As a follow up to my previous article, “The Era of Hurts Begins”, I am happy to report that the debut of graduate transfer Jalen Hurts was quite successful. He didn’t need time to adjust or or shake off the rust. Instead, he was a man driven with a point to prove. Jalen took the reigns of his team fiercely and said, “I’m taking you to the championship.” Hurts was 11 of 14 passing for 176 yards and a touchdown. He also added a rushing touchdown.
Beyond the stats, he looked very comfortable inside and outside the pocket. Hurts went through each of his progressions with ease; which was something he was criticized for while at Alabama. He settled in quite nicely, taking command like a seasoned pro. Let’s not forget to mention Hurts did all of this while breaking in a new offensive line: Erik Swenson, Darrell Simpson, Clayton Woods, Bret Walker, and Adrian Ealy. Add to that, center Clayton Woods is not currently a scholarship player. Even with the lack of experience up front, he had more time in the pocket that his counterpart Tanner Mordecai, who coincidentally had a rough outing.
Overall, the 50,228 Sooners fans in attendance have plenty to be excited about. Is Jalen the QB who will guide them to the promised land? Will he be hoisting the Heisman come December to carry on the tradition of previous Oklahoma quarterbacks? It remains to be seen. However, one can’t help walk away feeling optimistic.
