https://oklahoma.rivals.com/news/lamb-we-were-on-another-level
Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley didn’t say he was sending a message to sophomore wide receiver CeeDee Lamb by not starting him Saturday.
Lamb didn’t say he used it for added motivation. But if you watched the work he put in, you would probably feel differently.
Coming up with an all-around big game, Lamb was a pivotal piece in OU’s 49-21 victory against visiting UCLA on Saturday afternoon.
It wasn’t just the seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t just the 66-yard punt return. But all of it combined didn’t hurt.
“I felt like me and Kyler were on another level,” Lamb said. “Not just me and Kyler but the whole offense. You can’t forget those five guys up up front giving the protection, so I can get the ball. I was just locked in today.”
Lamb wasn’t a complete no-show last week in OU’s victory, but it was about as quiet as it gets with two catches for 43 yards.
Redshirt junior A.D. Miller was given to the nod to start Saturday with Riley simply saying he thought Miller had earned it with the way he practiced.
A limited sample size, but it sure started to feel like quarterback Kyler Murray’s favorite target was Marquise Brown. Lamb made sure he wasn’t forgotten vs. the Bruins.
“I told him – with the matchup they had, we feel confident in him and what he can do,” Murray said. “If we get that look, get ready the ball is going to come. They manned up pretty much the whole game, so we got looks.”
Lamb had to be an integral part to the game plan. Running back Rodney Anderson left the game following the final play of the first quarter with an apparent knee injury.
Riley said there is nothing definitive regarding Anderson’s status, but it sure didn’t look good with Anderson walking in street clothes throughout the second half.
With the running game stymied a bit, it was up to Lamb and the receivers to help get the offense out of its rut.
“He did not feel any pressure,” Brown said. “He came out in practice and he dominated all week in practice, so I knew he was going to have a good game this week. I pushed him to come out and have a great game and he did.”
Eventually, everything started rolling again. Murray finished 19 of 33 passing for 306 yards with three touchdowns, while also rushing for 69 yards and two more scores.
The offense received a major boost once again from special teams. It wasn’t a blocked kick like last week, but a pair of returns that set up scoring drives of 12 yards in the first half and 11 yards in the second half.
Sophomore Tre Brown had an 86-yard kickoff return in the first half, and Lamb did his part with a 66-yard punt return in the second half.
Riley said Lamb did a little too much dancing on punt returns last week. Message was received against the Bruins.
“They got on me. Trust me, they handled that,” Lamb said. “I just needed to be more aggressive and hit it and believe in my speed and what I can do.”
Despite all the numbers, Lamb’s most jaw-dropping moment is one that didn’t register in the stats. Lamb made a leaping one-handed grab on the sideline that was correctly ruled an incompletion, but it was one heck of an effort by Lamb to try to stay inbounds and snag it with one hand.
For his teammates, well, they’ve seen it before.
“That’s routine,” Broiles said. “It’s surprising when you see it in a game because he actually tried that, dog. That’s more like practice. But that’s routine, routine for him.”
Brown was the one to watch in Week 1. Lamb return the favor in Week 2. You shut down one, the other will emerge. This is what OU wanted to happen, and it’s starting to work out exactly like that.
Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley didn’t say he was sending a message to sophomore wide receiver CeeDee Lamb by not starting him Saturday.
Lamb didn’t say he used it for added motivation. But if you watched the work he put in, you would probably feel differently.
Coming up with an all-around big game, Lamb was a pivotal piece in OU’s 49-21 victory against visiting UCLA on Saturday afternoon.
It wasn’t just the seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t just the 66-yard punt return. But all of it combined didn’t hurt.
“I felt like me and Kyler were on another level,” Lamb said. “Not just me and Kyler but the whole offense. You can’t forget those five guys up up front giving the protection, so I can get the ball. I was just locked in today.”
Lamb wasn’t a complete no-show last week in OU’s victory, but it was about as quiet as it gets with two catches for 43 yards.
Redshirt junior A.D. Miller was given to the nod to start Saturday with Riley simply saying he thought Miller had earned it with the way he practiced.
A limited sample size, but it sure started to feel like quarterback Kyler Murray’s favorite target was Marquise Brown. Lamb made sure he wasn’t forgotten vs. the Bruins.
“I told him – with the matchup they had, we feel confident in him and what he can do,” Murray said. “If we get that look, get ready the ball is going to come. They manned up pretty much the whole game, so we got looks.”
Lamb had to be an integral part to the game plan. Running back Rodney Anderson left the game following the final play of the first quarter with an apparent knee injury.
Riley said there is nothing definitive regarding Anderson’s status, but it sure didn’t look good with Anderson walking in street clothes throughout the second half.
With the running game stymied a bit, it was up to Lamb and the receivers to help get the offense out of its rut.
“He did not feel any pressure,” Brown said. “He came out in practice and he dominated all week in practice, so I knew he was going to have a good game this week. I pushed him to come out and have a great game and he did.”
Eventually, everything started rolling again. Murray finished 19 of 33 passing for 306 yards with three touchdowns, while also rushing for 69 yards and two more scores.
The offense received a major boost once again from special teams. It wasn’t a blocked kick like last week, but a pair of returns that set up scoring drives of 12 yards in the first half and 11 yards in the second half.
Sophomore Tre Brown had an 86-yard kickoff return in the first half, and Lamb did his part with a 66-yard punt return in the second half.
Riley said Lamb did a little too much dancing on punt returns last week. Message was received against the Bruins.
“They got on me. Trust me, they handled that,” Lamb said. “I just needed to be more aggressive and hit it and believe in my speed and what I can do.”
Despite all the numbers, Lamb’s most jaw-dropping moment is one that didn’t register in the stats. Lamb made a leaping one-handed grab on the sideline that was correctly ruled an incompletion, but it was one heck of an effort by Lamb to try to stay inbounds and snag it with one hand.
For his teammates, well, they’ve seen it before.
“That’s routine,” Broiles said. “It’s surprising when you see it in a game because he actually tried that, dog. That’s more like practice. But that’s routine, routine for him.”
Brown was the one to watch in Week 1. Lamb return the favor in Week 2. You shut down one, the other will emerge. This is what OU wanted to happen, and it’s starting to work out exactly like that.
