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    • OU football drops to .500 as Ole Miss rallies past Sooners
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    OU football drops to .500 as Ole Miss rallies past Sooners

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    OXFORD, ma’am. – OU’s offense finally showed some life and offered hope that all would not be lost for the Sooners this season.

    But in the end, it wasn’t enough as Ole Miss’ offense came alive in the second half, while the Sooners faltered as OU lost to the Rebels 26-14 on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

    OU (4-4, 1-4 SEC) has lost three straight games for the second time in three seasons.

    The Sooners didn’t lose three straight games during the Bob Stoops or Lincoln Riley era.

    Here are five quick lessons from the loss:

    OU football vs. Ole Miss recap: Sooners fall third in a row as Rebels rally in second half

    OU football offense fades in third quarter

    After a strong first-half performance – more on that later – things turned sour because of OU’s offense.

    The Sooners got the ball with the lead to start the second half, a chance to make it a two-score game and suck the life out of the Ole Miss crowd.

    Instead, OU gave the Rebels momentum.

    The Sooners went three-and-out, with Bauer Sharp’s false start penalty turning a third and manageable third into a third and long before Luke Elzinga’s punt.

    After being outscored by the Sooners 235-162 in the first half, the Rebels dominated the third quarter.

    Ole Miss outscored the Sooners 201-23 in the third to take control.

    OU completed four passes in the third, but they resulted in a net loss of 5 yards.

    The Sooners defense is showing cracks

    OU’s defense didn’t get off to a strong start.

    The Sooners struggled to contain Ole Miss’ receivers, including on a 35-yard pass to DaeQuan Wright, who set up the game’s first touchdown.

    OU struggled with several facets of the drive, missing tackles and allowing receivers to roam free.

    After that, though, the defense got going, at least for the rest of the first half.

    But in the second half, while the offense didn’t do them any favors, the defense didn’t help themselves either as Jaxson Dart and Co. split the Sooners’ secondary as OU’s corners had several busts despite the Rebels being without Tre. Harris, the nation’s leading receiver.

    The defense again failed to force a turnover.

    OU’s lone forced turnover came courtesy of wide receiver JJ Hester, who knocked the ball loose and recovered it after running back Taylor Tatum fumbled in the first half.

    OU running game comes to life

    The Sooners’ chances of being productive on the field didn’t seem good at all coming into the game.

    OU ranked near the bottom of FBS in rushing offense, averaging just 112.1 yards per game.

    The Rebels’ rushing defense was the best in the country, allowing just 66.7 yards per game.

    But with Jackson Arnold back behind center and Joe Jon Finley calling plays for the first time, the offense – especially the running game – showed a pulse.

    Arnold helped keep the Rebels off balance with his feet, while the Sooners spaced out down the field to not only open up running lanes for Arnold, but also for running back Jovantae Barnes.

    The Sooners rushed for 125 yards in the first half after rushing for just 142 yards in their last two games — losses to Texas and South Carolina.

    OU showed the difference on offense on their first drive, with a 10-play, 74-yard drive. But they got away with nothing to show for after being stopped on fourth down at the Ole Miss 2 when Arnold’s pass to Brenen Thompson fell incomplete.

    But the Sooners tied the game on their next drive, pulling off a 92-yard touchdown drive just before halftime to take a 14-10 lead into the locker room.

    OU finished with 147 yards rushing.

    Jacob Sexton injury update: OU football OL goes to medical tent against Mississippi

    The Sooners’ OL shuffle continues

    OU used its seventh different starting offensive line combination, with Michael Tarquin switching to right tackle, Jacob Sexton to left tackle, Heath Ozaeta at left guard and Troy Everett at center. Febechi Nwaiwu is the only Sooners offensive lineman to start at the same spot in every game this season.

    Whether it was the combination of linemen, the changed offense under Joe Jon Finley or something else, the line protected Arnold quite well early and helped open holes for the run game.

    But things got a little tricky when Sexton went down early with an injury. Sexton was replaced by Logan Howland, who was struggling.

    Sexton returned for a few rides, but was then injured again, giving way to Howland again.

    Sexton emerged from the injury tent with an ice pack on his right knee.

    The protection was broken late, as Arnold was stopped for a loss on three straight plays deep in Ole Miss territory, resulting in a turnover on downs with 5:34 left, all but ending the Sooners’ chances of an upset came to an end.

    The Sooners had no other option at tackle, as Jake Taylor – who had started each of the last three games at right tackle – was a late scratch on the trip. Taylor was not listed on the SEC availability report prior to the game, including the one released Saturday morning, despite not traveling with the team.

    OU has allowed a program-record nine sacks in each of its last two games.

    Jackson Arnold protects the ball – most of the time

    Arnold started for the first time since September 21 and seemed to show growth when it came to his decision-making.

    Arnold mostly avoided dangerous passes, although a potential interception in the end zone was dropped early by Ole Miss.

    Despite being sacked nine times, Arnold finished with 39 yards rushing and was 22 of 31 for 182 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

    Arnold lost a fumble late in the second quarter, although the Sooners’ defense had a fourth-down stop at the OU 5 to prevent the penalty from costing OU.

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