Oklahoma football hits the road after a big win in Week 2. The Sooners will visit Temple in Week 3. Oklahoma continues to rise in the SEC power rankings after two straight victories. Meanwhile, Temple is off to a solid start as well, but is a major underdog at home in this game. As the two prepare to clash in Week 3, it is time to make bold predictions about the game.
Oklahoma enters the game with a 2-0 record on the year. They started with a win over Illinois State, 34-3. Then, the team hosted Michigan. It was a solid first half for the Sooners. They drove the field on the first drive to take the 7-0 lead. They did punt on two of the next three drives and had an interception, but Michigan did not capitalize, missing a field goal. Late in the second quarter, Oklahoma scored again to make it 14-0. Michigan scored on a 75-yard run to open the second half, but never could get back in the game. The Sooners went on to win 24-13.
Temple is under former Sam Houston coach K.C. Keeler now. He has led the team to a 2-0 start. Temple has been dominant in the first two games of the year, but not facing the stiffest of competition. In Week 1, the team started on the road against UMass. After leading 28-10 at the end of the first half, the Owls won the game 42-10. Temple then faced Howard in their home opener in Week 2, running away with the game and winning 55-7.
The running game improves for the Sooners
The Oklahoma run game has struggled this year. While sitting 29th in the nation in rush attempts per game (according to teamrankings.com), the Sooners are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, 79th in the nation. Further, the team is averaging just 138 yards per game on the ground, which is 66th in the nation.
The leading rusher on the team is quarterback John Mateer. Mateer has run for 98 yards this year with three touchdowns. Against Michigan, he ran for 74 yards with two touchdowns. Troy Blaylock has just 66 yards this year on 17 carries, while Javontae Barnes has 33 yards on 13 carries this year. They have combined for just one touchdown.
Cam'Ron Stewart is the star linebacker for the Owls. He already has three sacks this year and is consistently getting pressure on the quarterback. Combining that fact with the fact that Temple has been much better on defense against the pass than against the run, Oklahoma is going to need to rely on the running game. The running game will improve in this game, and it will not all be on the legs of Mateer.
Temple's second-half defense continues to shine
Temple has been dominant on defense in the second half so far this season. Against UMass, the Minutemen were driving deep into the red zone in the third quarter, but the Owls forced an interception to turn them away. UMass managed just 19 yards the rest of the game, as the team failed to score in the second half.
The team was even better against Howard in the second half. Temple allowed just 24 total yards in six drives, plus had a second-half interception, holding Howard without a second-half point as well. Oklahoma is going to score in the second half in this one, but the Temple defense gets stronger as the game goes on.
Stewart has been a constant presence pressuring the quarterback this year, which has led to mistakes. Ben Osueke has already capitalized on one of those mistakes. This year, the corner has two pass breakups plus an interception. He will most likely be on Deion Burks and has the skills to slow Burks down. Mateer has shown that he will throw interceptions, and the way this defense has performed in the second half, do not be shocked if Temple gets another second-half pick in this game.
Oklahoma experiences a letdown
In 2024, Oklahoma hosted Temple to open the season. Oklahoma dominated the game, winning 51-3. This is a different Temple team, though. The offense has improved drastically under Keeler. Evan Simon has also been amazing at quarterback. In 2024, he had 15 total passing touchdowns while having nine interceptions. In two games this year, he already has nine touchdown passes and has not had an interception.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma is coming off a hard-fought victory against Michigan. Then, next week, they open SEC play by hosting Auburn. This is a spot for Oklahoma to be looking past its current opponent, especially considering they won by 48 points last year.
At the time of writing, odds provided by FanDuel have Oklahoma as a 21.5-point favorite. They will not get upset in this one, but if they make too many mistakes or struggle in the second half, the game will be close. That is exactly what is going to happen. Temple is going to put up a fight and keep this game tight.
