There have been some who opined that Baker Mayfield is on the periphery of the 2015 Heisman Trophy discussion. After the first half he’s having in Week 3, he may find himself in the thick of the mix come Sunday morning if statistics mean anything.
In the first two quarters against Tulsa Saturday afternoon, the Oklahoma quarterback has accumulated a whopping 386 yards of total offense. 316 yards of that total came through the air as he completed 15 of his 19 passes and tossed a pair of touchdowns. Additionally, he ran for 69 yards — on seven carries — and added another pair of touchdowns on the ground.
Mayfield completed passes to six different receivers, with Sterling Shepard being his favorite target. The senior has caught five passes for 112 yards but has yet to find the end zone.
As a team, the Sooners have rushed for 150 yards, giving them 466 yards of first-half offense. OU, though, in what once was taking on the look of a rout, has abruptly found itself in the midst of a dogfight.
Trailing 31-10 with a minute or so remaining in the half, the Golden Hurricane scored two touchdowns in a span of :12 to cut the deficit to seven at the end of two quarters of play. The second touchdown came on a Hail Mary that followed a successful onside kick.
Tulsa’s Dane Evans is attempting to match Mayfield yard-for-yard as he has thrown for 274 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers in the first half. The Golden Hurricane has totaled 397 yards of offense.
