The 2024 Oklahoma Sooners football season, is without a doubt the most highly anticipated season in recent history, and it just so happens to be coinciding with the most highly anticipated college football season in the history of the sport.
There is no lack of narratives surrounding the program, as well as college football as a whole. Would suggest. Oklahoma enters the 2024 season as their first season as a member of the commonly perceived strongest football conference in America, during the inaugural season of the 12-team playoff.
Brent Venables is entering his third year as Sooners head coach, and Sophomore Jackson Arnold is entering his first year as QB1 for the Sooners. Arnold had one start last season, in Oklahoma’s meaningless bowl game, so his start against Temple on Friday night was his first meaningful start in his college career.
Many questions have been surrounding the Sooners football program, with a second year head coach, a redshirt freshmen at QB, a rebuilt defense, and a unproven offensive line. Arnold had his first start on Owen field Friday evening against the Temple Owls, and for the most part it was a solid performance.
Arnold went 17-25 for 141 yards and 4 TD passes, with a 68% completion, which would have been higher had some of his receivers held on to the ball.
Frankly, it was a somewhat pedestrian stat line, especially against Temple, but that is also due in part to a questionable offensive line, and not much of a run game to set up the pass.
Arnold had moments of brilliance throwing the deep ball, but did not get much assistance from below average offensive line play and receivers who struggled to hang onto the ball. On third down (what is commonly referred to as the quarterback’s down) the Sooners were only 1-12.
Arnold came out of high school as being very highly recruited, and while he did seem to struggle at times, there were absolutely signs of the quarterback he has the potential of becoming. At times he looked rather uncomfortable in a somewhat disjointed offence, that did not perform as well as the 48 point victory margin would seem to indicate.
While the Oklahoma offense did score 51 points, it was against a weak Temple defense, and 20 of those points were off of turn overs.
Arnold also had moments that showed his youth and inexperience, such as after seeing that his first progression was covered, rather then look to his second and third routes, he would simply tuck and run the ball. Arnold also seemed to have a case of happy feet, meaning he never looked truly comfortable in the pocket. Some of that is due to youth and inexperience and some of it is due to offensive line play.
Having said that, he had moments of excellent decision making and pin point accuracy.
The future for Jackson Arnold seems to be bright as QB1 for the Sooners, he will just need to continue to develop his decision making, as well as receiving more help from his wide outs as well as support from his offensive line. The Sooners seemed to handle Temple pretty handily, but some offensive issues certainly need to be addressed, and soon, for it does not get any easier from here on out.
Next week the Sooners will play host to the Houston Cougars in non-conference play. The Cougars will continue to test Arnold and the Sooners offense, for while they might not be world beaters, they are certainly more stout then Temple.
After the Cougars, the Sooners have a game against the Tulane Green Wave, and then their first season of SEC conference play begins.
Boomer Sooner.