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The Oklahoma Sooners had a bounce-back season in 2023. They finished the year 10-2 and will head to the Alamo Bowl to take on the Arizona Wildcats.
A big reason for the Sooners’ improvement was the improvement they made defensively. The last two games shouldn’t overshadow what they did all season. The defense finished No. 2 in turnovers forced, No. 2 in interceptions, No. 11 in tackles for loss, No. 11 in pass breakups per game, No. 12 in defensive efficiency and No. 14 in third down defense.
A big reason for those rankings is because of the play of their two leaders, Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman. Bowman finished second in the nation in interceptions and led the nation in interception return yards. Stutsman was never quite the same after his injury against the Kansas Jayhawks but still finished No. 24 in tackles.
Each was honored for their efforts with All-American honors from CBS Sports/247Sports. Bowman was a first team selection, while Stutsman was named to the second team.
Surprisingly, neither were semifinalists for the top awards at their position, the Jim Thorpe Award or the Butkus.
Both also have a big decision to make at the end of the season. They both can go pro if they choose or they can come back for their final season in college football. Neither have indicated what they will ultimately decide.
But this All-American nod is just another example of why it’s so important for Oklahoma’s first year in the SEC to get these two guys to return to Norman.
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Story originally appeared on Sooners Wire
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/billy-bowman-danny-stutsman-named-173222048.html
Author : Sooners Wire
Publish date : 2023-12-06 17:32:22
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