OU Football: Five Takeaways From Sooner’s Victory Over Tennessee

Nov 22, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Orlando Brown (78) before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Offensive Line Has Some Growing to Do

Coming into the season, OU’s offensive line was widely expected to be a work in progress. And that definitely showed throughout this game, as Baker Mayfield spent a lot of time running for his life and both Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon found the going tough in the running game (Perine ran for 78 yards, Mixon for 38). If not for Baker Mayfield’s ability to keep plays alive with his feet, the OU offensive line might have given up multiple sacks.

Still, it’s good to remember that the Tennessee defensive line has plenty of five-star- potential NFL talent, so as tests go they don’t get much tougher than this. Add to that the deafening Vols hometown crowd, and the OU offensive line actually played fairly well. Moving forward, the offensive line will continue to improve as players develop and get more comfortable executing Lincoln Riley’s offense. Orlando Brown, for one, has all the physical tools to become a force to be reckoned with once he masters the nuances of the game. With this test out of the way, the OU offensive line will gain confidence, and that bodes well for the rest of the 2015 campaign.

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