OU’s run game has struggled through the first half of the 2025 regular season, leaving the Sooners without a consistent ground attack.
OU is averaging 122.3 rushing yards per game and 3.48 yards per carry, ranking No. 105 and 117, respectively. Against Southeastern Conference opponents, the numbers fall to 40 yards per game and 1.4 yards per attempt.
“It’s no secret you’ve got to be able to run the football,” offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said Tuesday. “Whenever you’re in the flow of the game, establishing the line of scrimmage makes a lot of things easier.”
The struggles have put additional pressure on quarterback John Mateer, who threw a season-high 38 passes in a 23-6 loss to Texas. While Mateer has been a capable runner with 195 rushing yards on the season, relying on the quarterback to gain yards on the ground has not been a sustainable strategy against strong defenses.
A major factor has been injuries along the offensive line. Redshirt senior center Troy Everett is out for the season with a knee injury, and senior tackle Jacob Sexton has been sidelined since the opening game. Freshman offensive tackle Michael Fasusi and redshirt senior offensive lineman Derek Simmons have also missed time.
However, Fasusi played against Texas and understands how the team needs to improve.
“It all comes down to details and physicality,” Fasusi said Monday. “There has to be a will imposed in our mind that I’m going to move you from point A to point B. That’s what we’re working on every single day.”
The offensive line’s struggles have allowed 13 sacks and 38 tackles for loss allowed, ranking 92nd and 113th nationally. Those lapses in protection and run blocking have prevented running backs from gaining consistent yardage.
Senior running back Jaydn Ott has also failed to provide a reliable solution. Ott, a transfer from Cal who led the Pac-12 with 1,305 rushing yards in 2023, has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry this season. In five games, he has totaled 68 yards on 21 carries with a season-long run of 12 yards. Ott has struggled to earn consistent playing time, and he had limited action in the Red River Rivalry loss after an early missed block.
It’s getting old talking about #Sooners RB’s and O Line underachieving.Watch this rep by Jadyn Ott out of the backfield: This is soft… A RB that is scared of contact. Ott gets Burks rocked on this play. pic.twitter.com/UKx23RFdxs
— Connor Pasby (@ConnorPasby) October 12, 2025
“It’s not necessarily anything he’s doing wrong,” Arbuckle said. “It’s what a lot of guys are doing right and being really consistent with. … We have to put the most consistent players on the field.”
Freshman Tory Blaylock has emerged as the team’s most productive running back, averaging over 4 yards per carry and accounting for OU’s only 100-yard rushing performance this season. However, even with Blaylock’s efficiency, the Sooners have lacked explosive plays and the production necessary to carry an offense consistently.
Historically, OU has relied on a potent rushing attack to control games. The Sooners won the Joe Moore Award for best offensive line in 2018, a unit that contributed to an effective rushing offense. Yet, in recent years, injuries, turnover along the line and inconsistent offensive line play have left OU far from the standard.
Last season, the Sooners averaged 155 yards per game and 3.87 yards per carry. This marked a notable decline from the 2023 season when OU had 182.2 rushing yards per game. This season, the regression has been more severe despite the return of senior running back Jovantae Barnes, who started six games in 2024, and the additions of Fasusi and freshman Ryan Fodje, two top-15 offensive linemen in the class of 2024.
“We’ve got to take care of the football. We’ve got to get better,” head coach Brent Venables said. “We got to play more efficiently offensively and for four quarters.
OU’s schedule offers no relief with five of OU’s remaining opponents ranked in the AP Top 25. With a challenging second half of the season ahead, OU faces the task of finding balance on offense.
Next, OU (5-1, 1-1 SEC) faces South Carolina (3-3, 1-3 SEC) at 11:45 a.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, on SEC Network.
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.
