Why Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Applauds Beleaguered Offensive Line

The Sooners' front five had arguably their best game of the season at South Carolina, just in time for a rugged finishing stretch that starts Saturday against No. 8 Ole Miss.

Oklahoma running back Tory Blaylock | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

The one unit on the Oklahoma football team that reached the midway point of the season with a desperate need to improve did exactly that last week.

The Sooners showed major improvement on the offensive line in Saturday’s 26-7 victory at South Carolina — something that could be huge in what is a demanding five-game finishing stretch that begins this Saturday with a morning kickoff against No. 8 Ole Miss.

What was obvious last week was that the OU front five simply played harder than it had in the previous six games, firing off the football with malice, intent on moving the Gamecocks off the line of scrimmage. 

It helped that the starting five — left tackle Michael Fasusi, left guard Heath Ozaeta, center Jake Maikkula, right guard Febechi Nwaiwu and right tackle Derek Simmons — played the entire game without any more injuries.

According to Pro Football Focus, OU’s offensive line had its best day of the year running the football on their way to rushing for 171 yards and 4.3 yards per carry.

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OU’s PFF run blocking grade of 70.4 was only the fourth-best of the season, but given the level of the opponent — South Carolina was allowing just 3.8 yards per carry — the group just looked different last week.

That was particularly important coming off the 23-6 loss to Texas, in which the OU ground game averaged 1.6 yards per carry (only 0.4 in the second half) and graded out at 65.6. Two games before, against Auburn, the OU run blockers graded a season-low 52.4.

“Offensively, we don't give up a tackle for loss or sack until the fourth quarter, when the  (South Carolina) game’s really finished,” OU head coach Brent Venables said Monday night on his weekly coach’s show. “ … The pile (was) going in the direction of the good guys all day long, and just one yard at a time, one play at a time, just finishing with great strain. 

“You know, offensive line-wise, that's our best game of the year. And regardless of who we're playing, it's the tempo that we played with, the pad level, the striking with the hands, movement with the feet. We moved people. 

“Not perfect,” Venables continued, “but we targeted people the right way. We worked together well. (And) the tight ends easily the best game that they've had when it comes to that.”