Texas is set to return to the field Saturday afternoon following a bye week. Awaiting the Longhorns is their archrival Oklahoma. The Sooners will enter the Cotton Bowl with a 4-1 record and are 1-1 in SEC play, but Brent Venables’ group has experienced a lot of inconsistent play so far in 2024, squeaking out wins against Houston and Tulane before getting beat soundly by Tennessee at home and winning on the road at Auburn. In a weird twist from previous seasons and regimes, it is the offense that has let Oklahoma down time and time again so far this season.
Offense
Offensive Coordinator Jeff Lebby and starting QB Dillon Gabriel left Norman last offseason. Lebby took the head coaching job at Mississippi State, and Gabriel departed via the portal for Oregon. Former North Texas head coach Seth Littrell was tabbed as Lebby’s replacement, and former 5-star Jackson Arnold was expected to fill the shoes of Gabriel. The duo has been nothing short of a disaster, with Arnold getting benched during the Tennessee game for true freshman Michael Hawkins and Litrell overseeing a unit that ranks dead last in the SEC in total offense, passing yards per game, and rushing yards per game.
Hawkins provided a spark in his first start against Auburn, completing 10 of 15 passes for 161 yards while adding 69 yards rushing and a touchdown. Both Arnold and Hawkins possess good running abilities, but Hawkins appears to add more to the offense as an overall playmaker. His sample size as a passer is very small (37 attempts this season), but he has yet to turn the ball over which is a welcome sight after Arnold continually handed the ball to opposing teams.
To make matters worse, the Sooners have been decimated with injuries at receiver and the offensive line. 4 of the top 5 projected receivers heading into the season will all be out on Saturday, with Purdue transfer Dion Burks also being listed as questionable. Former Texas receiver Brenen Thompson has seen an expanded role with all the injuries in addition to sophomore Jaquaize Pettaway and senior JJ Hester. On the offensive line, the Sooners have been awful. The unit has allowed 14 sacks, and the rushing game is averaging a measly 3.7 yards per attempt. Oklahoma has been trying to break in 3 transfers on the OL, and it has not gone well, although the unit did show a pulse against Auburn and had a bye week to get healthier.
Defense
If Oklahoma were to upset Texas on Saturday, it would likely be their defense that leads the way. Brent Venables, who takes a very active role in calling plays, has the Oklahoma defense playing at a level fans could have only dreamed of during the Lincoln Riley era. The Sooners are allowing a respectable 16 points per game and have one of the better front 7 units Texas will face all year.
Oklahoma has already registered 18 sacks this season, with edge rusher R Mason Thomas leading the way with 5.5. TCU transfer Damonic Williams is the best defensive tackle on the roster and while he only has 1 sack on the year, his impact is felt heavily for a rush defense that ranks 4th in the SEC.
All Longhorn fans will remember LB Danny Stutsman for his antics off the field following the victory over Texas in 2023, but his play on the field continues to improve and he leads the team with 40 tackles. Kip Lewis overtook Jared Kanak as the starter next to Stutsman and has been an upgrade.
Oklahoma has two good safeties in Billy Bowman and Peyton Bowen, but the cornerback play has been suspect all season and something the Longhorns will likely test early and often on Saturday. The Sooners are allowing an opposing passer rating of 136, ranking 12th in the SEC. Starting corner Gentry Williams and starting nickel Kendel Dolby are both out Saturday. Auburn QB Peyton Thorne, who was benched earlier this year before returning against Oklahoma, threw for 338 yards two weeks ago while averaging 10.6 yards per attempt.
Final Thoughts
Texas has the advantage on paper heading into this game, but Longhorn fans only need to point to last season to know what the advantage on paper gets you. With that said, Texas will likely need to turn the ball over multiple times for Oklahoma to have a chance at pulling off the upset. If the Texas defense plays at the level they’ve shown through 5 games, the Longhorns should be able to give their offense enough bites at the apple to break through against a good Oklahoma defense. Steve Sarkisian has had good offensive plans against Brent Venables the previous two years, and he will need another one on Saturday to bring the golden hat back to Austin.
