Oklahoma Sooners Make Bold Quarterback Change Ahead of SEC Clash with Auburn

Oklahoma City Updates: A Bold Move for the Sooners

Hey there, football fans! Big news is buzzing around Oklahoma City this week after the Oklahoma Sooners dropped a 25-15 game at home against Tennessee. Coach Brett Venables has decided it’s time to shake things up a bit in the quarterback department. The young and talented Michael Hawkins Jr. is set to kick off as the starter for the Sooners’ very first SEC road game against Auburn this Saturday.

A Tough Week for Arnold

Many fans are probably wondering how things came to this. Let’s rewind a bit. Sophomore Jackson Arnold, a five-star recruit, struggled during the game against Tennessee, throwing for merely 54 yards and tossing one interception. Not exactly the kind of performance you want to see from your starting QB, right? To make matters worse, Arnold also had three turnovers, including two fumbles. Ouch! The Sooners ended up benched him right before halftime, bringing in Hawkins to finish the first half.

After reviewing the game, Coach Venables acknowledged that the turnovers were a deciding factor. According to reports, he pointed out that while turnovers are never good, there’s also a rhythm to the offense that needs to be maintained. “Stuff has to run on time in our offense,” he mentioned. Timing plays are crucial, and clearly, things were a bit off. Tennessee managed to capitalize on the turnovers, flipping the turnover margin in their favor, which is pretty rare for a team like Oklahoma.

Hawkins Takes the Helm

Now, entering the picture is Hawkins, who had a far better showing in his limited time on the field. He threw for 132 yards and pulled off a touchdown on 11-for-18 passing. Not to mention, the kid even rushed for 22 yards on 11 carries! Talk about a well-rounded performance! Coach Venables seems genuinely excited about what Hawkins brings to the table. “He’s a tremendous athlete,” Venables praised. “There were several times where we had edge pressure that we didn’t block, and he got outside of it. He has some playmaking ability that can hurt you with his legs.” Sounds like Oklahoma is ready for some fireworks!

A Glimpse Ahead

As the countdown to the game intensifies, Oklahoma’s coaching staff decided to give Hawkins a full week of practice runs with the first-team offense. Arnold, on the other hand, won’t be sidelined just yet. Coach Venables mentioned that this week will include a quarterback battle in practice, indicating there is still some competition going on, even though Hawkins appears to be in the lead.

For context, Arnold’s season has had ups and downs, completing 60% of his passes in the first four games for a total of 538 yards, along with seven touchdowns but three interceptions. The team, now sitting at 3-1 and ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll, is gearing up to face a somewhat inconsistent Auburn team that’s currently 2-2.

Game Day Details

Mark your calendars, folks! This exciting matchup will take place at Jordan-Hare Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action live on ABC. Will Michael Hawkins Jr. lead the Sooners to a comeback victory? One thing’s for sure—football fans won’t want to miss this!

Stay tuned for more updates and let’s hope for a thrilling game ahead as the Sooners hit the road!