The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off a brutal offensive performance. They took a 25-15 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers as OU played its first ever SEC contest. It’s a game the Sooners most certainly want back.
Struggling to move the ball and put up points isn’t something the Sooners are exactly accustomed to. Whenever Lincoln Riley was the program’s head coach, the defense was the gaping hole within the team while the offense straight-up saved the team.
On Saturday, Brent Venables’ defense certainly gave the team a chance to win the game. The problem? The offense was disastrous. Three turnovers from quarterback Jackson Arnold dug a huge hole for the team and made the game essentially not winnable. The defense was on the field for over 35 minutes, too, and they still put together an elite performance.
Where does OU’s offense go from here?
Given the standard of quarterback play in Norman, Saturday was unacceptable. Good on the coaching staff for understanding such and pulling the former five-star in favor of four-star freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. The Dallas native gave the Sooners’ offense exactly what it needed with the dual-threat capabilities he brings.
The reason Hawkins worked, though, is because he was able to use his legs to evade a collapsing pocket. Arnold wasn’t exactly put in the best position to win that game. The turnovers aren’t excusable, but he still wasn’t dealt the best hand with poor offensive line play.
Also, OU’s rushing attack averaged 1.1 yards per carry. There was no positive aspect of Oklahoma’s offense in Week 4. It’s unfortunate, too, as the team’s defense genuinely looks to be elite. Obviously, every part of the Sooners’ offense must improve as the team gets deeper into SEC play, but which area can unlock the most success?
Oklahoma’s rushing attack could unlock offense
On Tuesday, when talking about the offensive deficiencies, Venables mentioned getting back to the basics and finding a rhythm overall.
“You’ve got to get better at the basics,” Venables said. “I hate saying that nonstop. The basics will promote you and help you win a game when you do the little things right over and over and over… We can’t have the issues that are keeping us from having any kind of continuity, just a little bit of everybody. And so, we’ve got to get into a rhythm. Not a better time to do that than this week.”
Currently averaging less than 300 yards per game through four outings, the Sooners could certainly benefit from getting back to the basics. If the team can get even to three yards per carry, the chains will begin to move on a more consistent basis — as Oklahoma is No. 83 in the nation in first downs gained.
With Hawkins — a true freshman — taking over under center, building a rhythm on the ground could be the best thing for him. As a dual-threat quarterback, he can then use the option to keep defenses on their heels. That, of course, starts with a more consistent ground game. For OU, keep the schemes simple and allow the offense to work its way down the field and slowly move the chains.
Should the rushing attack begin to improve, Hawkins can parlay the positive plays into easy, rhythm-building completions. From there, the offense would be on much more solid ground than it has been the rest of this week.
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