OU football has first losing season since 1998 & more key stats from loss to Florida State

Justin Martinez, Oklahoman
·3 min read
17

For the first time since John Blake's last season as head coach in 1998, the OU football team is finishing the year with a losing record.

However, the Sooners made a valiant effort Thursday night in Orlando, Fla., falling just short in a 35-32 loss to 13th-ranked Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl.

Brent Venables' debut season as OU head coach ends with a 6-7 record.

Here's a look at the loss by the numbers:

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OU takes control in the first quarter

22: Redshirt junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel delivered a 22-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Jalil Farooq with 7:01 left in the first quarter. This gave OU a 7-3 lead, which marked the score at the end of the quarter.

5: Florida State went a combined 1-for-5 on third and fourth down in the first quarter.

More:Tramel: OU football stands tall in Cheez-It Bowl loss, shows Brent Venables' foundation

Dec 29, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) scores a touchdown during the second quarter in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium.
Dec 29, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) scores a touchdown during the second quarter in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium.

Sooners misses opportunity, still enters halftime with lead

6: Gabriel ran for an 8-yard touchdown that gave OU a 14-3 lead with 14:31 left in the second quarter. This marked Gabriel's sixth rushing touchdown of the season, which is a career high.

16: A 16-yard touchdown run by freshman Gavin Sawchuk with just under 11 minutes left in the second quarter got called back due to a holding penalty. OU ultimately settled for a 45-yard field-goal try by redshirt sophomore kicker Zach Schmit, who couldn't convert.

72: Following Schmit's missed field goal, Florida State mounted a 72-yard touchdown drive. The Seminoles then completed the 2-point conversion to trim the Sooners' lead to 14-11.

41: Schmit made a 41-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the second quarter to send OU into halftime with a 17-11 lead.

124: Freshmen Jovantae Barnes and Sawchuk ran for 70 and 54 yards, respectively, in the first half. This gave them a combined total of 124 yards on the ground.

More:OU football report card: Sooners' running game superb vs. Florida State in Cheez-It Bowl

Florida State takes the lead in the third quarter

18: Florida State's Treshaun Ward scored a 1-yard touchdown run to give his team an 18-17 lead with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

5: Sophomore safety Billy Bowman intercepted a pass with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. It only marked Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis' fifth interception of the season.

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Florida State escapes with narrow win

1: Sawchuk delivered a 15-yard touchdown run that gave OU a 25-18 lead with 13:22 left in the game. This marked Sawchuk's first career touchdown.

1: Sawchuk fumbled the ball with 9:41 left in the game, and Florida State's Omarion Cooper recovered it. This marked the first and only turnover of the game.

32: Florida State kicker Ryan Fitzgerald made a 32-yard field goal to give his team a 35-32 lead with 55 seconds remaining. This proved to be the final score of the game.

1998: OU finishes with its first losing season since 1998.

—Justin Martinez, Staff writer

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football vs. Florida State: Stats from Sooners' Cheez-It Bowl loss

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