Huge Boost for Hugh Freeze as Oklahoma Draw Punishment Before Week 4 Auburn Game

“A great win for our guys, our coaches, our players,” Brent Venables had beamed with pride over their win against Bryce Underwood-led Michigan. Now, going against Auburn next weekend, the OU faces an unexpected shock. The Tigers are already being tipped as favorites, a situation made more challenging for the Sooners by the ongoing game against Temple. OU was rolling smoothly throughout the first half, with a 28-3 domination at Lincoln Field Stadium. However, the third quarter saw a shocker, leaving the Sooners faithful reeling in shock.

In the second half, Edge R. Mason Thomas made a brutal hit on Temple quarterback Evan Simmons. The incident occurred on first down from Temple’s 20-yard line following an OU point. What followed was a significant penalty, which might spoil Brent Venables’ plans. Thomas was flagged for roughing the passer.

The officials replayed the film and found out that Simon was hit in the head and neck area. They concluded a targeting review, and for that, Thomas has been ejected and will miss the first half of the week 4 matchup against Auburn. The timing couldn’t be worse for Oklahoma. Losing one of the best defensive players in the first half against Auburn might prove costly for the Sooners. Sooners’ alum and former NFL player Gabe Ikard wrote on X, “

But it wasn’t just Thomas who received the flag. Sooners safety Jayden Hardy was almost ejected for targeting, but it was ruled out. Wide receiver Keontez Lewis took a shot that turned into an interception. His film was not reviewed, but following that, he headed to the sidelines. Thomas was a significant defensive chess piece in Brent Venebles’ scheme of things, going deep into the season.

“Through a lot of hard work, man,” Brent Venebles said of Thomas. Last season, he tallied a career-high 23 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks for the Sooners, ranking No. 5th among the SEC pass rushers. He earned the pre-season second-team All-SEC selection. He continued. “He’s really developed into one of the most explosive defenders in all the college football. He was offered, you know, well over seven figures to leave Oklahoma in the offseason. But, you know, just goes to show the type of character, type of care, the type of investment that he has here at Oklahoma (and) what his opportunity means to him. So, really cool to see.”

Although in the clash against Temple, the penalty did not prove to be a hurdle. They steamrolled with a robust 42-3 score box, but against Jackson Arnold’s offense, the future looks a bit murky, and there’s a reason.

What’s next for Brent Venebles?

Veteran R. Mason Thomas was off the turf at the sidelines by the first half and will continue holding his cleats to his chest till the first half of the week 4 clash. Hugh Freeze might have a robust advantage over the ejection of the veteran defensive line. If we zoom in on Auburn’s first two matchups of the season, the Tigers made significant strides in the first half itself. Against Baylor, they went 17-10, bleeding into the halftime.

And Ball State? A clean sweep, 14-0, going into the 30 minutes, overall culminating in a 42-3 win. Last season, the Tigers had 28 sacks and 68 tackles for loss. And they are upping their game, going more robust. As per the defensive depth chart, behind R Mason Thomas, we have two players lined up. Junior Adepoju Adebawore and redshirt-freshman Wyatt Gilmore.

On Saturday, Venebles’ defense pushed back Temple’s offense to just 104 yards, the fewest it allowed since 2014, when they went up against Kansas. The Owls barely managed 1.9 yards per play, culminating in a 42-3 win over Temple. Both Auburn and the Sooners are 3-0 in the 2025 season. Let’s see who tastes the first defeat of the season at Norman.