Can Oklahoma Nullify the 'Special' Texas Pass Rush?

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s offense will have to earn its way back into good graces on Saturday.

The Sooners (2-2) need a big performance to knock off No. 1 Texas (4-0) in the Cotton Bowl.

While OU has sputtered, the Longhorn defense has led the way to a pair of key victories against Ohio State and Tennessee.

Edge rusher Colin Simmons leads the way with 7.5 sacks, but he’s just the tip of the spear for a ferocious defense.

“The Texas pass rush, they’re special, they’re awesome,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said on Tuesday. “They do an unreal job. They are so talented.”

To consistently move the ball, everyone is going to have to be better.

The offensive line will have to take a few steps forward, and quarterback John Mateer has to put his catastrophic mistakes behind him and play with confidence.

That’ll be especially important as the Sooners try to keep the Texas pass rush honest.

Against Michigan, Arbuckle dialed up a series of screens designed to slow the Wolverines down, but Mateer was unable to deliver the football with any consistency.

The next week against New Mexico, Mateer threw an interception in the direction of running back Xavier Robinson when it appeared a mid-screen was set up for Isaiah Sategna.

In theory, those should be simple plays that can keep OU ahead of the chains if executed correctly, but at the very least they should slow the Longhorn defensive line down for half a second as they process things unfolding before them.

But if Mateer can’t deliver in those moments, the house of cards will quickly collapse for Oklahoma’s offense.

Executing when the game should be simple was a focus for the unit throughout the off week.

“Thinking back to last week’s practices, thought our guys did a great job of coming out and attacking the basics, getting better at the basics,” Arbuckle said. “Big point of emphasis for us last week was just how we play, and I thought our guys went full steam ahead on that.”

Texas ranks 11th in scoring defense and fourth in sacks per game, and if the Sooners struggle to run the ball again, any form of the quick passing game will be essential in staging successful drives in the Cotton Bowl.

“(The Texas) coaches do a great job of letting them play, be the really good players that they are. And those guys go out and they execute,” Arbuckle said. “So a lot of respect for those guys, a lot of respect for how they play. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

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