Mayfield can’t find targets down the field
Iowa State didn’t exactly try to get after Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield on Saturday in the Cyclones’ stunning 38-31 win over the Sooners.
Instead, Iowa State elected to sit back in coverage, giving the Sooners’ receivers little open space.
The result was a lack of big plays in the passing game, with Jordan Smallwood’s 29-yard reception in the third quarter the longest through the air.
In Oklahoma’s first four games, it had nine pass plays of at least 30 yards and at least one pass of 42 yards or more and at least one touchdown pass of 36 or more yards in each game.
Against Iowa State, Mayfield’s two touchdown passes came from 23 and 15 yards.
After the game, Mayfield said the way Iowa State defended the Sooners—which did open up things for Mayfield to run—wouldn’t help other teams slow down OU.
“It’s about us,” Mayfield said. “It’s not about what they’re doing.” Sooners drop to No. 12 After Saturday’s 38-31 loss to Iowa State, Oklahoma fell to No. 12 in the Associated Press poll.
The Sooners are the third one-loss team in the newest poll, which was released Sunday.
Ohio State, which the Sooners beat 31-13 on Sept. 9, is at No. 9, followed by Auburn at No. 10.
Oklahoma State, which was off Saturday, climbed one spot to No. 14.
Two other Big 12 teams are in the poll, with TCU jumping two spots to No. 6 and Texas Tech climbing into the poll for the first time this season at No. 24.
Alabama and Clemson remained at the top of the polls, with Penn State moving up a spot to No. 3, followed by Georgia and Washington.
Mayfield staying accurate
Although he was nearly picked off on his final pass in Saturday’s loss, Mayfield still hasn’t thrown an interception this season.
Overall, he’s gone seven consecutive games without an interception, throwing for 20 touchdowns in that span.
Mayfield has now thrown 185 consecutive passes without an interception and is close to breaking the school record in that category. Jason White went 198 consecutive attempts without an interception in 2004.
Only two other starting quarterbacks of top-25 teams have yet to throw an interception this season—Alabama’s Jalen Hurts and North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley.
Mayfield set a Big 12 record with his 18th consecutive game with two touchdown passes or more. The previous record was held by Sam Bradford.
Extra points
Oklahoma is now 2-2 in “Stripe the Stadium” games and 6-2 wearing the “Roughriders” alternate uniforms. … The loss was Oklahoma’s first in the regular season coming off a bye since a 2014 loss to Oklahoma State. That was one of two losses coming off a bye that season. … Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is the first Sooners player since Frank Alexander in 2010 to record at least 0.5 sacks in five consecutive games. … Fullback Dimitri Flowers moved to fourth place in school history for receiving yards by a running back. Flowers has 685 career receiving yards.