Rocky Beers on the Oklahoma's Offensive Struggles: 'The Dam Will Burst Eventually'

NORMAN — As tempting as it may be to lay the blame for Oklahoma's offensive problems at the feet of one person, remember that football is a team sport.

Yes, John Mateer's turnovers have killed the Sooners. The offensive line has had its own issues to start the year. As a result, OU has no running game to speak of. All this forces the offense put its faith on the shoulders of Mateer.

Rocky Beers, not one to hide from sharing blame for the Sooners' lack of team success, believes one key factor is keeping OU from taking steps of improvement for the offense — communication. Particularly when it's come down to blocking assignments.

"It’s just miscommunication," Beers said on Wednesday. "We have to be better at communicating to each other. Tight ends to tackles, tackles to guards. Guards to center, center back to tight end. We just have to be better at communicating across the board to each other."

Beers even threw himself under the bus for the Georgia game.

Mateer's three consecutive turnovers that led to two Bulldog touchdowns put the Sooners in a 28-0 hole. After starting the second half with a three-and-out, OU's defense forced a turnover of their own and the offense cashed it in for a touchdown, missing the two-point try, to cut the lead at 28-6.

Oklahoma got the ball back quickly after five Georiga plays ended in a punt. With slight momentum on their side, Mateer found Beers for an eight yard gain on first down before the tight end was the victim of a peanut punch and fumbled the ball away to the opponent.

UGA kicked a field goal to extend the lead to 31-6.

"I also feel like I let the team down, too," he said. "I had route busts and I also had a fumble in that game. We all shouldered the blame."

Beers is still confident in Oklahoma's ability to course correct on offense.

"The dam is going to burst eventually. We’re putting a lot of hard work in and that dam is going to give."

If that's going to happen, Beers believes it will be because the players involved will simply execute better. That may be hard to believe considering how poor the offense has faired, but a trio of new tight ends working with a re-shuffled offensive line wasn't going to be a finished product on day one.

Oklahoma Sooners, Rocky Beers — Oklahoma tight end Rocky Beers scores a touchdown against Georgia. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

"The expectation is that we’ve got to communicate with each other, no matter what position you’re at. I can be out in the slot, I could be inline. We’ve just gotta communicate with each other regardless. That’s the expectation.”

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