Despite having a rough start and an uneven debut, Jackson Arnold came through to prove that he was a baller.
Before things went south in the latter stages of the game, the Sooners’ new starting quarterback overcame some early misfortune and grabbed command of the Alamo Bowl.
SAN ANTONIO On Thursday evening, Jackson Arnold matured.
Against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl, the once-wunderkind quarterback—a can’t-miss 5-star prospect—overcame numerous obstacles to become the Sooners’ starting quarterback by the end of his rookie season in Norman, Oklahoma.
In his first professional start, Arnold was both terrific and horrible; he was as much a raw rookie as he was a Johnny Fivestar. He had two spectacular touchdowns and three debilitating interceptions, along with two quarters of really brilliant football sandwiched between a steady diet of early and late self-inflicted wounds.
Ultimately, a Wildcats squad that was awarded six turnovers, four of which came from Arnold, defeated Oklahoma 38–24.
Arizona demonstrated how far Arnold still needs to go in order to be a starter in the Southeastern Conference, despite the fact that he has come a long way as a verbal commit two years ago, an early enrollee just a year ago, the third-stringer at the beginning of last spring, the backup this autumn, and the starter in San Antonio.
Head coach Brent Venables stated, “He had some incredible moments tonight and gave us a chance to go into the fourth quarter with a chance to win.”
Arnold completed 26 of 45 passes for 361 yards, the fourth-best total by a Sooner quarterback in OU bowl history.
However, he made the mistake of underestimating the quickness of the Arizona secondary, locked onto targets too soon, and initially relied too much on Drake Stoops. He was also often unsure of himself in the pocket. He attempted to force touch throws into Stoops on his first two interceptions, which were ill-advised, and on his third interception, which was a straightforward short slant, the linebacker stepped unnoticed into the passing window.
It was standard true freshman fare—passes that were virtually never intercepted in high school but turned into a mountain of interceptions in FBS football. He now understands how skilled major college defensive backs can be at swiftly closing the gap.
The truth is that Arnold gained knowledge from his errors at the Alamodome. He truly picked things up quickly and in the moment. He was reminded by coaches that he possesses a rocket arm, so why not cut it loose and stop drifting passes? Reminding him to trust them in games the way he does in practice came from teammates.
Although Arnold stopped feathering the ball after those first two picks and boldly ran the ball downfield the rest of the game, he simply failed to see the defender on the third interception.
Venables and the newest quarterback for the Sooners were spotted talking heart-to-heart on the sidelines late in the game. Venables told him what?
“We’ve got you covered,” Venables said. “Avoid throwing across the middle too late. One cannot lose everything while making a profit (short completions). Furthermore, you’re not required to attempt to win the game in one play. Not that he actually did. Simple, coach-speak terminology.
Joe Jon Finley, the co-coordinator, and new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, according to Arnold, had a strong performance. The Sooners averaged 7.1 yards per play and had a total of 562 yards of offense. OU had 201 yards on the ground and 361 yards in the air. However, Arizona scored 20 points as a result of the six turnovers, leaving the Sooners with just 24 points overall.
Arnold remarked, “I was responsible for those errors.” “I’ll accept full responsibility for that. All I have to do is become better. I felt they had me in a wonderful position to win tonight, and our issues were primarily due to poor execution.
Arnold stated that overcoming adversity was the theme of the OU team chapel on Thursday morning.
“Overcoming adversity was the primary goal, as it will inevitably arise, and it did tonight,” Arnold stated. “Obviously, there were some bad things that happened tonight, but what I learned from the night is to just keep my head up and keep playing through it.”
Following the two unsightly interceptions in the first quarter, Arnold found his rhythm in the second and third quarters, completing 18 of 27 throws for 279 yards. In addition to his physical ability (he also ran for 38 yards), he exuded poise, confidence, and command of the offense.
Linebacker Danny Stutsman stated, “Jackson is obviously a baller, and we have full faith in him.” He gave it his all in his first professional game. I have complete faith in their offense and all they accomplish each time he steps onto the field. I will always love him. He is an amazing player.
“I understand that there will be challenges ahead, but he must remain optimistic and never give up because Oklahoma supports him, including in the Jackson locker room, and nothing will change.”
