3 Sooners Takeaways: This is Drake Stoops' World, & We're Just Livin' In It

After the Oklahoma Sooners lost to Oklahoma State 27-24 in Stillwater last weekend, OU's second consecutive loss, wide receiver Drake Stoops was asked about his outlook.

Journalist Parker Thune tweeted Drake's response:

"I come in here day in and day out, 10 hours in here every day. And for me, there's a lot left to play for. I bust my tail year-round for this, for six years now. So I'm not really listening to what people say... I don't care if we're 0-8 right now. I'm playing ball because I love to play football, I love my teammates, I love my coaches, I love the University of Oklahoma. It's really that simple. I got a lot of pride for this place."

Safe to say that the entire Oklahoma squad felt the same way, and they showed it in a 59-20 dismantling of West Virginia. The Mountaineers (6-4) had three losses but were a Hail Mary away from only two. To the eye, West Virginia looked like a legitimate threat to cause some problems for Brent Venables' Sooners in Norman.

Didn't happen. And while Oklahoma still doesn't have a clear path to the Big 12 title game, even with losses by Kansas and Oklahoma State on Saturday, the Sooners did something in 2023 they never really did in 2022.

They bounced back.

They more than bounced back. These Sooners played with a chip on their shoulder.

It didn't start out in grand fashion as Neal Brown's Mountaineers opened the game with an 8-play, 75-yard drive for what seemed like an easy touchdown. West Virginia led 7-0 early, and it looked like big trouble at the Palace on the Prairie.

Oklahoma proceeded to outscore WVU 59-13 from there.

Takeaway 1: The Drake Stoops Game

You don't have to believe like I do, that Drake Stoops will play on Sundays. I don't believe it's an 'if' he catches on with an NFL team. I believe it's a 'when.' Drake is a coach's dream. He's got the right attitude, the right work ethic. And he's a possession receiver. Every NFL team needs a possession receiver.

Drake is the heart-and-soul of this Oklahoma team, and he walked the walk this week, catching 10 balls for 164 yards and three TDs. It would be hard to argue that he shouldn't be looked to as WR1 on this team, with all due respect to Nic Anderson. Anderson was also great on Saturday with four catches for 119 yards.

But when No. 12 gets the ball often, Oklahoma is better for it.

And this week, Stoops did it with style and grit. Take a look at the end of this 60-yard touchdown.

The spike earned him a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty. A hit on Stoops after a touchdown later in the game earned West Virginia safety Anthony Wilson the ire of Dillon Gabriel, and later OL McKade Mettauer, who got ejected after letting Wilson know what he thought about his hit on Stoops. On his way to the locker room, none other than University of Oklahoma President Joe Harroz fist-bumped the ejected Mettauer.

Stoops was great Saturday night against the Mountaineers, and I think his approach to the rest of the season and bouncing back after losses to Kansas and OSU was contagious. You could practically feel the chip the Sooners wore on their shoulders. They need to keep it, and 11-2 or even 12-2 is a real possibility.

Takeaway 2: '8' Is Great

Oh, by the way, Dillon Gabriel passed Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan on Saturday night to enter the Top 10 all-time for college football passers (in terms of yards). However, that's your fair writer burying the lede.

The Oklahoma quarterback accounted for all eight Sooners' TDs versus West Virginia, a new OU record. Before Saturday night, two quarterbacks were tied with seven TDs in a single game. You might have heard of them.

Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield.

Gabriel wasn't at his most accurate against West Virginia, completing 23 of 36 passes. However, No. 8 threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns. Forgive the improper English, but he slaaaang that ball. (For the record and to keep my 11th grade grammar teacher from messaging me, I know that it should have been 'slung.' But 'slung' doesn't accurately describe how effective Gabriel was Saturday night. Ergo, slaaaaang.)

It was an offense that put criticisms of offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby at bay. Whether those criticisms were fair or not, it was clear that the Oklahoma offense was simply better Saturday night against West Virginia than it had been against UCF, Kansas, or Oklahoma State.

Takeaway 3: The Best Defense Is A Great Offense?

Danny Stutsman returned to the lineup, and it showed. The Oklahoma defense is significantly better when he is there, and it's not just about the eight tackles (two of them for loss). It's about his leadership and attitude. The linebacker is the quarterback of the defense, and while this Sooners' D bent some against the Mountaineers, it never broke.

Interesting enough, the Sooners didn't record a single sack in the game. They did get eight tackles for a loss, however.

All that to say this: the Oklahoma offense was so good that it allowed the defense some breathing room. A unit has to take advantage of that, unlike the Alex Grinch defenses under Lincoln Riley, which routinely gave up just as much as it scored. This bunch led by defensive coordinator Ted Roof got stops.

College football is a funny sport. Lose one week, and you begin to think that your team will never win again. Win the next, and you feel like your squad is invincible. In this 59-20 win over West Virginia, Oklahoma's formula for victory was largely about offense and emotion.

The Sooners have to open up the playbook.

And keep a chip on their collective shoulders.