No. 14 Oklahoma defeated BYU 31-24 on Saturday, fueled by three turnovers and 21 points off those takeaways. Despite losing quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the second half, the Sooners managed to secure the win.
Gabriel threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns before sustaining a head injury just before halftime. Gavin Sawchuk’s 107-yard performance, including a go-ahead 16-yard touchdown run, helped lead Oklahoma to victory.
BYU’s Aidan Robbins rushed for a season-high 182 yards, while Jake Retzlaff threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns. However, Retzlaff also had two fumbles and an interception, contributing to the Cougars’ defeat.
Gabriel guided the Oklahoma offense flawlessly in the first half, connecting with Jayden Gibson for a 55-yard strike to set up his first touchdown, as well as tossing a 27-yard touchdown to Gibson for a 14-7 lead.
Retzlaff matched Gabriel’s performance with several big plays, including a 23-yard pass to Chase Roberts and a 29-yard throw to Kody Epps to set up a 1-yard pass to Isaac Rex, tying the game at 14-14.
In the third quarter, BYU had an opportunity to take the lead, but Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman intercepted a short pass from Retzlaff and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown, helping the Sooners regain the lead at 24-17.
Retzlaff led another scoring drive in the fourth quarter, converting on a 4th down with a 26-yard pass to Epps and later stretching over the goal line on a 10-yard keeper to tie the game at 24-24.
Despite BYU’s efforts, they were unable to take the lead after Retzlaff fumbled at the BYU 25, setting up Sawchuk’s game-winning touchdown for Oklahoma.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma’s defense stepped up after losing Gabriel, while BYU showcased an improved running game, finishing with a season-high 390 total yards.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Oklahoma’s challenging game against BYU may not significantly impact their ranking.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma will face TCU on Friday, while BYU will visit Oklahoma State on Saturday.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll