Oklahoma-Maine Preview: Three Keys to the Game

With an eye on their difficult finishing stretch of SEC games, the Sooners need to focus on these three things Saturday against the Black Bears.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold and offensive tackle Logan Howland (71) / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s game against Maine on Saturday isn’t getting a whole lot of attention among the OU faithful.

Although the game has been labeled a sellout by OU, there will be thousands of empty seats when the game kicks off at its new start time of 11 a.m. Most of those might try to tune in on SEC Network +, but ESPN isn’t exactly expecting any new subscriptions from Sooner Nation.

This is the old pay-per-view game, which are now thankfully discarded to history thanks to the SEC’s ubiquitous partnership with ESPN and the consuming public’s growing willingness to stream its college football menu.

It’s also a game that used to be played in September, but thanks to the SEC’s deviously clever scheduling model, the Sooners — beaten down and beaten up by an unrelenting SEC slate — can take a bit of a break before resuming conference play next week at No. 25-ranked Missouri.

And that’s where the importance of Saturday’s first-ever game with the Black Bears comes to light: this game isn’t about this week. This game is about the next three weeks and whether the Sooners can show enough improvement to, as Brent Venables said, “put a winning streak together to finish the year.”

Here are OU’s three keys to the Maine game:

Keep Growing

Last week’s 26-14 loss at Ole Miss showed something for the Oklahoma offense.

With Joe Jon Finley calling plays, there was an identity for the first time this season, a connectivity between plays, a rhythm in the passing game and an assertiveness in the run game. Jackson Arnold had check-downs available, and he took them when needed. Forget the last three drives — the Sooners rolled the pocket to keep Arnold out of trouble (one sack allowed in the first half, that by a redshirt freshman backup) and it was successful against one of the country’s best defensive lines.

Now Finley needs to expand on that game plan — a little, nothing extreme — by getting the football to the edge, by incorporating a bit more misdirection, a bit more counter in the run game, and probably could stand to scale back the rushing attempts by Arnold.

Kevin Johns coached up Arnold effectively last week, getting Arnold comfortable with anticipating what the defense was doing and understanding where the defense’s seams might be. 

Arnold and the OU offense held a halftime lead last week — and posted two first-half scores — for the first time in SEC play.

That’s an upward trend that needs to continue as the Sooners transition back to SEC action next week.

Block Party

Although Maine has 10 sacks and 10 takeaways in its last five games — including seven in the upset over Villanova — the Black Bears aren’t going to generate just a ton of pressure on Jackson Arnold.

And frankly, the Oklahoma offensive line can’t be expected to make just a ton of improvement after officially giving up a school record 10 quarterback sacks last week. (It was actually seven — six on the final three possessions, but statisticians in Oxford saw it differently.) 

But this is an opportunity for the OU front to continue to just get a little better.

Moving the pocket to keep Arnold from being a stationary target is one thing. But getting turnstiled over and over on the edge continues to be a red flag.

Isaiah Autry-Dent’s inclusion to the two-deep at tackle this week could shore up the protection problems Logan Howland experienced at left tackle last week in Oxford. Eddy Pierre-Louis’ eventual ascension into the rotation could be a big help to an improving running game. Maybe other young o-linemen get into the game this week and show out.

That will be crucial to the development of Bill Bedenbaugh’s group as the Sooners still have to face upcoming SEC run defenses that rank No. 55 nationally (Missouri), No. 58 (Alabama) and LSU (No. 48).

As Brent Venables said, “it’s doable.”

Get Your Kicks

Oklahoma hasn’t needed a high-pressure field goal yet this season. The Sooners probably aren’t going to need one on Saturday against the Black Bears.

But at some point in November, whether it’s against Mizzou, Bama or LSU, they’re probably going to need someone to make an important kick.

It appears that Zach Schmit is the coaching staff’s current choice to do just that, rather than Tyler Keltner.

Again, Schmit won’t face any must-make situations this week. But if the offense falters and he’s called upon, he needs to impose his own pressure — treat it like Keltner is standing right behind him and will take his job if he misses. 

Because that’s the reality of the situation. 

This Oklahoma season has come down to beating Maine and then winning one more game to get to a bowl game. 

There is simply no margin for error for this team — and that includes the kickers.