NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma’s volatile quarterback situation just became much more complicated.
Michael Hawkins Jr., the true freshman who replaced the highly touted Jackson Arnold earlier this season, was benched Saturday after committing three early turnovers in the Sooners’ 35-9 loss to South Carolina. That move by Oklahoma coach Brent Venables caused Arnold to burn a redshirt year.
Hawkins turned the ball over on three of his nine plays before he was replaced. Arnold, who hadn’t played since getting pulled in favor of Hawkins in a loss to Tennessee on Sept. 21, led the Sooners to their only touchdown on Saturday.
Venables isn’t sure who will call the signals next Saturday at No. 18 Ole Miss.
“We’ll talk about that when we figure that out as far as moving forward, but again, three straight drives, turnovers — that’s (pulling Hawkins) a pretty easy decision,” Venables said.
Venables said earlier in the week that the possibility of Arnold redshirting had been discussed. Still, the five-star recruit who opened the season as the starter stayed ready to play.
“I told Coach V that if things were going to continue to go how they were, I didn’t want to take pointless snaps and burn a redshirt if it would be better for me to keep,” Arnold said. “But I also told him that if you need me to come in and win a game I was going to do that. I’ve invested so much in the team, and I was going to be there for them regardless.”
Arnold said getting benched was tough to handle and called the aftermath the “hardest few weeks of my life.”
“A lot of high expectations, maybe even unrealistic expectations put on me, and it really did weigh me down,” he said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to use that as an excuse. I honestly am grateful for being able to step back and kind of see things through a different lens now.”
He felt he’d get a chance to redeem himself — an opportunity that came sooner than expected.
Hawkins threw an interception on Oklahoma’s first offensive play against South Carolina, and the Gamecocks scored a touchdown on the possession they gained. On Oklahoma’s next possession, Hawkins fumbled while being sacked by Demetrius Knight Jr, and Tonka Hemingway returned it 64 yards for a touchdown.
On Oklahoma’s third possession, Hawkins was hit as he threw, and Nick Emmanwori intercepted the errant throw and returned it 65 yards for a score to make it 21-0 just over five minutes into the game.
It wasn’t all the quarterbacks’ fault. They were sacked nine times by nine different South Carolina players, another example of the poor protection that has plagued the Sooners all year.
Facing constant pressure, Arnold passed for 225 yards and a touchdown against South Carolina.
“There’s some that was good and some that wasn’t, but he did a lot that was good today,” Venables said. “We’ve got to be good around him.”
Arnold got booed by the home crowd before getting replaced against Tennessee. The crowd cheered loudly when he took over for Hawkins.
“In a way, honestly, I felt a lot more free,” Arnold said. “I don’t have anything to lose. Just went out there, had fun with it.”
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