Oklahoma coach Riley says kickoff of opening win was in jeopardy

Once again, not enough difference-making plays

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley confirmed after the Sooners’ opening victory over Missouri State that the game Saturday night had been jeopardy of being postponed or canceled because of the Sooners’ COVID-19 cases.

Earlier, the Springfield NewsLeader reported that Missouri State President Clif Smart told the school’s board of governors that the game had been in doubt. “It hung in the balance for a little bit, but we were able to do it,” Riley said after the 48-0 victory.

Meanwhile, Big Ten presidents were presented a comprehensive plan Sunday to conduct a fall season, but a final decision is still to come. If they act quickly, Big Ten football could kickoff as soon as the weekend of Oct. 17.

When last we saw these Falcons, they were lecturing us on the value of continuity. Here’s a slice of continuity for you: This club hasn’t won an opener since Sept. 10, 2017, which was their first game after surging from 25 points ahead to finish second in Super Bowl 51. Coach Dan Quinn has entered the latest of what’s supposed to be a winbig-or-get-gone season, and his team is, for the third consecutive year, 0-1.

There was no compelling reason the Falcons lost 38-25 to Seattle on Sunday. They weren’t outmanned. They made only one turnover until the game’s final seconds. They outgained the Seahawks by 123 yards, though a goodly chunk of that came after they’d fallen 19 points behind. (Matt Ryan threw for 450 yards, the second-best total of his distinguished career.) The trouble

CURTIS COMPTON / CURTIS.COMPTON@AJC.COM Matt Ryan is forced to throw it away under pressure from Seahawks defensive end L.J. Collier during the first quarter. Ryan went 37-for-54 for 450 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. “It was just not enough,” he said.