Sooners Make Plays Late to Hold off Tulane

Oklahoma’s football team survived a fourth quarter scare, making some big defensive plays to hold on to beat Tulane 34-19 at Owen Field in Norman on Saturday.

OU quarterback Jackson Arnold was the offensive star for the Sooners, accounting for three total touchdowns, passing for 169 yards and rushing for 97 more.

Arnold was 18-for-29 passing with a touchdown and ran for two scores.

Oklahoma has won 49 straight games against unranked non-conference opponents have won 16 in a row at home against non-conference teams.

OU forced Tulane to punt on the opening possession after gaining just six yards.

The Sooners then marched 69 yards in 14 plays, with Jackson Arnold keeping on a one-yard touchdown run around the right side, giving OU a 7-0 lead with 7:36 to play in the first quarter.

The next five possessions combined for both teams ended in punts.

Oklahoma then went 60 yards in seven plays, with Arnold passing to Taylor Tatum for a 9-yard touchdown to extend the Sooners’ lead to 14-0 with 10:02 left in the first half.

On the ensuing possession, Tulane moved the ball into OU territory, but Jacob Barnes was way wide right on a 50-yard field goal attempt with 5:15 to play in the second quarter.

Oklahoma responded with a six-play, 67-yard drive to extend their lead.

On the first play, Arnold ran for 47 yards, and Taylor Tatum finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0 Sooners with 3:39 to play in the first half.

Tulane responded with their first scoring drive, going 75 yards in 11 plays.

Ty Thompson came in at quarterback and passed to Reggie Brown, who made a leaping catch in the back right corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.

The extra point was missed low, and OU led 21-6 with 19 seconds left in the first half.

Oklahoma got the ball to start the second half and got a 17-yard run from Jackson Arnold.

The Sooners had to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Tyler Keltner to take a 24-6 lead with 9:20 to play in the third quarter.

The Green Wave answered with their second touchdown drive, going 75 yards in nine plays.

Darian Mensah passed to Makhi Hughes, who just got the ball over the goal line for an 8-yard touchdown to cut OU’s lead to 24-13 with 4:45 to play in the third quarter.

After Tulane failed to convert on third down to start the fourth quarter, the Green Wave punted to the Sooners.

Following a five-yard penalty against OU, Arnold had his first down pass intercepted by Tulane’s Tyler Grubbs and returned 22 yards for a touchdown.

Tulane’s two-point conversion attempt failed and OU’s lead was cut to 24-19 with 14:20 left.

Three straight combined possessions ended in three-and-out punts.

Oklahoma’s defense then stepped up, as Kani Walker tipped a pass by Mensah, and Billy Bowman intercepted, returning it two yards to the Tulane 43-yard line.

It took OU four plays to convert the turnover into points.

On 3rd and 11, Arnold scrambled away from pressure and scored on a 24-yard touchdown run, putting the Sooners up 31-19 with 6:05 to play.

Tulane went backwards on their next possession, as R Mason Thomas took over, with two sacks sandwiching a pass breakup.

OU took over on the Tulane 27-yard line following Thomas’ second sack.

The Sooners had to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Tyler Keltner to extend the lead to 34-19 with 2:55 left.

Oklahoma sealed it on defense and once again it was Thomas, who sacked Mensah, stripped the ball, and recovered the fumble, returning it eight yards to the Tulane 36.

This was the third meeting between the two teams, with all of them in Norman.

OU won both previous matchups in 2017 and 2021.

Oklahoma improves to 3-0 on the season and will open Southeastern Conference play next Saturday at home against Tennessee at 6:30 pm.

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