Kip Lewis shines in Oklahoma Sooners win over Auburn, named SEC Defensive Player of the Week
The Oklahoma Sooners have been stacking up weekly individual awards throughout the season, and another player earned an SEC Player of the Week award in Week 5. On Monday, the SEC announced that Oklahoma redshirt-sophomore linebacker Kip Lewis was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Lewis intercepted a pass from Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne […]
The Oklahoma Sooners have been stacking up weekly individual awards throughout the season, and another player earned an SEC Player of the Week award in Week 5.
On Monday, the SEC announced that Oklahoma redshirt-sophomore linebacker Kip Lewis was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.
Lewis intercepted a pass from Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown to give Oklahoma a 22-21 lead with 4:06 remaining. The Sooners had trailed 21-10 early in the fourth quarter. The Sooners were able to take a three-point lead on the subsequent two-point attempt following Lewis's touchdown.
Lewis' interception was the first of his career, and the 63-yard return was the fourth-longest for a touchdown by a linebacker in program history.
The Texas product finished the game with five tackles (four solo) and a tackle for loss. Lewis ranks fourth on the team with his 21 total tackles and has 1.5 TFLs this season. Twelve of his 21 tackles have come in the last two games against Tennessee and Auburn.
Lewis finished as Pro Football Focus's top-graded cover player in Week 5 with a 94.3 grade.
Oklahoma Sooners HC Brent Venables showed why he’s a defensive genius with the game on the line vs. Auburn
Oklahoma's Week 5 matchup against Auburn started poorly. The Sooners looked poorly disciplined and looked like they were getting out-coached. Auburn deployed multiple personnel groupings and hit explosive plays at critical moments. And then, as the four fingers went up in that game to signal the start of the fourth quarter, something shifted. Auburn kicker […]
Lewis's interception came on a diabolical blitz called deployed by head coach Brent Venables, where Lewis faked like was going to rush the quarterback before quickly dropping back in front of the quarterback.
After the game, Venables spoke about the play.
"Kip Lewis – what a freakin’ play,” head coach Brent Venables said after the game. “I’m probably not talking in the same language if had he not pick-sixed them there. I love watching him play. One of his best qualities is he just loves to compete. He plays with so much joy and happiness. Even when you’re chewing him out, he’s a happy guy. A lot of fun, helping those guys celebrate some success."
Lewis also spoke post-game about what he was feeling during such a critical play:
"I was hoping that I wouldn’t fall when I dropped back. I was hoping that I wouldn’t fall on my face when he threw the ball. I was like ‘this is going to me.’ I almost slipped and fell. I was like ‘you have to grab this Kip and go’ When I grabbed it, I was running for my life."
"I don’t think I could really feel it. It was like Sooner Magic at its finest."
