It's a Red Raider rout: Caleb Williams' record-setting performance leads Oklahoma

NORMAN  — Caleb Williams has been compared to both Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes.

On Saturday at Owen Field, Williams put on a show that would make both quarterbacks proud.

Williams threw six touchdown passes in a 52-21 victory over Texas Tech, passing for 402 yards and moving No. 4-ranked OU to 9-0 this season.

The Sooners have college football’s longest winning streak at 17 games, and finally — finally — get to their open date next week with an eye on the November challenge of Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State in the final three weeks of the season.

The Red Raiders — who elevated offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie to head coach this week after athletic director Kirby Hocutt fired Matt Wells — were competitive in most areas, except when Williams was throwing the football.

Williams, a freshman from Washington, DC, threw TD passes to Marvin Mims (twice), Mario Williams, Drake Stoops, Brayden Willis and Austin Stogner before giving way to former starter Spencer Rattler in the fourth quarter.

Rattler held up his end, throwing a 42-yard touchdown pass to Brian Darby om his third play, putting Oklahoma up 52-14.

Mims (135) and Mario Williams (100) gave the Sooners their first 100-yard receiving tandem since the Texas game in 2019.

The Sooner defense also got three takeaways — interceptions from Pat Fields and Justin Broiles, and a late fumble recovery by Isaiah Thomas. Thomas got the strip on the fumble, and also batted the ball (one of two by him on the day) that was picked off by Fields.

Cumbie split time at the quarterback position between Henry Columbi (7-of-12 for 77 yards) and Donovan Smith (16-of-21 for 187 yards). That duo combined for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Erik Ezukanma led the Red Raiders’ aerial attack with eight catches for 123 yards.

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, a former Texas Tech walk-on and assistant coach under Mike Leach, still hasn’t lost to his alma mater as a head coach or offensive coordinator. That includes the 2016 all-time classic between Mayfield and Mahomes that shattered multiple NCAA records and resulted in a 66-59 OU victory.

Mahomes set the NCAA mark with 819 yards total offense (734 yards passing on 88 attempts) while Mayfield threw for 564 yards and seven TDs.

Both became first-round NFL Draft picks and have guided their team to virtually unprecedented playoff success.

Each week, it looks more and more like Williams is in that category as an elite quarterback.

After taking over for Rattler midway through the Texas game — and leading the Sooners to a stirring comeback victory on a hot day in Dallas — Williams has been on a torrid pace.

Heading into Saturday, Williams had completed 70 percent of his throws for 787 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. He’s also run for 285 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 11 yards per carry.

Perhaps based in part on Riley’s success with winners Mayfield and Kyler Murray and runner-up Jalen Hurts, Williams is widely considered a contender to be at least a finalist for this year’s Heisman Trophy.

Williams has turned in big plays each week since replacing Rattler, including two in the fourth quarter last week — a 40-yard touchdown run and stealing a handoff from his own teammate after Kennedy Brooks was stuffed on a crucial fourth down.