Oklahoma Sooners searching for answers in their rushing attack, 'have to establish the run game' in the SEC
The Oklahoma Sooners' rushing attack has been a concerning part of Oklahoma's offensive struggles. No clear top running back has emerged, and they've struggled to even get a "hot hand" runner going in all three of their games so far in 2024. For OU to compete in the SEC, that has to change. Head coach […]
The Oklahoma Sooners' rushing attack has been a concerning part of Oklahoma's offensive struggles. No clear top running back has emerged, and they've struggled to even get a "hot hand" runner going in all three of their games so far in 2024.
For OU to compete in the SEC, that has to change. Head coach Brent Venables acknowledged this in the SEC teleconference this week ahead of their matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers.
It's been baby steps, but the Sooners ground game is slowly but surely starting to get there.
Against Temple, the Sooners racked up 220 yards on the ground, heavily buoyed by the final two drives of the game. Oklahoma failed to break 100 yards against Houston but rebounded to tally 175 against a tough Tulane defense.
They dialed up the run game diversity against Tulane, opting to invest more into inside zone and power/man concepts in Week 3.
It marginally worked, but was largely carried by Jackson Arnold's ability as a rusher. Oklahoma has to continue being better at it with their actual runners instead of putting the entire offensive burden on Jackson Arnold.
The issue now for Oklahoma is sustaining that success, especially in the SEC. I've touched on this in multiple prior pieces, but the Sooners' injury luck has been a major contributor to their issues offensively, both passing and rushing.
The Sooners had multiple injuries on the offensive line and at wide receiver. With their line, the backups struggled to maintain clean games and blew assignments, limiting their rushing effectiveness. Due to multiple injuries at wide receiver, teams didn't respect their passing game, so they were able to load the box and stuff the run.
This weekend, Oklahoma was able to pass more effectively on Tulane than they were against Houston, opening up their run game. Tulane had to commit more defenders against the pass, enabling the Sooners to run better.
Now, star wide receiver Nic Anderson is set to return against Tennessee this week. His presence alongside Deion Burks should help open up their passing game, as teams have to respect how talented a playmaker Anderson is.
This should also spill into boosting their run game. As Oklahoma continues to get healthier, their ability to run the ball should improve as the season goes on.
They'll need it, with games against Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama, and LSU left on their schedule.
