Rattler says injured hip is 'nothing serious'
NORMAN — OU quarterback Spencer Rattler looked uncomfortable after returning from a hip pointer he suffered on a second-quarter touchdown run in the Sooners' 62-9 win over Kansas on Saturday.
Rattler was hit on his left hip by Kansas safety Ricky Thomas just inside the end zone on his 2-yard touchdown run about seven minutes into the second quarter.
Rattler initially didn't miss time but after throwing his first pass following Thomas' hit, Rattler pulled himself from the game.
He wound up missing just two plays but the twisting throwing motion bothered him the rest of the way.
“I couldn't really finish … you could tell,” Rattler said. “I didn't have any of my power the whole second half and after that on some of the completions as well. I was probably playing at 50%, but sometimes you gotta tough it out and go out there and just help the team in whatever way you can, but luckily nothing serious. Just a bruise.”
Rattler said the pain never went away.
He finished 15 of 27 for 212 yards, a touchdown and an interception — his first since the first half of the Oct. 10 game against Texas.
Rattler said he should've t hrown t he ball away t hat wound up being picked off by Kansas' Kenny Logan in the first quarter.
“I thought he played OK,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said. “Made some really good plays. Had the one bad decision in the scramble situation. He and (Jeremiah) Hall weren't on the same page. We were just a tick off, missed a couple throws.
“Certainly could have played better. We had some more great opportunities out there, but once again, I thought he managed it well.”
Radley-Hiles turnover explained
In the first quarter against Kansas, Brendan Radley-Hiles picked off Jalon Daniels and returned it 30 yards, seemingly setting the Sooners up in great field position at the Jayhawks' 31.
But Kansas receiver Luke Grimm didn't give up on the play.
Grimm, while stepping out of bounds, batted the ball away from Radley-Hiles from the backside. It was immediately r ecovered by Earl Bostick. Officials originally ruled the Sooners had the ball but after r eplay, t he J ayhawks were awarded the football.
Riley argued the play but officials i nformed him that a player out of bounds can force a fumble as long as it's not touched after the original action.
“Honestly, it's a play, I don't know in all the football in all the years, I've ever seen happen,” Riley said. “But t hey were very clear that you can cause a fumble even if you are out of bounds.
“Now, i f your hand was to stay on the ball long term or anything like that, then it wouldn't. But if it's just one single action and the ball's knocked out … I don't know the rule. I fully admit it.”
Secondary finishing turnovers
While the Sooners' defensive line got the bulk of the attention after the game — nine sacks will do that — the secondary also was more than solid for the Sooners.
Perhaps most importantly, the So one rs finished off turnovers for the second consecutive week.
After forcing three turnovers—two intercept ions —against Texas Tech the week before, the Sooners had two more takeaways against Kansas.
It's the first time since early last season — against South Dakota and UCLA—that OU's defense has forced multiple turnovers in consecutive weeks.
The Sooners hadn't had multiple takeaways in consecutive games in Big 12 play since the last three conference games of the 2017 season.
OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said the secondary had done a much better job at “eye control” — picking up the ball visually quicker — recently.
“To snap your eyes in critical situations, I'm in man coverage, the reception point, the ball is coming, I snap my eyes back for the football, not, 'Oh, I'm surprised by the ball,'" Grinch said. “That's the whole reason I covered the guy was hoping they would throw it my way.”