FORT WORTH – In the first quarter of Oklahoma’s 21-20 loss to Navy on Friday, freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. flashed quickness and accuracy that the Sooners have seen little of all season.
With 5:56 left in the first quarter, Hawkins’ athleticism was on full display. After receiving the snap, Hawkins darted from one side of the field to the other and escaped defenders before delivering a well-timed pass to freshman wide receiver Zion Kearney for a 56-yard touchdown. The Hawkins-Kearney connection provided light in the final game of what most deem to be a dark season for the Sooners.
Catch 'em if you can 🔄@mikehawkinsj x @ZionKearney2024 pic.twitter.com/kIIQQzhRkQ
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 27, 2024
However, reality soon hit for Hawkins. Despite bright moments in the first quarter, Hawkins’ early efforts proved to be insufficient. The Sooners (6-7, 2-6 SEC) went scoreless in the next two quarters, and Navy (10-3, 7-2 AAC) fought back with two touchdowns of its own, leading to the game being tied at 14-14 going into the final quarter.
“Came out pretty strong (in the first quarter). But second quarter came, we got a little relaxed,” Hawkins said. “Going into a game like this, you have to down track the whole game together.”
Ultimately, the disparities between halves only continued in the final quarter, and the Hawkins-lead Sooners paid the price for inconsistencies.
With 4:34 to go in the fourth, a six-yard touchdown run from Navy junior quarterback Blake Horvath provided further misery for the Sooners and put the ball in the hands of Hawkins for one final drive. In the last 30 seconds of the game, Hawkins found senior tight end Jake Roberts for a touchdown, bringing the Sooners to only one point behind on the scoreboard. However, darkness soon swept them again, with Hawkins being sacked on a two-point conversion to solidify the Sooners’ loss. Hawkins finished with 247 passing yards and 61 rushing yards in the game, but it was not enough.
“Had a chance to win the game there at the end and an excellent drive by Mike and the offense … It is a shame we came up short,” head coach Brent Venables said. “We've worked hard on that situation all year long.”
No matter how diligently the Sooners worked in practice though, they could not escape inconsistencies. As one of the leaders of the offense, Hawkins only contributed to the varying quality of play on the field.
In the Sooners’ 25-21 loss against Tennessee on Sept. 21, Hawkins became a vital part of the Sooners’ offense after two fumbles and an interception from former sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold. Hawkins finished with 132 passing yards against Tennessee, a performance that propelled him to starting against Auburn on Sept. 28. Against Auburn, he recorded 161 passing yards, 69 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Michael Hawkins freaking endearing himself to #Sooners fans everywhere. Talk about laying it out there. pic.twitter.com/dMQ6ONy0AS
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) September 28, 2024
The season has not been short of low moments for the freshman quarterback either. In the Sooners’ 34-3 loss to Texas on Oct. 12, Hawkins was sacked six times, and in a 35-9 loss to South Carolina on Oct 19, he threw two interceptions and was sacked once before being pulled out early in the game. He ended up finishing with only three completed passes on five attempts for 18 yards against South Carolina. In the final play of the season, regardless of moments of success, he was sacked another time, as the Sooners tasted defeat.
Now, Oklahoma hopes for more solid play at quarterback in the future and brought in former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and former Washington State redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer to help it do so. For Arbuckle, the work has already begun, with him being on the sideline against Navy, while Mateer is set to join the team at the start of spring practice.
Mateer, who threw for 3, 139 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024, has already experienced success under Arbuckle and serves as a tough competitor for Hawkins. However, Hawkins welcomes the challenge.
“It's a great opportunity for everyone to bring a guy in. We need a guy in our room,” Hawkins said. “John Mateer is a great guy … I'm looking forward to that (competition).”
