Oklahoma's Disturbing Trend of Beating Itself Continued in Missouri Return

The Sooners lost the turnover battle to No. 24 Missouri 4-1, including the game-clinching scoop-and-score in the final moments at Faurot Field.

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, MO — Oklahoma’s gotten really good at beating Oklahoma. 

This time, the Sooners (5-5, 1-5 SEC) allowed Missouri backup quarterback Drew Pyne to lead an eight play, 75-yard drive in 57 seconds to tie Saturday’s matchup between the old Big 8 foes. 

Then, OU quarterback Jackson Arnold lost his second fumble of the night — a fatal blow. 

Zion Young picked the ball up and rumbled 17 yards to put the Tigers in front 30-23, and Missouri (7-2, 3-2) closed out the win from there. 

“Heartbreaking loss. Feel so bad for our players,” OU coach Brent Venables said after the game. “… We certainly had our moments and had a great opportunity there at the end. we’re up with two minutes to go and Missouri did a great job of executing… Our guys fought with everything they had. Wasn’t good enough. We have to do a better job to help them.”

The Sooners lost the turnover battle 4-1, with Missouri outscoring the visitors 21-7 off those takeaways. 

UNBELIEVABLE 🤯🚨

MISSOURI SCOOP N SCORE TO TAKE THE LEAD WITH 30 SECONDS LEFT!@MizzouFootball x 📺 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/N7iyuIrNi4

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 10, 2024

Arnold lost a pair of fumbles, safety Peyton Bowen muffed a punt and wide receiver Deion Burks got stripped as all four miscues happened on the Oklahoma half of the field. 

“Turnovers have always been a major issue,” Venables said. “They’re big if you can force them on defense. They get you beat on offense.”

Arnold actually put the ball on the Faurot Field turf a third time, as he just dropped the ball while scrambling on the first possession, though he was able to fall on that fumble. 

The back-breaker came as the Sooners were trying to march down the field and set kicker Zach Schmit up for a potential game-winner after the OU kicker nailed a 56-yard field goal to end the first half. 

 “It’s unfortunate. I was just trying to roll out and get out of the pocket and throw it away — I probably should’ve thrown it away a little earlier and just got a new play in,” Arnold said. “… It sucks. That can happen at any time, and it happened at the worst possible time, but I just gotta be better.” 

Heading into the decisive possession, interim play caller Joe Jon Finley said there was one goal in mind.

“We’re going to be aggressive. We wanted to go win,” Finley said. “I felt very confident… last 3-4 weeks of practice, we go right down the field in practice (during the two-minute drill), and fully expected to do that. 

“Obviously didn’t work out. Just gotta take care of the ball, across the board. Not just Jackson. But the whole football team… That starts with me, leading this offense. We gotta take care of it.”

Turnovers have been an issue for the sophomore signal caller in his first season as OU’s starter. 

His three turnover day against Tennessee in Week 4 got him benched. 

Arnold’s return to the lineup came after Michael Hawkins Jr. committed turnovers on each of the first three possessions against South Carolina, meaning there was no obvious answer to rectify the issues sitting on the bench.

For Arnold, the answer to shoring up the turnovers — especially the fumbles — can be found during the week. 

“We do a turnover circuit at the beginning of practice,” he said. “It’s running through the blasters or trying to get the ball punched out by other teammates and stuff. Continuing focus on that, emphasizing putting two hands on the ball through traffic — little things like that can help us secure the ball better.” 

Oklahoma shot itself in the foot over and over on Saturday night, and it blew its best shot at extending the program’s 25-year bowl streak.

The Sooners now head into a bye week with No. 11 Alabama looming on the other side, the then OU will close the year in Baton Rouge against No. 15 LSU. 

Venables extended the streak in 2022, though he couldn’t avoid a losing season after the Sooners fell to Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl. 

Now, it will take an even more unlikely set of circumstances for Oklahoma to even claw its way to six wins in Venables’ third year at the helm.

“(The goal’s) not changing now,” Venables said. “That’s not real popular for anybody to hear. Go right back, keep your head down, eyes forward, go back to work, find a way to get win No. 6. “Take ownership and accountability, all of it, coaches and players alike.”