The Oklahoma Sooners made a change last week against the Tennessee Volunteers. Nothing was going right on offense, they kept turning the ball over, they couldn't move the ball down the field, and of course, the offensive line just couldn't do anything against Tennessee's great defensive line.
Head coach Brent Venables made the conscious decision to bench Jackson Arnold and insert true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins, for of course, a spark, but also because it just wasn't going well for Arnold, who was responsible for a few turnovers. Hawkins came in and he did exactly what he was supposed to. Now, sure, he was still fighting for his life like Arnold was, but his legs made Tennessee's defense play a different way.
Since then, Venables has named Hawkins as the starter for the time being. He will start against the Auburn Tigers this weekend, making his first college start ever an SEC game. This game could go really well for him, as the Tigers aren't great. Or, it could be similar to what we saw from Arnold.
At this point with this team, it's hard to try and guess what will happen in each game, no matter the opponent. But, there are three things that we can say, if Hawkins does them, he has a successful first start, even if the Sooners lose.
3 things Michael Hawkins needs to do vs. Auburn
Take what the defense gives you
Hawkins doesn't need to try and be a superhero or a Heisman quarterback. He's a true freshman, so he will make mistakes. But, it's about what good things he does that will allow him and his team to be in positions to win football games. For Hawkins, he needs to do and take what the defense gives him.
If the deep ball isn't there, don't force it. Take the checkdown. Take the easy play if it's a play that's going to keep you in phase. Don't try to do too much because the Sooners don't need that from you. They have an awesome defense that you can lean on that will do the hard work for you.
Finish the game with zero turnovers
The Sooners benches Jackson Arnold because of this very reason . Sure, if he gets a turnover that's not really on him like he hits a receiver directly in the hands and it goes in the air and is intercepted -- that's not on him. But he if blantantly throws interceptions and fumbles, he will not have a successful start.
The offense is going to be dumbed down a bit with much fewer RPOs, as Venables has said. The Auburn Tigers' defense isn't great, and they have one of the worst turnover differentials in the country. Hawkins shouldn't have any issues with this, but, let's not make turning over the ball a bad habit the team can't kick.
Uses his legs to keep the defense honest
The Sooners have run a lot of RPOs, and even though those will be turned down a notch, he will still run some because he does have great legs, as we saw against Tennessee. He can make some big plays, he can turn nothing into something, and he is fearless, as you saw when he did the flip into the end zone, which should have been called a touchdown.
If he can use his legs effectively, it may open up the passing game a bit, too. That's what the Sooners will need. Arnold had the ability to use his legs as well, but Hawkins was much more fast and elusive. He could really put on a show on his way to a successful first start.
Related: Brent Venables announces Michael Hawkins Oklahoma Sooners' starting QB against Auburn in Week 5 matchup
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