Team notes from Oklahoma’s thrilling win at Auburn

Here are the postgame team notes from Oklahoma’s Sports Information Department.

• Oklahoma earned its first league victory as a member of the Southeastern Conference.

• Today marked Oklahoma’s first-ever Southeastern Conference intraleague road contest.

• Oklahoma improved to 3-0 all-time against Auburn. Prior to today, the only previous two meetings came in Sugar Bowls (OU won

40-22 in the 1972 Sugar Bowl [1971 season] and 35-19 in the 2017 Sugar Bowl [2016 season]).

• OU improved to 2-0 all-time in games played in the state of Alabama. Its only previous contest in the state was a 20-13 win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 2003.

• Going back to the 2010 season, Oklahoma has won 35 of its last 42 true road games against unranked opponents (.833). OU has won 34 of its last 43 true road games overall, going back to 2014.

• Sophomore linebacker Sammy Omosigho and true freshman QB Michael Hawkins Jr. made their first career starts.

• Twenty-two players (15 offensive and seven defensive) have made their first OU starts this season.

• QB Michael Hawkins Jr. became just the seventh true freshman to start a game at quarterback in Oklahoma history, and only the second true freshman QB to make his first career start in a road game (the other was Troy Aikman in 1984, who made his first start in a 28-11 loss at Kansas).

• Through five games this season, OU has allowed only eight touchdowns on its opponents’ 65 possessions.

• Oklahoma had one takeaway in the game (an interception) and no turnovers. The Sooners now have 13 takeaways and are +8 in turnover margin through five games this season. OU entered the game tied the national lead with 12 takeaways and tied for second nationally with a +7 turnover margin. This was OU’s first game this season without a fumble recovery.

• The Sooners have registered an interception in 10 of their last 11 games and in 26 of 31 contests during the Brent Venables era (since the start of the 2022 season). OU leads the nation with its 42 interceptions during that span.

• Oklahoma recorded four sacks and eight tackles for loss tonight and now has 18 sacks and 40 TFLs through five games.

• OU held Auburn to 4 of 14 on third downs (29%). The Sooners have held each of their last 19 opponents to a 44% or lower third-down conversion rate (dating back to the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl vs. Florida State) and has held each of its five opponents this season to a third-down conversion rate of 33% or lower.

• OU defenders tallied five pass breakups in the game. DL Ethan Downs, DL Caiden Woullard and LB Kobie McKinzie each recorded their first PBU of the season. CB Dez Malone and CB Kani Walker had the other two.