Haselwood’s selflessness pays off vs. TCU
NORMAN — When asked to voice his thoughts during Friday's offensive team meeting, Jadon Haselwood pointed out the obvious.
The redshirt sophomore addressed the lack of balls that had been thrown his way this season. Haselwood entered Saturday's game against TCU with 21 receptions for 238 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he didn't plead for more opportunities.
“He said he didn't care,” OU head coach Lincoln Riley said. “He said, ‘(If ) I gotta block 60 times a game, like, whatever, I just want to win.”
Haselwood did much more than just block against the Horned Frogs.
The 6-foot-3 wideout erupted for a career-high three touchdowns in the Sooners' 52-31 home win and became the first OU player to record three receiving touchdowns in a single game since CeeDee Lamb earned a hat trick against Texas on Oct. 12, 2019.
“It was very exciting,” Haselwood said. “I haven't had a game like this since I was in high school, so I'm very happy right now... Tonight was just one of those nights where I was on and I was hot.”
Haselwood first hit pay dirt with 20 seconds left until halftime when Caleb Williams threw a back-shoulder pass to him in the end zone. The savvy wideout broke free from TCU's C.J. Ceasar and made the diving snag to send OU into the break with a 24-14 lead.
Williams continued to feed the hot hand in the third quarter.
Still leading 24-14 with 11:50 on the clock, the freshman gunslinger hit Haselwood right on the numbers as two Horned Frog defenders closed in for a 16-yard touchdown reception.
Haselwood completed the hat trick on the ensuing OU possession. This time he found himself wide open in the end zone as he hauled in a 7-yard touchdown reception.
Haselwood converted his team-high eight targets into six catches for 56 yards and three touchdowns.
“The guys that are unselfish and team first, they're going to be ready when their opportunity comes and have a chance to have a huge night like Jadon did tonight,” Riley said. “And we've got a lot of examples like that on our team now, so that's some of the unselfish stuff that, as a coach, you really appreciate.”
Touchdown to touchback
DaShaun White won't be talking trash for a while.
The senior linebacker has established himself as one of OU's top defensive players since joining the team in 2018, but that hasn't stopped him from bragging to the team's offense that he could do just as well on the other side of the ball.
White got his chance to put his money where his mouth is on Saturday, though, and he couldn't cash in.
The veteran linebacker scooped up the ball following a fumble by TCU's Derius Davis late in the third quarter and set his sights on the end zone.
White sprinted down the sideline and dove for the pylon as a Horned Frog defender flew in for a tackle, but the ball slipped out of his hand and rolled out of bounds in the end zone for a touchback rather than a touchdown.
“Everybody in the locker room has heard me talk trash about how I feel like I can be on the offense,” White said. “I had my opportunity, and I tried to make the most of it... It's very unfortunate that it ended that way, but I was trying to make a play.”
White's efforts resulted in a touchback, but there is a bright side to the blunder.
OU's defense has now recorded at least one takeaway in each of its last 13 games. It's the longest streak since the Sooners' 26-game takeaway streak from 2008-2010.
Sooner surprise
Rodney Anderson never wanted his knee touch the grass of Owen Field during his time as a Sooner, but he made an exception on Saturday.
OU held a 17-14 lead over TCU with 2:50 left in the first quarter when the game went into a television timeout. During that time, the camera cut to the former Sooner running back as he stood in the corner of the end zone.
Anderson wasn't alone. The OU alum promptly got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend of five years, Kate Cox, who said yes, resulting in a standing ovation.
Anderson played for the Sooners from 2015-18. The elusive back finished his college career with 1,566 total yards and 21 touchdowns before being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 211th overall pick (sixth round) in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was waived following a failed physical designation on Aug. 17, 2020.