NORMAN – Oklahoma’s football team will get its final nonconference warmup before SEC play begins when the 13th-ranked Sooners face Tulane at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Sooners (2-0) will look to rebound in the offseason after allowing just 249 yards of offense, their second-worst offensive output in the last decade. OU hopes to get both center Branson Hickman and wide receiver Nic Anderson back to compete.
Tulane’s offense should pose a greater challenge to the Sooners’ defense than it did against Temple and Houston. The Green Wave (1-1) have averaged 481.5 yards of offense through two games.
More: Tulane’s Mario Williams and former OU football teammates look forward to the reunion
Watch Oklahoma vs. Tulane live with Fubo (free trial)
Score updates for Oklahoma vs. Tulane
| 𝅆 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Tulane | 0 | 0 | – | – | — |
| Oklahoma | 7 | 14 | – | – | — |
More: Who has the edge in OU football against Tulane? Analysis of the most important duels Sooners-Green Wave
Jackson Arnold drove the opposition deep into Tulane territory with a 47-yard run, and the Sooners finished their scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Taylor Tatum.
Arnold has seven runs for 75 yards and one touchdown so far.
Arnold started the drive with a long run on a read play and broke the east sideline to get to Tulane’s 20-yard line.
The Sooners continue to excel on third downs, making 6 of 8.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
Tulane finally showed some life on offense after punting on each of their first four drives.
Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah threw a 19-yard pass to Dontae Fleming on third and fourth downs for just Tulane’s second first down of the game. The Green Wave then converted another third down later in the drive.
The Green Wave failed to score on third and 10 attempts from the 27-yard line, but then tried again on the fourth attempt before a false start penalty led to a 50-yard field goal attempt by Jacob Barnes.
The kick was useless, so Tulane couldn’t score a point.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
OU freshman Taylor Tatum caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Arnold with 10:02 minutes left in the first half, giving the Sooners a two-touchdown lead.
It took the Sooners less than two minutes to run 60 yards and score the touchdown.
Arnold completed 12 of 17 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Tulane safety Bailey Despanie was ejected for targeted attack during the drive.
Despanie was initially charged with a late hit on Jackson Arnold’s 7-yard run, but after review, Despanie was instead charged with a targeted push.
After the penalty, Tatum gained three yards on the run and then caught a swing pass from Arnold to extend the Sooners’ lead.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
STATEWIDE: Oklahoma State Football Beats Tulsa in Final Game Before Big 12 Appearance | 5 Takeaways
Tulane punted on its fourth consecutive drive to start the game.
The Sooners held the Green Wave to a three-and-out, demonstrating their defensive strength.
Freshman Eli Bowen made his college debut as a cornerback on this drive.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
After two earlier third-down conversions on the drive, OU failed to make another attempt as Jovantae Barnes failed to catch Jackson Arnold’s swing pass on third and sixth attempts.
The Sooners initially lined up for a 50-yard field goal, but after a delay of game penalty, OU got Luke Elzinga to punt instead.
Elzinga dropped the punt near the goal line, putting the Green Wave back in their place.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
OU’s defense allowed a long pass, but then set about forcing Tulane to punt again.
The Green Wave have only run eight yards so far.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
After a long first drive, OU was unable to achieve much offensively in the second.
For the Sooners, the game ended with three tries and they were out when Luke Elzinga completed a 43-yard punt, pinning the Green Wave at their own 10.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
The review hurt the Sooners on their first offensive drive, but then helped them on their next defensive drive.
The referees had originally ruled that Tulane had scored a try on third and 13, but after review it was ruled that the Green Wave were short.
Tulane was unable to force the Sooners to punt on the fourth attempt, received a delay of game penalty and had to punt.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
Maybe OU’s offense isn’t all figured out yet, but the early results are good.
The Sooners converted 3 of 3 third-down conversions and gained 69 yards in 14 plays, giving them a 7-0 lead over the Green Wave about halfway through the first quarter.
The journey took almost six minutes.
Jackson Arnold finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run shortly after completing a 9-yard pass to Deion Burks to set up the touchdown.
Arnold was successful 6 of 7 times on that drive, his only incomplete pass coming after Burks’ apparent 16-yard touchdown catch was nullified after it was ruled that Burks had not re-established himself on the field of play after being forced off the field by a Tulane defender.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
OU wide receiver Nic Anderson is playing for the first time this season, suggesting he could return for Saturday’s game.
Anderson, who caught 10 touchdowns last year, suffered an injury during preseason practice, but Sooners coach Brent Venables said he returned to practice earlier this week.
Center Branson Hickman, who started the opening game before suffering an early injury, is dressed but likely will not play.
Joshua Bates caught contact with starting quarterback Jackson Arnold early in warmups, making it likely that he would start at center for the second consecutive year.
The Sooners will be without their starting Cheetah Kendel Dolby and cornerback Gentry Williams. Linebacker Dasan McCullough will also be among the Sooners in casual clothing before the game.
—Ryan Aber, Editor
More: DirecTV and Disney Update: Impact of new deal on Oklahoma and Oklahoma State games in Week 3
Oklahoma vs. Tulane Time Today
- Date: Saturday, September 14
- Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
- Location: Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman
More: OU Football vs. Tulane Score Prediction for Sooners-Green Wave in Week 3
What channel is the Oklahoma vs Tulane game on today?
- TV channels: ESPN
- Streaming: Fubo (free trial)
- Radio: KRXO-FM 107.7
Oklahoma vs. Tulane will air on ESPN in Week 3 of the 2024 college football season. Dave Pasch (live commentary) and Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) will provide commentary from the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium locker room, while Taylor McGregor will report from the sidelines. Disney’s content, which includes ESPN, was removed from DirecTV due to a contract dispute, but streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
More: Will OU’s offense improve under Seth Littrell? “No question,” he’ll fix Sooners
History of Oklahoma and Tulane
- Series record: Oklahoma leads 2-0
- Oklahoma’s last win: 4 September 2021 (40-35)
- Tuane’s last victory: No
More: Mussatto: Don’t call it a trap game. OU football isn’t good enough to overlook Tulane.
Predictions for Oklahoma vs. Tulane
Ryan Aber, OU sports writer: OU 24, Tulane 14
GREEN LIGHT
In his return after missing the first two games, wide receiver Nic Anderson makes a crucial touchdown catch as the Sooners revive their offense. Tulane puts pressure on OU, but the Sooners are able to pull away once again thanks to Anderson’s heroics and another strong defensive performance.
Colton Sulley, OU sportswriter: OU 27, Tulane 17
NO ERASURE
Tulane starts hot and even leads for most of the first half thanks to a strong performance from former Sooner Mario Williams before OU’s offense figures it out and gets rolling. The Sooners defense has another strong day, led by Danny Stutsman.
More: OU Football vs. Tulane Score Prediction for Sooners-Green Wave in Week 3
Oklahoma vs. Tulane Betting Odds
BetMGM’s lines and odds for Saturday:
- Spread: Oklahoma with 13
- Over/Under: 48.5
- Money line: Tulane +400, Oklahoma -550
Injury updates for Oklahoma vs. Tulane
OU wide receiver Nic Anderson returned to practice this week after missing the first two games of the season. Center Branson Hickman, who suffered an ankle injury in the season opener, is also close to returning.
Weather update Oklahoma vs. Tulane
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius and a wind of 16 km/h from the east-southeast are expected at kickoff.
More: Why OU football RB Gavin Sawchuk and the Sooners were ‘inconsistent’ in the running game
Oklahoma Football 2024 Schedule
- 30 August: OU 51, Temple 3
- 7 September: OU16, Houston12
- 14 September: vs. Tulane, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- 21 September: vs. Tennessee, 6:30 p.m.
- 28 September: in Auburn, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
- October 12: vs. Texas (in Dallas), 2:30 p.m. (ABC or ESPN)
- October 19: vs. South Carolina, 11am-12pm
- October 26: at Ole Miss, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
- 2 November: vs. Maine, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
- 9 November: in Missouri, 2:30-3:30 p.m. or 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- 23 November: against Alabama, 2:30-3:30 p.m. or 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- 30 November: at LSU, 2:30-3:30 p.m. or 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Buy Oklahoma football tickets this season with Stubhub
Tulane Football Team Schedule 2024
- 31 August: Tulane 52, Southeast Louisiana 0
- 7 September: Kansas State 34, Tulane 27
- 14 September: in Oklahoma
- 21 September: in Louisiana
- 28 September: against South Florida
- October 5: at UAB
- October 19: vs. rice
- October 26: in North Texas
- October 31: in Charlotte
- 9 November: against temple
- 16 November: in the Navy
- 28 November: against Memphis
Oklahoma football news
We occasionally recommend products and services of interest. If you make a purchase through one of the links, we may receive an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this does not influence our reporting.
