AUBURN, AL – Somehow, Oklahoma found a way.

The Sooners’ offense played dead for three quarters, but Michael Hawkins Jr. gave OU life with a 60-yard strike JJ Hester in the fourth quarter.

And then the defense struck.

Kip Lewis jumped Payton Thornes Pass and rumble 63 yards to put the Sooners back in the lead.

Hawkins spun into the end zone on the two-point conversion and OU’s reinvigorated defense completed the improbable victory.

The Sooners (4-1, 1-1 SEC) appeared to be in for a long bye week, but somehow they conjured Sooner magic on their second straight SEC road trip.

Oklahoma managed to make the final stops needed to secure a 27-21 victory and avoid a disastrous start to their Southeastern Conference campaign.

For three and a half quarters, the Oklahoma defense played its worst game of the year.

OU struggled to put pressure on Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne, and he had his best performance of the year.

Thorne found first KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 31-yard shot, and then the Tigers took a 14-7 lead with a 48-yard drive early in the second quarter Malcolm Simmons.

In the third quarter, Thorne found a 5-star freshman Cam Coleman for 42 yards and put the Tigers in the red zone.

By the time Lewis intercepted, Auburn was moving the ball and appeared ready to put the game on ice.

But the first turnover of the game proved to be the biggest, and Oklahoma’s defense held firm and secured the program’s first-ever SEC win.

Hawkins’ first ride was a dream.

He broke off a 48-yard touchdown run for the first score of the day and immediately seemed to breathe life into a struggling offense.

As the game settled down, OU had difficulty moving the ball.

Hawkins completed 10 of 15 passes for 161 yards. Auburn stuffed the run and kept the Sooners’ passing game under control until Hawkins found Hester.

But the true freshman, making his first college start in one of college football’s most hostile atmospheres, didn’t make the catastrophic mistake.

For much of the game, nothing about OU’s offense was perfect or even good, but Hawkins didn’t turn the ball over and gave his defense a chance to turn the game around.

The conversation surrounding Oklahoma would have been bleak if the Sooners had lost a second straight game before the start of the bye week.

Morale will be high after escaping Jordan-Hare, but there are still plenty of issues for the Sooners to resolve.

Only time will improve the wide receiver’s health situation, but the offense must find a way to run the ball effectively to give Hawkins a chance through the air – especially with No. 1 Texas heading into the Cotton Bowl.

The Sooners got the right tackle Jake Taylor back against Auburn, which was only the second game he was able to play all year, and Bill Bedenbaughs The offensive line was finally at full strength.

Another week of first-team reps will only make Hawkins more comfortable on offense, and he’ll need a standout performance in his second start to emerge victorious in a likely top-20 battle against the Longhorns.