The Oklahoma Sooners have struggled significantly on offense. One of the biggest struggles has been their red-zone offense.
Oklahoma ranks No. 120 in college football in red zone offense. The Sooners have entered the red zone 17 times but have scored just six touchdowns on those trips. They've also kicked seven field goals, giving them a score rate at just 76.5%. For comparison, last year, the Sooners scored on 34-of-35 attempts, giving them the top red zone offense in college football.
Head coach Brent Venables explained what might be causing the red zone struggles this season.
"People are going to get more aggressive," Venables said. "The windows are a lot tighter, the gaps get smaller and people use the, you know, when you get into the red zone,
the back of the end zone as a 12th defender. So it's supposed to be harder."
The numbers highlight how much Oklahoma's offense has struggled to finish drives compared with last season. Settling for field goals instead of touchdowns has limited the Sooners' scoring potential and made it harder to create separation on the scoreboard. While tighter defensive windows are an unavoidable part of red-zone football, Oklahoma will need to find ways to execute more efficiently when the field shrinks and every possession carries greater importance.
Improving in those situations will require better execution from the entire offense, from play-calling and blocking to quarterback decisions and finishing runs near the goal line. The Sooners have shown they can move the ball between the 20s at times, but turning that production into touchdowns remains a critical next step. With the season continuing, red zone efficiency could play a major role in whether Oklahoma can turn competitive games into convincing wins.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma's red zone offense takes major step back in 2026
