Why Deion Burks, Bauer Sharp could be even more important for OU moving forward than they were vs. Temple
The Sooners will be without Jalil Farooq for between six to eight weeks.
NORMAN — Deion Burks couldn't stop smiling.
Bauer Sharp couldn't stop crying.
Believe it or not, both were good signs for OU on Friday night. The smiles from Burks and the tears from Sharp were indications the passcatchers were having big games.
And make no mistake, what the speedy receiver and the beefy tight end did during a 51-3 blowout of Temple was big — but it might be even more important moving forward.
Don't look now, but the Sooners are running low on reliable receivers.
Some might argue they don't need a lot of them after OU threw for only 161 yards against lowly Temple. Jackson Arnold had only one chunk throw. Seth Littrell didn't dial up much through the air.
But don't freak out, Sooner Nation. Littrell and Arnold and the pass game didn't need to show any more than they did. They won't need to show much more next week against Houston or the following week against Tulane. And they're fine with that.
They're trying to safe as much ammunition as possible for Tennessee.
If they still only take a shot or two down the field against the Vols, well then, panic and freakouts are totally understandable.
Until then, chill.
The thing that is more concerning, quite honestly, is the rash of injuries besetting the receivers. Jayden Gibson was injured during training camp and will miss the season. Nic Anderson sat out Friday, though Brent Venables said after the game that Anderson could've played. (No need to press the issue; again, it was Temple, not Tennessee in town.)
But then Friday night came more bad news.
Jalil Farooq will require surgery after breaking his foot against Temple. Venables said recovery is expected to take between six and eight weeks, and even though he is hopeful Farooq will return later in the season, the Sooners need steady hands now.
That was evident after some receivers who'd been receiving lots of praise struggled Friday. There were drops. There were miscues. There were signs they weren't ready to be mainstays.
That wasn't the case with Burks and Sharp.
Burks, the transfer from Purdue, was targeted seven times, catching six of those passes. Even though he had only 36 yards receiving, three of his catches were for touchdowns.
"Deion's just a playmaker, a guy that I can trust to get open no matter what," Arnold said. "Plays his butt off. Very physical, very gifted route runner, and just showed tonight he has ability to get open at all times."
Burks has become known as a guy who's always smiling. Coaches say so. Ditto for teammates.
Those of us in the media can confirm: Burks always comes into interviews with a smile, too.
And after those catches for touchdowns, that smile beamed.
"First time ever a Sooner player's caught three touchdowns in his debut," Venables said.
"Deion did exactly what he's done since he's been here. He's explosive. He makes things happen. He knows how to get open and is really, really competitive, so it was good to get him going tonight."
Burks might be best known for his speed. He's expected to be a big contributor in the vertical passing game. Catching deep throws. Stretching the defense.
Friday, Burks' longest catch was 14 yards.
"That just means there's a lot more out there that could happen, honestly," Burks said.
But what Burks did was still special. That 14-yard catch, for example was a nifty over-the-shoulder fade to the far side of the end zone that Burks told Arnold would be there.
"He's telling me on the sidelines, ‘Throw me the ball in these looks,'" Arnold said. "And sure enough ... I threw that slot fade to him. That's one of the looks he wanted."
Sharp said, "There’s a lot more of that coming. ... He has so many abilities to do whatever in this football game."
Sooners everywhere should hope there's a lot more of what Sharp did Friday coming, too. The transfer from Southeastern Louisiana was targeted six times and caught five of the passes for 47 yards and one touchdown.
His first catch as a Sooner?
That touchdown, a 14-yard score that was OU's first of the season in Sharp's first at the FBS level.
"I started crying when I got to the sideline," Sharp said. "I just pointed to the sky, and that's real. It was just all Jesus. ... I had one (scholarship) offer coming out of high school to play quarterback, and now I'm here. You can't tell me that's not God.
"It hit me."
So did the tears.
Then they came back after the game when Sharp saw his family. Parents. Grandparents. Aunt. Uncle.
"My mom couldn't stop crying," Sharp said. "Not a word was said. Even in the Walk of Champions, I just saw them and I couldn't get words out."
But for all Sharp's emotions, opponents might be the ones teary. The tight-end passing game has been dormant for a few years at OU. Not since Mark Andrews have the Sooners had a consistent threat at the position, quite a change for a program that produced Keith Jackson, Jermaine Gresham and so many others.
Now, the Sooners look to have a capable tight end and a willing offensive coordinator.
"It’ll let us be a lot more dynamic in the offense, being able to spread the ball around to different receivers and different tight ends," Arnold said. "I mean, I feel like tonight, we utilized the tight end a lot more than we did last year. Even used 12 personnel sets with two tights on the field. Things like that were things that we might not have been able to do last year.
"It definitely brings a whole new dynamic to our offense."
Sure seems that could be said of Sharp and Burks.
They are dynamic. They are capable. And maybe most importantly for the Sooners right now, they are healthy and available.
As long as they stay that way, the Sooners will gladly take all the smiles and the tears.