OU faces Iowa State,
Brown, Lamb making case as OU’s top receiving duo
AMES, IOWA — Oklahoma receivers Marquise Brown and CeeDee Lamb have shown an appreciation for history off the field and a penchant for dramatics on it.
For the Sooners’ season opener against Florida Atlantic, the duo showed up at the stadium wearing Fred Biletnikoff jerseys, a sign that the two planned on competing for the award named in Biletnikoff’s honor that recognizes college football’s best receiver.
Both have looked up to the part through two games.
In the opener, Brown had six catches for 133 yards and a 65-yard touchdown. He showcased his speed by separating himself by about five yards from his defender and cruising into the end zone.
A week later, it was Lamb taking center stage. He had seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown, plus one of the most impressive noncatches in recent memory when he jumped at full capacity and pulled down Kyler Murray’s pass one-handed but landed just out of bounds.
Through 15 games together — Brown didn’t play in the Ohio State game last year — Brown and Lamb have formed one of the most dynamic receiver pairs in the country and are making a case as the top all-time. Continue this level of play throughout the season and there doesn’t figure to be much doubt the duo tops the list.
Brown, a senior, stays away from such proclamations now.
“I don’t know because we’re still here,” Brown said.
Ryan Aber
“That’s something later down the road (for) other people.”
But he did say it was a goal for both.
“That’s something that me and him, we talk about and we push each other to be one of the best duos,” Brown said. “That’s what we pride ourselves in.” The bar is clear. Though there are plenty of strong candidates —most in the last 20 years as passing flourished in Norman — Ryan Broyles and Kenny Stills are at the top of the list.
Broyles was a shifty receiver who set the NCAA career record for receptions. Stills was the clutch finisher, scoring game-winning touchdowns against Florida State in 2011 and West Virginia a year earlier.
But while both were great receivers, the talents of Brown and Lamb are complementary to each other in a way few duos are.
“No matter how you can get the ball or catch it, just get it done,” Lamb said.
“Us two having the same mindset and that caliber or ability to track the ball, I just feel like that’s what makes us so good together.”
Brown is the home-run hitter, taking advantage of his speed to blow by defenders. Lamb is best at fighting through traffic to come up with tough catches.
Having the other on the field at the same time makes it easier on each.
“You can’t double-team both of us,” Lamb said.
Brown shook his head when asked how difficult it is to game plan against an offense that has both him and Lamb involved.
“I ain’t no defensive coordinator so I don’t know,” Brown said. “They’ve got a hard task ahead of them though.”