NORMAN, Okla. – Just a month ago, the long-awaited Jackson Arnold era was underway at Oklahoma.
Hopes from the team and its rabid fans were high. The former five-star quarterback seemed ready to take his place among the greats at a school that has produced four Heisman winners this century at the position.
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Now, Arnold is fighting for his job after turning the ball over three times in the first half against Tennessee on Saturday night. Michael Hawkins Jr. sparked the Sooners in the second half of the 25-15 loss, and now coach Brent Venables has declared the position open heading into next week's game at Auburn.
Venables addressed the quarterback situation in his opening statement after the game, and then shared what he'll be looking for during the week.
“Who’s the most consistent, who can execute the basics of our offense consistently," he said. "It’s not real complicated. And then you've got to get in the game, and then you’ve got to perform, too.”
Arnold's mistakes were the main reason Tennessee led 19-3 at the break. Twice in the second quarter, Oklahoma's defense recovered fumbles by Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Both times, Arnold fumbled the ball back to Tennessee on the very next play. The second time was on a backwards pass — something Venables said wasn't even an option on the play.
“There’s some times that Jackson, (was) inconsistent,” Venables said. “That inconsistency led to us not being in any kind of rhythm. You’ve got to take the ones that are there and go back and look at it and see where the ownership lies, but I feel confident that was the right move under the circumstances.”
Arnold completed 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards with an interception and ran five times for minus-21 yards with two lost fumbles before getting benched.
Hawkins, a true freshman, had some good moments and helped the Sooners outscore the Volunteers 12-6 in the second half. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 22 yards. His mobility helped the Sooners overcome an overwhelmed offensive line.
It wasn’t all smooth for Hawkins — he fumbled the shotgun snap on his first play late in the second quarter, but he fell on the ball. It took him a few drives in the third quarter to settle in.
“The biggest thing for me is just trying to stay relaxed,” he said. “I have our guys around me building me up, and just knowing they’re behind me, so when I get in, we can just move the ball and capitalize on big plays."
Arnold was inconsistent before Saturday's game. He got his first start in the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona last season, and he passed for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. This season, he hadn’t passed for more than 200 yards in any of his three previous starts. He couldn’t get the offense moving in a 16-12 win over Houston. He threw an interception against Tulane that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma held on to win.
As Arnold struggled, the talented Hawkins stayed ready. He was named a four-star prospect by ESPN, On3, and Rivals, enrolled in January and immediately made an impression. When asked in August why Hawkins beat out transfer Casey Thompson for the backup job, Venables said it was as much about mental makeup as talent.
Venables was impressed with the way Hawkins handled being thrown into the Sooners’ first SEC game.
“He’s confident,” Venables said. “He’s loose in the right ways. The moment’s not going to overwhelm him, even though again he’s a young guy.”
Venables said there’s still plenty of work ahead for Hawkins.
“Mike gets pretty excited — you saw him,” Venables said. “He’s three or four steps ahead of the play a few times. That’s going to happen too. Certainly got to slow things down and let things develop, there’s that piece of it. But he’s a great competitor, got a tremendous amount of talent, and he cares.”
Venables said there's a lot for he and offensive coordinator Seth Littrell to evaluate. He wants to give the situation the proper attention rather than acting on impulse.
“You give some grace, and yet, there’s a body of work that you evaluate,” Venables said. “You maintain a perspective. You know that there’s a pace at which everybody grows and matures to some degree. When I talk about having some grace, young guys are going to make some mistakes.”
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