Tempo, Tempo, Tempo
Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby brought his uptempo offensive system over from Ole Miss. Lebby’s offenses have been highly productive, and a significant reason why is the tempo in which they play.
Through five games last year, the Rebels were running 2.89 plays per minute. That can truly wear a team out, especially in the heat, and there’s plenty of reason to believe that Oklahoma will be working at a breakneck place to see if they can break UTEP’s will early.
Taking them completely out of the game by forcing their depth to play is a bonafide way to push yourself closer to victory.
Take away the ball
No one will mistake UTEP QB Gavin Hardison for a Heisman hopeful, but Hardison doesn’t shy away from letting it rip.
Hardison threw for 3,218 yards and 18 touchdowns in 13 games last season. He struggles with accuracy, as evidenced by the 13 interceptions and a completion percentage under 56 percent for his career. In week one vs. UNT, Hardison completed just 46.8% of his passes in the Miners 31-13 week zero loss.
He’s willing to take chances, but his accuracy will lead him to several mistakes, and Oklahoma has to take advantage.
Oklahoma wasn’t bad at forcing turnovers last year, but that could improve along with their third down defense. Against a QB like Hardison, who has the propensity to be loose with the ball, Oklahoma must capitalize on his mistakes, providing more possessions for their lightning-fast offense to wear down the Miners’ defense.
Nothing more needs to be said. The depth charts are out, the game is officially sold out, and the Sooners know the work they’ve put in.
The atmosphere may be overwhelming at first, but ultimately, it’s all about just playing football. As Brent Venables has said multiple times this offseason: Don’t talk about it, be about it.
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