No one expected us to gash then like Kent State, but our backs are good enough to get chunk plays. Running the ball will have a cumulative affect on their defense, because they're not that deep, especially at tackle. I dont think you understand how the play calling works. Most play calls are setting the table for a big play later, especially in the passing game. CJH picks his spots, and I am confident Nico will find the openings.
It seems like their offense is all predicated on the legs of Arnold. He seems like a good runner but not like game-changing. If he can't win with his arm and the RB's cant produce it makes them very easy to defend. Stack the box and spy Arnold and make him prove he can beat our secondary before the DLine gets to him. Dylan Sampson has played 8 quarters of football being generous. He has in that time he has scored 2 less TD's than Oklahomas entire team. He has rushed for more yards than all their RBs and WR's combined. In fact DeSean Bishop alone 222yards and 3 td's has nearly outrushed their 2 top backs 228yards and 2 td's.
Another thing I have noticed looking at the games (I watched all 3 Oklahoma games to make sure reality matched the box scores). I do not see Houston as being a better team than NC State.. period. Tulane looks to be a better team than Houston but still not better than NC State. Temple is about the same level as UTC. Oklahoma's punter has punted 17 times this year..........they average 6 punts a game vs bad teams.
Temple kept giving OK short fields. that score looks impressive 51-3 right? Oklahoma kicked 3 field goals 2 of them on 1 yard drives. OK scored 5 offensive touchdowns 4 on short to intermediate (5-14 yards) passes. They only had 2 TD drives that didn't start on Temples side of the 50. OK also punted 5 times (one punt by Arnold). Against Temple.... they had 13 offensive possessions and 50 points to show for it. Temple had 14 offensive possessions. You give UT 14 offensive possessions.. heck not this UT last years UT and you are gonna lose 99% of the time.
Houston game. They get held to 75 yards rushing. Punt 8 times. Their 2 TD drives? 1 10 yard completion after a fumbled punt by Houston on the 10 yard line and an 1 yard pass on their only successful 'drive' of the game. Houston had 12 offensive possessions.....Against UT that's an L.
The Tulane game was probably their best game against the best team they played.. so progress. 5 punts. They actually had 4 sustained scoring drives that started on their side of the 50. Outside of a 24 yard run by Arnold which was a full on breakdown by the defense. They had no chunk plays outside of Arnold's two blindman assisted runs.
They have no proven they can make chunk plays. Period. Defenses fall asleep and let Arnold gash them a few times a game that's all of OK's big plays. I think he has like one completion over 20 yards. their longest TD score came on a 24 yard run by Arnold. Everything else 14 yards or less. Scream all you want about how bad our secondary has been in the past, they got beat deep...This team isn't beating anyone deep and those secondaries they have faced are worse than the wort we have had in the CJH era. hate on them as you will all those secondaries had multiple players that are in the NFL right now. I think we can all agree this years version is more talented.
Outside of the crowd noise and them forcing Nico into some early turnovers I do not see a way for that team to beat us. They have to bring Jackson Ross out of semi-retirement and make him have a career day on punting attempts for this to be close. I had almost forgotten we had a punter as he has only stepped on the field twice so far this year.
