Tag: Anton Harrison

Pro Football Focus puts the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line in top 10 ahead of week 11

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line is trending in the right direction and was one of Pro Football Focus’ top 10 offensive lines heading into week 11.

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It may have taken a few weeks to settle in, but the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line is trending in the right direction for the stretch run of the 2021 college football season.

The Sooners offensive line took a while to find its groove, for the most part, because the coaching staff couldn’t settle on their primary five players up front. Though Andrew Raym didn’t start against Texas Tech, he is still the starter at center and played 44 snaps to Robert Congel’s 12.

Anton Harrison has taken control of the left tackle job, while veterans Marquis Hayes, Chris Murray, and Tyrese Robinson fill out the rest of the offensive line.

It’s a group that still has some work to do in the running game as they prepare for their toughest tests of the season, with Baylor, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State coming in the next three weeks. However, they’re trending in the right direction and land at No. 8 in Anthony Treash’s top 10 offensive line units over at Pro Football Focus, heading into week 11.

Oklahoma claims a top-10 spot for the work its offensive line has done in pass-protection. The Sooners actually have the highest-graded offensive line in the Power Five on true pass sets this season. Harrison and Robinson have been the standout performers on such plays, ranking fifth and ninth respectively among all Power Five offensive linemen in true pass set grade. Those two have given the Sooners the highest-graded tackle tandem in the FBS ahead of Week 11.

It’s their work as pass blockers, which has set the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line apart. Since Caleb Williams took over in the Texas game, the Sooners offensive line has allowed just five sacks of their true freshman quarterback.

With the best defenses in the Big 12 coming on the schedule, Caleb Williams and the Oklahoma Sooners need the offensive line to be at its best starting this week against Baylor. They’ll have to clean up the penalties that have plagued this team and get better in the run game. However, giving Caleb Williams time to throw is the most important thing they can do. Because when he has the time, he’s bound to make magic happen.

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Oklahoma offensive line starting to figure things out,

As the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for the stretch run of the season, the offensive line is starting to pull things together.

It’s amazing how much practice and repetition can be a benefit to improvement. The more time you spend doing something, naturally you will get better at it. There’s no timetable on how long that may take but in a tale as old as time, if you put the work in, eventually you’ll see the fruits of your labor.

This rings true for the Oklahoma offensive line. Much maligned and the subject of a lot of criticism along, the offensive line of the 4th ranked Sooners has started to put it together.

It’s far from perfect but they are taking steps week in and week out. Their latest performance saw them stymie Texas Tech’s front seven and allow for Oklahoma’s quarterbacks to throw for a combined seven touchdowns.

This followed a span of a few games where they paved the way for running back Kennedy Brooks to run wild over the likes of Kansas State, Texas,  and TCU.

This team still hasn’t reached its ceiling and that’s a great thing as they head into the most important month of their season with all of their aspirations and goals firmly in front of them.

The Big 12 title is staring them down like a linebacker ready to shoot the gap on 3rd and short. Another College Football Playoff berth is on the horizon if they can win their final four games, including the Big 12 championship.

How they get through these games depends on their play on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

The offensive line doesn’t have the star power that the defensive line has but they do have something to prove. After struggling for roughly five games, they began to put it together. A new quarterback was inserted and he’s started to produce like the other award-winning Oklahoma quarterbacks.

At this point, there’s no turning back to the line they were before. They can only go up.

Center Andrew Raym has solidified himself as the anchor of this line. Veteran guards Marquis Hayes and Chris Murray will likely not be here next year and they have started to play like guys who have one more opportunity to do something special. Right tackle Tyrese Robinson has cut back on his penalties and is doing an excellent job moving guys in space. He’s getting to his pass sets in time to keep his quarterback clean while left tackle Anton Harrison is figuring it out as well.

Harrison and Robinson have been really good despite their issues with penalties. If they’re able to cut back on those penalties, the probability of Oklahoma to get their Guard/Tackle counter play working again goes way up.

Coach Bill Bedenbaugh is at the helm of all of this. For a long time, he’s been considered a master teacher and a respected voice for offensive linemen. One could only imagine how the play of his unit affected him, but he continued to chip away at them and has this unit playing some of their best football.

They have a nice chunk of the season left to add to their evolution. Hopefully, it continues and we’re able to see the benefits of their hard work continue to manifest themselves on the field.

Best Pro Football Focus Grades from Oklahoma’s win over Texas Tech

How did Pro Football Focus grade the Oklahoma Sooners in their 52-21 win over Texas Tech?

With their win on Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners moved to 9-0 on the season and are well situated to make their annual “Championship November” run to the Big 12 championship.

With their toughest games on the schedule still to be played, Oklahoma will need to come out of the bye ready to play their best football of the season. If their performance vs. Texas Tech was any indication, they might be on the verge of streaking into December, a trip to Arlington, and hopefully a chance at the national title in the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners played a complete game in their 52-21 win over the Red Raiders and received standout performances from several players on both sides of the football.

Like we do each week, let’s take a look at how Pro Football Focus graded the Oklahoma Sooners in the win.

Best Pro Football Focus Grades from Oklahoma’s win over TCU

Who earned the highest grades from Pro Football Focus in the Oklahoma Sooners 52-31 win over the TCU Horned Frogs?

On Saturday night, the Oklahoma Sooners were in a dog fight in the first half of their matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs. Though the game ended as a 21-point blowout win for the Oklahoma Sooners, it was a three-point game when the Sooners took over with 1:25 left in the second quarter.

Caleb Williams and the offense went 76 yards on five plays, culminating in an 11-yard touchdown strike to Jadon Haselwood on a beautiful back-shoulder throw, to make it 24-14. From that point, the Sooners never looked back.

They forced the Horned Frogs to punt on the opening possession of the second half, and another Williams to Haselwood touchdown essentially put the game out of reach, 31-14.

Though TCU battled to get back in the game, the Oklahoma Sooners had an answer at every corner and never let the game get closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

As we do each week, let’s look back at how Pro Football Focus graded the Sooners in their 52-31 win over the TCU Horned Frogs.

Report Card: Grading the Sooners following their 52-31 win over TCU

The Sooners dispatched TCU relatively comfortably. Let’s take a look at how each position group graded out in the 52-31 win.

For a while, it may have seemed like an afterthought to grade out the offense with A’s and B’s across the board. However, that time has arrived.  The offense was a bright spot, and the defense wasn’t as bad as maybe it appeared.

As we do each week, let’s look at how each position group graded in the Sooners 52-31 thrashing of the TCU Horned Frogs.

Quarterbacks: A

No need to beat around the bush here: Caleb Williams was phenomenal in his first start since usurping Spencer Rattler in Oklahoma’s thrilling come-from-behind win against Texas.

He dazzled the sold-out crowd in Norman and had national media in an uproar. Williams was 18 of 23 for 295 yards passing and four touchdowns, three of which made their way to Jadon Haselwood. He added 66 yards rushing, including the electric 41-yard TD run in the third quarter you can see below.

After that performance, there’s no need to speculate about who will be the quarterback as Oklahoma heads to the state of Kansas again for their second true road game against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The next step for Williams is to continue to mature and grow within the offense.

Up Next: Backs and Pass Catchers

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Passing Out Grades: Report Card for the Sooners vs. West Virginia

The Oklahoma Sooners played another tight one in their 16-13 win over West Virginia, but how did each position group grade out in the week 4 win?

Without ever having thoughts of being a teacher, passing out bad grades doesn’t seem like a fun time. The Oklahoma Sooners won against West Virginia but it wasn’t pretty and most notably one side of the ball struggled immensely.

At the end of the day, a win is a win. However, things must change offensively if the Sooners are to seriously contend for any trophies this season.

Let’s pass out some grades.

Quarterbacks: C-

This grade is the lowest grade I’ve handed out to this position group this year. It needs to be said that all quarterback grades are products of the offensive line play in front of them.

Spencer Rattler’s offensive line was not good but he has also had moments when he answered the call. Rattler, upon further review, missed a few throws that really would have given Oklahoma some chances to open things up.

He’s still struggling to make better decisions throwing vertically. A contested deep ball to wide receiver Michael Woods could have been intercepted had the defensive back not prematurely celebrated.

He threw an interception as he was targeting Drake Stoops late in the first half, focusing on Stoops the entire route and letting the ball float in the air too long.

At times, he continues to not set his plant foot and drive off of it causing balls to sail or not have the accuracy they need.

At the end of the game, he was 6 for 6 and orchestrated the game-winning drive to lead his team down the field and get them in a position to win. He has to be better and Lincoln Riley has to coach him better.

Most importantly…

Up Next: The Offensive Line

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Best Grades from Pro Football Focus in OU’s win over WVU

Taking a look at the best grades from Pro Football Focus for the Oklahoma Sooners in their win over West Virginia.

The Oklahoma Sooners have started to find a way to win defensive battles in 2021. It’s a far cry from what the Sooners looked like just a couple of years ago when they had to score 40-50 points per game to win. The defense in those early years of Lincoln Riley’s tenure as offensive coordinator and then head coach were some of the worst years of defense this program’s ever seen.

The script has flipped for the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners. The offense has been inconsistent. They haven’t been able to run the ball as effectively as they’d like and the Sooners defense is carrying the day.

For the second straight week the Sooners were unable to reach 30 points while the defense held their opponent to fewer than 16 points. While we’d certainly like to see more points scored, the Sooners are going to win a lot of games if they can continue to keep their opponent to fewer than 20 points a game.

There will be challenges in the coming weeks with Kansas State, Texas, and TCU on the docket, but the Sooners defense looks more up to the challenge than at any other point in the last five years.

Let’s take another look at Saturday’s win over West Virginia through the lens of Pro Football Focus (Subscription required) and take a look at which Sooners graded in the top five of various categories.

Handing Out Grades: Report Card for the Oklahoma Sooners win vs. Nebraska

How did the Sooners position groups perform in their 23-16 win over Nebraska?

It’s always easier to talk about a team’s performance when they’ve won a game. At the end of the day, all that matters is who has more points than the other. Oklahoma didn’t play their best football in the game versus Nebraska. They would tell you that and the world knows that. However, they won the game and that’s what’s most important and in the process, we saw some things that make us feel a bit better about how these first three weeks have gone.

Let’s hand out some grades.

Quarterbacks: B-

Spencer rattler definitely did not play his best game. Most of that was largely due to him and at times his coach Lincoln Riley being stumped by the soft zone and zone blitz Nebraska was sending their way. At numerous points, Rattler looked notably hesitant in the pocket and it led to errant throws and him holding on to the ball just entirely too long. They would eventually find a few chinks in it and string together enough completions and run the ball more than effective enough to win the game.

He started the game on fire going 6 of 7 on his first drive. He made some great throws on third down but made some questionable decisions trying to get the ball to freshman Mario Williams. When the team needed him to make plays, he delivered. He finished 24/34 for 214 yards and a TD pass to Jeremiah Hall to go along with a QB sneak for a touchdown.

Up Next: Grading the Running Backs and Offensive Line

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Passing Out Grades: Report Card for Oklahoma after win vs WCU

How did the Sooners grade out in their 76-0 win over Western Carolina? Check out this week’s positional report card.

After a week of re-evaluation and reflection, the Oklahoma Sooners came out and showed the world that they did not put their best foot forward in game one against Tulane. Tulane played hard for the entirety of the game. However, OU flexed at once and was up 37-14 and eventually took their foot off the gas and allowed the door to be left open for Tulane to come back.

Oklahoma let out some frustration and then some against the Catamounts en route to posting a 76-0 final score. They would narrowly escape, and head coach Lincoln Riley made it known things would be different during their game against Western Carolina. The man did not lie.

There were several aspects of the team that had decent but not spectacular moments in the previous game. After the game in our previous report card, we broke down the grades for those units.

NEXT: How did the Quarterbacks and Running Backs Grade Out?

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A deeper look: Rotations and positions need to be re-evaluated going forward

A deeper look at how the snap counts for both the offense and defense might have had an impact on the final score in OU’s win over Tulane.

After narrowly escaping a scrappy Tulane team, OU has come under the microscope from fans and analysts alike. Some have wobbled from their preseason predictions that had the Oklahoma Sooners contending for a national title.

That’s their prerogative, but personally, that seems a bit ludicrous.

Most of the top 10 played teams  who viewed their week one matchup as their ‘Super Bowls.” The lone exception really being Alabama, who steamrolled a top 20 Miami team. While we’re not here to make excuses, the first game of the season, without a preseason like the NFL has, is bound to lead to some less than stellar play.

Aside from a very tough Tulane team, what else could’ve caused Oklahoma to struggle? After reviewing the game, a deeper look at the substitutions and snap counts reveals something that could be attributed, at least partially, to why the Sooners struggled.

Defensively, the snap counts — provided by Pro Football Focus — show that 27 Oklahoma defenders logged double-digit snaps. In a game that was close for all but the second quarter, that’s a lot of snaps for reserve players.

Multiple-year starters make sense. Guys like Delarrin Turner-Yell, Woodi Washington, and Pat Fields sit inside the top 10 in snaps. However, when you look down the list, guys like freshman Kelvin Gilliam, Ethan Downs, veterans Marcus Stripling, and Kori Roberson saw time on the field. Jalen Redmond only logged 39 snaps, and Perrion Winfrey was on the field for 36 out of a possible 82 snaps.

In a game that wasn’t a “laugher,” two of your starting defensive linemen logged less than than 50 percent of the defensive snaps. Yes, getting players some in-game experience is fine but playing starters less than 50 percent of the snaps can certainly lead to mishaps and missed assignments.

Alex Grinch loves to rotate and keep guys fresh. While that has value and means something, a freshman like Gilliam, who was no higher than third on the depth chart, played snaps in a game that was still in doubt. That could certainly impact the on-field results when youngsters like Ethan Downs played and didn’t record any pressures, hurries, or tackles.

Grinch will be a lot less liberal with who sees the field while the game against Western Carolina is still up for grabs. Look for the snap counts of the first and second teams to be higher this go around until the game is certainly out of hand.

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Pass catchers will always rotate, and the running backs too. The offensive line and quarterback don’t typically see as much of a rotation as some of their offensive teammates. According to PFF’s grades, the seven offensive linemen that did see the field revealed an up and down performance.

This becomes even more evident looking at the lack of a consistent push in the Sooner’s running game. Though he wasn’t sacked, pressure forced Rattler to bail out of the pocket early or get rid of the ball faster than he may have liked.

Tyrese Robinson, who moved from right guard to right tackle, posted a run-blocking grade of 52. Chris Murray, who replaced him at right guard, had a pass block grade of 58.9 and two penalties. Rattler’s blindside was exceptional between Erik Swenson (85.3) and Anton Harrison (78.2) posted excellent pass-blocking grades.

It’s safe to say that rotating the offensive line is not conducive to success. However, maybe OU will tinker with their offensive line ahead of Saturday. Perhaps Swenson takes more snaps at right tackle instead of Tyrese Robinson, who could slide back inside where he’s more comfortable. A guy like Wanya Morris could finally see the field.

Oklahoma’s very equipped still to be the team many thought they were. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and national champions aren’t crowned in September. It’s back to the drawing board and time for Lincoln Riley and his coaching staff to do some re-evaluating. They need to shorten the leashes of some guys as they get a better grasp of who they can depend on as the season rolls along.

Until then, let’s not press the panic button so soon.

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