Tight ends have big day at Kansas
Windy conditions altered Oklahoma’s offense during Saturday’s game at Kansas, but the tight ends had a great day and played a significant role in OU’s 41-3 win in Lawrence.
LAWRENCE, KAN.
— Oklahoma’s offense sputtered throughout much of the first half of Saturday’s eventual 41-3 win over Kansas.
But when the Sooners started being effective again offensively — on their final drive of the first half — it was OU’s tight ends that played a big part in the offense the rest of the way.
Mark Andrews, Grant Calcaterra and Dimitri Flowers combined for nine of Oklahoma’s 23 receptions.
Only one of those receptions came with one of them lined up at a traditional tight end spot.
That came on Flowers’ second-quarter catch which helped the Sooners set up a touchdown just before halftime. Flowers is the only one of those three not listed as a tight end. He’s listed as a fullback, though he lines up regularly at several different spots.
“They played well, and they were going to need to,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said of his tight ends. “They were stacking it up against our run. We knew there was going to be some matchups there.”
Andrews was lined up or motioned to the slot on three of his catches. On the other, Andrews motioned from the slot to closer to right tackle Bobby Evans before going across the field after the snap to catch a 13-yard pass about midway through the third quarter.
Calcaterra also had four catches — one while lined up in the slot and three coming when he was lined up wide.
Andrews, Oklahoma’s junior John Mackey Award contender, is used to big games.
Twice this season he’s had seven or more catches. Three times he’s had more than 100 yards receiving.
Saturday wasn’t one of those games. Andrews finished with 42 yards and a touchdown.
But with the wind whipping through Memorial Stadium, making it difficult for Baker Mayfield to connect with targets deep, the role of the tight ends in the offense — even if they often line up elsewhere on the field — became even bigger.
“I don’t make any excuses, but there was some good wind tonight and obviously you could tell our passing game wasn’t as on point as it usually is,” Andrews said Saturday night. “Maybe that has to do with some of the wind, but we’ve got to be better. It’s hard to practice that type of thing, especially how heavy it was here, but (it) had a little effect.”
The Sooners were still able to adjust and find a way to pile up the points — 20 in the second half — in a different way.
With the wind making things difficult through the air and Kansas’ defensive front making it tough for Oklahoma to move the ball on the ground, Riley regularly called on his big tight ends.
For Calcaterra, Saturday was a breakout. He had touchdown catches against UTEP and TCU but hadn’t had more than two catches in any game this season and hadn’t had more than 29 yards receiving in any game.
Against the Jayhawks, Calcaterra doubled his season total in catches, for 67 yards.
“There’s a ton more to come from him, and it’s awesome to see him going out there doing his thing,” Andrews said of the freshman. “I’m excited for his future.”