By Jay Berry
The Oklahoma defense once again found a way to make plays and create turnovers.
Sooners fans got what they wanted last week when true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. replaced Jackson Arnold in the Tennessee game. It’s not a quarterback problem; it’s an offensive line problem. If there were a picture of shooting yourself in the foot, it would be the Oklahoma offense.
The Oklahoma Sooners had their first SEC road game against the Auburn Tigers in Jordan Hare Stadium.
It looked like the same old Oklahoma team we’ve seen at halftime—a stout defense and an offense that can’t get out of its own way.
The final play of the first half was a missed field goal by Auburn kicker Towns McGough. However, Oklahoma was penalized, giving Auburn one more chance. Once again, McGough missed, and Auburn led 14-7 at halftime.
The Oklahoma passing game could not push the ball downfield in the first half. There was constant pressure on the quarterback, or at other times, Auburn would rush three, leaving eight in coverage, and no receivers could get open.
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During the third quarter, the Sooners managed to get a drive going. Michael Hawkins Jr. ran for a first down, marking only Oklahoma’s second third-down conversion of the game at that point. JJ Hester then made a crucial play, converting a second and 18 to a first down with a 21-yard gain, providing a much-needed boost to the Oklahoma offense.
A pass interference call granted the Sooners a first and goal, but once again, their offense struggled to capitalize on the opportunity.
They were stuffed on run plays on first and second down. Then, on third down, a touchdown was called back due to an illegal shift. Oklahoma settled for a field goal, and Auburn held a 14-10 lead.
Auburn converted a fourth-and-inch at the start of the fourth quarter, giving them a first-in-goal from the one-yard line. That looked like it would put the nail in Oklahoma’s coffin, so to speak, when Auburn scored a touchdown to go up 21 to 10. Not so Fast!
The Sooners put together a touchdown drive, scoring 21-16 after a failed two-point conversion. It was déjà vu to last week when they were down two scores to Tennessee and started getting things done on offense.
With just over four minutes left and Auburn moving the ball, Kip Lewis intercepted Paython Thorne for a 63-yard touchdown. Oklahoma went for two and had a 24-21 lead.
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R Mason Thomas made big back-to-back plays on defense late in the game. An Oklahoma field goal moments later made the score 27-21. That would be the final score.
The Sooners narrowly avoided defeat, but changes are necessary. Perhaps the issue lies in the game plan or the injuries.
The offensive line wasn’t responsible for every issue, but they created enough problems that without them, Oklahoma would be in better situations on both sides of the ball, allowing the defense to get some much-needed rest.
The Oklahoma football program went from the Lincoln Riley era, when they could score as many points as they wanted to but couldn’t stop anyone on defense, to now having a legitimate defense but an offense that makes things extremely difficult, but the defense bailed them out. They are 4-1 and that’s a good spot to be in.
To successfully navigate their challenging schedule, Venables and Littrell must find a solution. They cannot rely on Sooner magic to appear late in every game. There is no doubt that winning today was huge for their continued transformation.
