Ole Miss 34, OU 26: Takeaways from the loss

NORMAN — Oklahoma just couldn’t get out of its own way on Saturday.

The Sooners fell to Ole Miss, 34-26, at Owen Field, dropping to 6-2 on the season and 2-2 in SEC play. The Sooners attempted to rally from a 12-point deficit and even took a 26-25 lead in the third quarter, but the Rebels scored nine unanswered points in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Here’s three takeaways from a tough loss for the Sooners:

Self-inflicted mistakes prove too much to overcome

The opportunities were there. The Sooners couldn’t get out of their own way. There were so many pivotal moments where Oklahoma just hurt themselves.

The first costly mistake came in the second quarter. With the offense already backed up inside the five, OU was whistled for an illegal formation penalty that pushed the ball back to the three-yard line. On the next play, Tory Blaylock was tackled in the endzone for a safety, giving Ole Miss a 12-10 lead.

The Rebels returned the ensuing kickoff for a 38 yards to midfield, which they turned into a field goal for a five-point lead.

Later in the quarter, the Sooners failed to convert on a fourth-and-two near midfield. The Rebels took advantage, and scored a touchdown to take a 22-10 lead heading into halftime.

But the most costly mistake came in the fourth quarter. With the Sooners trailing 31-26, the defense forced a three-and-out. But Isaiah Sategna lost a fumble on the punt return, which Ole Miss turned into a field goal with 4:09 left.

The Sooners were flagged eight times for 52 yards and lost the turnover battle.

Xavier Robinson’s efforts not enough for OU’s offense

The Sooners’ offense simply looked out of gas. That was until Robinson broke off a 65-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which cut Ole Miss’ lead to 25-20.

Robinson added a nine-yard touchdown on the next drive to give the Sooners a 26-25 lead. Robinson finished the game with eight carries for 102 yards and two scores.

But it wasn’t enough.

Outside of Robinson, the Sooners didn’t generate enough consistent offense. John Mateer again struggled to find a rhythm in the passing game, finishing with 223 passing yards on 17/31 attempts (55% completion). It looked like it was going to be an explosive day for Mateer — he opened the game with a 39-yard completion to Isaiah Sategna that led to a field goal, then found Sategna for a 77-yard touchdown later in the first quarter.

But outside of those two plays, Mateer had 15 completions for 107 yards. 38 of those yards came on OU’s final possession, which ended in a failed Hail Mary.

The Sooners finished the game with 359 total yards but scored on just five of their 13 offensive possessions.

Defense struggles to contain Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss offense

The question coming into the game: Could Oklahoma limit the explosive plays?

For most of the game, the answer was no. The Rebels finished with seven plays of 20-plus yards, with three of those coming on their first two drives. The Sooners had allowed just 17 such plays this season coming into the game.

Chambliss was effective as both a runner and thrower. He threw for 315 yards on a 55% completion rate, averaging over 13 yards per completion. He added 53 rushing yards on 12 attempts, consistently generating chunk gains outside the pocket.

The Sooners’ defense had good moments. They forced three three-and-outs and allowed just 12 points after halftime. But the Rebels made enough explosive plays, and combined with OU’s struggles on offense, that proved to be a winning formula.

The Rebels finished with 34 points and 431 yards. Both marks are the most the Sooners’ defense has allowed in a game this season.