NORMAN – Oklahoma (2-0) and UCLA (0-2) are headed in opposite directions.
No. 5/4 OU travels to Pasadena Saturday for a 7 p.m. kickoff (Central Time) on Fox Sports.
The Sooner football team, with the No. 1 offense in the nation, cruised past a scrappy South Dakota team 70-14 Saturday here while Chip Kelly’s hapless Bruins fell to San Diego State 14-23 Saturday in Pasadena. Attendance at the UCLA game was a paltry 36,951.
It was the first win for San Diego State over UCLA in 23 games.
Oklahoma’s offense leads the nation, with 1,419 yards (710 per game). OU has passed for 755 yards and rushed for 664.
UCLA lost at Cincinnati, 14-24, in the season opener.
Last season, OU beat UCLA 49-21 in Norman. The Sooners led 35-7 after three quarters and outgained the Bruins 485 yards to 383 yards. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robins hit 16 of 26 passes for 254 yards and one score versus OU last year. Against Cincinnati, Thompson-Robins hit only 8 of 26 passes (156 yards) and had two interceptions and two touchdowns.
“We do have a really good team coming in here next Saturday, and we have got to be ready for them,” Kelly said. “They’re an outstanding football team and they’re well-coached, and it’s the same thing we’d talked about with San Diego State coming in here.”
South Dakota coach Bob Nielson was impressed with Oklahoma, to say the least.
“We knew it was going to be a monumental challenge for us with where we’re at right now, from the defensive standpoint,” Nielson said “You know, you got tremendously deep group of really good wide receivers, you got a couple of NFL caliber running backs, and they’re really talented quarterback, who can make plays with his feet and throw it.
“You put that together with a good offensive line and I’m not sure there’s going to be a lot of teams that do a very good job defending them throughout the course of the year, at least the first two weeks that sure has been the case.”
Oklahoma outgained South Dakota 733 yards to 348 and registered its first three takeaways of the season in a 70-14 win over South Dakota to improve to 2-0. OU’s 70 points were its most since a 79-10 home win over North Texas to open the 2007 campaign, and 10 Sooners scored touchdowns on the night.
Oklahoma gained 733 yards against the Coyotes, who got most of their yardage in the second half against OU reserve defenders.
OU’s improved defense forced three turnovers. Defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter. Freshman cornerback Jaden Davis had an interception in the fourth quarter.
Radley-Hiles is from California and will return home for the UCLA game.
“I am very excited to go back home and see my family,” he said. “Get to see a lot of my brothers and my babies. I’ve got a lot of nieces and nephews out there so I’ll get to see everybody.”
New Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was happy to see the three forced turnovers but still disappointed that South Dakota scored two touchdowns.
“It’s really good, and, obviously, my frustration a week ago, I couldn’t hide it,” Grinch said of the lack of turnovers in the win over Houston. “It’s something that has to happen for us to play that type of defense that we want to play around here. It was a rip-the-band-aid off kind of deal. You see how it stalls a drive, and you see how it impacts getting the ball back to the offense. What you hope is that it becomes infectious. It’s something we’ve seen in practice.”
Playing just a little more than one half, OU starting quarterback Jalen Hurts hit 14 of 18 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Ten OU players scored touchdowns.
“I have definitely tried to maximize the most out of this opportunity that I have here every day,” Hurts said. “Enjoy every moment with these guys I have around me and soak it all in. You only live once and God has put me in some crazy, unprecedented situations but is not anything that I can’t handle.”
Hurts ran eight times for 47 yards. “Thank God they took him out or he could’ve broken every school record there is,” Nielson saids.
Second team quarterback Tanner Mordecai entered the game in the third quarter and marched the team 68 yards in four plays. He hit freshman wide receiver Jadon Haselwood for a 14-yard touchdown. Mordecai threw two touchdown passes and was 6 for 8 for 114 yards.
The debut of heralded freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler was impressive as he hit all four of his pass attempts, including one touchdown pass.
“Jalen [Hurts] I thought played pretty well,” said OU coach Lincoln Riley. “I thought that he improved on a few things from the first week. There is still just a lot to get better throughout the flow of the game but he manages and he stays composed.
“I thought that Tanner [Mordecai] came in and kind of did the same thing. Settled in after that first pass and was very efficient. Ran the group really well. Then the puppy [Spencer Rattler] came in and did a good job too. Spencer did a good job and had a nice drive.”
Eleven Sooners caught passes. CeeDee Lamb led the way with six catches for 144 yards and one touchdown.
“We have a competitive group there,” Riley said of his receivers. “CeeDee is doing a good job. He played well tonight and a lot of the other guys did too.”
OU did not attempt a field goal and neither did the Coyotes.
Even though UCLA is down, the Bruins could redeem their season with an upset win over Oklahoma. It is the first road game for OU.
“Obviously a big challenge this weekend coming up against UCLA and the transition to playing on the road and going up there and playing a good football team,” Riley said.