Oklahoma’s football season continued its nosedive on Saturday with a 26-14 loss at Ole Miss. It was the third loss in a row for the Sooners and the fourth in the last five games. It was the first game without Seth Littrell as the play-caller for the offense, and the first start for Jackson Arnold since the Tennessee game. While last week’s loss may have left us with a sense of disbelief, it may actually be possible that this loss, mostly because it was expected, may have left a sense of hope.
There Were Actually Some Positive Signs
Oklahoma ran the ball for 147 yards, which was 80 yards more than what Ole Miss had been allowing going into Saturday. The Rebels entered the game against the Sooners allowing just an average of 66.6 rushing yards per contest (ranked first nationally). OU had 125 yards on 30 carries in the first half.
The Sooners went north of the 300 yard mark in total offensive yards against an incredibly stingy Ole Miss defense. It was the first time they had crossed that barrier since conference play began. One of the reasons why the offense had success, particularly in the first have, was the use of Jovantae Barnes as a dual-threat weapon. Barnes ran the ball 16 times for a game-high 67 yards and also caught five passes for 57 yards. His five receptions tied a career high and his 57 receiving yards set a career high.
Defensively, Oklahoma’s defense went toe-to-toe against one of the top offenses in the nation. The Sooners held Ole Miss to 380 total yards and 69 rushing yards (2.2 per carry), well below the Rebels’ season averages of 560.7 total offensive yards and 200.6 rushing yards entering the day. While it was expected the defense would find its way to success against Ole Miss, the positive signs were that the offense didn’t leave them high and dry this time around.
Now For The Bad
Oklahoma changed the play caller but they still have the same players. They still have the same injuries, and they still have the same weaknesses. The Sooners turned the ball over twice, gave up nine quarterback sacks, and committed seven penalties for 71 yards.
I don’t think the offensive line is going to get better. I’ve been saying this since before the Texas game and now I think more people are coming on board with the notion. Jackson Arnold has been sacked 17 times in just the last two weeks alone. Jacob Sexton was injured again, and even before that the Sooners started a seventh different combination of starters along the offensive line.
Bauer Sharp hauled in a career and game-high eight receptions for a team-high 53 yards. He also notched his second touchdown reception of the
season and the sixth of his career on an 11-yard play in the first quarter to open up the scoring for Oklahoma. The problem is that he seems to be a complete liability in terms of blocking.
So, let’s talk about the pass catchers. Oklahoma has to have a tight end in the game who can’t block in order to have someone on the field who gives them the best chance at hauling in a pass. Next to Sharp’s eight catches was Jacob Jordan’s six catches for 38 yards. He caught his first touchdown as a Sooner to give OU a 14-10 lead going into the half. Over the last two weeks, Jordan has caught twelve passes which is a great story because he’s a walk-on and three weeks ago he was running with the scout team. I’m sure there’s a video coming soon where Jordan gets surprised with a scholarship, but let’s be honest about this. Oklahoma’s leading receiver over the last two weeks has been a walk-on scout team player. This is a receiver room that was supposed to be one of the deepest and most talented in the conference.
The Sooners couldn’t adjust to the adjustments. Joe Jon Finley did some good things (see below) but the Sooners couldn’t make adjustments after the half. Ole Miss didn’t expect Oklahoma to run the ball the way they did. The Sooners had the Rebels on their heels going into the locker room, but once the Rebs focused on stopping the run game in the second half, Jackson Arnold didn’t have the weapons around him to be the difference maker.
Joe Jon Finley Has Them In The Right Direction
He’s still handcuffed by the player personnel that he has to work with, but he did some things with the offense that we haven’t seen in a while. He simplified things, found a way to make Jackson Arnold comfortable, and got the run game going. The Sooners scored two touchdowns in a half, which is something they haven’t done since the Auburn game. There’s still so much work to be done, but based on the way that Oklahoma ran the ball, it looks like, for the first time this season, the Sooners may have found their offensive identity.
Now It’s Your Turn!
This post is your chance to vent. Remember, this post is therapeutic. So, tell us how you feel. Is there any hope? Tell us in the comments section below.
Follow us on Twitter: @SportsHeartland