Video: Auburn Cheerleader Knocks Down Oklahoma Player During Pregame Backflip Routine
September 28, 2024
It looks like Auburn football players aren't the only opponents Oklahoma team members need to watch out for during Saturday's matchup at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Video taken from the stands appeared to show an Auburn cheerleader colliding with an Oklahoma player while doing backflips on the field before the game.
No. 2 Oklahoma entered the road game with a 3-1 record, while Auburn was looking to improve over .500 after starting the season 2-2.
Several other Sooners players dodged the cheerleader before his collision, which appeared to involve a player wearing No. 8 and may have been freshman running back Taylor Tatum. The player was helped up by a teammate following the collision.
Tatum was already listed as out heading into the game after suffering a concussion during Oklahoma's loss to No. 5 Tennessee last Saturday. He had rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns, while making one touchdown catch, in four games prior to his injury.
The running back was one of ten players sidelined for Oklahoma on Saturday, joining a stacked injury list highlighted by the first five receivers on the Sooners' depth chart.
That will make Oklahoma's loss of Tatum even more difficult to overcome as the Sooners head into an injury-riddled matchup highlighted by intrigue in both program's quarterback battles.
Freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. got the start for Oklahoma on Saturday after his success as a backup for sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold earned him a shot at QB1.
Auburn meanwhile turned back to fifth-year senior Payton Thorne after benching him in favor of backup Hank Brown for the previous two games.
The contest, which marked Oklahoma's first road game in the conference since officially joining the SEC this summer, kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
