Brent Venables evaluates Jackson Arnold's first half in Alamo Bowl
Most quarterbacks don’t get their first collegiate start in their team’s biggest game of the year. Yet, Jackson Arnold did just that. At halftime of the Alamo Bowl, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables evaluated his freshman quarterback’s first 30 minutes against Arizona.
“Obviously, it couldn’t have gone worse for him [at first], but no surprise whatsoever how he responded,” Venables said. “It was good. I thought he finished the first half there in a dominant way.
“You can’t throw the ball late and over the middle. We got to get squared away there. He made some great plays… He was really doing some things, but we got to get it cleaned up, obviously.”
It wasn’t an ideal start to the game for Arnold. The former five-star quarterback threw two interceptions in the first quarter, allowing Arizona to secure a 13-0 lead. Nonetheless, Arnold maintained his composure.
In the second quarter, Arnold picked apart the Wildcats’ defense to boost his team to 14 unanswered points. He finished the first half with 130 yards and a touchdown while completing 12-of-his-19 passes. Venables knows this isn’t an easy test for his inexperienced QB.
“[Arizona has] got really good skill. They do a great job,” Venables said. “Their play design is as good as we’ve seen all year. We’re gonna have to continue to mix it up and hopefully, we’ll have the same kind of results.”
Venables has faith in Arnold. The 53-year-old head coach named Arnold the starting quarterback in the Alamo Bowl after Oklahoma’s former QB1, Dillon Gabriel, announced his decision to transfer to Oregon.
Brent Venables praises Jackson Arnold’s resiliency
Venables spoke about Arnold’s development into his new role during a press conference from San Antonio on Wednesday.
“Jackson? Again, he has been around the game since he came out of his mama’s womb and been throwing the ball around since then,” Venables said.
“He has got a great demeanor to him,” Venables said. “Very cerebral, consistent. Same guy every day, puts the work in. Just a fantastic teammate. Very highly recruited, very well-thought of yet there’s no entitlement whatsoever with Jackson. He has got the instincts that you want him to have. The poise? Whether it’s his ability to climb in the pocket, patience, trust in the guys around him. Throws guys open, throws with great anticipation. Has all the skills that you want a guy to have.”
On3’s Sam Gillenwater also contributed to this article.