Tennessee Vols' defensive performance caused a major overhaul to Oklahoma's offense on Monday
After a very rocky performance against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night, it appears the Oklahoma Sooners are shaking things up on offense in a big way ahead of their game at Auburn on Saturday. On Monday night, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables announced that he's making a quarterback change from Jackson Arnold to Michael […]
After a very rocky performance against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night, it appears the Oklahoma Sooners are shaking things up on offense in a big way ahead of their game at Auburn on Saturday.
On Monday night, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables announced that he's making a quarterback change from Jackson Arnold to Michael Hawkins.
Oklahoma's offense hadn't exactly been firing on all cylinders through the season's first three weeks entering last Saturday with Arnold under center. However, Tennessee's defense took a sputtering Crimson and Cream machine and completely shut it down until the game was out of reach.
Arnold was simply disastrous for most of three quarters before he was pulled. He finished the game 7/16 for 54 yards with an interception. But beyond the abysmal passing numbers, Arnold did what he couldn't do: turn the ball over, something he did three total times.
Two of those turnovers – the fumbles – came right after two sack-fumbles by Nico Iamaleava in the first half. Arnold gave it right back twice, the first coming after the ball was ripped away in a pile of players inside the Tennessee 5-yard line. The second came on a poorly thrown backwards pass across the field that was bobbled around afterwards and recovered by the Vols. Tennessee would go on to put in what was essentially the dagger after the fumbled lateral to secure a 19-3 lead at the half.
OU will be going with Michael Hawkins, Jr. on Saturday at Auburn. Hawkins, Jr. came in with the Vols up 22-3, and after some struggles, he managed to drive the Sooners for two late touchdowns when the Vols held a big fourth quarter lead and took their foot off the gas a bit.
A quarterback change is a big thing. Playbooks and game planning have to be tailored to meet different players' strengths. There's no doubt that Oklahoma will be doing that with Hawkins, Jr. on Saturday and moving forward.
And it's thanks in no small part to the dominating performance from defensive coordinator Tim Banks' surging defense on Saturday.
Josh Heupel and Nico Iamaleava share a very cool moment in the final seconds of Tennessee’s win over Oklahoma
The Vols clearly knew what Saturday’s win over Oklahoma meant to their head coach
