Nebraska got on the board early with an impressive drive, but the effort ended in embarrassment from there. The Sooners took a 49-7 lead with nine minutes left in the third quarter and cruised to the win, while the Cornhuskers didn’t score a single point until three minutes remained in garbage time. Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel played well in his first start against a Power Five opponent in 2022. Gabriel ran for a career-high 61-yard touchdown to start the offense and added 230 yards through the air and two touchdowns. However, the rushing game took over with more than 300 yards, 113 of which came from running back Eric Gray, who had two scores on just 11 carries. Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown, while Trey Palmer added 10 catches for 92 yards and a score. However, a porous offensive line allowed the Sooners to get four sacks from Thompson and yielded just 2.8 yards per carry to starting running back Anthony Grant.
For Oklahoma, an important statement
Oklahoma played well in its first two games against UTEP and Kent State, but the first half against Nebraska was perfect football. The Sooners posted 355 yards on 8.1 yards per play and held the Cornhuskers to 3.4 yards per play. The defensive line kept Nebraska underwater and made Thompson’s life a living hell. There was hope when Venables took over the program that the Sooners could recapture some of the physicality that characterized their older teams. This win over Nebraska may not be as important as usual, but the level of dominance and execution was a definite change from the 23-16 matchup between these teams last season. In a season where many of the top national contenders look flawed, Oklahoma has an opening statement of its own. The Sooners should move right into the national conversation after gutting a Big Ten opponent on the road.
For Nebraska, utter embarrassment
Any hope that the end of the Scott Frost era would quickly lead to a jump in skill was quickly dashed against a bitter opponent. The opening motion script spread the ball around, but after a few quarterback hits, the body language quickly dropped. Nebraska’s defense looked shaky after allowing the long touchdown to Gabriel early in the game and struggled to regain any mojo. The receivers played with little confidence in the quarterback game. After taking a punch, Nebraska wobbled. Oklahoma had never scored more than 48 points against the Cornhuskers, but the Sooners reached that point early in the third quarter. The 35-point margin of victory is the largest since 1990, a 16-game streak. It was tragic in Lincoln on every level.
Welcome to the party, Jaren Kanak
In the second quarter, Oklahoma’s leading tackler DaShaun White was ejected after a targeting penalty. Venables had freshman Jaren Kanak, the lone recruit, follow him from Clemson to Norman. Expectations were high for the former four-star, but his performance was off the charts. Kanak led the Sooners with 10 tackles in less than half a game and caused big problems for Nebraska’s defense. He was only credited with one quarterback rush, but Canuck was around the ball on several occasions. Oklahoma was looking for a star to fill the “Cheetah” spot at linebacker. White is a serious player, but Canuck is the future at the position.
