Sooners did exactly what they needed to do against South Carolina with one key player before facing tougher SEC competition
The Sooners and their offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle got JaVonnie Gibson integrated well against South Carolina.
Saturday against the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Oklahoma Sooners had their most balanced win thus far. They ran the ball better than they have in any game this season, and some of the pass game looked brilliant, as offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was cooking. Arbuckle also got wide receiver JaVonnie Gibson integrated into the offense just at the right time.
“I think he’s right on time,” Arbuckle told reporters after the 26-7 win over the Gamecocks. “I think he’s ready to play ball.”
The Sooners needed to get Gibson going after missing nearly the entire first half of the season, before they play better SEC competition.
Gibson could be huge focal point of Arbuckle’s passing game from here on out
The Oklahoma Sooners did exactly what they needed to do in the pass game to get their offense back on track. The biggest story is by far the run game, but it can’t be understated how important the pass game played a part in that run game having the success it did.
Going to Gibson early and often is one of the most important things they did in the pass game. South Carolina didn’t have hardly any tape on Gibson in this offense, with it being really his first game being a focal point of the offense and playing a ton. Getting him the reps and getting him going before they play great SEC defenses was crucial.
“Yeah, we needed to get him involved early,” quarterback John Mateer told reporters after the game. “We didn’t do that last game. He’s a force; he’s a really good player. So, that was the plan, and we executed it.”
Gibson seemed like he was open near the sticks every single third down, and Mateer went to him just about every time. But what’s even better is that Gibson caught it almost every time. You can tell he is a guy who was supposed to be a huge part of the offense from the get-go before his offseason injury happened.
Now, they are getting him right at the perfect time. Against South Carolina, Gibson had five catches for 24 yards, which isn’t anything crazy, but this was his first real game back, where he played a huge role. With how often they went to him, it shows how much they trust him, too. It’s early for him, so expect to see even more from him as the season goes on.
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