The college football season officially began on Thursday evening. Despite not dropping a home game this decade, the Oklahoma Sooners have official been out on upset notice by some. As the Florida Atlantic Owls come to Norman, here are three keys to victory for the home squad.
Shut Down The Run
Working with a new quarterback, most expect Lane Kiffin to rely heavily on the rushing attack during the early portion of the schedule. Nearly eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark, Devin Singletary racked up 1,920 rushing yards throughout the duration of the year. Averaging 6.4 yards per carry, the back crossed the goal line 32 times. As a team, the Owls rushed for nearly twice as many yards as the team threw for in 2017. It’s clearly a strong suit that defenses must prepare for moving forward and Oklahoma is no exception.
With a handful of position battles unsettled on the defensive side of the ball combined with a inexperience at several other positions, the Sooners must be ready for Singletary. Keying in to the rushing attack should prove vital to success in the home opener against a team not to be taken lightly.
Conditioning
It’s the end of August and the beginning of September, but the temperatures remain in the upper nineties. On Saturday, fans can expect the same brutal heat as the Owls and Sooners collide at 11 AM CT. To start the season, the weather sets up to test not only the conditioning of the program but also the value of the nutritionist on payroll. Assuming players need a break more often than usual, the names on the two-deep become of utmost importance — especially in the front seven of the defense.
The Secondary Must Grow Up Quickly
It’s early in the development of much of the players. Although the defense was a perceived weakness last year, Lincoln Riley signed back-to-back top ten classes. Adding much needed talent and depth to the roster, the improvements are sure to come. However, with three of five defensive back spots being filled by underclassman, there are going to be mistakes.
Much of the offensive scheme the Owls employ centers around running up the middle in order to open things up on the outside. Of course, this tactic easily lends itself to sucking in defenders. However, a quick play action could literally send the ball soaring toward a wide open receiver. I expect Florida Atlantic to test the inexperience of Justin Broiles, Brendan Radley-Hiles, and Tre Norwood throughout the duration of the afternoon. Needless to say, the group must mature quickly in terms of decision making to avoid costly mistakes on the field an in terms of communication.
This game is no cake walk and the coaching staff is relying on these youngsters to carry their share of the responsibility.