Williams dazzles as No. 4 Oklahoma trounces TCU

The quarterback controversy at Oklahoma has seemingly been put to bed.

Caleb Williams threw for four touchdowns and added a score on the ground to lead the Sooners to a 52-31 victory over TCU at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

The signal-caller finished the evening with 295 yards on 18-for-23 passing to go along with 66 yards on nine rushing attempts.

Williams became the first true freshman to start for the Sooners since Cale Gundy in 1990. Last week, he replaced a struggling Spencer Rattler during Oklahoma's game against Texas, which sparked a quarterback debate.

Both Oklahoma and TCU excelled offensively, with the schools combining for 1,054 total yards. However, the Horned Frogs committed more penalties (9-3), including multiple defensive pass interferences that ended in touchdowns.

The Sooners also had their way on the ground, finishing with 230 rushing yards (6.6 per carry). Kennedy Brooks led the team with one touchdown and 153 yards on just 20 rushing attempts.

Perhaps the key moment for Oklahoma came late in the third quarter while up by 14 points and with TCU looking for a stop to stay alive. Williams converted a third-and-3 with his legs and then iced the contest with a 41-yard rushing touchdown on the next play.

Williams had already impressed against Texas one week ago, tossing two touchdowns and rushing for another to help the Sooners prevail 55-48. He relieved Rattler, who was benched after throwing for 111 yards with an interception, though he did rush for a score.

The quarterback switch capped a stunning turnaround for Rattler, who was the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. The redshirt sophomore led Oklahoma to a Cotton Bowl victory last year but struggled with his downfield accuracy in 2021.

Rattler, 21, entered the season as the consensus top quarterback prospect eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft. His benching figures to cause no shortage of transfer speculation.