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Booger McFarland hammers Brent Venables decision to stick with Michael Hawkins over Jackson Arnold

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•10/12/24•

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BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As he headed to the halftime locker room during the Red River Rivalry game between Oklahoma and Texas, Brent Venables told ABC’s Laura Rutledge he was sticking with Michael Hawkins at quarterback over Jackson Arnold. ESPN’s Booger McFarland disagreed with the decision.

McFarland hammered Venables for not going back to Arnold as OU faced a 21-3 halftime deficit. He argued the Sooners would have to throw the ball more and Hawkins isn’t as talented a passer as Arnold, especially considering their struggles on offense in the first half.

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Oklahoma totaled just 107 yards of offense in the first half, including 51 passing yards. The other 56 yards were in the running game, led by 19 from Hawkins. McFarland said if Oklahoma wants to win the game, the Sooners will have to pass the ball more – which is why he argued for Arnold to come in the game.

“I think it’s the wrong decision,” McFarland said. “You’ve got 100 yards of total offense in the first half. Jackson Arnold is clearly the more superior passer. You’re not gonna get back into this game running quarterback zone read. So it’s something, if you’re Oklahoma, you’ve got to at least think about.”

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Fellow analyst Dan Orlovsky disagreed, though. He thinks Hawkins is the better passer of the two quarterbacks and would, therefore, put Oklahoma in the position to win the game.

The biggest issue isn’t necessarily at quarterback in Orlovsky’s opinion. OU is dealing with multiple wide receiver injuries, which doesn’t help either.

“One, I would stay with Hawkins,” Orlovsky said. “Two, I think he’s the better thrower than Jackson Arnold. The ball comes out of his hands quickly. They’re not that healthy on the perimeter. That’s the biggest issue. And to Coach Venables’ point, they’ve got to tackle more on defense than who’s playing quarterback.”

Hawkins completed 6 of 10 passes in the first half for 51 yards in addition to his 19 rushing yards in the first half. However, he also lost a fumble as Oklahoma committed two turnovers as a team to trail 21-3 into the halftime locker room.