Oklahoma’s offense has found life difficult once it gets close to the goal line, and the red-zone numbers tell the story plainly.
Through 17 trips inside the red zone, the Sooners have turned only six of those chances into touchdowns. Seven more drives ended with field goals, which leaves Oklahoma with a 76.5% score rate and a No. 120 ranking in college football in red-zone offense. That is a sharp drop from a year ago, when the Sooners were almost automatic, scoring on 34 of 35 red-zone opportunities and finishing with the top red-zone offense in the country.
Brent Venables pointed to the tighter margins that come with scoring territory as part of the problem.
"People are going to get more aggressive," Venables said."The windows are a lot tighter, the gaps get smaller and people use the, you know, when you get into the red zone, the back of the end zone as a 12th defender. So it's supposed to be harder."
The issue for Oklahoma isn’t getting the ball moved; it’s cashing in once the field compresses. Too many drives are ending with three points instead of seven, and that has cut into the offense’s ability to build separation on the scoreboard. The Sooners have shown they can work the ball down the field, but finishing those possessions has become the part that keeps stalling them out.
Cleaning that up will take better play across the board. Execution in the passing game matters.
So does blocking. So do the quarterback’s decisions and finishing runs near the goal line.
Oklahoma has gotten into scoring position. The next step is turning those trips into touchdowns instead of settling for less.
With the season still moving forward, that red-zone efficiency may end up shaping how many close games the Sooners can turn into comfortable wins.
In Other News...
Sooners Injury Report Leaves Two Major Concerns Hanging Over Saturday
Ryan Fodje will miss his second straight week for Oklahoma, leaving the Sooners without another piece of their offensive line heading into Saturdays matchup with South Carolina. The latest injury report also leaves several other names in limbo, including Peyton Bowen and Jake Maikkula, as Oklahoma works through availability questions that could affect both the lineup and the way the staff pieces together its depth.
For a team trying to stay sharp in a tough conference stretch, the uncertainty is almost as important as the absences themselves. The full report includes players from both sides, but the Sooners are the ones watching closest, waiting to see how much they can count on the rest of the roster before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces Another Injury Crunch Before South Carolina Test
Oklahoma is heading into its South Carolina matchup dealing with another familiar roster squeeze, with center Jake Maikkula listed as questionable and the injury report again touching both sides of the ball. Safety Peyton Bowen and cornerback Eli Bowen are also in question, adding more uncertainty to a defensive backfield that may already be stretched thin, while the offensive line is working through its own depth issues.
Several players have already been ruled out, including Eddy Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodje, leaving the Sooners to sort through more lineup adjustments before a game that could test their depth early and often. However the final availability shakes out, this is the kind of week where Oklahoma's margin for error gets a little smaller and every healthy body matters a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Finally Gets A Sean Hutton Update Fans Will Love
Oklahoma finally has a reassuring update on sophomore offensive lineman Sean Hutton, who collapsed during a practice and spent several days in the hospital after a rare medical event. Since then, Hutton has been released and is back at the team facility, a welcome turn for a program that had been holding its breath while he recovered.
Brent Venables and several teammates have already made clear how much the news means inside the building, where the focus has shifted from concern to gratitude. For a team trying to move forward, Huttons return to the facility is the kind of development that can steady everyone around it, even as the full road back remains something to watch. [Read more 🡒]