Why Jeff Lebby Was Pleased With Oklahoma's Offensive Effort Against UTEP

NORMAN — Jeff Lebby’s Oklahoma offense got off to a roaring start on Saturday.

It took the new offensive coordinator just 11 plays and 3:35 of game time to dial up three touchdowns, helping the No. 9-ranked Sooners jump out to a blistering fast 21-0 lead.

The start was everything the offense had talked about in the lead up to the game, Lebby said, and set the tone for the kind of group they want to be in 2022.

“We wanted to start fast,” he said. “We talked a ton about it, just applying pressure and getting them out of their game plan, that was important for us. We were able to get that accomplished, which was great.”

The third touchdown was special to the team as well, as true freshman walk-on Gavin Freeman housed a 46-yard reverse.

But after the picture-perfect first quarter, Lebby’s group faced a bit of adversity.

Oklahoma was forced to punt on back-to-back drives.

A false start on third-and-1 killed the first of those drives, and then a first down sack caused the second drive to sputter, things the offense will immediately look to correct this week.

“We’ve got to play each play independent of itself,” Lebby said. “That’s our job as an offense, as a unit. That’s my job. That's Dillon’s job. Just understanding that piece of it is critical as we move forward. It’s not always going to be perfect, as much as we want it to be. But it’s not.

“So you’ve got to have guys that are ready to respond. Those three-and-outs, I don’t like at all, we don’t like, the sack on first down, then the penalty on 3rd-and-1. Those two things can’t happen. So we'll get that cleaned up. Just proud of our guys, the way we played.”

Oklahoma then responded with an 11-play, 68-yard drive to close the half, getting back into the end zone and headed into the locker room with confidence.

Not only was the new-look OU offense efficient early on, it was aggressive.

Lebby dialed up two vertical shots to wide receiver Marvin Mims on the first drive, a clear sign of intent from the new offensive coordinator.

The first deep ball to Mims was an under throw by quarterback Dillon Gabriel, but he was happy with how the play call set the tone for the contest.

“I loved it. I love the aggressiveness,” Gabriel said. “Like I said, just gotta time it up better and got to give him a ball.”

Gabriel responded from the first incompletion by hitting six straight receivers, finding his rhythm while the offense hummed.

The UCF transfer ended the game completing 15-of-23 passes for 233 yards and two scores, also adding another 20 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

The Hawaiian seemed comfortable in his first start for the Sooners, but he was especially happy to just be playing in a game with Lebby as his offensive coordinator again.

“It felt amazing,” Gabriel said. “I missed it for sure. But it was great. Just getting on the phone and hearing coach Lebby’s voice. Just having some familiarity with the plays we’ve been running.”

If the performance against UTEP is the highlight of the season, everyone in the OU locker room will be disappointed.

But overall, the feeling was that the Sooners were pleased with the first offensive effort they put on tape in Game 1.

“I think we played a great game,” tight end Brayden Willis said. “Maybe a B. We have to finish drives and cut down the penalties a little bit. Other than that, I thought the guys played physical and played together.

“It’s the first game, so we have a lot to work on. We’ll go look at the film and see what we can do better. I think it’s a solid start, but we can play a lot better.”

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