On Friday, the Oklahoma football program routed the Temple Owls 51-3. Under new defensive coordinator Zac Alley, the Oklahoma Sooners created constant pressure and wreaked havoc against the Tempe offense while OU quarterback Jackson Arnold tossed four touchdowns. Arnold enters the 2024 season as a first-year starter. Meanwhile, the Sooners also join the SEC after nearly a century in the Big 12. Arnold and Oklahoma didn’t wow with downfield throws (drops didn’t help either), but the former five-star recruit finished with a super efficient stat line.
Arnold went 17-of-25 for 141 yards and four touchdowns while routinely finding a wide-open Deion Burks. However, drops, penalties, and poor offensive line play crushed an overall solid performance from the Sooners on Friday.
Oklahoma Football QB Jackson Arnold Plays Well In Season Opener
In just the second start of his college career, Oklahoma football quarterback Jackson Arnold completed 68% of his passes while tossing four touchdowns on 141 passing yards. Arnold also ran well but was the victim of three sacks by the Temple Owls. He opened the game by firing a strike to Jalil Farooq on the team’s second offensive play of the season.
I think Jackson Arnold will be the best QB in college football before the season ends. pic.twitter.com/aAFR6htHkR
— Christian Williams (@CWilliamsNFL) August 30, 2024
Facing a four-man pressure and Temple deploying a one-high safety cover three look, Arnold let the deep progression pass play develop, stepping up in the pocket before lobbing a beautiful pass to the streaking Farooq for a 47-yard gain. Unfortunately, Farooq suffered a broken foot in the contest and will miss six to eight weeks. Additionally, on a play-action shot early in the second quarter, Jackson placed a beautiful pass downfield to JJ Hester, but the receiver could not make the catch. Hester also dropped a wide-open glance route on an RPO pass from Arnold that could have ended in a substantial gain.
Offensive Line Struggles in Spurts
Despite posting a 51-spot on offense last night, the Oklahoma football team, specifically the offense line, had moments where they struggled to have an answer for the Temple pass rush. Late in the third quarter, Temple got to Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold on a play-action pass, bringing him down for a five-yard loss (8:50). Temple brought a delayed blitz, with running back Gavin Sawchuk unaware of the postponed pressure.
Temple also dropped Arnold earlier in the third quarter and sacked the signal-caller in the first half. Veteran center Branson Hickman suffered an ankle injury on the Sooners’ second offensive drive, forcing the team to shuffle the offensive line, with Jacob Sexton, Michael Tarquin, and Geirean Hatchett to switch positions. Oklahoma will have a week to steady the offensive line, scheduled to play the Houston Cougars at home next Saturday.
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