How Oklahoma Can 'Alleviate Some Stress' by Running 12 Personnel

The Sooners didn't utilize 12 or 13 personnel very often against Michigan, but Ben Arbuckle still sees it as a way to be more efficient on offense.

Oklahoma tight end Hayden Hansen tries to catch a pass from John Mateer against Michigan. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

NORMAN — Oklahoma has the personnel in its tight end room to make the position group a strength.

But in the Sooners’ 17-10 loss to Michigan on Saturday, the Sooners didn’t take advantage of their big-bodied athletes often enough.

OU ran 12-personnel — an offensive package that consists of one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers — on only 44.6 percent of offensive snaps against the Wolverines, per George Stoia of Sooner Scoop. This was a sharp decline after the Sooners lined up in 12 personnel on 84.7 percent of their plays in their 51-0 season-opening win against UTEP.

“There’s a bunch of different things that you can do out of it,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said.

Of course, it’s worth noting the stark contrast between OU’s Week 1 and Week 2 opponents. Michigan’s defense is far and away better than UTEP’s

But the Sooners’ offense moved almost effortlessly against the Miners.

Quarterback John Mateer thrived as the Sooners utilized 12 personnel — and even 13 personnel — in their rout. He finished the game with 225 yards and three touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing.

Two of OU’s tight ends — Rocky Beers and Hayden Hansen — put together strong performances in that game, too. Beers caught two passes for 43 yards and a touchdown, while Hansen logged a 15-yard reception to move the Sooners into the red zone in the second quarter.

The heavy looks that the Sooners put out in 12 personnel set them up for success on the ground while also leaving speedsters like Isaiah Sategna on the field to threaten opponents vertically.

“You can boot action out of it,” Arbuckle said. “You can move. You can be in a 12 or 13 set, and the tight ends go.”

In the Michigan game, Beers was one of only a few bright spots for the Sooners, as he caught six passes for 94 yards.

Oklahoma tight end Rocky Beers breaks free after making a catch against Michigan. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Mateer, on the other hand, struggled mightily. He completed just 17 of 33 passes for 189 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The quarterback regularly overthrew his tight ends and wide receivers, and his interception came in the fourth quarter, allowing Michigan to score the game-winning touchdown.

Aware of how tricky 12 personnel can be to defend, Arbuckle sees the value in running the package more regularly.

“You can alleviate some stress,” Arbuckle said. “You might lose some vertical push down the field as far as stretching zones and stuff because those guys don't get out as quick, but yeah, there are definitely mechanisms in 12 and 13 piece sets that can help out tackles.”

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