Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle Explains the Lack of Running Back Involvement Against Michigan

NORMAN — Ben Arbuckle took accountability for Saturday’s dismal offensive display against Michigan.

“Disappointed in the outcome and disappointed and a level of frustration with just how the game went, certain things that happened in the game,” the OU offensive coordinator said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. “But ultimately, we have to look back, we have to watch that film, we have to see the mistakes. We have to see where we can be better as coaches first, as me first.”

The Sooners scored just 10 points against the Wolverines, and Arbuckle’s unit struggled to get into the game as OU was shut out in the first half.

Quarterback John Mateer completed nine consecutive passes to start the second half and get things going, but overall, his play was poor.

OU never really tried to establish the run to help the veteran quarterback.

Running back Lloyd Avant averaged 6.6 yards per carry on his five first-half carries, including an 8-yard run on the first offensive snap of the game, but was only handed the ball four times in the second half.

Despite an offseason of preaching that the run game will be different, Arbuckle defaulted to his scheme on Tuesday.

“Not to get too far into schemes or situations of football, but for instance, the very first play of the game that we ran to Lloyd we actually ran it three more times that game,” Arbuckle said. “But there’s an option on it too. Not to get too far into scheme, if the defense gives us a certain look, we throw the quick little jet pass on the perimeter because we believe that is something that we could do really well in that game. So it ultimately came down to us trying to put our guys in the best position.”

Arbuckle didn’t put his running backs in position to have a real impact on the game.

Avant combined with Xavier Robinson (three carries) and Tory Blaylock (one) to total 13 carries as a unit.

Mateer himself carried the ball 13 times, and receiver Isaiah Sategna got three carries.

In total, OU rushed the ball 29 times for 100 yards, though Arbuckle says that doesn’t show the entire story.

“Those jet sweeps and those perimeter (runs) are actually very, very efficient for us,” Arbuckle said. “Now, on the stat sheet you’ll see it as a pass because it’s really hard to sit there and ride a mesh and then go into that, and so those are actually really efficient, productive plays for us.”

One major problem was that the “layups” Arbuckle schemed up for Mateer weren’t always executed by the Oklahoma quarterback.

One possible solution could be to take things off Mateer’s plate by running the football — which is still something the Sooners want to emphasize.

“We’ve got to establish the run game. We’ve got to do a better job of that and sticking to it,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Tuesday. "... I thought we could be more persistent."

Arbuckle echoed that sentiment.

“We want to run the ball to win the game,” Arbuckle said. “At the end of the day, you have to. I mean, 100 years of football, there’s no team playing in January, February in the NFL that isn’t efficiently, effectively running the football to win the game right there.

“… At the end of the day, we’re trying to give the offense the best probability, the best possibility on every single play, to have a successful play and not just logjam ourselves into, 'Hey, we’re going to do this; what puts us in the position based on what the defense is showing us.' ”

Sometimes, it appears to Arbuckle, running the ball isn’t as simple as handing the ball off to a running back, even if it has been a staple of football for 100 years.

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