkl, INT | DEF | SR SS James Murray (91) 71 Tkl, 3 TFL, 2 INT
SEC Week One Schedule
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Schooner Scoop
BT: "New season, same opponent. How much of an advantage does it give both you, and Mario Cristobal, that you're once again preparing for the same opponent you closed out the 2030 season facing?"
AL: "I don't think it gives anyone an advantage. We've both got different squads this year, different focal points. Schemes are roughly the same on both sides, but now we're losing the element of surprise that we had going into the National Championship with the added wrinkles Garrett gave us. But still, aside from knowing coaching tendencies and a few returning players, it's a clean slate game."
BT: "You mentioned new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. What is the offense going to look like fully under his control? We've seen your last two Oklahoma teams lean heavily on the run game to set up the passing game, but Riley has routinely been one of the more aggressive passing offensive coordinators in the country. Are we going to see more of that style—almost like a repeat of his older brother Lincoln?"
AL: "If I knew how many times I was going to have to talk about Lincoln, after hiring Garrett, I may have passed on him. *laughs* Kidding, obviously. Lincoln and Garrett have the same general concept, but vastly different styles. And I think Oklahoma fans who were around for Lincoln, will appreciate that when they see Garrett. This isn't the old Mike Leach "use a swing pass as a running play" type of offense. We're going to line up and force the ball down your throat when necessary, but we've also got the ability to spread you out and slice you apart. It's going to be a fun chess match with a guy like Mario, who usually has a technically sound defense."
BT: "Last one, Coach. Notably, you've got a number of true freshman making their first start. Does the fact that it is coming on the national stage in the Vegas Kickoff Classic, against a team you just beat in the National Championship, add a little extra nerves for those guys, or are they locked in? And how do you handle that emotion for a young player?"
AL: "They're locked in and eager to prove they belong, Boone. What better stage to do that than in front of a national crowd, against the runner-ups? As far as managing those emotions, they've got a guy in the locker room whose lived it. Markelle Nickey is a captain this year for a reason, he's the calm, fearless leader a team needs as they navigate making history. He's spent time with all of our freshmen and talked about the ups and downs of that first year. He's been instrumental to everything we've done this season, and I expect a big year from him."
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There you have it folks. Markelle Nickey is leading the charge. We're on a 26-game winning streak, back-to-back defending champions and quite frankly:
the standard is the standard.
Let's go start this season with a bang.
35 Oklahoma, Miami 17