Michael Hawkins Jr. says the OU football QB competition is “nothing different” for him
Michael Hawkins Jr. says the OU football QB competition is “nothing different” for him
NORMAN – Jackson Arnold jogged back onto the field in the fourth quarter against Tennessee on Saturday to boos.
Just a few weeks ago, Arnold was viewed by the OU fan base as the heir to the Sooners’ quarterback throne, the next on the list after a decade of mostly dominant quarterback play.
Instead, it looks like the Arnold era may already be over.
In OU’s 25-15 loss to Tennessee, Arnold’s offense was weak and lifeless.
And those were the better descriptions.
Arnold dropped the ball twice, once on a lateral pass. Both times, it came immediately after the Sooners defense forced Tennessee to lose the ball in Volunteer territory. Arnold also threw a catch.
Another drive ended with a safety, the first by an OU offense since 2010.
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Why did Brent Venables bench Jackson Arnold for Michael Hawkins?
By the end of the second quarter, Arnold had completed 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards and one interception.
After the second fumble, Brent Venables and Seth Littrell decided to sit rookie Michael Hawkins Jr. and bench Arnold.
“It just didn’t feel right,” Venables said at the time about the offensive alignment. “There wasn’t enough other evidence that we were just going to get it done.”
Venables said a change was considered on the previous drive after the Sooners were down by three points and the offense fell two yards behind.
But the defense did not give much time to think and forced a loss of possession in three plays.
On the first down from Tennessee’s 33-yard line, Littrell called a run-pass option. The Volunteers applied pressure up the middle, but the decision clearly called for a run.
Instead, Arnold panicked and threw the ball not only toward Zion Ragins, but also into the sideline. Ragins couldn’t catch the ball and it bounced way back into OU territory.
After Tennessee scored a touchdown to take a 19-3 lead, Hawkins came into the game as Arnold was glued to the sideline for all but one play in the fourth quarter, and that was only because Hawkins appeared to have the wind knocked out of his lungs after somersaulting toward the end zone.
“That’s 12 points,” Venables said of the difference in turnovers, including the safety. “In a game like this, every point counts.”
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Jackson Arnold’s stats against Tennessee are a far cry from the Alamo Bowl
Arnold’s performance in the Alamo Bowl gave hope for the Sooners’ offensive future.
He threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns.
But it also became apparent that ball losses could be a problem.
So far they have clearly been a problem.
Arnold completed 59.8% of his passes for 538 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions and two fumbles.
On Saturday, Arnold completed 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards and had one interception.
Hawkins didn’t immediately liven up the offense – OU had just 16 yards of offense in the third quarter – but he showed flashes of some ability early on and got the offense going in the fourth quarter, which at least made things interesting.
He finished 11 of 18 for 132 yards and a touchdown.
“The most important thing for me is to stay relaxed and have our guys around me building me up and (knowing) they’ve got my back,” Hawkins said, “so when I come in, we can just move the ball and take advantage of big plays.”
Hawkins rushed for 22 yards on 12 carries, becoming OU’s leading runner. Subtracting the two times he was sacked, Hawkins rushed for 45 yards on 10 carries.
“Incredibly fast,” OU defensive end Trace Ford said of Hawkins. “I mean, he’s like Kyler Murray. He comes out of the pocket, people are in trouble and he showed that a little bit tonight.”
More: Josh Heupel shows Oklahoma football what it’s missing as Tennessee crushes the Sooners
OU’s offensive line still has problems
The Sooners’ offensive problems go beyond the quarterback position.
The offensive line continues to struggle, the running game doesn’t offer much hope – aside from Arnold’s running performance against Tulane – and the wide receiver selection is thin, especially after Nic Anderson suffered another quadriceps injury early in the game against Tennessee.
But Hawkins made things possible that Arnold couldn’t.
“He’s an incredible athlete. There were several situations where we had pressure from the side that we couldn’t block and he got out,” Venables said of Hawkins. “So he’s got some playmaking ability. He can hurt you with his legs, but that can’t be his game either. We had some drives where we got into a good rhythm and he showed he can make some plays.”
Venables said a decision must be made and that practice week will determine whether Hawkins or Arnold starts at quarterback next week at Auburn.
“Find out who can best help us get to fourth place and get our fourth win,” said Venables.
Littrell later took much of the blame.
“It starts with the coaches,” Littrell said. “Period. I’ll say that first.”
But Hawkins has certainly given more of an impression than Arnold of being a player capable of winning against SEC opponents.
“I’m looking for a guy who can manage the game and execute at a high level,” Littrell said. “I’m not saying that about anyone. I’ll judge it myself tomorrow. It starts with me.”
