It is no secret that the Oklahoma Sooners' offense is holding back the football team. The Sooners have one of the best defenses in college football this season but one of the worst offenses, which has left them at 3-3.
That said, Oklahoma put together a strong offensive performance against the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats in Norman. Oklahoma put up 346 total yards. That is higher than the season average of 311.5 yards per game on the season. Quarterback John Mateer threw for 270 yards on 24-of-40 passes. However, four turnovers, including three fourth-quarter interceptions from Mateer, cost the Sooners another ranked win.
Head coach Brent Venables said he felt the offense played its best game since the first game, but the turnovers cost them.
"This
may have been the best we've played since our first game on offense," Venables said. "I've got to recognize those things. Things we did do well. I thought we ran at times with real purpose. I thought our backs really battled... we had five explosive plays. They didn't have any explosive plays. Lost the turnover margin; that's obviously the name of the game."
The performance against Kentucky gives Oklahoma something to build on, but the Sooners must find a way to eliminate the costly mistakes that have repeatedly undermined their offense. Mateer showed he could move the ball through the air, and the running backs produced more consistently, yet late interceptions overshadowed those gains. Protecting the football will be especially important moving forward, as Oklahoma's defense has often kept opponents within reach without receiving enough support from the offense.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables saw offensive improvement despite Kentucky loss
