Things continued to roll downhill for Oklahoma's first season in the SEC this past weekend with a 26-14 loss at Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2). The Rebels used a huge third quarter to take down the Sooners (4-4, 1-4) after Oklahoma took a 14-10 lead into halftime.

While the result was certainly disappointing, there were some positives to take away from Oklahoma's offensive performance under interim play-caller Joe Jon Finley — particularly in the first half.

Ole Miss leads the FBS in scoring defense (11.0 ppg) and rushing defense (76.6 ypg) through the first nine weeks of the season. Any success against a unit of that pedigree would be a positive sign for a struggling offense, but Oklahoma was on pace for 470 total yards after a stellar first half and went over 200 yards on the ground with sack yardage adjusted.

So, what went right for the Sooners and what can they build on going forward? Let's take a look.

LOS: +11

D&D: 3rd & 5

Personnel: 11

Play Type: Pass (TE Drag)

Result: 11-Yard Touchdown

The first play we're taking a look at from this game is the first of two touchdowns that Oklahoma scored on Saturday. With OU facing a pretty obvious passing down after being stopped on the one-yard-line earlier in the game, Ole Miss opts to bring three and drop eight into coverage. It's a fairly common tactic that we've seen against the Sooners this season given their lack of proven playmakers at wide receiver.

While the pocket isn't perfect by any means, its manageable for Arnold, and he's able to manipulate the rush and step up into some open space, forcing the Ole Miss defenders to respect him as a runner.

His presence forces a couple of defenders to come up and try to stop him approaching the line of scrimmage, but just as that happens, Bauer Sharp comes open on a drag in the back of the end zone. A perfectly floated ball gives Sharp the opportunity to show the value of having a big, athletic tight end in the red zone.

The play design is excellent, with Sharp's route — along with Jacob Jordan's and J.J. Hester's — providing levels and challenging communication for the Ole Miss secondary. That, combined with Arnold's threat as a runner, helped the Sooners cash in for six.

LOS: -45

D&D: 1st & 10

Personnel: 11

Play Type: Zone Run (Y-Insert)

Result: 12-Yard Gain, First Down

There are a few good things going on here, but they were the kinds of things that you likely didn't catch on the initial broadcast.

First, there's a good pass-off between Logan Howland and Heath Ozaeta here, as the Ole Miss defenders run a T/E stunt. Howland takes the tackle upfield, and Ozeata/Everett seal off the end.

Second, Bauer Sharp is the "insert" man on this play and absolutely stones the linebacker in the A-Gap. The technique isn't perfect, but the effort is there, he's on the correct man, and he takes the fight to the defender. That's something that the offense can work with.

Third, Febechi Nwaiwu initially loses his one-on-one but recovers well and is able to gain body control and cave his guy down, giving Jovantae Barnes a lane to cut off of.

Finally, Barnes shows some patience at the point of attack, and instead of just burying his head and getting a tough yard or two, he allows 54 to work, 10 to make contact, and he's out the gate for a good 12-yard gain.