Why Jackson Arnold's Experience in Tight Games Gives Oklahoma an Edge

Three of Arnold's first four starts have come down to making plays in the fourth quarter, which is something he'll need to do against No. 6 Tennessee.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) drops back to pass during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tulane Green Wave at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Things haven’t been perfect in the first starts of Jackson Arnold’s young Oklahoma career.

The Sooners have been in tight games in three of his first four starts, and he also was inserted into a close contest when he took over for Dillon Gabriel in the second half on the road against BYU last year. 

And while every team would rather dominate every opponent, those experiences have given Arnold a potential advantage this Saturday. 

Nico Iamaleava has enjoyed a dream start to his Tennessee career. 

The No. 6-ranked Volunteers (3-0) are firing on all cylinders as they head to Norman to take on the No. 15-ranked Sooners (3-0) this weekend. 

Iamaleava has thrown for 698 yards, adding six scores and two interceptions in three games this year and he’s completing 71.6 percent of his passes. 

In Tennessee’s bowl game against Iowa to close 2023, the then-true freshman shredded the Hawkeyes’ talented defense in a 35-0 rout. 

While Iamaleava has looked incredibly comfortable behind a talented offensive line, he’s never faced a road crowd and he’s never played in a one-score game into the fourth quarter — two things that Arnold has already experienced as a sophomore. 

“He’s handled everything perfectly, is how I look at it, because we won, every time (this year),” Venables said of his young quarterback on Tuesday. “I say that, that doesn’t mean that there’s not moments, lots of moments that you learn from.

“Even like last week, had an amazing first half, great rhythm, come out the first drive in the second half, I think it was 13 plays, had to settle for a field goal, lot of good in there. I think we started the next drive, starts out pretty good, then we have back to back to back drives, where we had lots of breakdowns.

“… Then we have a protection breakdown. Freshman running back. Get a free hit on the quarterback. (Arnold) actually breaks the tackle. Got to learn, when that happens, he saw a guy, but he throws it in the middle, Deion (Burks) was open, he tries to throw it to him after he breaks the tackle, and the ‘backer slid right underneath the route and takes it in and scores. That’s a learning opportunity for him.”

Immediately after the win over 34-19 Tulane, Arnold was upset about the decision on the interception, but he was happy the team was able to find a way to overcome the miscue. 

“I was pissed off. It was heartbreaking, bad timing obviously,” Arnold said. “I love how our team battled through adversity after that, our defense going and getting stops for us and getting that turnover and us really responding after that turnover. My turnover and the defense getting that pick and then us going down and scoring down the field, just shows a lot about our team.”

Arnold’s ability to bounce-back and play better, whether it be throughout an entire offseason after an up-and-down Alamo Bowl showing or early against Tulane when the offense struggled to move all day against Houston, has been a quality Venables’ admires about Arnold. 

“He’s handled adversity well,” Venables said. “We’ve had a lot of scenarios that sometimes you don’t have in the first few games that I think we’ll be able to go back and rely on, whether that’s four minutes, two minutes, how to start fast in both the first half and second half, if that’s to overcome a disaster drive. ‘Now let’s go win this thing, let’s go put this thing out of reach.’ And he did that. 

“There’s lots of those moments particularly in the last couple games that we’ll be able to rely on later in the season.” 

Saturday will be another huge test for the young signal caller.

Tennessee’s defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown in 16 quarters dating back to last season, and the Volunteer defensive line, led by NFL-caliber pass rusher James Pearce Jr., is one of the best units in the country. 

Putting up points won’t be entirely on Arnold’s right shoulder, as Oklahoma’s enter operation has to be excellent on Saturday. 

“We gotta do a good job of helping,” Venables said. “That’s our responsibility as a staff, is to identify how you can help. If that’s protection, if that’s play calls, it’s how you’re setting things up — players gotta go play, players gotta execute, players gotta play fast and sure of themselves. Their confidence and precision and aggressiveness comes from their preparation. 

“We got to do a good job of always helping them, being conscious of what’s going on in the flow of the game and make the adjustments along the way.“

How well Oklahoma’s protection holds up against the Tennessee pass rush will dictate a lot of OU’s success, and Arnold was happy with the improvements his offensive line made against Tulane. 

“I think those guys are finally establishing themselves,” Arnold said. “Obviously, we’ve got a bunch of pieces hurt that you’d like to have back, but I feel like dudes have stepped up and really matured the last couple of games. 

“… I think it'll be physical. Games are won in the trenches so I think are dudes up front need to fly off the ball and make a statement early on."

Against Tennessee’s talented defense, Arnold will have to play through adversity due to either missed assignments or excellent plays made by the defense.

But Venables backs Arnold’s ability to respond, just as he did late against Tulane, to help lead OU to a first SEC victory.

“Did a great job obviously in the fourth quarter (agains Tulane), we scored 10 points, he does a great job of bam, bam, bam,” Venables said. “Doing a lot of things right, putting it behind him, learning from it. There’s growth in that. That’s how you get better.”