Oklahoma’s game against Louisiana-Monroe shouldn’t provide much in the way of stiff competition but that doesn’t mean there won’t be things to look for. The Sooners have a short window of opportunity when it comes to fixing some glaring problems that were exposed in the season opener last week. Because of that, there will be a lot more happening on the field than just a football game.
Baker Mayfield Has To Find His Groove
Oklahoma’s quarterback has to read the field and not try to force something that isn’t there. Last week he got stuck looking deep and ignoring what was right in front of him. He should have lots of time to survey the field on Saturday night but I would expect to see him throw a lot of “dump-down” passes just to get in the habit of truly going through his progressions.
Can OU Create More Take-Aways & Less Give-Aways?
The Sooners lost the turnover battle last week and they really can’t afford to do it again. With the gauntlet of teams coming up on the schedule over the next month, every possession is going to count and giving the opponents extra opportunities to have the ball in their hands will be extremely harmful. Turnovers were costly last week and now, with a loss on their record, they become even more so.
Will They Run The Ball With Purpose?
My argument is that Oklahoma abandoned the running game too early down in Houston. I’m pretty sure that Bob Stoops agrees with me as well. They’ve got to feed Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. They are two of the greatest assets at the disposal of the offense and should never be underused. If anything, we should be saying they gave them the ball too much.
Who Lines Up At Corner Opposite Jordan Thomas?
The depth chart hasn’t changed from last week so Dakota Austin is still listed as the starter. That said, I would expect Parrish Cobb to get a strong look on Saturday evening as well. Thomas is a lock-down corner and whoever lines up opposite of him had better be ready to be tested early and often. That’s going to be a reoccurring theme this season.
Will The Defense Create The Same Amount Of Pressure Without Committing Penalties?
You had to at least appreciate the pressure that Oklahoma’s defense brought last weekend, but the first half penalties were absolute killers. Mike Stoops needs to find a way to dial up the same amount of intensity from his squad without the costly mistakes that prolonged drives for the offense.
That’s just a few of the things that we’ll be keeping an eye out for as the Sooners and Warhawks go toe-to-toe on Saturday night. Hit us up in the comments and tell us what you’ll be looking for.