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OU football: Spencer Rattler slings 5 touchdown passes in No. 4 Sooners' 76-0 rout of Western Carolina

Spencer Rattler

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler during the game against Western Carolina on Sept. 11.

No. 4 Oklahoma’s (2-0) offensive outburst helped it steamroll FCS opponent Western Carolina (0-2) 76-0 on Saturday evening in Norman.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler rebounded from his rough outing against Tulane in OU’s season opener. The preseason Heisman Trophy favorite exited after the first half, having completed 20-of-26 passes for 243 yards and five touchdowns.

Junior running back Eric Gray led the OU rushing attack with nine carries for 74 yards. Senior H-back Brayden Willis led the Sooners in receiving yards with 51. Receivers Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams, a redshirt sophomore and freshman, respectively, had a team-high four catches. Haselwood also recorded his first career two-touchdown performance.

 

Freshman linebacker Danny Stutsman led Speed D with eight tackles, including seven solo and 0.5 for loss. Senior defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey tallied a team-high 1.5 sacks and redshirt junior defensive lineman Jordan Kelley forced a fumble which redshirt freshman safety Bryson Washington recovered.

Sophomore linebacker Shane Whitter also recovered a fumble forced by freshman defensive end Ethan Downs and Washington snagged an interception in the fourth quarter. Collectively, the OU defense amassed four sacks and eight tackles for loss.

The Sooners struck quickly after forcing a punt on the Catamounts’ first drive. Rattler threw a 7-yard touchdown to Haselwood on OU’s first possession, creating a 7-0 lead. After another defensive stop, the Sooners got a career-long tying 56-yard field goal from redshirt junior kicker Gabe Brkic, extending the lead to 10-0. OU then grew the lead to 17-0 after Rattler threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Gray, a spring transfer from Tennessee, on the next drive.

On the first play of the second quarter, redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks capped a scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown rush and the Sooners went up 24-0. OU extended its lead to 31-0 on its next drive when Rattler connected with senior wide receiver Mike Woods, an offseason transfer from Arkansas, for a 4-yard touchdown.

The Sooners continued their offensive onslaught around halfway through the second quarter. Rattler threw a back shoulder 10-yard touchdown pass to Mario Williams, putting Oklahoma up 38-0. OU finished the first half with a 45-0 lead after Rattler threw another touchdown pass to Haselwood from six yards out.

Oklahoma opened the second half with another quick score off redshirt junior running back Jaden Knowles’ 1-yard touchdown run. Freshman quarterback Caleb Williams, a former five-star prospect, made his OU debut on the drive, running for 59 yards on his second play. The next drive he led resulted in a 46-yard field goal from redshirt freshman kicker Zach Schmit, increasing the advantage to 55-0.

Knowles scampered 29 yards for his second touchdown late in the third quarter, boosting OU’s lead to 62-0. Redshirt sophomore running back Todd Hudson made the lead 69-0 with a 6-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter. Hudson grew the lead to 76-0 with an additional touchdown run later in the quarter.

Oklahoma’s next game will be against Nebraska at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 in Norman on Fox. The contest will memorialize the 1971 Game of the Century in which the No. 1 Cornhuskers defeated the No. 2 Sooners 35-31.



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