Tag: Jackson Arnold

Oklahoma’s run game provides offense with a boost

The Oklahoma Sooners may be finding their ground game in the second half of the season.

The Oklahoma Sooners run game has begun to find some answers. Facing an Ole Miss team that was No. 1 in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game and yards per carry, the Sooners ground game came through in a big way.

According to Pro Football Focus, who takes sack yardage out of the rushing totals, the Sooners ran for 208 yards on 40 carries. That’s an average of 5.2 yards per carry. Barnes was quick to find the whole and churned out a lot of positive runs, even if they didn’t all go for big gains. He ran for 67 yards on 16 carries, averaging 4.2 yards per carry.

Arnold showed off his athleticism and toughness picking up 99 rush yards, 71 of which came in the scramble game.

True freshman running back Taylor Tatum had a solid performance as well. He carried the ball nine times for 42 yards. He lost a fumble, highlighting some ball security issues, but has shown he’s got the talent to be a dynamic weapon in the Sooners offense. He just has to protect the ball better.

New play caller and co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley was pleased with the success Oklahoma had in the run game.

“Nobody rushes the ball on these guys like we did,” new offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley said after the game. “Those are things you can build upon … It’s in there. We just got to be more consistent. Do it for one half, now we got to do it for a complete game.”

While the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line struggled to pass protect on the final few drives, they did a great job in the ground game, providing better lanes for Barnes, Arnold, and Tatum to run through.

Over the final four games, the Oklahoma Sooners will need their run game to continue to be efficient for them.

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Lane Kiffin breaks down how Rebels were able to secure win over Oklahoma

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin discussed what decided the game in Oklahoma’s 26-14 loss to the Rebels.

That the Oklahoma Sooners led at halftime of their loss to Ole Miss made the outcome even more disappointing. Even though the third quarter was a punt fest for the Sooners offense, late in the game, OU had a chance to pull within one score after moving the ball inside the red zone.

But a failed trick play on first down led to the Sooners facing a second-and-11. And from there, the Ole Miss defense simply teed off on Jackson Arnold.

On Oklahoma’s final three drives, Arnold was sacked seven times.

“It was good to have a lead, going great, and make it two [possessions], Kiffin said after the game. “We’ve been in that position with both our losses, with the ball, ahead one score, and not pushing it to two scores. Because when you push it to two, now they’ve got to throw more, and now our pass rush can come alive. And that’s really what I was hoping was happening when we had the ball in the last game [against LSU]…I think that helped getting to two scores [ahead], and they were able to pass rush more.”

It made all the difference in the ball game. For the first three quarters, the Sooners could maintain their offensive balance, using the run game to keep Ole Miss’ pass rushers from being able to simply rush the passer. But when Oklahoma got down 12 points and had to throw, the offensive line didn’t have an answer when they got into obvious passing situations.

When Oklahoma drove the ball into the red zone with about five minutes left to play, they failed to create a positive gain on first-and-10, and that allowed the Rebels to get after Jackson Arnold.

What had been a solid day upfront was blown up in the final moments as Ole Miss collected sack after sack en route to a record 10 sacks allowed by the Oklahoma Sooners.

It was a disappointing end of the game for the Sooners offensive line. A good defense was able to make OU one-dimensional. When that happens, it will be hard on any offensive line, but especially one that’s been struggling in 2024.

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3 stats that tell the story of Oklahoma’s loss to Ole Miss

Stats to know from Oklahoma Sooners loss against the Rebels.

The Oklahoma Sooners fell to 1-4 in [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play and 4-4 overall on the 2024 season with a tough loss against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday. OU has now lost three straight games and four out of their last five contests.

This game was closer than the previous two weeks, as the Rebels won by a score of 26-14. The 12-point loss certainly isn’t what Sooner Nation was hoping for, but it wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as the losses to Texas and South Carolina.

In a game where [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ team led at halftime, Lane Kiffin’s team pitched a shutout in the final two quarters, scoring the 16 points they needed for the comfortable victory.

OU did some things that you hope they can build on offensively, but it wasn’t enough against a very good team in Oxford. Here are three stats that ultimately led to Oklahoma’s demise in week nine.

1. Ole Miss Passing Yards: 311

Oklahoma’s secondary had their worst day of the season, as the Rebels got whatever they wanted through the air. Quarterback Jaxson Dart took care of the football and made big plays down the field, attacking the OU cornerbacks specifically.

Whichever corner lined up opposite [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag] on OU’s defense was typically the victim, as Ole Miss showed off their versatile and explosive passing attack.

Oklahoma picked a bad day to play their worst defensive game of the season. They actually played the run well, holding Ole Miss to just 69 rushing yards and 2.2 yards per carry.

Unfortunately, the pass defense wasn’t up to snuff.

2. Turnovers: Oklahoma 2, Ole Miss 1

When Oklahoma wins the turnover battle this season, they’re 4-0. They did so against Temple, Houston, Tulane and Auburn. When Oklahoma loses the turnover battle this season, they’re 0-4. That was the case against Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, and Ole Miss.

This game was a bit different, as a Taylor Tatum fumble was immediately given back, as J.J. Hester forced and recovered a fumble on the return of the Tatum giveaway. However, on the very next play, nobody on the offensive line blocked an Ole Miss edge defender and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] got smacked at the mesh point as OU was setting up a reverse. Though the ensuing Rebel drive ended in a fourth-down stop, it was a momentum swing that went away from the Sooners.

3. Oklahoma Sacks Allowed: 10 (School Record)

The game’s most telling stat was once again on the shoulders of Oklahoma’s inept offensive line. After giving up a school record nine sacks last week, they allowed ten sacks against Ole Miss. That’s an absurd 19 sacks in eight quarters of football.

Sure, there are injuries at some spots on the offensive line, but it’s not like the Sooners have never had a banged-up unit up front before. You give your quarterback no chance to be effective when he’s sacked that many times, and you give your team no chance to win when you can’t block a pass rush any better than that.

Oklahoma showed a bit of improvement overall offensively, and it’ll be interesting to see what the offense looks like over the final four games. There are some things to build on, but there’s still so much that’s got to be cleaned up.

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Oklahoma Sooners fall 26-14 to No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t protect Jackson Arnold on their final two drives and dropped to 4-4 on the season in their 26-14 loss to Ole Miss.

For the third consecutive week, the Oklahoma Sooners will wake up Sunday morning with the taste of defeat. Oklahoma traveled to Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday to take on Lane Kiffin’s 18th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. The Sooners put up a fight in the first half but ultimately fell 26-14.

The game started rough as the Rebels marched down the field in six plays and scored the game’s opening touchdown on a nine-yard TD run from Henry Parrish Jr. It looked as if Ole Miss was going to have its way with the Sooners, but Zac Alley’s unit made considerable adjustments the rest of the half.

The Sooners used their first possession, aided by some key penalties on the Rebels, to march all the way down to the Rebel’s two-yard line, where the Sooners were unable to convert on 4th and goal. Jackson Arnold hit Brenen Thompson in the gut with an Ole Miss defender draping him and couldn’t come up with the catch.

Oklahoma’s defense settled in forcing a punt on the Rebels’ next possession. The Sooners finally found pay dirt in the first half for the first time since they traveled to Auburn. Jackson Arnold delivered a rainbow of a throw to tight end Bauer Sharp for an 11-yard score.

Oklahoma and Ole Miss traded punts before the Rebels nailed a field goal to go up 10-7 in the second quarter.

Despite Ole Miss forcing a fumble to give themselves incredible field position, the Oklahoma defense stopped the Rebels on fourth down to get the ball back at their own eight-yard line.

Jackson Arnold and the OU offense, led by terrific running from Jovantae Barnes and timely decision-making from Arnold, pushed all the way downfield 92 yards, culminating in a nine-yard touchdown toss to Jacob Jordan. Arnold made an incredible individual effort to evade pressure and roll right before throwing a dart to the walk-on receiver for Jordan’s first career touchdown.

Oklahoma would go into the half up 14-10, their first lead at halftime in almost two months.

Out of the half, the Sooners were unable to get anything going on their first possession and Ole Miss responded with a touchdown to take a 16-14 lead.

Oklahoma’s offense began to sputter, and the Rebels scored another touchdown on their second drive of the second half. That all but sealed the game. The Sooners had a drive in the fourth quarter to potentially cut a 26-14 lead to a one-score game, but consecutive sacks right outside the red zone knocked Oklahoma back and forced them into an impossible fourth-down situation.

Jackson Arnold was calm despite the constant pressure he was under en route to finishing 22 of 31 for 182 yards,  two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was sacked eight times. That comes a week after the Sooners offensive line gave up nine sacks last week. Barnes had 16 carries for 67 yards and added five catches for 57 yards as he had his best game of the season.

Bauer Sharp led the team in catches with eight but struggled to secure the ball and was put in some bad positions by the offensive coordinator with failed tight end screens and a tight end pass.

Ultimately, this game came down to the offensive line’s inability to pass protection in the fourth quarter. The Sooners lost Jacob Sexton to injury and that killed any momentum the offensive line had created through three quarters. Arnold was under siege, and the offensive line allowed nine sacks for the second straight week.

Oklahoma will put its head down and get back to work searching for win number five this season as they host the Maine Black Bears next week.

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Joel Klatt is panicking about the Oklahoma Sooners

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt didn’t mince words about the Oklahoma Sooners.

It’s no secret that the 2024 college football season hasn’t gone the way the Oklahoma Sooners have hoped. With a 3-0 nonconference start, OU was a bit shaky, but undefeated heading into Southeastern Conference play. A tough loss against Tennessee hurt, but a thrilling comeback win over Auburn sent the Sooners into the bye on a high note.

Coming out of the bye week, Oklahoma has dropped back-to-back stinkers against Texas and South Carolina to drop to 4-3 overall on the season and just 1-3 in [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play. Though their first loss to Tennessee was by just ten points, the Sooners have been blown out each of the last two weeks, failing to even make the games competitive.

Now they face the Ole Miss Rebels on the road, a very good team capable of embarrassing the Sooners once again. They’ll get a reprieve next week against Maine before a gauntlet of the final month of the regular season. That four-week stretch includes a game at Missouri, a bye week, a home game against Alabama, and a road game against LSU to close things out.

Simply put, Oklahoma is in serious danger of missing a bowl game for the first time since 1998. They’ll have to find a pretty big upset on their schedule somewhere and take care of business at home against Maine just to get to 6-6.

OU’s season has many folks around the college football landscape concerned for the program’s future, including FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt. Klatt wrote an in-depth article detailing his thoughts on the rough seasons going on right now at Michigan, USC, and, of course, Oklahoma.

“The Sooners’ first year in the SEC has gone horribly wrong. We all knew Oklahoma’s schedule was difficult entering the season, and we actually discussed it at quite a bit of length,” Klatt said. “But the offense has been a disaster. I’ve been saying that since the Tennessee game and that it didn’t matter who the quarterback was. It didn’t change when [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] replaced [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] because the scheme is wrong. We have evidence of that now. Oklahoma fired offensive coordinator Seth Litrell earlier this week and Arnold is back in at quarterback. The Sooners rank 107th in scoring and 116th in total yards. It’s not working. “

Klatt dove deeper into the many problems with this OU offense, beginning with the caveat of all the injuries the Sooners are dealing with at wide receiver.

“To be fair to Oklahoma, it’s been decimated at wide receiver due to injuries … It’d be a convenient excuse to point at those injuries, though, for why the offense has struggled,” Klatt said. “When I watched the film, the entire offensive system was wrong. The offensive line is playing terribly. When the Sooners try to run the football, they can’t get anywhere. The scheme is wrong. When figuring out if the coaches, players or scheme are the reason for the issues, it’s the coach and scheme. Sure, you could say it’s a little bit of the players because of the injuries, but the coaching staff and scheme were wrong. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] fixed the coach part this week, so credit to him for that at the very least. Oklahoma has a placeholder offense, though. [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] won’t be its offensive coordinator heading into 2025. So, like Michigan, this is going to get worse before it gets better for Oklahoma. This is not the bottom …What is Oklahoma going to do offensively? Just play hard and that’s going to be the game plan with the placeholder offense.”

Overall, Klatt emphasized that he is “worried and panicking” about Oklahoma, and while it may not be fun to here, it’s what needs to be heard right now, because this team, mainly offensively, isn’t very good right now.

The offseason offensive coordinator search and hire for Brent Venables will be a telling moment in his career as Oklahoma’s head coach. If he gets it right, he could have a long and successful career patrolling the sidelines in Norman.

If he gets it wrong, his days in this role could be numbered, and the clock may already be ticking on him as we speak. That doesn’t mean he can’t turn it around, but it does mean that what he does next is incredibly crucial.

3 Keys to the game for Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss Rebels

What do the Oklahoma Sooners need to have happen to have a chance against Ole Miss?

The Oklahoma Sooners go on the road to face another really good team in the Ole Miss Rebels. After another quarterback change and a change in offensive play caller, the Sooners will face the challenge of a new voice directing the offense in a difficult road environment.

But Brent Venables made the move, hoping a new voice could provide a spark to an offense that has struggled. Oklahoma’s personnel isn’t as good as it needs to be on that side of the ball, and execution matters, but the Sooners have also struggled to put this team in a position to be successful.

Going on the road to face the No. 2 scoring team in the nation, Oklahoma will have to hit the ground running in Oxford.

More: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for OU vs. Ole Miss

1. Improved Offensive Line Play

Oklahoma can’t afford another effort along the offensive line like they had a week ago against South Carolina. The Ole Miss Rebels are dynamic up front, led by Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen, Jared Ivey, and linebacker Suntarine Perkins. That group has combined for 15.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.

Jackson Arnold was under siege last week against South Carolina and it limited Oklahoma’s chances of creating more offense. If the Sooners offensive line has another performance like they did a week ago, it could be another long day for OU’s offense.

It may not be a great rushing day against a team allowing just 66 yards per game and 2 yards per carry in 2024, so the offensive line will have to have a better pass blocking day for OU to be able to create some offense.

2. Another Strong Defensive Effort

You hate to put a game completely on one side of the ball, but unfortunately, the Sooners need their defense to play near-perfect football. And that doesn’t mean keeping teams scoreless but playing sound, fundamental football for 60 minutes.

When teams have been able to score on OU, it’s either because the offense put them in a bad spot with a turnover or because they’ve tackled poorly.

Oklahoma’s defense played a really good game against South Carolina, despite the early 21-0 deficit. But for the Sooners to have a chance in this game, OU’s defense will have to play a strong game from start to finish against a really good offense.

3. Big Game from Jackson Arnold

Ole Miss can move the ball offensively. Ole Miss’ defense can stop the run. So, for better or worse, the Sooners will have to rely on Jackson Arnold and the passing game to make plays in this contest.

Arnold completed just 50% of his passes last week but threw for a season-high in yards. If he can have a more efficient day throwing the ball and hit a big play or two, that’ll give the Sooners a chance.

This game isn’t all on Arnold. He’s going to have to make some throws, but he also needs his pass catchers to have a better performance this week after six drops against South Carolina.

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Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss Rebels

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Oklahoma Football vs. Ole Miss Rebels

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.

The Oklahoma Sooners (4-3, 1-3 SEC) travel to take on the Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 1-2) in Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday in hopes of securing their second conference win and reversing their fortunes for the second half of the season.

The Rebels are coming off a bye and are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing loss on the road at LSU in Week 7. The Rebels are still hoping to find themselves in the College Football Playoff but can’t afford another loss along the way.

How will this pivotal Week 9 contest between Oklahoma and Ole Miss turn out? Here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

I just don’t see a way that Oklahoma’s offense can put enough points on the board to win this game, especially on the road against a rested team coming off a bye.

Even with Seth Littrell relieved of his duties and Joe Jon Finley taking over the play calling, the offensive problems that the Sooners have won’t be fixed this season.

Kevin Johns being elevated to co-OC and QBs coach may help, but all of the offensive issues remain.

OU’s defense is good enough that this one won’t go completely off the rails. Unless the offense gives the Rebels points, as they’ve been prone to do. The South Carolina team that dominated OU last week was soundly beaten by this Ole Miss squad earlier this year. The Sooners have a very narrow path to victory: Slow down the game, get stops repeatedly, and force multiple turnovers.

If they drop to 4-4, especially if it’s in embarrassing fashion, the drumbeat of people questioning Brent Venables’ ability to be the guy at Oklahoma will continue to grow louder.

Ole Miss 30, Oklahoma 7

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Up Next: More Staff Predictions

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Kirk Herbstreit thinks Oklahoma Sooners are hitting ‘rock bottom’

ESPN College Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit thinks OU is hitting “rock bottom” right now.

The Oklahoma Sooners desperately need to rebound in a big way this week. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ team has lost two straight and three out of their last four games, and they’ll have to play excellent football to avoid a third straight defeat on Saturday. OU will face the Ole Miss Rebels on the road in Oxford, Mississippi.

One college football expert believes that things couldn’t get much worse for Oklahoma. That would be ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who took to his social media earlier this week to answer a few questions from fans about the current state of college football. He shared his thoughts on the top teams in the sport and a few programs that have been outright disappointing.

“The Sooners, they’re hitting rock bottom,” Herbstreit said. “Oklahoma is seriously reeling as an offense.”

That’s a pretty emphatic and blunt way to put it, but Herbstreit has seen the Sooners in some of their worst moments this year. He was on hand in Norman when Oklahoma hosted Tennessee in a 10-point loss and benched [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] in favor of [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] to try and find a spark for the offense. Herbstreit was also at the Cotton Bowl for the Red River Rivalry, when Texas defeated Oklahoma by 31 points.

Defensively, Oklahoma has improved from where they were a year ago. It’s the best defense of the three-year Venables era, and the best defense the Sooners have had in a long time. While Oklahoma certainly isn’t great on special teams, that unit has also improved a bit since last year. In fact, it may be the best special teams group of the Venables era as well.

But the offensive woes have kept Oklahoma from winning, or competing for the most part, in [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play. Hawkins was benched after three straight turnovers to open the game last week against South Carolina, and Arnold has been re-inserted as the starter. However, neither quarterback is getting much help at all from the pieces around them, and it wouldn’t shock anyone to see Hawkins back under center at some point this season. It also wouldn’t be a shock to see Arnold take things the rest of the way.

That’s where it’s at right now with this OU offense. With Seth Littrell relieved of his duties on Sunday, [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] has been promoted to the role of primary play-caller. Kevin Johns is now a co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. While the trio of [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] and DeMarco Murray may not be directly responsible (as coordinators) for the mess on offense, each of their position groups needs to play better.

With the tough schedule the Sooners have coming up in November with games against Missouri, Alabama and LSU, this team will have to dig deep to find something, even if that something is just bowl eligibility for a 26th straight season.

Brent Venables names starting quarterback for week 9 vs. Ole Miss

Brent Venables named his starting quarterback for week 9 vs. Ole Miss.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been forced to play multiple quarterbacks this season. After [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s turnover frenzy against Tennessee, he was replaced by [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag], who turned the ball over on Oklahoma’s first three drives against South Carolina. Amid questions about red shirting in 2024, the Sooners reinserted Arnold into the lineup to try to find a spark offensively.

And the Sooners appear ready to hand the keys of the offense back to Arnold. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] stated during the Rudy’s Coach’s Show that Arnold will start for Oklahoma when it makes the trip to Oxford to face the Ole Miss Rebels this Saturday.

SoonerScoop’s Georgia Stoia shared the news on X.

Now, the turnovers aren’t completely on the quarterbacks, as the offensive line play, lack of separation from wide receivers, and poor game planning from the now-departed Seth Littrell put way too much on the quarterback’s shoulders in 2024.

But as Arnold replaced Hawkins in the first quarter against South Carolina, the Sooners found a little offense, even if it’s still not to the standard expected at Oklahoma.

In the loss to South Carolina, it was the first time a quarterback had thrown for more than 200 yards in a game this season. Arnold showed improved poise and decision-making. He was 18 of 36 for 225 yards and a touchdown. Pro Football Focus credited Oklahoma pass catchers with six drops, though it felt like more than that.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, and there is still a lot of development that needs to happen, but Arnold had a few solid moments like the 54-yard touchdown to Brenen Thompson.

The Ole Miss Rebels will provide another challenge for Oklahoma’s offense. It can’t be all on the quarterback to help the Sooners find their scoring touch, but if Arnold can build on his performance against South Carolina, it might give them more confidence in the direction of the offense under Joe Jon Finley.

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Best Photos of Oklahoma Sooners matchup with South Carolina

Best photos from Oklahoma Football’s matchup with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Oklahoma Sooners were blown out again for the second straight week. But this time it was by the South Carolina Gamecocks, a team that came into the game an even 3-3 on the season.

They’d played some good ball, losing close ball games to Alabama and Georgia but had also narrowly beat Old Dominion and were blown out by Ole Miss. On Saturday, the Gamecocks took advantage of three early turnovers caused by pressure from their dynamic defensive front to jump out to a 21-point lead. And that was all she wrote.

With Oklahoma in catch-up mode, the Sooners tried to throw more than they would have liked to get back in the game. That was a recipe for disaster, playing into exactly what the Gamecocks do best: rush the passer. Jackson Arnold didn’t have much of a chance.

By the end of the game, the Sooners had allowed nine sacks and lost by 26 points.

It was another wasted defensive performance by an offense that has been mostly anemic in 2024.