Oklahoma will lace up their cleats and strap up their pads one final time as Team 129 on Thursday evening in San Antonio, Texas. Their opponent will be a highly motivated Arizona Wildcats team with a nice mix of talent and experience looking to send their upperclassmen out in a big way as they wrap up their final season in the Pac-12.
The Sooners finished the season with a track meet of a game with TCU the day after Thanksgiving. Dillon Gabriel put on one final show in his last game as an Oklahoma player. He has since transferred to the University of Oregon, where he will play his final college football season.
Arizona blasted their in-state rivals, Arizona State, 59-23 in the Duel in the Desert, to retain the Territorial Cup for another year. Their explosive offense, spearheaded by Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year quarterback Noah Fifita, can flat-out move the ball.
As Oklahoma descends upon Texas for one final game, we examine the five keys to a Sooners victory in the season’s last game.
Get Jackson Arnold settled in
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Among the significant subplots in this game, the biggest is former five-star true freshman Jackson Arnold being handed the keys to the program. This was always how it would go. The succession plan was always in place.
It’s a new era for Oklahoma football, and Thursday will give us all the chance to see how the talented passer operates as the big man on campus.
His play-caller will no longer be Jeff Lebby but Seth Littrell, now co-offensive coordinator with Joe Jon Finley. They’ll be running Lebby’s offense because it is impossible to learn a new offense in two or three weeks and have enough reps to play a game.
Littrell and Finley must get their talented freshman in a rhythm early.
Arizona will likely send a mix of pressure and some different zone looks at Arnold to test his processing in his first complete start. Short throws, the run game, and getting Arnold on the move are good ways to get the jitters out and let him settle in.
Stop Arizona’s passing attack
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Arizona enters this game with an elite offense. Their most significant loss will be their NFL-ready left tackle, Jordan Morgan, who opted out as he prepares for the NFL Draft.
Despite Morgan’s absence, the Wildcats have enough skilled talent and a really good quarterback in Noah Fifita to cook Oklahoma’s defense if the Sooners get blitz-happy and can only play man-to-man coverage.
Oklahoma’s most significant weakness in coverage was playing zone. They were horrendous at it, yet they’ll need to play it if their pass rush can’t get home in time against Fifita.
He’s thrived all season long against the blitz. He finished with the fifth-most touchdowns against the blitz. So, how does Oklahoma bottle up an offense that enters the game eighth in expected points added (EPA) per play and sixth in success rate? We’ll find out Thursday night.
Empty the tank
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Seth Littrell will be calling an offense that may look a lot different in 2024. But in the final game of the season, it’s time to let it all hang out.
Fake punts, trick plays, and aggressive fourth-down decisions should all be on the table for Brent Venables and his staff. There’s no need to coach conservatively. That will get you beat against an Arizona team that mirrors their coach, Jedd Fisch.
The Wildcats are a hungry bunch who have been vocal about seeing Oklahoma as a significant win for the trajectory of their opponent. Matching their intensity might be the difference in a win or loss.
Offensive Line Needs to Step Up
Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
The Oklahoma Sooners will be down a pair of offensive line starters. With Jackson Arnold making his first start, he’ll need the offensive line to play well to both create holes in the running game and provide Arnold time when he drops back to pass.
Walter Rouse, McKade Mettauer, and Jacob Sexton have been playing well at the end of the season. But the Sooners need Troy Everett and Caleb Schaffer to raise their games to give the Sooners a chance to win.
Bend, Don’t Break
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The Arizona offense is good. Noah Fifita is one of the best young quarterbacks in college football. They’ll move the ball.
But offenses have moved the ball all season on the Sooners, yet they found a way to get stops and hold teams to field goals or force turnovers on downs. The Sooners finished No. 41 in the nation in points allowed at 22.1 per game. Arizona was pretty good, scoring 34 points per game during the regular season.
If the Oklahoma defense can force stops or limit the Wildcats to field goals, that’ll give them a shot to win.
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