Jackson Arnold’s one fatal flaw reared its ugly head in Auburn Tigers loss to Oklahoma Sooners in Week 4
Jackson Arnold caused most of Auburn’s problems by himself in disappointing loss
The Auburn Tigers suffered a hard fought 24-17 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday.
The defense held up extremely well, allowing just 4.89 yards per play and a 25% conversion rate on third downs. Cam Coleman dominated as a contested catch monster. Eric Singleton was moving the chains all game. Jeremiah Cobb averaged 10 yards per carry. All great things, so what went wrong?
Jackson Arnold. He was the problem. Arnold’s one fatal flaw that bit him over and over again when he was still at Oklahoma reared its ugly once again. From start to finish, to the game-losing safety, Jackson Arnold could not handle pass rush pressure, and created some for himself.
Jackson Arnold took ten sacks and cost Auburn the game against Oklahoma
Usually when a quarterback takes ten sacks in a game (when in the world does that actually happen?), the offensive line is hugely to blame, but for much of Auburn’s contest against Oklahoma that was not the case.
First off, Oklahoma’s pass rush was quite ferocious. Edge rusher R Mason Thomas had two of the most important sacks on the game himself and was a problem throughout the game.
However, Jackson Arnold seemed like he had exactly zero internal clock and actually moved himself into more than a handful of the sacks in the game. When he wasn’t fumbling around in the pocket, creating easy lanes for pass rushers to reach him, he was still just bouncing there until Thomas or somebody else knocked him off his feet (as you can see in post below).
This was Arnold’s one fatal flaw dating back to his time at Oklahoma as well. Arnold would often create extra pressures for himself by either holding on to the ball too long, or just step right into pressure. That got him sacked a whopping 36 times last year, taking a sack 27% of the time that he faced a pressure (a terrible mark).
The FBS average for pressure to sack rate this year so far is 17%. Arnold was already posting a 32% rate ahead of Week 4, but it hadn’t cost Auburn yet. That mark will almost assuredly be even more horrific after the loss to Oklahoma.
Jackson Arnold cannot seriously take ten sacks in the same game and possibly hope to win. Get rid of the ball. Roll away from pressure. Make the right pre-snap reads on where blitzing linebackers might be coming from. Do something. Arnold simply had no answer for pressure and it cost Auburn at the worst possible time–on top of the entire game beforehand.
Credit to R Mason Thomas for forcing his way through to Jackson Arnold on 4th and 29, with Auburn pushed back into their own end zone. He went after Arnold with his everything and made a great play. However, Arnold absolutely should have seen the pressure coming. Thomas is the best pass rusher on the field. It’s 4th and forever. He must know where Thomas is and adjust accordingly. Instead, after learning nothing all game long he took the safety, locking in the loss.
Jackson Arnold had been doing enough for the Auburn offense to get by prior to the Oklahoma game, but if he keeps this terrible trend up the Tigers are going to get absolutely destroyed in SEC play.
This roster is too good. The wide receivers too talented. The defense too stacked. Arnold needs to get his act together, and fast. Otherwise he won’t be the quarterback for Auburn much longer. Hugh Freeze might have a tough decision on his hands sooner than later.
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