Postgame Thoughts: Ole Miss 34, Oklahoma 26
The Oklahoma Sooners suffered a frustrating 34-26 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in Norman on Saturday as OU struggled to get all three phases to work in concert.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff seemed to have an answer for everything the Sooners could throw at them. It helps, of course, to have a veteran quarterback like Trinidad Chambliss who can convert in high-pressure situations.
Here’s a smattering of thoughts from the performance, based on a live viewing of the broadcast.
*Offensively, you saw a stark difference between these two teams at the skill positions. Chambliss distributed the ball to eight different receivers, many of whom made contested catches for big pays or key first downs. Rebels running back Kewan Lacy didn’t have a monster day, but he persevered through a game in which he toted the ball 27 times for a net of 78 yards.
OU’s RBs can probably match in the aggregate what Lacy does on his own, but the Sooners are sorely lacking playmakers at wide receiver. Occasionally, one of them busts out for an explosive play, like Isaiah Sategna’s catch-and-run touchdown covering 76 yards. They’re possession receivers most of the time, however.
Notably, Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer Javonnie Gibson hasn’t provided the spark in the passing game that was expected when he was drawing praise for his big-play ability in the offseason. He had one catch for three yards against the Rebs – though, in Gibson’s defense, OU QB John Mateer misfired on some of his other targets.
*Speaking of which, Mateer had a miserable day. The passing stats don’t look awful (17-of-31 pass attempts for 231 yards and a touchdown). Even so, he still missed numerous open throws and appeared to lock in on specific targets too often, opting for tougher passes over easier completions.
Meanwhile, Mateer has been rendered totally ineffective as a runner in his last three games since returning from hand surgery. Is his injury seeding some hesitance in his mind to run? Can’t really say, but his indecisiveness and skittishness in the pocket is turning into a major problem. He also continues to drift way too much when he drops back.
It’s tough to know if Mateer’s struggles since he got cleared to play are more mental or physical. Whatever the case may be, it does seem like he would benefit offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle figuring out a way to take some of the load off his shoulders. That might start with reducing his role in the running game.
*Arbuckle could learn a thing or two from watching how Kiffin and Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. manage possessions. The Rebels always seemed to find ways to make third downs manageable by picking up solid yardage on second down. Conversely, it feels like the OU offense keeps hunting big plays.
*Another example of horrific clock management at the end of the first half.
*You can’t fault Sategna for trying to make something happen on the punt return that ended with a fumble in the fourth quarter. It feels like this team always finds a mistake to make in those situations, though.