Final thoughts as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to face the Kansas Jayhawks
“Fall is a reminder that change can be beautiful.” That’s the sign that we have hanging over the television in our living room, where my wife and I enjoy college football Saturdays.
There hasn’t been a lot to enjoy with the Oklahoma Sooners the last three weeks, but this Saturday could be different. This Saturday could provide the spark that the Sooners need to finish the 2022 season on a high note.
Saturdays in the fall provide a fresh opportunity for every college football team to change the narrative. It’s a clean slate. You can’t change what happened in the previous three weeks. All we can do is look forward.
The guy that the Oklahoma Sooners hired 10 months ago is still the guy. What was exciting about Brent Venables, the passion, the defensive prowess, the recruiting capabilities, and the love of Oklahoma Football, are all still true. A few bad weeks doesn’t change the outlook for what will be a bright future for the Oklahoma Sooners with Brent Venables at the helm.
But as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare to face the No. 20 ranked Kansas Jayhawks (Coaches Poll), this team needs to play more competitively to provide evidence for the optimism many still feel about Venables and his coaching staff.
Change can be a good thing. Time for Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners to remind us of that.
Here are this week’s final thoughts.
Don't sleep on Jason Bean
Oct 8, 2022; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean (17) runs the ball past TCU Horned Frogs defensive lineman George Ellis III (93) during the second half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
He hasn’t played much this year, but when called into action, Jason Bean was fantastic for Kansas last week in their loss to TCU. Bean threw for four touchdowns and 262 yards, mostly in the second half, and gave the Jayhawks a chance to win a tightly contested matchup of unbeaten teams.
A year ago, Bean and the Jayhawks had the Sooners on the ropes for three quarters, keeping Oklahoma’s defense off balance with a methodical offensive approach that kept the ball out of Caleb Williams’ hands.
Bean’s a quarterback that can beat Oklahoma with his arm and has the speed to cause trouble for the Sooners’ defense on the ground. They’ll have to be incredibly disciplined in their keys to not let Bean replicate performances by Adrian Martinez and Max Duggan.
Dillon Gabriel could be back
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) jogs on the field before the Red River Showdown college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
As long as he didn’t suffer any setbacks this week, the expectation is that Dillon Gabriel will be back for the Sooners. Though we won’t know until game time because college football coaches love a good mystery, it would be a surprise if anyone other than Gabriel were to start.
That sound you hear is a collective sigh of relief from Oklahoma fans around the world.
Even when he isn’t exactly on, Dillon Gabriel provides an element to the offense that nobody else on the roster can match. From his command of the offense to his ability to get the ball down the field to Oklahoma’s playmakers, the Sooners need a passing attack to be successful.
In modern college football, it’s nearly impossible to have success on offense without an adequate passing game. Last week against Texas, they couldn’t even get that.
After the Sooners’ offensive performance, all we can really say is, “Welcome back, Dillon.”
Defense needs to show signs of life
Oct 8, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws as Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Ethan Downs (40) chases during the first half at the Cotton Bowl. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a rough stretch for the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense. This unit could use a solid performance this week. From the defensive line to the secondary, Oklahoma’s struggled.
After allowing just 10 points per game the first three weeks of the season, the Sooners have allowed 48 points per game during their three-game losing streak. And now they face a Kansas offense that’s one of the 20 best in the country
The Jayhawks will get yards and will get some points, but if the defense can come through on third down and in some crucial moments, it will have everyone feeling better about the direction of the unit in the 2022 season.
Big game for Coaching Staff
OU head coach Brent Venables walks off the field Saturday after a 49-0 loss to Texas in the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Brent Venables has been willing to take ownership of the things that have transpired over the last several weeks, saying, “we gotta coach better.” Well, it’s time to see that coaching manifest itself on Saturdays.
The Sooners’ head coach has maintained that they’re putting together good weeks on the practice field, but for some reason, that isn’t translating to game day.
Perhaps it’s a talent issue. But that didn’t seem to be an issue when the Sooners opened the season with three-straight 30-point wins. Albeit the level of competition wasn’t great, you don’t accidentally win by 30. Especially if you’re a team that followed that up by giving up a ton of points and struggled with consistency on the offensive side of the football.
This team needs a competitive week of football to gain back some confidence. And while a lot of that will fall on the players, the coaching staff bears some responsibility to put the team in the best position to succeed.
Slow the tempo
Sep 17, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) celebrates with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby after the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Lebby wants to play fast. That’s been the thing we’ve heard from him and the offense since coming on board last winter. Playing fast is great, but if you have a defense that is struggling to get off the field, the offensive philosophy on tempo needs to be adjusted.
An offense can “play fast” without snapping the ball quickly.
When Peyton Manning was terrorizing teams with Indianapolis’ and Denver’s no-huddle offense, he’d get his guys lined up and then take his time to run through his checks, see what the defense shows, and take as much time off the clock as possible. Playing no-huddle football stresses defenses because they can’t get off the field, and draining the play clock before the snap helps protect your defense a bit.
Playing fast is fun, and it has its advantages. When the offense is clicking. If the offense can’t get a first down or it’s struggling with inconsistency, playing fast can be a detriment.
This Oklahoma Sooners team, particularly the defense, needs the offense to sustain some drives and play complimentary football. Scoring points will help, but Lebby should roll with a slower tempo this week against Kansas to help protect a defense that’s been struggling the last few weeks.
Stay grounded
Sept. 24, 2022; Norman; Oklahoma Sooners running back Eric Gray (0) runs as Kansas State Wildcats cornerback Julius Brents (23) defends during the game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
With Gabriel returning, the temptation will be to air it out a bit. While you want your offense to threaten teams down the field, don’t forget about the running game. They’ve been one of the few bright spots for the Oklahoma Sooners the last several weeks.
Though it wasn’t good in the second half, with Texas playing run every snap with no threat of Oklahoma throwing the ball, it played tough, and the offensive line has been strong.
Oklahoma’s trio of Eric Gray, Marcus Major, and Jovantae Barnes is averaging 5.66 yards per carry on the season. That group of running backs has 30 runs of 10 yards or more on the season
The Sooners are tied for 14th in rushing grades from Pro Football Focus and have the 35th run-blocking grade in the country.
Even with Gabriel back in the fold, the Sooners need to establish the run and lean on their talented trio of running backs to take the pressure off of their returning quarterback and play a ball-control offense.
No Big Plays
April 23, 2022; Norman; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables shakes hands with Oklahoma Sooners cornerback Woodi Washington (0) during the spring game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma didn’t experience the busts in coverage that they did against TCU, but they still allowed Texas to get four runs of 15 yards or more and Quinn Ewers hit them for two completions of 20 yards or more.
If Oklahoma can continue to keep teams in front of them and make them drive the football, it will give them a better chance to get off the field.
Now they’ll have to be better on third down. The Jayhawks are one of the best third-down offenses in the country, and the Sooners are one of the worst third-down defenses in the country. If Oklahoma can’t find a way to be better on third down, it could be another long day for the Sooners.
Find a Pass Rush
Sep 10, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Ethan Downs (40) in action during the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
One of the issues that has plagued the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense has been the lack of pass rush. According to Pro Football Focus, they’ve been getting pressure the last three weeks, but they haven’t been getting effective pressure.
They had just one quarterback hit on Quinn Ewers a week ago. That’s not going to be enough to make a quarterback nervous when they drop back to pass. The Sooners’ defensive front has to improve in this area. It’s not enough to simply get pressure, they’ve got to create negative plays out of it, whether that’s a sack, an incomplete pass, or a turnover.
Reggie Grimes, Ethan Downs, and Jalen Redmond need a strong game for the Sooners this week.
Just win baby
Oct 8, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables gets off the team bus before the game against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Winning can cure a lot of what ails you. Though it won’t erase what’s happened the last few weeks, it’ll provide some positive vibes for an Oklahoma Sooners team that could really use them heading into the bye week.
Though Kansas took a loss and is without their starting quarterback, this is still a good football team and a top 20 team in the country. Kansas is 5-1 and playing great offensively. If Oklahoma can find a way to slow it down, even a little bit, it’ll help restore some of the team’s confidence with several difficult games remaining on the schedule.
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