But offensive limitations too much in 26-14 loss to Rebels
This game will go down as an “L” in the win-loss column. But there was something different about it.
The 26-14 loss to Mississippi felt more like the loss on the road at Oxford that we expected pre-season instead of the humiliation we had recently expected (and Vegas predicted, making the Sooners a three-score underdog) after pitiful Sooner performances in October.
For the first time this year, we saw beginner QB Jackson Arnold look like a young quarterback — making some plays to show his talent and failing at some plays to show his inexperience — but, progressing in his development, rather than the young QB regressing into shell shock (which had been the case earlier in the year, resulting in his benching).
Arnold finished 22 of 31 with 182 passing and two touchdowns. He ran for another 39 yards, despite be sacked nine times.
“I thought Jackson did a lot of really good things at times,” Coach Brent Venables said of Arnold.
So did the rest of the team. Given recent developments that has had fans in meltdown mode, it was possible this team could have tanked by now. But, their performance against Mississippi showed they have not.
“These guys aren’t going to flinch — I promise you… I think everyone on the outside might assume guys will give up or check out… Not these guys,” Coach Brent Venables said.
Call my pollyanna or not. But, the Sooner made a step forward in this game, their fourth loss this season, despite becoming a 4-4 team that is threatened to face a losing season, given the rough SEC schedule ahead.
The offense obviously benefitted with Joe Jon Finley as the new offensive coordinator/play caller.
But in the end, the offensive line’s failures brought the Sooner offense down like a house crumbling because its foundation is cracked.
The obvious is true. The inability of Oklahoma to put enough talented bodies on the field caught up with them. The injuries at wide receiver and the inconsistent play at offensive line (exacerbated by injuries there too) are just too much to overcome. That is the story of this season.
The Sooners offense, whose inept play got coordinator Seth Littrell fired this week, started this game out crisp, marching down to the Mississippi two yard line in a predominantly run-oriented drive, but turning the ball over on downs. That was followed with a third down stop by OU’s D, and Oklahoma started the next drive with good field position at their own 40.
Then, tight end Bauer Sharp, who was harshly criticized by pundits for liabilities in earlier games, redeemed himself early, becoming the go-to receiver for Arnold early in the first half, including grabbing an 11-yard catch for the Sooners’ first touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 2:18 left in the first quarter.
Mississippi later got a field goal in the second quarter to go up 10-7. But then Ethan Downes gets a fourth and one stop with 2:18 in the second quarter to keep Ol’ Miss from extending their three point lead.
Then bad news hit. The Sooners had another injury, to OL Jacob Sexton who left the field with an ice pack on his knee. That would not bode well for the Sooners later in the game, when pass protection collapsed under the heavy rush by a top-10 defensive line of the Rebels.
In the second quarter, Arnold’s development was highlighted when he led the Sooners on a 13-play 94-yard drive, hitting walk on freshman receiver Jacob Jordan of a scramble on an 9-yard touchdown pass, to put the Sooners in the lead 14-10 at halftime.
Jackson Arnold to Jacob Jordan! Touchdown #Sooners! pic.twitter.com/HqHCHipDPJ
— OUInsider (@OUInsider) October 26, 2024
But the fact the TD was by a walk on freshman, pressed into service because five wide receivers are out with injury, was emblematic of the problem the offense would have in the second half: no mid range or deep threat passing. All those talented guys who could make that kind of play are injured and did not make the trip.
In the second half, Rebels’ QB Jaxson Dart got untracked. Early in the third quarter, he completed 24 yard TD to Caden Prieskorn to take a 16-14 lead (the extra point was blocked). And Mississippi would not relinquish the lead. Dart finished the game 22 of 30 for 311 yards passing.
“Football is a game of rhythm. He had a great rhythm in the first half on both sides of the ball. In the second half, particularly in the third quarter they (Mississippi) got to that rhythm — scored a couple of explosive touchdowns,” Venables said.
Despite mounting a late drive, a fourth down sack of Jackson with 5:34 left in the game at the Mississippi 30 yard line seemed to seal the Sooners fate. That play was indicative of the offensive line’s inability to effectively provide pass protection of the young quarterback. Without pass protection, it doesn’t matter which QB is playing.
So, while the Sooners may have turned a corner of sorts, it still presents an average offense with serious inefficiencies — one that isn’t good enough to compete against the highly-above average SEC opposition on the remaining schedule — all of them potentially playoff teams.
Swarm to the ball 😤 pic.twitter.com/sBABC2NBSL
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 26, 2024
Follow
