Oklahoma’s secondary has kept producing answers, even while the injury list kept growing.
That was the backdrop Monday night in Norman, where cornerback Eli Bowen talked through the group that has helped carry the Sooners into Saturday’s matchup with No. 19 Ole Miss.
Bowen started with Trystan Haynes, the sophomore who stepped into the starting lineup for four games while Bowen was sidelined. He moved to his older brother, Peyton Bowen, who was recently named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
Then came Courtland Guillory, another sophomore cornerback who delivered an interception in the third quarter of last week’s 23-7 win at Florida and also had the big pick that set up the final drive to beat Texas in early October.
That kind of production has kept Oklahoma in strong shape on the back end despite injuries to both Bowens, free safety Michael Boganowski, and several other depth pieces at cornerback. The Sooners enter the Ole Miss game ranked No. 11 nationally in passing yards allowed per game, giving up just 170.7 through the air. They are also No. 4 nationally in third-down defense and No. 6 in the red zone.
Ole Miss should provide a much tougher aerial challenge than most of Oklahoma’s opponents have offered so far. The Rebels rank No. 23 in FBS in passing yards per game at 271.4, while the highest-ranked passing attack the Sooners have faced to this point has been Mississippi State at No. 40.
Even with the schedule they’ve played, Oklahoma’s secondary has done plenty of the heavy lifting. Only South Carolina and Texas have thrown for more than 200 yards against the Sooners. Florida managed just 133 passing yards last week, its lowest total of the season, and Kentucky’s 158 through the air against Oklahoma last month was the Wildcats’ second-lowest mark of the year.
Eli Bowen had plenty of praise for the people around him, especially his brother.
“I don’t know how else to describe it besides ‘excited,’” Eli said of watching Peyton bloom from a really good player into one of the best safeties in college football. “I wish there was a word bigger than excited, but I don’t think there is.
It’s a blessing just to see him go out there and chase his dreams and just be confident in how he’s playing and trust what he’s seeing, playing fast, playing aggressive, playing smart. It’s what I’ve seen my whole life, so watching him be able to do it out here consistently every game - it’s just a beautiful thing.”
Peyton Bowen’s numbers back up the rise. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the second highest-graded safety in the SEC at 84.7, which leads all Oklahoma defenders. He has also been on the field more than almost anyone on the unit; only Guillory, cheetah Reggie Powers III and linebacker Owen Heinecke have played more snaps this season.
Guillory’s impact goes beyond the interceptions. Eli Bowen pointed to the energy he brings every time he steps on the field.
“It brings energy to not just our room but the team,” Eli Bowen said of Guillory. “Seeing him go out there and strap receivers and get hands on and be aggressive and make tackles and break the ball up, it brings energy to the team that just makes us play with more passion because something that fiery is on our team.
“If he’s playing with energy, we got to match that energy, so it just raises the bar.”
Haynes has already shown he can handle a bigger role, filling in effectively when Bowen was hurt. With Bowen back, Haynes has added depth to a cornerback group that had been stretched thin.
Oklahoma could get another boost Saturday. Jacobe Johnson, who had been the Sooners’ third cornerback before getting injured Sept. 26 at Georgia, is listed as probable against Ole Miss.
The secondary’s play has also helped the rest of the defense function with more freedom. Owen Heinecke said the back end has made things easier across the board.
“They just cover up for our mistakes,” Heinecke said. “Whether it’s in the run game or the pass game, they’re all over the field.
So it gives a lot of relief to the defense. I think it gives a lot of relief to the play callers, because you can afford to be aggressive with your linebackers, and know that he’s gonna cover it up, they are gonna cover it up on the back end.”
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The availability picture is just as busy on the other sideline, where Ole Miss has 11 players listed out, including running back Kewan Lacy and guard Patris Kutas. The Rebels also have a handful of players tagged probable or doubtful, so both teams are managing more than a few moving parts as the game approaches. For Oklahoma, though, the focus remains on whether it can get enough stability along the line to hold up in a matchup with real stakes. [Read more 🡒]
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Beers leads SEC tight ends in receiving yards per game and has put together a productive season with 38 catches, 518 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions. The award race is still moving, with finalists set to be announced Nov. 24 before the winner is revealed Dec. 11 during the Home Depot College Football Awards, leaving Oklahoma with a little more to watch as the season winds down. [Read more 🡒]