Caleb Williams Benched as No. 8 Oklahoma Upset by No. 13 Baylor's Dominant Defense
The No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners suffered their first loss of the season Saturday, falling to the No. 13 Baylor Bears 27-14 at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.
Both teams struggled to get much going offensively for most of the day, and Oklahoma freshman quarterback Caleb Williams was held in check, finishing with 146 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions through the air, plus 17 yards and one score on the ground.
Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley replaced Williams with Spencer Rattler in the second half, although Williams returned in the closing minutes when Rattler proved ineffective.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
While some offensive fireworks were expected, Baylor held Oklahoma to just 260 total yards, including only 78 on the ground.
Baylor's ground game dominated by comparison, as the Bears rushed for 296 yards and held the ball for 35:19, while Oklahoma only possessed it for 24:41.
By virtue of Saturday's victory, Baylor is 8-2 overall and 5-2 in Big 12 play, while OU is 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the conference.
The College Football Playoff committee was already down on Oklahoma because of its inability to dominate, and now that the Sooners have a loss, their chances at a CFP berth are likely gone.
Notable Stats
Gerry Bohanon, QB, BAY: 12/21 for 117 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT; 9 CAR for 107 YDS, 2 TD
Caleb Williams, QB, OU: 10/19 for 146 YDS, 0 TD, 2 INT; 10 CAR for 17 YDS, 1 TD
Spencer Rattler, QB, OU: 4/6 for 36 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT
Abram Smith, WR, BAY: 20 CAR for 148 YDS
Kennedy Brooks, RB, OU: 13 CAR for 51 YDS, 1 TD
Tyquan Thornton, WR, BAY: 4 REC for 41 YDS, 1 TD
Williams Struggles Mightily in Oklahoma's 1st Loss
There was Heisman Trophy buzz surrounding Williams ahead of Saturday's clash with Baylor, but just like Oklahoma's national championship hopes, they went up in smoke.
The talented freshman never looked comfortable or in sync at any point during the game, as Baylor's swarming defense constantly gave him problems.
It started on the Sooners' second offensive drive when Williams was intercepted on an ill-advised throw in Oklahoma territory:
Williams had a great run for a first down on a 2nd-and-16 play late in the first half, but he had his hand stepped on by a Baylor defender while getting tackled:
He appeared to be favoring his hand when entering the locker room, and he continued to struggle when he came back out for the second half.
After having been intercepted only once this season entering Saturday's game, Williams was picked off for a second time early in the third quarter with Oklahoma trailing 10-7:
Williams seemingly tried to throw the ball away but failed to get it out of bounds, thus stalling another OU drive.
After Williams nearly lost a fumble on a sack late in the third quarter, the Oklahoma fans present in Waco began chanting for Rattler to enter the game:
It was ironic, since OU fans chanted for Williams several weeks earlier, which led to Williams taking the starting job from Rattler.
Skip Bayless of Fox Sports was among those who weren't thrilled with Riley's decision to pull Williams:
The move did not pay dividends for Oklahoma, as Rattler played poorly and was ultimately taken out of the game in the fourth quarter.
Saturday served as a reality check for Williams and the Sooners team as a whole after Oklahoma had narrowly avoided several near-upsets earlier in the season.
The loss to Baylor cost OU a chance at a national title, but a Big 12 title remains possible if the Sooners can regroup.
Baylor Rides Defense, Running Game to Upset Win
All eyes were on Williams and the electric Oklahoma offense entering Saturday's game, but Baylor proved why it boasts one of the best defenses in college football.
The Bears were all over Williams and the Sooners from start to finish, forcing two turnovers and preventing OU from finding any type of rhythm throughout.
Baylor set the tone from Oklahoma's first drive of the game by forcing a three-and-out and then intercepting Williams on the second drive, as it held the Sooners to just seven points in the opening half.
The dominance of Baylor's defense carried over to the second half, as the Bears put consistent pressure on Williams and nearly forced a turnover deep in Oklahoma territory late in the third quarter on a strip-sack:
With Williams struggling and perhaps nursing a hand injury, Oklahoma turned to Rattler at the end of the third quarter in hopes of creating a spark.
That didn't happen, as the Bears continued to wreak havoc on the Oklahoma offensive line and sacked Rattler on third-and-long on his first drive to force a punt:
KCENTV's Niki Lattarulo made note of how hungry and aggressive the Baylor defense played throughout:
Before Oklahoma scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter during garbage time, Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic tweeted a breakdown of the ridiculous production Baylor's defense provided Saturday:
While defense was the driving force behind Baylor's biggest win of the season, the Bears' running game also thrived, especially in the second half when the team rushed for over 200 yards.
The defining offensive play of the game for Baylor came early in the fourth quarter with the Bears clinging to a 10-7 lead.
Running back Abram Smith dashed 75 yards down the field and into the Oklahoma red zone, setting the stage for a Baylor touchdown to extend the lead to 17-7:
Based on how well Baylor's defense was playing at the time, that was essentially an insurmountable lead, and it allowed the Bears to run as much clock as possible in the final quarter.
Baylor quarterback Gerry Bohanon largely struggled as a passer in the game, going just 12-of-21 for 117 yards with one touchdown and one pick, but Oklahoma couldn't handle him as a runner either, as evidenced by his 107 yards and two scores on the ground.
The Bears seemingly figured out the formula to beating Oklahoma and perhaps showed other teams the blueprint for the remainder of the season.
What's Next?
Baylor will attempt to continue rolling next Saturday when it goes on the road to face the unranked Kansas State Wildcats.
Meanwhile, the Sooners will look to bounce back from a devastating loss next Saturday when they host the unranked Iowa State Cyclones.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
