Manny Choice didn’t just show up for Oklahoma against Kentucky. He changed the shape of the Sooners’ offense for stretches, and even in a 21-13 loss to No. 15 Kentucky, the sophomore wideout turned in the kind of performance that can stick.
Choice finished with five catches for a game-high 98 yards, a huge leap from what he had produced before Saturday. He had entered the game with only three receptions for 24 yards. As a freshman, he never caught a pass at all.
For a receiver who has spent much of his time buried on the depth chart since arriving in Norman, that made the day feel different.
“It felt great,” Choice said. “Just practice habits becoming game reality. I’m trying to build on that.”
Oklahoma found him early, and Kentucky had trouble slowing him down right away. Choice opened with an 18-yard grab on the Sooners’ first drive, helping set up a field goal. In the second quarter, he struck again with a 34-yard reception that pushed OU into scoring territory before John Mateer hit Rocky Beers for a touchdown.
Choice said the first half worked because the whole offense was clicking.
“John was finding his guys, finding his playmakers,” Choice said. “Offensive line (was) blocking well, running backs (were) getting those extra yards, receivers (were) doing well on perimeter blocking, just tying everything together.”
That rhythm vanished after halftime. Mateer threw three interceptions, Oklahoma managed only three points over the final 30 minutes, and the Sooners punted three times as Kentucky rallied for the eight-point win.
Even then, Choice kept making plays. He caught another 18-yard pass on Oklahoma’s final drive and helped the Sooners convert on fourth-and-long.
His mindset didn’t change when the offense stalled.
“You can’t plan for mishaps and stuff like that,” Choice said. “You just keep playing and controlling what you can control and going your hardest.”
Choice’s confidence has been building for a while. Late in Oklahoma’s 41-13 loss to Georgia, he caught his first touchdown from Mateer, a moment that didn’t alter the outcome but did give him belief he could produce in the SEC.
“I was grateful for the opportunity, getting in there and getting my first touchdown,” Choice said.
Now Oklahoma turns to a road game at Mississippi State, hoping to carry over the cleaner first-half play from Kentucky. Choice wants to be part of that push and give the Sooners’ offense more juice.
“I’m just trying to build on it,” Choice said. “We want those passing yards, we want those rushing yards, we want those explosives. Really just building on everything.”
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Kentucky did what gritty road winners often do: it stayed alive, kept pressure on, and made Oklahoma pay for turnovers at every turn. The Wildcats did not need to dominate the stat sheet to leave Norman with the result they wanted, and for the Sooners the frustrating part is how much the game felt there for the taking before the giveaways took over. [Read more 🡒]