Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables never even thought about doing what the country was calling for
While it may not seem like it now, when the Oklahoma Sooners benched Jackson Arnold against the Tennessee Volunteers, it came as a huge surprise. Arnold pretty much inherited the starting job with Dillon Gabriel off to play for the Oregon Ducks. So, when Michael Hawkins Jr. came in, many were surprised.Against the Auburn Tigers […]
While it may not seem like it now, when the Oklahoma Sooners benched Jackson Arnold against the Tennessee Volunteers, it came as a huge surprise. Arnold pretty much inherited the starting job with Dillon Gabriel off to play for the Oregon Ducks. So, when Michael Hawkins Jr. came in, many were surprised.
Against the Auburn Tigers when Hawkins Jr. made his first-ever start, it looked like it was obvious that the Sooners and head coach Brent Venables made the correct choice. He made plays with his legs, was relentless, and made some nice throws.
He did almost none of that against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday. Now granted, most of it is not his fault, as the offense as a whole was bad with Seth Littrell just not calling a great game, and what he did after wasn't any better, but that's a different story for a different day.
While Hawkins Jr. was struggling, almost the whole country, and anyone who watched the game, including the ESPN broadcast, asked if there was a possibility we would see Jackson Arnold come into the game to provide a spark for the offense.
After the game, Venables asked if he ever thought about that, and his answer was no.
But, if he did, it would be understandable. Hawkins Jr. was basically refusing to throw the ball down the field. In fact, I'm not sure he threw a pass past 20 yards, but I'll have to look at the tape to confirm that, but it certainly didn't feel like it.
We know that Arnold is not afraid to throw the ball down the field. So, the question and idea was fair. With the South Carolina Gamecocks in town next week, who knows what could happen. They almost beat the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, so they are no slouch.
