Even the biggest optimist would have a hard time with the direction of the Oklahoma Sooners after their 34-3 loss to the Texas Longhorns on Saturday.
The defense started off strong, which has been the lone bright spot this season, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on a strong defensive effort in the first quarter. After a long drive from the Texas offense in the second quarter and then a pair of turnovers that led to points, what had been a promising first quarter was a disastrous second frame as the Longhorns ran away from the Sooners on Saturday.
The Sooners were on the wrong side of USA TODAY Sports winners and losers from Paul Myerburg.
There are too many flaws for this team to stay in the Top 25. The biggest issue with OU is an offense that has no quarterback and no surrounding skill talent — the receiver corps has been decimated by injuries — and looks like a yearlong problem. At quarterback, Brent Venables and his staff seem to have whiffed on former starter Jackson Arnold and don’t seem to know how to manufacture anything positive behind Michael Hawkins Jr., a more limited passer. The Sooners still have to face the Rebels, No. 18 Missouri, the Crimson Tide and LSU, so getting to six wins might be easier said than done. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports
The offense, which had been inconsistent for much of the year, had another poor showing as they relied on Michael Hawkins Jr. to carry the load for the offense. And although Hawkins has shown good mental toughness through his first two and a half games, they asked way too much of him on Saturday.
Hawkins has a lot of talent, but the coaching staff has to help him more than they did on Saturday. The Sooners have another tough defense to face next Saturday when South Carolina comes to town.
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