Weekend Open Post | September 13th – 15th
Posted on: September 13, 2024
Sunday Brunch | Changing The Menu?
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 8, 2024
Good morning!
We all saw it. We all can’t stop thinking about it. We all know it’s back. We have known all along that it’s not nearly as good as people make it out to be. Every. Single. Year.
Yes, I am talking about the pumpkin spice latte that is available at your local coffee house. It’s just an extremely well run marketing ploy. Nobody likes ‘pumpkin spice’ because to start with, pumpkin isn’t even a spice.
Now that I diverted your attention from the abomination that was an OU football game last night, I suppose it is time to touch on that topic.
I’m gonna keep this short because I really do not think there is much analysis that needs to be put into it when talking about the OU offense last night against a bad Houston team. They were terrible. From coaching to players to planning and execution, every level of the OU offense was uninspiring at the least and, well, offensively offensive at its worst.
Last year, following game two (SMU) I wrote a piece about my preference to see true freshman Jackson Arnold get more reps in place of Dillon Gabriel. My belief was that it would have benefitted the OU team THIS year. Jackson Arnold never got those snaps for one reason or another and here we are today with the OU fan base unhappy with Arnolds performance and the Oregon fan base unhappy with Dillon Gabriels performance.
Looking back…those were simpler times because today, following game two…my preference would be to swap out pretty much every member of the offense for other options. From the play caller to the OL, to the WRs, to the RBs, through the QB and TEs, along with every single position coach on the offensive side of the ball, nobody should be safe. The issue is…there really are no better options.
Oh the tangled webs we weave.
In regard to the offense, there is only so much anyone can do at this point with the injuries and inexperience. The Sooners desperately need their wide receivers (Anderson and Anthony) to get healthy along with their offensive line (Hickman, Everett, Taylor). At this point I am not going to shoot down anyone’s suggestions as it is very rare that you see a team take a step backward in game two of the season…yet we just witnessed that offensively last night.
In regard to the offense, I will simply say…it is not my belief that the scheme is the big issue. The play calling leaves a lot to be desired. I will not sit here and defend what I have seen from Sooners offensive coordinator Seth Littrell on a play to play basis, but the scheme allowed the Sooners to generate over 500 yards of offense in the bowl game. Again, the play calling has been rough, but this offense is capable of being effective.
It just isn’t right now. In any aspect. And that sucks.
Looking ahead, the menu for the season, at least for me, has changed drastically. If OU continues to play the way they did against Houston against the rest of this schedule…well, for all of us who predicted 9-3 on the year…we may have gotten the numbers correct, just in the wrong columns.
OU right now is a bad offensive football team with a solid defense. I cannot say the defense is ‘elite’ and I cannot sit here on September 8th and tell you that I think the defense will do enough to keep you in most games.
The defense is good, but I do not believe they are at the point where they can put the team on their back through the rest of the schedule and win a majority of the games remaining by 17-10 or 15-12 scores…and right now, thats about what they would have to do for OU to get to even 7 wins in my opinion.
I am not disparaging the defenses play from last night, they absolutely won and saved the game for Oklahoma. But they are not a dominating defense at this point as they only recorded 2 sacks and 7 tackles for loss against a terrible Houston offense that was beaten up and bloodied by UNLV the week prior. OU currently has non-existent EDGE play and they have not played a decent offense yet so we really do not know how the coverage is looking and if they can generate any sort of push up front against a solid to good offensive line.
So, at this point, I don’t know that OU has the ingredients to whip something up that they can sell and market as effectively as those coffee shops do with pumpkin spice latte’s. Either way, the coaches and players have to get busy in the kitchen to try to figure out how to serve up something that tastes good because if they don’t, this will be a very long season…on and off the field.
Now, I am going to get in the car, drive into town, and pick up some of those incredibly well marketed pumpkin spice latte’s for my wife and daughter.
Position Group Progress Report | ’24 Game 2: Houston
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 9, 2024
Houston, we had a problem!
Checking out how the position groups performed in the Sooner’s season-opening victory over Houston. OU was a substantial favorite over the Cougars and they didn’t come close to covering the spread as they eeked out a 16-12 win.
This will be the second progress report of the season. I will include the previous week’s ranking at the top of each position group’s report in all subsequent progress reports!
Let’s see how things shook out against Houston.
QB: 1* (Last week: Low 4*)
Let me say this loud and clear for those calling for a Nebula…clears throat…Jackson Arnold was bad against Houston, his one star rating does not absolve him of his poor performance as he made some really bad throws and looked absolutely lost at times. However…he got zero help from his pass catchers, running backs, play caller, and the offensive line (while better) was not great by any stretch. He was bad, but he also had a few moments where just the slightest bit of help from his supporting cast would have made a huge difference. One thing I did like…and you may not agree, we saw some emotion (in the form of frustration) from Arnold. Somebody has to give a shit, right?
RB: 1* (Last week: 4*)
Welcome back to the 2023 season at running back. Running back number one had 4 carries for a total of 4 yards. Running back number 2 had 12 carriers for 40 yards and the guy who looks the best carrying the ball had one carry for 6 yards but was a menace in every other area as he missed blocks and assignments. Yes, in order I was talking about Gavin Sawchuk, Jovantae Barnes and Taylor Tatum. Again, the offensive line created some room but the RBs for the most part (Sawchuk and Barnes) were either too indecisive or too eager to put their head down and run into the backs of the linemen. Neither Sawchuk nor Barnes look as if they have developed much from last season and when your most natural runner cannot do the simple things, like run the play correctly, you are in trouble. What have they been doing all offseason?
WR: Nebula (Last week: 3*)
When 4 of your top 5 receivers are not available for a week two game, chances are you’re gonna have some struggles. Deion Burks is the one guy who has at least caught the ball consistently, but he had a big moment in the game where he quit on a route that went in the books as a Jackson Arnold interception. Burks had 9 catches for 52 yards…thats a pitiful 5.9 ypc average out of a speedy slot WR. Nobody else could catch a cold or run a proper route. This group is bad right now, really not a whole lot to add. I counted 4 drops while watching the game live and there were several times when it looked like they ran the wrong routes as well. Emmett Jones has his work cut out for him and that room desperately needs Nic Anderson and Andrel Anthony to get healthy.
TE: 2* (Last week: High 3*)
It was really cool to see Jake Roberts have a big night in front of his family and friends in Norman! Local kid doing big things on the big stage is always a fun story. Roberts had 3 catches, including his first touchdown as a Sooner, against Houston and he had a huge conversion for Oklahoma late in the game where he made a tough catch on a bad throw from Arnold. Bauer Sharp really brought the rating down for this group as he had multiple drops and couldn’t block you or me if we were out there. Roberts would have been a high 4* and Sharp would have been a Nebula…so hence the 2*.
OL: 2* (Last week: 1*)
Actually saw some growth here…not a ton, but it was the only room on the offense that was better against Houston than they were against Temple. The offensive line group looked ‘decent’ in pass protection against Houston and a big part of that, in my opinion, was the addition of Logan Howland to the lineup when Jake Taylor left early after reaggravating his injury that kept him out of the Temple game. Howland came in at left tackle and bumped Tarquin over to right tackle. From that point on, the left side looked ‘pretty good’ throughout the game while the right side still had some struggles. Josh Bates kept this group from getting a 3* rating with his subpar play and his boneheaded penalty. Febechi Nwaiwu was very ‘meh’ on the night and certainly is not living up to the off-season hype at this point. Still, there were signs of life in the offensive line room and OU would really benefit from the return of Branson Hickman or Troy Everett at center. Again, I liked what I saw from the left side with Howland and Sexton. Yes, Howland will have some bumps along the way, but OU will be better served to ride with him than some of the alternatives.
DT: 4* (Last week: 5*)
Gracen Halton was the guy who went out and made a play when OU desperately needed a play to be made. His forced safety late in the game pretty much iced the game for the Sooners. Damonic Williams recorded his first sack as a Sooner. Oklahoma had 2 sacks on the night and they both came from the defensive tackle spot. DaJon Terry flashed a couple of times and he was playing with a lot of intensity. This group basically was a four-man rotation with Jayden Jackson being the other guy involved. They didn’t light up the stat sheet, but they also didn’t get much help from the EDGEs when it came to rushing the passer. Solid if not spectacular night as a whole, but they delivered the spectacular play when needed with Halton’s safety.
DE: 2* (Last week: High 3*)
The Sooners recorded 45 solo tackles on the night. The EDGE room, combined, contributed…checks notes…ONE solo tackle. OU recorded 71 total tackles on the evening and the EDGE group contributed…checks notes again…four tackles combined in the game. This was not a good offensive line that the Sooners faced from Houston. UNLV put up 6 sacks and a ton of tackles for loss. OU couldn’t get anything going off the edges and while you may want to believe that is due to the scheme or play calls…it wasn’t. OU just was not winning their one on one battles enough to make an impact. I know it is not all about stats and the Sooners held Houston to only 58 yards on the ground, I get it, but the OU EDGE room was pretty much a non-entity against Houston. They did a fine job of setting the edge for the most part, but against the Houston OL, they should have fallen into at least a couple of tackles for loss or something.
LB: 5* (Last week: High 4*)
Danny Stutsman had a monster game as he recorded 15 tackles with one tackle for a loss. Stutsman had 9 tackles midway through the 2nd quarter. He did play 62 of the 65 defensive snaps, which is too high for my liking, but to be fair, he did get the bulk of his stats in the first half. Kip Lewis was in and out of the lineup after getting dinged up (he is fine) and Kobie McKinzie, Jaren Kanak and Lewis Carter all gave solid accounts of themselves. On this night, the linebacker group played at a very high level, no matter who was out there.
CB: 3* (Last week: 4*)
I thought Jacobe Johnson and Dez Malone were the standouts on the night as Kani Walker had a couple of busts and Woodi Washington was getting picked on a bit. Gentry Williams only saw the field briefly and continues to struggle to stay/get healthy. Woodi is what he is, a cagey vet who almost was credited with a spectacular interception, but was instead called for pass interference. Woodi isn’t the fastest guy and Houston took advantage of that as they targeted his receiver 3 times and connected 3 times. Other than that, they were solid all night and did a solid job of tackling and limiting the yards after catch.
S: Low 4* (Last week: 5*)
Robert Spears Jennings was the brightest spot in the defensive backfield for OU on the night as he was a hitting machine and pulled in a really nice interception as he broke on a ball like he was the receiver. Peyton Bowen got the start but he appeared to be dinged up midway through the game which gave way to RSJ to get more run. Billy Bowman really looked a bit out of sorts on the night as he got caught flat-footed on the Houston touchdown as he was talking to Kendel Dolby right up and through the snap of the ball. It wasn’t Billy’s guy that scored, but he and Dolby certainly didn’t help as they were not even properly lined up for the snap. Weird night as Bowen and Bowman also struggled fielding punts, but we will talk about that in the special teams section. At any rate, RSJ graded out (according to PFF) as the Sooners highest-rated defensive player and that is one grade I agree with.
ST: 1* (Last week: 5*)
Oh boy.
Kicking…ya missed your only chance.
Fielding punts…was gonna insert an 82 joke here, but I’m too sad to even bother. Bowen and Bowman each muffed a punt and every punt return once again looked like a circus. What the hell goes on in Norman when a punt is in the air?
Not a great special teams outing.
Notes:
I know some of you will think the offense should be rated even lower than I had them, but I have to allow for movement, one way or the other, as this plays out. Things obviously can get much better, but sadly, they can also still get worse. The wide receivers drew the first Nebula of the year and to be clear, I was looking for a way to reward at least Burks performance, but then I was like…nah he contributed to the INT which negates a lot of the good he did, which, let’s face it, wasn’t anything more than catching short passes. Statistically…the entire offense would get a Nebula from me, including the playcaller. But individually, I have to have some leeway.
I also know some will take exception with some of the defensive grades. Look, the defense won the game for OU against Houston, no doubt about it. That does not mean they all played spectacularly or even ‘good’. There is work to be done defensively still and there are some warning signs flashing even after two solid defensive outings.
Revisiting Pre-season Predictions and Thoughts Moving Forward
– Super K – Posted on: September 10, 2024
I have a few things swirling around in my mind but I want to start by revisiting what I predicted for OU’s season.
Before the season started I wrote (HERE):
OU’s team – I’m pretty torn here. I really like the talent OU has on defense. I really like the skill they have on offense. Bedenbaugh always gets the OL figured out but I think the combination of a this being a bit of a down/rebuilding year on the OL and facing a lot of NFL DL and the fact that they have essentially a freshman QB behind them, is going to make some rocky times. They will need the defense to get them through those times. They’ll also need a lot of growth early on.
I like the Sooners chances of having a pretty good first half of the season but I could see the second half of the season being tough.
Having said that, my mind is at two extremes. Either Jackson Arnold grows up quickly and is the guy we think he is or he doesn’t/isn’t and the Sooners are forced to play too good of defense for too long. Also, Brent showed in his first season of the Big 12 that shifting into a new conference can be a struggle.
So here is some commentary on what I predicted and where we are.
***First, I want to clarify why I said that I thought OU would have a pretty good first half despite saying the offense may have some “rocky times”. It sounds like a contradiction but it was really more a statement about the competition OU faces in the first half of the season…
***As predicted, they have struggled offensively. As predicted the defense has carried them. But, as predicted, they’re still 2-0.
***The defense struggled to get off the field the other night and Brent admitted as much but I think we are willing to accept that the defense is carrying this team right now.
***The offense is, in my opinion, rightfully the subject of the fan’s ire. But I’m reminding you of my pre-season prediction because I want to remind you all that this wasn’t exactly unexpected. The degree to which OU struggled has been a surprise but the fact that they are struggling isn’t.
***Again, you’re looking at a rebuilt OL. You’ve got, essentially, a freshman quarterback who by the way is behind a rebuilt OL and let’s face it the running game has struggled with consistency for years (more on why that might be later).
***As to the offensive line, as a unit they’ll get better. The OL is unique in that their requirement to work in tandem is nigh absolute. If your DL makes a mistake, LBs and safeties are there. It’s also the largest group (five men) and as the NFL premium on those guys has gone up, there is a ton of turnover. We saw it last year with a very talented OL for Alabama that really struggled in the early part of the season – especially against Texas.
***Add to that the fact that OU had a recruiting gap at the beginning of the NIL madness. That has been resolved but there is a lack of that junior talent you like to have – that combination of upside and experience. Right now OU has upside and youth combined with less upside and experience.
***Again, as a unit they’ll get better but I think there is a ceiling unlike years past where they had multiple draft picks on the line. Additionally, OU’s competition is only going to get better. And it is relentless. The Sooners have never seen the kind of DLs on a weekly basis that they’re about to see. Still, if they can play as a unit and get some help from their QB, RBs and play callers, they should be fine.
***On the QB play, look, the kid is young. Lincoln always said he looks for accuracy in a QB and we’ve seen how accurate Arnold can be. With the current WR injuries, I’d like to see the staff maybe stick with 12 personnel more often and move those big bodies around now that the Sooners have two legit TE receiving targets.
***Until they get some better outside receivers healthy, I think they’re going to need to scheme for their short and mid-game. The current outside WRs are getting pushed off their routes.
***But none of this matters if the Sooners can’t get more out of their run game. I watch both OU and Texas as I’m sure many of you do. And one of the things you’ve all seen with Texas is when they can’t run the ball, they can’t move the ball. And to Sarks credit, he’s made that a huge point of emphasis and sticks with it. And, he hired a great coach for that position.
***Between coach B and Demarco and Brent and Seth, they’ve got to get that run game figured out.
***I went and looked up OU’s rushing yards per game starting in 2016 to the present. Here it is…
2016 Rushing yards per game – 236.8
2017 Rushing yards per game – 217.8
2018 Rushing yards per game – 247.4
2019 Rushing yards per game – 240.2
2020 Rushing yards per game – 179.7
2021 Rushing yards per game – 187.5
2022 Rushing yards per game – 219.4
2023 Rushing yards per game – 182.2
2024 Rushing yards per game (so far against the softest part of their schedule) – 147.5
***What you see is a precipitous drop in yards per game starting in 2020. You get a bump in Lebby’s first year as he brought in his run game that led the SEC (at Ole Miss). You also had an NFL back (transfer), Eric Gray which strengthens the argument below. But after that (2023) they then quickly reverted back to a less effective run game. And now under a new OC the Sooners are doing even worse.
***Different head coaches, different OCs, same OL coach through it all. So what changed in 2020? The Sooners got a new RB coach. That isn’t meant to throw anyone under the bus. Ultimately there are a lot of things that go into it. But I think we are all intuiting that whether it’s an unpredictable running back rotation or the inability of running backs to break big runs or beat guys at the second level, etc. there just isn’t star power in the running back room despite there being talented guys.
***So, while there is a lot to clean up, if I’m Seth, I’m teaming up with Demarco and getting in there to figure out that room. History has shown that Coach B figures his room out. Though, again, I’ll admit, I don’t believe he has the upside in his room that he typically has. Still, he will get what he can out of what he has. But those running backs appear defanged to me. The Sooners need someone to emerge out of that running back room that is a bona fide threat.
***What I’d like to see this week against Tulane is consistency in the short and mid-game. More tight ends on the field coupled with speedsters like Burks. Cleaner line play. But most importantly, some running backs to step up to become a threat to the other team’s defensive coordinator and take some pressure off Arnold and the line.
Know Your Opponent | Tulane – 2024
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 11, 2024
Head Coach – Jon Sumrall (1st season at Tulane)
Offensive Coordinator – Joe Craddock (1st season at Tulane)
Defensive Coordinator – Greg Gasparato (1st season at Tulane)
The Tulane Staff is new to Tulane, but they worked together for a number of years at Troy.
Last week the Sooners faced the former head coach at Tulane and this week they get the real deal as they take on the Green Wave. Over the course of the last few years, Tulane has ascended to the group of the top-ranked G5 teams and they really made their mark with a bowl game victory over USC. This year, they are starting with a pretty blank slate offensively as their star QB Michael Pratt has moved on and Fritz is gone, but so far so good as they are 1-1 after a close loss to Kansas State. They are a good football team with a young QB and a solid defense that is only going to get better from week to week.
On Offense…
With Michael Pratt leaving in the offseason, the thought was that the Green Wave would be behind the eight ball at the QB position. They smartly went out and landed former Oregon QB Ty Thompson in the transfer portal and the general thought was that he would be the guy to lead Tulane this year. However, redshirt freshman Darian Mensah went out and won the job and he is off to a hot start for Tulane and moving the offense well. Tulane wants to be balanced and through two games, they are doing a solid job both running the ball and passing the rock around. Tulane is ranked 32nd in total offense through 2 games as they average just north of 481 yards per game.
QB #10 Darian Mensah
RB #21 Makhi Hughes
TE #87 Alex Bauman
– Mensah has been a revelation for Tulane as he is completing passes at a 70% clip. He has a 4-1 TD to INT ratio early this season. While he has not shown an inclination to run much, he is quite slippery in the pocket and can create space and buy time as he moves around.
– Hughes has a pair of TDs early on and he is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He is not a ‘big’ back but he runs with purpose and gets north and south quickly.
– Bauman, at 6’5, is a huge weapon for Tulane, particularly in the red zone as he already has hauled in 3 TD receptions.
WR #1 Dontae Fleming
WR #4 Mario Williams
WR #5 Yulkeith Brown
– The Green Wave had a big day through the air against Kansas State as they caught 342 yards of passes from Mensah.
– Former Sooner Mario Williams leads the way on the year with 10 receptions for Tulane and he had 6 against KSU which went for 128 (21 ypc).
– Fleming is no slouch either as he hauled in 4 passes for 97 yards (24.5 ypc). Fleming is the big body type compared to the quick twitch smaller Williams.
LT #76 Derrick Graham
LG #56 Shadre Hurst
C #64 Vincent Murphy
RG #68 Josh Remetich
RT #69 Rashad Green
– This is an experienced group overall as all the starters are upperclassmen.
– They did struggle a bit last week against KSU as they allowed 5 sacks and multiple hurries, but they did an overall nice job in both the running game and passing game against a good KSU defense.
– Most of the KSU pass rush success came from the LBs (3 sacks) and DE (1 sack), so that is something to keep in mind for OU.
On defense…
Sumrall is considered to be one of the better up-and-coming defensive minds. Much like Brent Venables, his defense runs through his linebackers and obviously, he is a linebacker coach at heart. Greg Gasparato, the DC, is just an extension of Sumrall and they work hand in hand. Tulane basically runs a modified 3-3-5 (Think along the lines of Iowa State but more aggressive). Tulane has retooled their defense this year through the transfer portal and Caleb Ransaw came with Sumrall from Troy to play the ‘Spear” position which is basically OU’s version of the Cheetah.
DE #45 Adin Huntington
NT #94 Eric Hicks Jr.
DT #0 Patrick Jenkins
– Patrick Jenkins is the brand name in this group and he leads the front with 7 tackles on the year.
– Hicks is a good player at the nose but it is taking some time getting used to the new defense and Kansas State good a really nice job neutralizing him.
– This group has not found their groove yet in regard to creating negative plays for Tulane, and OU needs to make sure to keep it that way.
SAM (bandit) #9 Terrell Allen
WLB #13 Tyler Grubbs
MLB #15 Sam Howard
– Grubbs is the second leading tackler on the team. He is very active and commands attention, particularly in coverage.
– Sam Howard is very steady and is very physical.
SPEAR #7 Caleb Ransaw
LCB #6 Micah Robinson
SS #32 Bailey Despanie
FS #2 Jalen Geiger
RCB #8 Jonathan Edwards
– Despanie leads the team in tackles early in the season. Kid is solid as all 11 of his tackles are solo tackles.
– Ransaw is Tulanes version of Billy Bowman/Danny Stutsman as he is the clear leader of the defense.
– Backup corner #5 Rayshawn Pleasant has the Green Wave’s lone interception on the year and he made it count as it was a 100 yard pick 6 against South East Louisiana.
Overall thoughts…
– Right off the rip, this is the best offense OU will have faced to this point of the year. They are pretty balanced and they have some really nice skill players which will test the OU defense.
– I cannot stress this enough…it is vital that OU gets pressure on Mensah. OU needs to get him off his platform and uncomfortable in the backfield because if they don’t, he will pick them apart with his accuracy.
– The Tulane run game will keep OU honest early on, but the Sooners back 7 will be facing their first really dynamic QB of the year.
– Defensively, the Green Wave is going to challenge OU to run the ball while aiming to keep everything underneath in the passing game. Jackson Arnold is going to be looking at what appears to be 15 defensive backs when they line up and he is going to have to be smart with the ball.
– On paper, OU is the vastly more talented team. However, I think this one is going to come down to whether or not OU can run the ball effectively enough to force Tulane’s hand defensively and open up the passing game a bit. Of course, it would help if OU can also figure out how to stretch the field, but right now, we will have to see that to believe that.
– Tulane is a solid offense and an emerging defense. Gonna be a nice test for OU and we should know more about this team following the game than what we learned in the first two weeks.
Here’s the Bottom Line
– Super K – Posted on: September 12, 2024
Coach Venables is clearly anxious to get some guys healthy. It’s obvious that they believe (and rightly so) that the injuries early on have played a part in the Sooners’ struggles.
But putting that aside, I want to go back to the basics here and bottom line the formula for success.
It’s still going to come down to two things that the Sooners have to do with consistency that will fix everything else.
They have to continue to play good defense.
And, they have to be able to run the ball.
Nothing earth-shattering here but sometimes it helps to remember the basics. Jackson Arnold and the Sooners are not going to have sustained success without the running game getting going. And Brent has to keep that defense playing at a high level.
If only one of those things happens, the Sooners are unlikely to reach any of their goals this season. If neither happens, watch out. If both happen, the Sooners are likely looking at a playoff berth.
In my mind, it’s that simple.
One on One’s | Oklahoma vs Tulane – 2024
– Charlie S – Posted on: September 12, 2024
The Sooners take on Tulane in the third game of the season and it should be a good opportunity to get a gauge on where this OU team actually is.
Tulane is a solid team all around with some explosive capabilities on offense and and steady and developing defense.
There are a number of key one-on-one matchups to choose from both on the offensive and defensive side.
Let’s have a look at a couple I pulled out.
One on One Number One
Oklahoma Cornerback Woodi Washington vs Tulane Wide Receiver Mario Williams
The Green Wave comes to Norman with an offense that is really fun to watch and they have some really explosive playmakers in their starting group. It always helps a young quarterback when he finds a receiver he is on the same page with early in a season and right now, for Darian Mensah, that receiver is former Sooner Mario Williams.
I could have gone with slot receiver Dontae Fleming (who had a huge week last week) vs OU safety Billy Bowman, or Tight End Alex Bauman vs OU linebacker Kip Lewis or Danny Stutsman, but right now, Mario is the straw that stirs Mensah’s drink on a consistent basis.
Tulane will line Williams up all over the place (they have some really neat concepts and formations on offense) but most of the time, he draws a corner in coverage. Woodi Washington missed the first game for the Sooners and while he played decently against Houston, he did show some signs of rust. As the game went along, Woodi appeared to find his footing and aside from a couple of questionable pass interference calls (one should have been an impressive interception), he played pretty well.
Williams is still fast, and right now, he is catching everything that is thrown his way. He has been targeted 13 times this year, has no drops, hauled in 10 receptions, 8 of which have gone for 1st downs and he is averaging a cool 25 yards per catch.
If Woodi (or whoever is covering him on a specific play) wants to help contain Williams and limit his chunk plays, it would behoove him to tackle well. Tulane will throw him screens and quick passes to try to get him some space to create. One of the things that Woodi has excelled at over the years is his tackling in space. This will be a good matchup to watch.
One on One Number Two
Tulane Defensive Tackle Patrick Jenkins vs Oklahoma Center Josh Bates
Patrick Jenkins is likely the most well-rounded defensive lineman that the Sooners will have faced to this point of the season. He is big, steady, and is very versatile in where Tulane deploys him. Jenkins can be found lined up on the end, or on the nose, it varies from play to play.
If Josh Bates is your center (as is likely), he will have his hands full because when Jenkins is over the nose he is very good at getting penetration as he is quick off the ball and very strong.
With Tulane playing predominantly a three-man front, and Jenkins’s ability to play all three spots, you really have a difficult time game-planning against him and the protection calls at the line of scrimmage need to be spot-on to account for Jenkins. That is one area where Bates has struggled (according to his own head coach) so the hope is that you see some growth in that area as we enter game three of the season and what will likely be Bates’ second consecutive start.
Now, with the attention on Jenkins, I do want to note that junior DE Kameron Hamilton is also someone to keep an eye on, particularly when Jenkins moves to the nose. Hamilton is an absolute unit at DE (6’4 294) and he has the highest win % for Tulane (21.1%) when it comes to rushing the passer. While Jenkins does not have eye-popping stats, his presence in the middle allows a guy like Hamilton to thrive on the end.
One on One Number Three
Oklahoma Run Game vs Tulane Defensive Front
This is more of a big-picture matchup than a specific one on one.
Tulane will deploy a 3-3-5 defense that aims to limit big plays in the passing game while trying to make the opposition steadily matriculate the ball down the field on extended drives.
Look, Tulane is not an all-time great defense, I’m not trying to paint them as the 85 Bears. They really aren’t even a very good defense at this point personnel-wise, but they do play solid scheme defense.
OU has to be able to run the ball, particularly early in the series to create manageable 3rd downs. We know the Sooners have been struggling on third down and, in my opinion, one of the reasons for those struggles can be found on 1st and 2nd downs when OU makes it more difficult on themselves by the time 3rd down rolls around.
Until the Sooners prove to Tulane that they are able to effectively run the ball, Jackson Arnold will be looking at what will appear to be 8 thousand defensive backs deployed by Tulane from snap to snap.
A solid day in the OU run game would go a long way to curing some of what has been ailing OU to start the season.
