Tag: Jovantae Barnes

Oklahoma running back Taylor Tatum has a chance to shine against Missouri

Taylor Tatum has a huge opportunity in front of him this week against the Missouri Tigers.

The Oklahoma Sooners are banged up as they enter their clash with the Missouri Tigers on Saturday. According to Friday’s injury report, OU will be without a number of players in week 11.

The big news is the anticipated return of wide receivers Deion Burks and Jalil Farooq, who were listed as probable on Thursday and Friday night.

Even as Burks and Farooq return, there are even more injury questions on the OU offense. [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], Oklahoma’s best offensive player, is out this week with an ankle injury. He’s been a workhorse since the offensive coordinator change and has run well in the last three games.

With Barnes out and Gavin Sawchuk listed as questionable, the role of lead back will likely fall to true freshman Taylor Tatum.

Tatum was a gigantic recruiting win last year for the Sooners, as the four-star prospect was the No. 1 running back in his class. He’s shown some exciting things this year but has been banged up a couple of times and has made rookie mistakes in pass protection and ball security. Tatum’s agility and elusiveness have flashed when he’s gotten the ball, and it looks like a big play waiting to happen.

Now, with Barnes sidelined, Tatum’s moment has come. Against a Top 25 opponent in primetime on the road, he’s got a chance to show off the skills that have so many excited about his future. In eight games this season, Tatum has ran for 239 yards and three touchdowns at 5.6 yards per carry. He’s also caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Saturday night against Missouri offers Tatum a big-time opportunity to touch the ball more than he has this season.

Tatum projects as the future of the backfield in Norman. But just like so many other positions on this team in 2024, the future is now due to injuries. All eyes will be on the youngster, as he’s likely to make his first start in a critical [autotag]SEC[/autotag] game.

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Oklahoma vs Missouri injury report: Key pieces ruled out on Friday injury report

Oklahoma and Missouri will be missing key players when they meet on Saturday night in Columbia.

It’s a reunion of sorts when the Oklahoma Sooners and the Missouri Tigers meet on Faurot Field on Saturday night. However, when they do, they’ll both be missing key players.

Oklahoma’s injury issues have been extensive all season long. While it looks like they’ll be getting key players like Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks back, they’ll be missing arguably their best offensive player over the last month, Jovantae Barnes.

Barnes sprained his ankle last week during his big day against Maine. The Sooners run game had been a bright spot in recent weeks. Now, Oklahoma will likely turn to true freshman Taylor Tatum to lead the way. Sam Franklin and Xavier Robinson will be a part of the running back rotation.

On Mizzou’s side, they’ll be without starting quarterback Brady Cook and will turn to Drew Pyne. Pyne is a veteran, having started a season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish back in 2022. He’s been a backup over the last two years and in his most recent appearance, threw three interceptions against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

But there are positive developments on both sides of the matchup in the lastest injury report from the SEC.

Oklahoma Sooners injury report

Player Position Status 11/9
Jayden Gibson WR OUT
Gentry Williams DB OUT
Geirean Hatchett OL OUT
Nic Anderson WR OUT
Kendel Dolby DB OUT
Tyler Keltner K OUT
Andrel Anthony WR OUT
Jacob Sexton OL OUT
Jake Taylor OL OUT
Joshua Bates OL OUT
Jovantate Barnes RB OUT
Michael Tarquin OL QUESTIONABLE
Gavin Sawchuk RB QUESTIONABLE
Adepoju Adebawore DE PROBABLE
Jalil Farooq WR PROBABLE
Deion Burks WR PROBABLE

Missouri Tigers injury report

Player Position Status 11/8
Darris Smith DE OUT
Sam Horn QB OUT
Khalil Jacobs LB OUT
Joe Moore DE OUT
Brady Cook QB OUT
Mookie Cooper WR DOUBTFUL
Brayshawn Littlejohn LB DOUBTFUL
Nate Noel RB PROBABLE
Logan Reichert OL PROBABLE
Cayden Green OL PROBABLE

Michael Tarquin injury update

Michael Tarquin is still questionable heading into Saturday’s showdown. If Tarquin can give it a go, that would be a huge boost for the Sooners offensive line.

Deion Burks injury update

[autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] hasn’t played since the loss to Tennessee, but looks on track to play this week against Missouri.

Jalil Farooq injury update

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] has missed all but the first series of the season against Temple. Like Burks, Farooq looks set to return against the Tigers.

Jovantae Barnes injury update

Jovantae Barnes has been ruled out, putting the weight of the Sooner’s running game on Oklahoma freshmen Taylor Tatum and Xavier Robinson and veteran transfer addition Sam Franklin.

Gavin Sawchuk injury update

Gavin Sawchuk is still listed as questionable on the Friday injury report. There’s a chance he could play, but if not, the Sooners will need big games from their true freshmen running backs.

Adepoju Adebawore injury update

Adepoju Adebaqwore was upgraded to probable on Friday’s injury report, giving the former five-star prospect a chance to play and bolstering the Sooners defensive end rotation.

Brady Cook injury update

Brady Cook has been ruled out and will miss the matchup with the Sooners. It’s a huge loss for Missouri, who will turn to Drew Pyne at quarterback.

Mookie Cooper injury update

After being downgraded to doubtful on Thursday, Missouri’s Mookie Cooper will be out this week. Cooper is third on the Tigers in receiving and is certainly a loss to their passing attack.

Nate Noel injury update

If you’re a Tigers fan looking for a silver lining heading into week 11, it’s that leading rusher Nate Noel has been upgraded to probable. The Tigers will need to find a way to get Noel the ball on the ground and in the passing game to have some success.

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Oklahoma vs Missouri injury report: Thursday updates provide good news for Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners are expected to see the return of two key players to the offense when they take on the Missouri Tigers.

The Oklahoma Sooners received good news on the Thursday injury report as they get set to take on the Missouri Tigers in Columbia this weekend. Two of their most dynamic offensive players, Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks, look on track to return to action on Saturday.

Oklahoma has been decimated by injuries this season, particularly to the wide receiver group. While the returns of Burks and Farooq won’t help the Sooners contend for an SEC title or a berth in the College Football Playoff, OU will have a chance to finish the season on a high note as they get healthier at the skill positions.

Still, there are concerns along the offensive line, with several key pieces expected to be out this week due to injuries. Oklahoma will rely on some o their young players to hold down the fort against a stout Missouri defensive front.

Here’s a look at the updated injury report from the SEC>

Oklahoma Sooners injury report

Player Position Status 11/6
Jayden Gibson WR OUT
Gentry Williams DB OUT
Geirean Hatchett OL OUT
Nic Anderson WR OUT
Kendel Dolby DB OUT
Tyler Keltner K OUT
Andrel Anthony WR OUT
Jacob Sexton OL OUT
Jake Taylor OL OUT
Joshua Bates OL Doubtful
Michael Tarquin OL QUESTIONABLE
Gavin Sawchuk RB QUESTIONABLE
Adepoju Adebawore DE QUESTIONABLE
Jovantate Barnes RB QUESTIONABLE
Jalil Farooq WR PROBABLE
Deion Burks WR Probable

Missouri Tigers injury report

Player Position Status 11/6
Darris Smith DE OUT
Sam Horn QB OUT
Khalil Jacobs LB OUT
Joe Moore DE OUT
Brayshawn LittleJohn LB OUT
Mookei Cooper WR DOUBTFUL
Nate Noel RB QUESTIONABLE
Brady Cook QB QUESTIONABLE
Logan Riechert OL QUESTIONABLE
Cayden Green OL PROBABLE

Ethan Downs injury update

Ethan Downs came off the injury report from Wednesday to Thursday, meaning he’s going to play in this game.

Jacob Sexton injury update

Jacob Sexton went down in the second half of the Ole Miss game, suffering multiple lower-body injuries. There’s not a timeline for his return at this point.

Michael Tarquin injury update

Michael Tarquin remained questionable on the second iteration of the availability report heading into week 11. The Sooners will miss the veteran offensive tackle if he’s unable to play this week.

Deion Burks injury update

[autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] hasn’t played since the loss to Tennessee, but looks on track to play this week against Missouri.

Jalil Farooq injury update

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] has missed all but the first series of the season against Temple. Like Burks, Farooq looks set to return against the Tigers.

Jovantae Barnes injury update

There’s been no status update for [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] at this point. If he makes the trip to Columbia, he’ll have a good chance to suit up for the pivotal SEC showdown.

Gavin Sawchuk injury update

Don’t expect Gavin Sawchuk to play this week. He’s missed the last three games due to an injury.

Adepoju Adebawore injury update

There’s been no status change for Adepoju Adebawore ahead of this week’s matchup with Missouri. Look for the defensive end rotation to include Ethan Downs, R Mason Thomas, Trace Ford, and Caiden Woullard. Adebawore’s appeared in eight games this season, but has only played 104 snaps due to Oklahoma’s depth along the defensive line.

Brady Cook injury update

Brady Cook suffered an ankle injury against Auburn and then missed most of the loss to Alabama with an injured hand. There’s been no status change for Cook and there’s an expectation that he won’t be available for this week’s action.

Nate Noel injury update

Another notable injury is that of leading rusher Nate Noel. He missed the Alabama game with a foot injury and is likely to miss this week as well. In his absence, the Tigers turned to Marcus Carroll, who carried the ball 17 times for 80 yards against the Crimson Tide.

Mookie Cooper injury update

Missouri’s third-leading receiver, Mookie Cooper, was downgraded to doubtful for Saturday’s contest. Don’t expect him to play.

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Oklahoma Sooners offense trending in right direction

With three games to go, are the Oklahoma Sooners finally hitting their stride on offense?

The Oklahoma Sooners offense certainly isn’t where it needs to be. Nobody is going to mistake the 2024 Oklahoma offense for one that led to four Heismans in this century. However, after switching to Joe Jon Finley as their playcaller, the Sooners have found a rhythm.

Oklahoma scored 14 points in the first half against Ole Miss. That was the most they’d scored in the opening 30 minutes since putting up 21 points in the first half against Tulane. That was back on Sept. 14. Nearly two months ago.

Just before halftime against the Rebels, OU went on a 92-yard drive to take the lead, converting critical third downs and showing good balance. Though there were less than two minutes, the run game kept the Ole Miss defensive line from pinning their ears back. We all saw what happened late in the game when OU was forced to throw. Oklahoma didn’t have nearly as much success in the second half. Chalk that up to an inexperienced playcaller failing to make adjustments or Ole Miss keying in on what the Sooners wanted to do. Either way, it shouldn’t detract from the positive strides the Sooners made in the first half.

Then this week, against Maine, the Sooners started slow with a punt on their first drive, but that was the only time they didn’t have a success. The Sooners scored on all but one drive (the Sam Franklin fumble in the red zone) and put up their highest point total of the season.

In both weeks, Jackson Arnold completed more than 70% of his passes, showing a greater comfort level running the offense. He looked more confident and poised in the pocket and displayed better awareness of when to scramble.

The running game finally found its legs with Finley’s influence increasing. It started against South Carolina, but because of the early 21-point deficit, the Sooners couldn’t fully lean into running the ball.

But against Ole Miss, a team that had only allowed 66 yards per game and two yards per carry on the season, the Sooners had arguably their best day running the football as Jovantae Barnes and Taylor Tatum both averaged more than four yards per carry. Barnes ran for 67 yards. Taking sack yardage out of the equation, Arnold ran for 99 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

And the run game success continued last week as Barnes ran for 203 yards on 18 carries and the team tallied 381 rushing yards against Maine.

The offense still has room to improve but given the injuries Oklahoma’s suffered on offense, it’s not surprising this year has been a struggle. But here’s hoping they can build off of the last two weeks and finish the season on a high note.

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Jovantae Barnes turning it on for the Oklahoma Sooners

Jovantae Barnes putting it all together at the right time for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners needed a day like Saturday. It was a cleansing experience for an offense that has struggled since entering SEC play. But Oklahoma erupted in a big way, led by the efforts of [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag].

Barnes exploded for a 74-yard run on the Sooners’ second drive of the day en route to 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It was a career day for Barnes, who topped his previous career best of 108 yards against Florida State in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl.

The Sooners’ offense has needed a spark and in the last few weeks, Barnes has been that spark, playing with an inspiring energy and effort. He’s been a bright spot for the offense and exploded on Saturday.

Prior to Saturday’s huge day, Barnes had put together strong performances against South Carolina and Ole Miss. He averaged more than four yards per carry in both games and topped 100 total yards against the Rebels.

The Sooners needed someone on the offense to step up and find another gear as they hit rock bottom against Texas. And Barnes has been that answer. He’s silenced the critics and created zero doubt as to who the No. 1 running back is on this team. At the same time, he’s established himself as the go-to player for the offense.

Oklahoma won’t have an easy road ahead, but they’ve found that they can rely on Barnes in both the run and pass game. And they’ll need every bit of his ability and his effort over the final three games starting next week at Missouri.

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Relive Oklahoma’s big win over Maine with the best photos from Week 10

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners big win over the Maine Black Bears through these fantastic photos.

Man, the Oklahoma Sooners needed that. Outside of the first offensive and defensive possessions, it was pure domination for the Sooners in their 59-14 win over Maine.

The Sooners outgained Maine 665 to 251 with 381 rushing yards.

Jovantae Barnes led the way for the Sooners with a career-high 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It was a huge day for Barnes, who was injured for much of the 2023 season after a strong start to his career as a true freshman in 2022.

J.J. Hester also had a big day with a career-high 112 receiving yards, featuring a 90-yard touchdown reception from Jackson Arnold.

This win doesn’t mean the Oklahoma Sooners are back or are without questions, but it was a refreshing turn of events that helped break a three-game losing streak.

The Sooners have a challenging trio of games to end the season but they have a chance to end on a high note if they can build on this performance.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Sooners win over Maine

Oklahoma Sooners run wild in big win over Maine

The Oklahoma Sooners ran for over 300 yards in their dominant win over the Maine Black Bears.

It was a dreary day in Norman as the Oklahoma Sooners took on the Maine Black Bears from the FCS. Though Maine scored first, the Oklahoma Sooners ultimately took care of business to pick up the 59-14 win.

The Sooners got the run game going early with [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], who ripped off a 73-yard run before being tackled just short of the end zone. Two plays later, Barnes punched it in to tie the game at seven.

Oklahoma then added to the lead on a one-yard run by [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag]. The score capped off a 15-play, 84-yard touchdown drive. Oklahoma converted two third downs and a fourth down on the drive to come away with points and take the lead.

After the Sooners allowed the opening touchdown drive, the defense settled in and took control, forcing punt after punt.

An Oklahoma fumble ruined the Sooners’ opportunity to expand their lead Sam Franklin couldn’t handle the option pitch from Jackson Arnold. But OU’s defense forced a three-and-out, and after a short punt, the Sooners got the ball back in Black Bears territory.

Barnes ripped off another big run to put the Sooners inside the 10, and Jackson Arnold finished it off with a one-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.

Maine was able to pick up a couple of first downs on their next drive but had to punt it back to the Sooners, pinning OU at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, Arnold hit [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] for a 90-yard touchdown as the OU quarterback scrambled to his left.

Another three-and-out gave the Sooners the ball with just under two minutes to play. Oklahoma rode the legs of Jovantae Barnes, who had a huge day. Barnes carried the ball four times for 37 yards and his second touchdown of the day to put Oklahoma up 35-7 before halftime.

After halftime, it was more of the same as the Sooners forced a fumble on Maine’s opening drive and then responded with another Barnes touchdown, his third of the game.

The Sooners scored on every drive of the second half. Tight end Kaden Helms scored his first career touchdown on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Arnold.

Xavier Robinson also scored his first career touchdown on the Sooners’ final drive of the game. OU got Robinson heavily involved, giving him the ball seven times on the eight-play drive. Robinson accounted for 75 yards, including a 46-yard reception from quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr.

In the win, Arnold was 15 of 21 (71%) for 224 yards and two touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he ran nine times for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Barnes had a career day with 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. He had just one reception, but it went for 19 yards. He had another great game for the Sooners, showing speed and elusiveness as the Sooners lead runner.

Thanks to his 90-yard touchdown, Hester caught four passes for 112 yards.

The Sooners ran for 338 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry in the game. They were 10 of 14 on third down and 2 of 2 on fourth down and gained 665 yards of total offense.

Defensively, Danny Stutsman led the way with six total tackles and a sack. Defensive tackles Davon Sears and David Stone also recorded sacks in the win, as the Sooners’ defense only allowed 251 yards.

Oklahoma’s defense allowed more points than one would expect. Aside from a big play on Maine’s second-to-last drive, the Sooners played solid football while playing several young defenders throughout the contest.

It was a strong performance from the Sooners, who did what they needed to do on both sides of the ball to move to 5-4 on the season. Now, Oklahoma looks to build off of it with a road trip to face Missouri before closing the season with matchups against Alabama and LSU to close the season after the bye.

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What uniform are the Oklahoma Sooners wearing Saturday?

What uniform will the Oklahoma Sooners wear on Saturday against the Maine Black Bears?

The Oklahoma Sooners will have a different look when they take the field on Saturday. OU will be breaking out the alternate “Unity” anthracite uniforms against the Maine Black Bears this week to celebrate Military Appreciation Day.

It’s the third time that the “Unity” look has been on display for OU. The Sooners wore the look against Kansas in a 2022 victory and against West Virginia in a 2023 win. They’ll look to make it 3-0 in these alternates this week.

In 2022, the Sooners beat the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks 52-42. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and was the Sooners’ first game after the 49-0 loss to Texas. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] threw for 403 yards and had three total touchdowns. Eric Gray ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Then true freshman [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] added two scores and 69 yards. Marvin Mims and Brayden Willis each had over 100 yards receiving in the bounceback win.

In 2023, the Sooners had another 50-point day in the Unity uniforms, beating West Virginia 59-20 to move to 6-2 on the season. The win snapped Oklahoma’s two-game losing streak after they were upset by Oklahoma State and Kansas on the road. Gabriel, once again, had a monster day with a school record eight total touchdowns. He threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 50 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground. The Oklahoma Sooners jumped out to a 38-7 lead in the second quarter and cruised to victory against the Mountaineers.

It’s just a two-game sample size, but the Sooners seem to get right when they’re playing in the “Unity” alternates. Can they get right on the offensive side of the ball against Maine on Saturday?

It’ll also be the second time Oklahoma has worn an alternate look this season, as they wore Bud Wilkinson-era inspired throwback uniforms back on September 7 in a win over Houston.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his Sooners need a win in this game, as they try to carve out a path toward bowl eligibility in 2024. Kickoff against the Black Bears is set for 1:30 p.m. in Norman on ESPN+.

https://twitter.com/OU_Football/status/1852083119425220960

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3 offensive performances against Ole Miss that Oklahoma can build on

Who are three players on Oklahoma’s offense that stood out in Saturday’s loss?

It’s no secret that the offense for the Oklahoma Sooners this season has been bad. It’s the worst unit OU has fielded on that side of the ball since 1998, and one of the team’s two offensive coordinators was fired seven games into the year by head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

Despite only putting up 14 points in Saturday’s loss against the Ole Miss Rebels, Oklahoma’s offense improved from what we saw versus Texas and South Carolina. Though they were shut out in the second half and the offensive line allowed a school-record 10 sacks, there were some positives to take away, albeit small ones.

The Sooners played some of their best offensive football in weeks in the game’s first half, and though it fell apart at the end of the game, there are a few players on that side of the ball that rose to the top and had positive outings, despite the chaos.

Here are three players on OU’s offense who deserve credit for the way they played against Ole Miss.

1. Jacob Jordan, WR

Despite being a true freshman walk-on, wide receiver [autotag]Jacob Jordan[/autotag] caught six passes for 38 yards on Saturday. He’s currently OU’s most effective wideout, and he possesses the combination of being able to get open and being able to catch the ball.

All of Oklahoma’s other wide receivers had exactly one catch in the game (J.J. Hester) and Jordan deserves even more snaps and targets than he’s already getting. Despite less experience this season than OU’s other reserve wide receivers, he’s had more impact in two games than they have all season.

2. Jackson Arnold, QB

Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] should be applauded for not sitting and pouting when he was benched in favor of Michael Hawkins Jr. earlier this year. Instead of redshirting, transferring, refusing to play, or sulking, Arnold continued to stay ready for the team. In this day and age of college football, that’s extremely rare and speaks to the high character Arnold possesses.

He’s now burned that redshirt, and has become OU’s starter under center again. He displayed some really good things on Saturday, despite being under pressure most of the day. He played well in the first half, but was under constant duress when the Sooners were blanked in the second half.

He went 22-for-31 with 182 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions through the air. Take the sack yardage out and Arnold ran for 99 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

The potential that the staff raved about with Arnold can be seen in glimpses. Let’s see if he can start to put the pieces together over the final four games of 2024, and then see what happens after that.

3. Jovantae Barnes, RB

Running back [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] is the offensive player I’ve been the most proud of over the past two weeks. He plays as hard as anyone on the team, and runs with physicality whenever he has the ball in his hands. His effort against Ole Miss kept the OU offense on the field on multiple occasions.

Barnes had 16 carries for 67 yards and added five catches for 57 yards, to lead OU in yards through the air and on the ground. He doesn’t have the speed or elusiveness that other players in the running back room posses, but he’s so tough and powerful when he gets moving north and south.

Ole Miss has a good defensive front that is one of the nation’s best against the run. Barnes certainly didn’t have a record-breaking day, but he showed that his effort and tenacity won’t stop and that he can be a focal point for this offense moving forward.

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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