Oklahoma Sooners postgame notes after win over Temple

Just about everything went as planned for Oklahoma in their 51-3 victory over Temple to kick off the 2024 season.

Here are some postgame notes from Oklahoma’s sports information department.

#16 Oklahoma earned its 101st season-opening victory on Saturday. OU improved to 101-23-6 all-time in season openers and to 84-12-4 in home openers at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, which hosted its first game in 1925 and is in its 100th year. OU has won eight straight season openers and 14 of its last 15, and has won 19 straight home openers.

The contest marked the first Friday night home game in OU history.

Attendance for Saturday’s game was 83,329, marking OU’s 153rd straight sellout of an originally scheduled home game, dating back to the start of the 1999 season. It is the nation’s second-longest current streak.

Thirty-eight players made their first appearance in an Oklahoma uniform Saturday, and 11 players (seven offensive, four defensive) made their first OU starts: redshirt senior OL Geirean Hatchett, Branson Hickman and Michael Tarquin, redshirt junior OL Febechi Nwaiwu, redshirt junior WR Deion Burks, redshirt junior TE Bauer Sharp, junior WR Brenen Thompson, senior DB Dez Malone, junior Defensive Linemen R Mason Thomas and Damonic Williams and true freshman DL Jayden Jackson.

Oklahoma had six takeaways in the game (two interceptions and four fumble recoveries), its most since 2003 (vs. Texas). The Sooners ranked seventh nationally last season with their 26 takeaways (20 interceptions, six fumble recoveries).

The last time Oklahoma had at least six takeaways in a season opener was in 2000 vs. UTEP (seven; two interceptions and five fumble recoveries).

The last time OU was plus-6 in turnover margin in a game was in 1987 vs. Texas. That day, the Sooners had seven interceptions and lost one fumble.

Oklahoma posted six sacks on the night, its most since 2022 (six vs. Oklahoma State), and nine tackles for loss.

OU held Temple to 197 yards of total offense (3.2 yards per play). The last time the Sooners held an opponent to fewer than 200 yards was in 2021 against Western Carolina (178 total yards).

The Sooners limited the Owls to 69 rushing yards and 1.9 yards per carry. It was the second straight game the OU defense has held its opponent to fewer than 100 rushing yards (allowed 29 rushing yards in the 2023 Alamo Bowl vs. Arizona).