Oklahoma’s offensive line could be headed for another shuffle Saturday, and the Sooners also may be without a key piece in the secondary when South Carolina comes to Norman.
Center Jake Maikkula is listed as questionable on the initial SEC Availability Report released Wednesday, after getting hurt in the second half of last week’s 23-15 win over Mississippi State. If he can’t go, Oklahoma would be forced into its seventh different offensive line combination in eight games. Western Kentucky transfer Caleb Nitta stepped in after Maikkula left against the Bulldogs and would likely be the next man up again; he earned a 64.5 grade from Pro Football Focus on 27 snaps, the best mark among Oklahoma’s interior offensive linemen in that game.
Maikkula isn’t the only important question mark. Safety Peyton Bowen and cornerback Eli Bowen are also listed as questionable for the matchup with the Gamecocks, set for 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
Peyton Bowen also exited the Mississippi State game in the second half after taking a hit following his interception. Earlier this week, he was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to college football’s top defensive back.
Eli Bowen has been sidelined since getting hurt in the days before Oklahoma’s Red River Rivalry upset of Texas. Trystan Haynes has started in his place, and the Sooners would be stretched thin at the position if Bowen can’t return.
The availability report also keeps a long list of contributors out for Oklahoma. Eddy Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodje are out again, and Pierre-Louis will miss his fourth straight game after starting the first three at left guard. Noah Best has filled that spot in each of the last three games, after Heath Ozaeta got the first shot there against Georgia.
Ozaeta is listed as probable after missing the last two games, and Xavier Robinson joins him as probable.
Other players ruled out for Saturday include Jacobe Johnson, Dakoda Fields, Cole Sullivan, Trell Harris, Trynae Washington, Taylor Heim, and Eddie Pierre-Louis. Elijah Thomas is doubtful after leaving the Kentucky game early two weeks ago, while Fred Hinton is listed as questionable.
The Sooners’ report also includes several other injuries on the depth chart, with Dayne Arnett, Kobby Saikyl-Prah, Jayden Sellers, Seth Smith, and Josiah Thompson listed out, and Jawarn Howell and Quay'sheed Scott doubtful.
In Other News...
OU Fans Think Memorial Stadium Could Be Getting A Huge Summer Event
A cryptic post from Oklahomas official athletics accounts has Sooners fans doing the kind of detective work that usually comes with schedule releases and transfer rumors, not summer concert news. The image was vague enough to spark plenty of speculation, but it lined up with other stadium teases circulating around the music world, and Memorial Stadium has long been a venue that can double as more than just a football home.
The most talked-about possibility is a Noah Kahan show next summer, especially with a countdown appearing on his website that has fueled talk of an announcement coming soon. Nothing has been made official yet, but the timing of the post and the pattern behind similar stadium hints have given fans a reason to think one of the biggest summer events in Norman could be on the way. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Finally Has Some Bowl Momentum After A Much Needed Road Win
For a team trying to steady itself in the middle of an SEC stretch, Oklahomas win at Mississippi State offered more than just a number in the standings. The Sooners left Starkville with a 4-3 record and a 2-2 mark in league play, and they did it with a cleaner, more balanced performance than they have consistently shown this season. John Mateer completed 76 percent of his passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, while the ground game added 184 yards on 41 carries to help control the pace.
Adepoju Adebawore also kept flashing the kind of pass-rush presence Oklahoma has been leaning on. He finished with 1.5 sacks, another strong showing for a defense that needed one on the road. A win like this does not solve everything, but it does give the Sooners something they have been lacking lately: a little momentum, and a clearer path as the season heads deeper into conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A Real Test Up Front In Norman
South Carolina is bringing real momentum into Norman, and that alone makes this matchup worth a closer look for Oklahoma. The Gamecocks have stacked consecutive wins over ranked Florida and Tennessee, while the Sooners are trying to follow their recent victory over Mississippi State with something they have not managed yet this season: back-to-back wins. With both teams looking to keep moving in the right direction, the line play figures to be central to everything that happens Saturday.
For Oklahoma, the immediate concern is up front, where the Sooners are still sorting through an offensive line situation that will be under the microscope against one of the SECs most disruptive young defenders. South Carolina coaches pointed to edge rusher Dylan Stewart as a player who can change the tone of a game, and Oklahomas staff knows that kind of pressure can decide whether a rhythm offense ever gets settled. In a game with momentum on the line for both sides, that front-five battle may end up defining the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]