Sooners WR Burks out for Red River Rivalry game
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Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer
Oklahoma leading wide receiver Deion Burks is out against No. 1 Texas, according to the Sooners’ SEC player availability report.
Burks has a soft tissue injury, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.
Burks had been listed as questionable in the availability report ahead of Saturday’s Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). He suffered the injury during the Sooners’ loss to Tennessee on Sept. 21 and sat out their victory against Auburn the following week.
Burks, a transfer from Purdue, has produced a team-high 26 catches for 201 yards in four games. He scored all three of his touchdowns in the Sooners’ rout of Temple in the season opener.
Oklahoma will once again be missing five of its top wide receivers when it takes on its rival Saturday. Injured receivers Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony and Jayden Gibson had already been ruled out for the game.
In their absence, J.J. Hester has emerged as the top receiver for true freshman starting quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., catching three passes for 86 yards in the road comeback win at Auburn. Jaquaize Pettaway replaced Burks at slot receiver for that game, and Brenen Thompson and Zion Ragins earned starts.
Hawkins, who graduated up the road from the Cotton Bowl at Frisco Emerson, will be the Sooners’ first true freshman quarterback to start against the Longhorns in the 120th edition of the rivalry. He got his first start two weeks ago against Auburn.
The Sooners have also moved cornerback Jacobe Johnson to receiver for added depth.
Oklahoma running back Taylor Tatum was not included in the availability report and is expected to play against the Longhorns after missing the Auburn game. Defensive backs Kendel Dolby and Gentry Williams have been ruled out for Saturday’s game, as has backup tight end Kade McIntyre.
Texas and Oklahoma are both coming off open dates, marking the first time since they started playing annually in 1929 that both were off the previous week.
This is the 44th time both teams will be ranked heading into the game, which is second only to the Ohio State–Michigan rivalry (49). It’s the fifth time Texas will enter the game at the Cotton Bowl ranked No. 1; Texas is 3-0-1 in the previous four.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jeremiyah Love tied the Notre Dame record with a 98-yard touchdown run, Riley Leonard added two more scores and the Fighting Irish shut down the highest-scoring team in the College Football Playoff, overwhelming Indiana 27-17 on Friday night.
The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (12-1) won their 11th straight — and their first playoff victory. They’ll face second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman got the biggest win of his three-year career by extending his Irish record to 12 victories over ranked teams in three seasons.
“There’s no place like Notre Dame,” Leonard said. “This is why you come here, this is why I came here — to play for a championship.”
Tenth-seeded Indiana (11-2) completed a magical season by finishing with its second fewest points this season on a cold, brisk night in the first CFP game ever played on a campus site. Both of the Hoosiers’ losses came to top-five opponents. Indiana set a single-season school record for wins but still hasn’t won at Notre Dame since 1898.
Notre Dame took control on its third offensive play when Love scooted around the right side of Indiana’s defense, eluded one tackle and sprinted down the sideline to make it 7-0. He matched Josh Adams’ longest run in school history, set in 2015 against Wake Forest. It was also the longest run in CFP history.
“It’s all about finding a way to get another week,” Freeman said. “It wasn’t easy. But we’re going to enjoy this one and we’ll get another one.”
Love finished with eight carries for 108 yards despite appearing to reinjure his left knee later in the first half.
Indiana never recovered after Notre Dame made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Leonard’s 1-yard TD run late in the fourth gave him 15 this season to break Notre Dame’s season record by a quarterback.
Indiana scored both of its touchdowns in the final 1:27.
Notre Dame made it 14-0 on Leonard’s 5-yard TD pass to Jayden Thomas early in the second quarter. The Irish settled for three more field goals, and the defense took care of the rest — allowing just one field goal.
Leonard was 23 of 32 with 201 yards and one interception. Notre Dame receiver Jordan Faison caught seven passes for 89 yards.
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke turned in another poor game against a top defense, finishing 20 of 33 with 215 yards, with two TDs and one interception, and the Hoosiers rushed for just 63 yards.
“They took it to us,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “They won, they deserve to win. We didn’t play our best game, but they had a lot to do with that tonight.”
Notre Dame: The Irish have relied on the running game and defense all season — and it was that combination that gave Notre Dame the first playoff win in school history. It may need more out of its passing game to win its first national championship since 1988.
Notre Dame: Plays Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
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