With Seth Littrell’s firing on Sunday, Oklahoma fans entered Saturday’s game against Ole Miss wondering: “Can interim play caller Joe Jon Finley fix the offense?” “Can Oklahoma get the version of Jackson Arnold they expected heading into the year?” Well, Ole Miss opened the game with a quick touchdown, but on Oklahoma’s first offensive drive, things looked much better.

The Sooners marched down the field all the way to the Ole Miss two-yard line, largely thanks to a Bauer Sharp 31-yard reception. Although the offense showed significant improvement, they ultimately came up short, failing to score on 4th & goal from the two. Fortunately for the Sooners, their defense quickly stepped up with a stop.

Oklahoma’s offense continued to impress. Yes, you read that right—they looked good. They capped off their second drive of the game with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Arnold to Sharp, tying the game at 7-7.

Ole Miss responded with an impressive drive. While OU’s defense bent during this series, they did not break, forcing the Rebels to settle for a field goal, giving them a 10-7 lead.

Late in the second quarter, the Sooners had the ball and were driving down the field. The drive came down to third and goal with 15 seconds remaining in the half, and Jackson Arnold scrambled, connecting with walk-on wide receiver Jacob Jordan—who shined last week—for a 9-yard touchdown reception.

Jordan joined Deion Burks and Brenen Thompson as the three wide receivers who have scored touchdowns for Oklahoma this season. Thanks to the heroics of Arnold and Jordan, the Sooners went into halftime leading 14-10. One player who largely contributed to Oklahoma’s offensive success in the first half was Jovantae Barnes, who rushed for 50 yards.

The start of the second half was all Ole Miss, as the Rebels jumped out to a 23-14 lead thanks to two touchdowns—one a 1-yard rush and the other a 24-yard reception. Ole Miss then drove down the field and capped off their effort with a field goal, extending their lead to 26-14.

Late in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma needed to score. They managed to get the ball all the way down to the Ole Miss 13-yard line. However, Ole Miss’ defensive line, a significant strength of their team, asserted itself on this drive. The Sooners’ offensive line, already without Jake Taylor—who did not make the trip—and Jacob Sexton, who was injured in the first half—struggled mightily, giving up three straight sacks and ultimately resulting in a turnover on downs.

Oklahoma’s defense responded, getting a stop and giving the offense another chance with less than four minutes left. Unfortunately for the Sooners, nothing was going their way in the second half. The trend continued on this drive, with the offensive line surrendering two more sacks that led to another turnover on downs.

Here are some notable player statistics from the loss to Ole Miss:

— Jackson Arnold: 22-of-31 for 182 yards and two touchdowns passing; 21 rushes for 15 yards and one fumble.

— Jovantae Barnes: 16 rushes for 67 yards; five receptions for 57 yards.

— Taylor Tatum: Nine rushes for 42 yards and one fumble.

— Bauer Sharp: Eight receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown.

-- Jacob Jordan: Six receptions for 38 yards and one touchdown.

— Danny Stutsman: Nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one QB hurry.

— Kip Lewis: Seven tackles and one tackle for loss.

— Billy Bowman: Seven tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.

— Dasan McCullough: Five tackles and one tackle for loss.

Despite the early success of the offense, they couldn’t find their rhythm in the second half, leading to a 26-14 loss, which moves the Sooners to 4-4 (1-3) on the season. Oklahoma will next play on November 2nd against Maine at home at 1:30 PM.

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