NORMAN, OK, Sporting Alert – Watch live streaming coverage of tonight’s college football game between No. 4 Oklahoma and Houston at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Live streaming coverage of this game will be on WatchESPN.com, with ABC providing the live nationally broadcast. Game time is set for 7:30 pm ET.
How To Follow Live: ABC // WatchESPN | OU Radio | TuneIn | SXM 200 | Español | Live Stats
This is the first meeting between Oklahoma and Houston since 2016 when these two teams also met in the season opener. In that match-up, the No. 15 Cougars stunned the then-third-ranked Sooners 33-23.
Entering tonight’s game though, ESPN’s Football Power Index is giving Sooners, who are targeting another College Football Playoff spot this season, a 95.5 percent chance to start the campaign with a victory.
All eyes will be on former Alabama starter Jalen Hurts, who is set to start at quarterback for Oklahoma.
Hurts was the quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the 2016 and 2017 seasons before losing his place Tua Tagovailoa in 2018.
He led Alabama to a 26-2 overall record as a starter in the 2016 and 2017 terms, but decided to move on to increase his playing time.
So, when he graduated, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma in January where he impressed Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley during camp – earning him the starting QB job over Tanner Mordecai and Spencer Rattler.
“We have an idea of what it will look like in the beginning, but it will evolve,” Riley said.
“It will evolve as Jalen evolves. It will evolve as our other positions on offense do.”
Meanwhile, Houston comes into this game hoping to spring some surprise under head coach Dana Holgorsen, who starts his first season in charge.
The Cougars went 8-5 overall and 5-3 in the American Athletic Conference last season before succumbing to a disappointing 70-14 defeat in the Armed Forces Bowl to Army.
Senior quarterback D’Eriq King, who accounted for 50 touchdowns in 11 games last campaign, is expected to lead the Cougars again.
Sooners coach Riley is anticipating a battle with King being the focal point.
“When you look at them, it all starts with the quarterback,” he admits. “The quarterback’s a fantastic player. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
“He’s certainly a dual-threat guy that can make all the throws, but certainly can scare with what he can do with his legs as well.”
