No. 21 Oklahoma won its first SEC game, posting a 27-21 victory over Auburn on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Kip Lewis ran an interception back 63 yards for a pick 6 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, giving the Sooners a 22-21 lead. Michael Hawkins Jr. then ran around the right side and jumped the pylon for a two-point conversion and a three-point lead.
Oklahoma would later make a field goal to make it 27-21.
Auburn built a 21-10 lead early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard pass from Payton Thorne to Luke Deal. The seven-play, 58-yard drive was highlighted by an excellent grab down the left sideline by Cam Coleman for a 42-yard gain. Five plays later, Auburn was in the end zone and seemingly had Oklahoma reeling.
Despite the late turnover, Thorne did everything he could to justify head coach Hugh Freeze’s decision to reinstate him as the starter after being benched for freshman Hank Brown. His 48-yard pass to Malcolm Simmons put Auburn ahead with a touchdown midway through the second quarter.
The senior QB threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns while completing 21 of 32 passes. But that pick 6 was a backbreaker. Freeze also cited turnovers in making the QB change.
Jarquez Hunter led Auburn with 97 yards on 17 carries and helped the Tigers run out the clock until Thorne was intercepted. Cam Coleman recorded 82 yards on three catches, followed by KeAndre Lambert-Smith getting a touchdown and 77 yards among his five receptions.
The Tigers added a touchdown early in the fourth on a one-yard pass from Thorne to Luke Deal. The seven-play, 58-yard drive was highlighted by an excellent grab down the left sideline by Coleman for a 42-yard gain. Five plays later, Auburn was in the end zone for a 21-10 lead.
On Oklahoma’s next possession, the offense failed to put any points on the board, with Michael Hawkins Jr. was sacked on fourth-and-10 at the Auburn 40-yard line. The Sooners’ injuries at receiver seemed particularly notable as the offense was unable to move down the field with explosive play. Deion Burks, Nic Anderson, Jayden Gibson, Jalil Farooq and Andrel Anthony were all out for Oklahoma on Saturday.
After Auburn missed a 51-yard field goal on the next drive, the Sooners closed to within a touchdown. Hawkins hit JJ Hester for a 60-yard pass. Jovantae Barnes ran the remaining five yards with two rushes to make it a 21-16 game. Oklahoma attempted a two-point conversion to get within a field goal, but Hawkins was rushed out of the pocket and his heave into the end zone was just out of Bauer Sharp’s reach.
