Amidst flood warnings, the Oklahoma Sooners hosted the Maine Black Bears on Saturday. A core of true freshmen propping them up gave the Sooners the strength to overcome a very shaky start against their only FCS opponent of the season. This win, however, does beg the question on everyone’s minds: What is the future of Sooners football?
Oklahoma Sooners, Maine, and a Freshman Revolution
Maine Starts Strong
Halloween may be over, but Carter Peevy and the Black Bears certainly gave the Sooners faithful a fright to start off the game. After forcing Oklahoma to go three and out, Maine took hold of the momentum with both hands. A bleary-eyed Sooners defense then let Peevy scramble and rush forty yards downfield. Moments later, Maine put up the first points of the day.
A few plays later, the Sooners’ potentially scoring drive came to a screeching halt. During a quarterback toss sweep, Sam Franklin dropped the pitch. An opportunistic Maine defense then came barreling through the line to pick up the fumble. The Oklahoma defense finally waking up was the only thing that stopped Maine from pushing down to the endzone.
A Cursed Year for Oklahoma Football
Something’s in the air this year. Across the entire state of Oklahoma, football is struggling. At 3-5, Oklahoma State is staggering from loss to loss. Tulsa is matching them step for step. After a string of losses, Head Coach Brent Venables finds himself in a precarious position. The only team in the entire state that seems to be having any luck is the Owasso Rams, currently on the cusp of an undefeated season. So what’s the solution?
It all starts with the freshmen.
From Stillwater to Norman, the freshmen may be the only hope for the future. Alan Bowman, the seventh-year senior quarterback for OSU, is simply too immobile for modern-day football. His backup, Maealiuaki Smith, is a true freshman eager to take the reigns. Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy may not want to put him in but, with the way injuries are racking up this year, he may not have a choice much longer.
The Freshmen Step Up
Venables is facing similar issues. A carefully crafted team has been devastated by injuries, and that’s meant plenty of untested players have been called up. Three straight turnovers led to the benching of Jackson Arnold in favor of true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. against Tennessee. Hawkins and Arnold would trade the role off over the next several games, and Hawkins found some unexpected luck against tough opponents.
Wide receiver Jacob Jordan, another true freshman, has become a breakout star. Amidst a collapse against South Carolina, Jordan was the one bright spot with big breakaway plays. Jordan was nonstop fighting through Ole Miss Rebels last week. Against Maine, Jordan once again stood out as he helped downfield marches keep moving by outsmarting defenders and working the zone to his advantage.
Kade McIntyre, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Isaiah Autry-Dent, Jayden Jackson, Taylor Tatum, and Hawkins are all true freshmen. The latter three are some of the top performers for Sooners football this year. Venables letting Dillon Gabriel go may have been his biggest mistake so far, but failing to take advantage of this opportunity could be an even bigger one.
Arnold, too, is key to this youth movement. A sophomore quarterback, handed the keys to the kingdom before he was ready, Arnold was struggling to find his place this year. Yet, after a few weeks of riding the bench, he’s begun improving. Arnold has been learning how to compensate for an offensive line that, quite simply, cannot protect him. By next season, all of these trials and tribulations could turn him into one of the most adept and agile quarterbacks in the nation.
What’s Next for Oklahoma Sooners football?
Unlike Stephen F. Austin or North Dakota State, an FCS team like Maine just can’t compete with Oklahoma. As such, it’s not surprising that the Oklahoma Sooners-Maine match-up ended 59-14 in Oklahoma’s favor. It also allowed the Sooners to achieve their longest pass of the year when Arnold connected with J.J. Hester for a 90-yard touchdown. Arnold went 15 for 21 and 224 total yards. Jovantae Barnes, in one of his best games of the season, rushed 18 times for 203 yards.
Right now, Ole Miss is enjoying the season Oklahoma thought they would be having. Instead, the Sooners are rivaling the Kentucky Wildcats for the most middling season in the SEC. The win against Maine presents a golden opportunity to recapture some momentum. If Oklahoma can overcome their road game against Missouri, they may clinch a bowl game bid and end the season on a high note. If not, well, it’ll be a long year until Venables and the Sooners get another chance at redemption. The only thing we know for sure is that Last Word On Sports will be there, every week, eagerly watching from the sidelines to bring you the most up-to-date coverage of all things Oklahoma Sooners football.
