Why Venables Thought Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold Played His Best Game against Ole Miss

Arnold was renamed the Sooners' starting quarterback ahead of their game against Ole Miss, and the sophomore impressed his head coach in the return.

Oct 26, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) sacks Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables believes Jackson Arnold’s return as QB1 was his best outing yet this season. 

After being benched Week 4 against Tennessee and serving as freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.’s backup for three games, Arnold, a sophomore, was the starter once again when the Sooners played Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford. It was the first time since Week 3 against Tulane that Arnold started and finished a game, and only the third time he’s played a complete game this season. 

Arnold was the presumed starter when the season began after making his first start in OU’s bowl game last year after Dillon Gabriel entered the transfer portal. Even after that one rocky start, Arnold was thought to be the future face of the program as a 5-star recruit out of Denton (TX) Guyer High School. 

Although the Sooners lost 26-14 on Saturday and Arnold’s stats won’t garner him any weekly awards, his head coach was still impressed with the performance and the offense’s improvement overall, especially considering the circumstances. 

“Jackson gets a lot of credit,” Venables said Monday during his weekly coach’s show. “That position, as we know, a lot of times, he gets way too much blame and way too much credit. But again, that was easily, again, playing the team that he's playing as well on top of all that, his best game of the season.”

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Jackson finished with 182 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 71% of his passes, which was a career-best completion percentage in a start. He was most dangerous with his legs, though, at least when given the chance. 

He carried the ball 24 times for 39 yards. However, Arnold accomplished all that he did while his offensive line gave up a program-record 10 sacks, which Venables said Monday night was only seven true sacks considering the other three were on designed quarterback runs that went for a loss. 

If those 10 sacks were erased from the stat sheet, Arnold would have rushed for 103 yards. That would have been a career-high for Arnold and also would have been the first time this season an OU player rushed for over 100 yards in a game. 

The only blemish Arnold had as a ball carrier was a fumble when he was sacked for an 11-yard loss. 

“(Arnold) had a winning performance when it comes to making decisions and accuracy and taking care of the ball,” Venables said. “Again, the mesh charge, he had no chance on the fumble, and they're in a really good call to disrupt the play. The back’s got to be over. He's got to align a little more precise that potentially can help you. That's a nice play there. 

“Again, I thought several times he kept his eyes down the field under pressure, bought some time with his legs and then make good decisions about when to keep it and then when to deliver it, and they did a nice job play design to have some outlets and some check downs too, that they had a chance to gain positive yardage, as well.”