I'm actually almost optimistic IF Hawkins is at QB. He can at least make plays in spite of what Littrell calls, and during OL breakdowns. Our D is better than advertised with zero complimentary O from Littrell. We score from 5 yards out after the turnover and that's a one score game.
Going forward:
* Can we limit runs up the gut to "once in a while" to keep Ds honest, instead of it being our bread and butter? On the season, in running between the tackles we must be averaging less than a yard per carry. Our OL has no push and those are wasted downs, putting the QB behind the sticks. Running Arnold up the gut versus a stacked UTenn DL inside the 5 was worthy of immediate dismissal. Also brutal are the blocking schemes, often calling on the center or the TE on the opposite side of the field to go clear across the LOS to get a block and we get TFL'd.
* Max protect to heave it downfield at least once a quarter. You have to back the Ds off our line with some kind of deep ball threat.
* RB screens. Over the middle after drawing the DL in, to the sides, wherever (does Littrell know what a screen is?). It slows down the pass rush and gets our RBs out in space (preferably Tatum - what's his status? Also hurt being run up the gut).
* Rollouts. The entire O scheme needs to be re-engineered for Hawkins, for some kind of basketball on grass. Lots of run/pass options, dragging TEs for dump-offs and even reverses off of that to Burke. And what happened to the trailing RB pitch Hawkins ran in the Temple game? Get to the edge vs the futile up the guts.
My expectation: Littrell sticks to his philosophy that we're going to establish an identity of toughness by running the ball up the gut whomever the QB is, even though its clear after 4 games WE DON'T HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO DO THAT...because he's a stubborn, uncreative fool. BTW: OU is now #119 in total O. We've sunk to depths unimaginable.
