OU football drops to .500 as Ole Miss dominates Sooners in second half

OU football drops to .500 as Ole Miss dominates Sooners in second half | 5 takeaways

Posted by Admin October 26, 2024 Football

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OXFORD, Miss. — OU’s offense finally showed some life, offering hope that all might not be lost for the Sooners this season.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough as Ole Miss’ offense came alive in the second half while the Sooners faltered as OU fell 26-14 to the Rebels on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

OU (4-4, 1-4 SEC) has lost three consecutive games for the second time in three seasons.

The Sooners did not lose three consecutive games during either the Bob Stoops or Lincoln Riley eras.

Here are five quick takeaways from the loss:

OU football vs Ole Miss recap: Sooners drop third straight as Rebels rally in second half

OU football offense disappears in third quarter

After a strong showing in the first half — more on that in a bit — things turned sour for OU’s offense.

The Sooners got the ball with the lead to start the second half, a chance to turn it into a two-score game and suck the life out of the Ole Miss crowd.

Instead, OU gave the Rebels momentum.

The Sooners went three-and-out, with Bauer Sharp’s false start penalty turning a third-and-manageable into a third-and-long before Luke Elzinga’s punt.

After being outgained by the Sooners 235-162 in the first half, the Rebels dominated the third quarter.

Ole Miss outgained the Sooners 201-23 in the third to take control.

OU completed four passes in the third but they resulted in a net loss of 5 yards.

Sooners’ defense shows cracks

Things didn’t get off to a strong start for OU’s defense.

The Sooners struggled to contain Ole Miss’ receivers, including on a 35-yard pass to tight end DaeQuan Wright that set up the game’s first touchdown.

OU struggled in several facets on the drive, missing tackles and letting receivers run free.

After that, the defense settled in, though, at least for the rest of the first half.

But in the second half, while the offense didn’t do them any favors, the defense didn’t help themselves either as Jaxson Dart and Co. sliced up the Sooners’ secondary, as OU’s corners had several busts despite the Rebels being without Tre Harris, the nation’s leading receiver.

The defense once again failed to force a turnover.

OU’s lone forced turnover came courtesy of wide receiver J.J. Hester, who knocked the ball free and recovered it after running back Taylor Tatum had fumbled in the first half.

OU running game comes alive

The Sooners’ chances at being productive on the ground didn’t seem good at all coming into the game.

OU was near the bottom of FBS in rushing offense, averaging just 112.1 yards per game.

The Rebels’ rushing defense was the best in the country coming in, allowing just 66.7 yards per game.

But with Jackson Arnold back behind center and Joe Jon Finley calling plays for the first time, the offense — specifically the running game — showed a pulse.

Arnold helped keep the Rebels off balance with his feet, as the Sooners spaced out the field to not only open up running lanes for Arnold but also running back Jovantae Barnes as well.

The Sooners rushed for 125 yards in the first half after rushing for just 142 yards combined over their last two games — losses to Texas and South Carolina.

OU showed the difference in the offense in their initial drive, with a 10-play, 74-yard drive. But they came away without anything to show after being stopped on fourth down at the Ole Miss 2 as Arnold’s pass to Brenen Thompson fell incomplete.

But the Sooners tied it on their next drive, then pulled off a 92-yard touchdown drive just before the half to take a 14-10 lead into the locker room.

OU finished with 147 yards rushing.

Jacob Sexton injury update: OU football OL heads to medical tent against Mississippi

Sooners’ OL shuffle continues

OU used its seventh different starting offensive line combination, with Michael Tarquin shifting to right tackle, Jacob Sexton to left tackle, Heath Ozaeta at left guard and Troy Everett at center. Febechi Nwaiwu is the only Sooners’ starting offensive lineman to start at the same place in every game this season.

Whether it was the combination of linemen, the altered offense under Joe Jon Finley or something else, the line protected Arnold fairly well early and helped open holes for the run game.

But things got a bit dicey when Sexton went down with an injury early. Sexton was replaced by Logan Howland, who struggled.

Sexton returned for a couple drives, but then was injured again, giving way to Howland again.

Sexton emerged from the injury tent with an ice pack on his right knee.

The protection broke down late, as Arnold was stopped for a loss on three consecutive plays deep in Ole Miss territory, resulting in a turnover on downs with 5:34 remaining, virtually ending the Sooners’ chances at an upset.

The Sooners were without another option at tackle, as Jake Taylor — who had started each of the last three games at right tackle — was a late scratch on the trip. Taylor was not listed on the SEC availability report leading up to the game, including the one released Saturday morning, despite not traveling with the team.

OU has allowed a program-record nine sacks in each of the last two games.

Jackson Arnold protects the ball — mostly

Starting for the first time since Sept. 21, Arnold appeared to show growth when it came to his decision-making.

Arnold mostly avoided dangerous passes, though a potential interception in the end zone was dropped by Ole Miss early.

Despite being sacked nine times, Arnold finished with 39 yards rushing and was 22 of 31 for 182 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Arnold did lose a fumble late in the second quarter, though the Sooners’ defense had a fourth-down stop at the OU 5 to keep the penalty from costing OU.