Oklahoma Sooners Football: LSU blows out OU in Peach Bowl semifinal, 63-28

For as unique as the 2019 season has been, it ends with many of the same feelings as years past for the Oklahoma Sooners. In the ugliest College Football Playoff defeat yet for this program, the LSU Tigers thoroughly dismantled OU in the Peach Bowl semifinal, 63-28.

On the biggest stage yet, Joe Burrow once again proved himself worthy of all the praise and accolades he’s received this season. In just over three quarters of play, the Heisman Trophy winner amassed 493 passing yards and seven touchdowns while completing 29 of 39 attempts. He also rushed for 22 yards and another score on five carries. LSU’s other star of the game was junior WR Justin Jefferson, who hauled in 14 receptions for 227 yards and four TDs.

Right out of the gate, Oklahoma lost the coin toss, and things really couldn’t have gone much worse for the Sooners after that. Upon receiving, Jalen Hurts and the OU offense sputtered to a quick three-and-out. Meanwhile, Burrow led LSU on a balanced opening drive that culminated in the first touchdown of the night.

As the LSU crowd roared with momentum, the Sooners needed an answer on their next possession. That answer came in the form of a 51-yard connection between Hurts and CeeDee Lamb that reached the three-yard line. Kennedy Brooks would go ahead and punch it in on the next play to tie things up inside the Mercedes-Benz Dome.

On the Tigers’ first drive on the second quarter, OU’s Brendan Radley-Hiles launched himself towards RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire on a Burrow scramble. The play was reviewed for targeting, and ultimately resulted in Bookie’s disqualification for the remainder of the game.

LSU closed the first half scoring TDs on its final six possessions, and Oklahoma’s defense only managed to force the Tigers to punt once out of their eight total drives. From top to bottom, the Bayou Bengals outclassed the Sooners in practically every facet of the game in the opening 30 minutes: 497 yards to 160, 20 first downs to eight, 49 points to 14. In all, this was a record-breaking beatdown of epic proportions, and the entire college football world bore witness.

The second half was mostly a blur that did little to change the complexion of the game. Both teams traded touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, resulting in the 63-28 final in favor of the now 14-0 LSU Tigers.

At the end of the day, a third-straight 12-win season, a fifth-straight Big 12 Championship and a third-straight berth in the CFP are the facts for these 2019 Sooners. Coming into the Peach Bowl, the odds were stacked against Oklahoma. Three suspensions and a crucial defensive injury hurt those odds, but they were far from the primary reasons why this game played out the way it did. LSU is simply on a different level than OU is right now, and Joe Burrow is a phenomenal QB playing at the top of his game. I’ll be the first to give credit where it’s due, and those Tigers are as deserving of this stage as any team has ever been.

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