Early breakdown of Florida State's 2022 bowl opponent: Oklahoma Sooners

The Florida State football team is heading back to bowl season for the first time in three years, and the Seminoles will take on another storied program in the Oklahoma Sooners.

FSU finished the regular season at 9-3, including marquee victories over LSU and rivals Miami and Florida.

The Cheez-It Bowl game between the two traditional powers is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff on Thursday, Dec. 29, in Orlando, and it will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Season overview: Oklahoma Sooners (6-6)

Oklahoma opened the season as a preseason top-10 team and rose as high as No. 6 in the AP Poll during September before slipping to 6-6. OU entered the season with a first-year head coach in Brent Venables, who happens to be very familiar with Florida State. Venables faced off against the ‘Noles in many high-profile games over the past decade as Clemson’s defensive coordinator, and before that he faced FSU as an assistant at Oklahoma.

After a 3-0 start, the Sooners went on a three-game losing streak that was punctuated by a 49-0 blowout loss to rival Texas; the Sooners were without star quarterback Dillon Gabriel for that game. Oklahoma made it back to 5-3 by the end of October, but then a 1-3 month of November dropped the Sooners to a .500 record.

Statistically, Oklahoma’s strength surely lies on the offensive side of the football, with the nation’s No. 18 total offense, producing 472 yards per game. OU’s defense ranks way down at No. 120 in the nation and second-to-last in the Big 12, allowing 450 yards per game and 45 touchdowns on the season.

*ALSO SEE: FSU’s Jordan Travis, OU’s Dillon Gabriel bring star power to Orlando’s Cheez-It Bowl

Significant wins

Arguably the best win for Oklahoma all season came a week after falling to Texas, when Oklahoma took on No. 19 Kansas. Facing the possibility of dropping below .500, the Sooners jumped out to a 35-21 halftime lead, which grew to 42-21 in the early third quarter. Oklahoma also eclipsed over 700 yards of offense in that 54-42 victory.

Another significant win for Oklahoma came over rival Oklahoma State three weeks ago.

Significant losses

Early season losses to Kansas State and TCU look completely different now than when both opponents entered those matchups against the Sooners unranked. The Wildcats and Horned Frogs ended up playing each other in the Big 12 title game on Saturday, while TCU reached the College Football Playoff.

Against Kansas State, Oklahoma trailed early but battled back to cut the deficit to 34-27 in the fourth quarter behind Gabriel’s four touchdown passes. In the Sooners’ three other losses later in the season, it was more of the same with three very tight finishes that could have gone either way.

Baylor rushed for nearly 300 yards and five touchdowns to barely beat Oklahoma, 38-35, to open November. The Sooners suffered a heartbreaking loss at West Virginia the next week, on a 25-yard field goal as time expired.

During the final week of the regular season, it was another late field goal drive that burned OU in a shootout loss to Texas Tech. The Red Raiders kicked a field goal with three seconds left to send the game to overtime before winning 51-48.

*ALSO READ: Florida State to face Oklahoma in Orlando’s Cheez-It Bowl

Top offensive weapons

Although Oklahoma will be a little short-handed offensively coming into this game, the Sooners have a high-powered attack that will be a challenge for FSU’s defense and coordinator Adam Fuller. OU’s quarterback, former UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel, has 29 total touchdowns, a 63-percent completion percentage, and over 2,900 passing yards this season.

OU has four receivers with over 30 catches, and five with at least 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. Junior wideout Marvin Mims is the top playmaker with 52 catches and over 1,000 yards.

At running back, OU will be without star Eric Gray, who has over 3,000 rushing yards in his career with Tennessee and Oklahoma. This season, Gray ranks 14th in the NCAA with 1,366 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but he is skipping the bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.. Behind him, former four-star signee and the No. 6 back in the 2022 class per On3, Jovantae Barnes, will help pick up the slack. Barnes, who strongly considered Florida State during the recruiting process, has 411 rushing yards with four scores.

Notable defensive players

While OU’s defensive unit ranks among the worst in the country statistically, there is some individual talent. Sophomore linebacker Danny Stutsman leads the team with 119 total tackles and 9.5 for a loss. Senior David Ugwoegbu is right behind Stutsman with 102 tackles, while Wyoming transfer and senior cornerback C.J. Coldon has four interceptions on the season.

Defensive end Jalen Redmond, a returning starter and veteran with four sacks this season, is out for the bowl game per Venables.

Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.