Ben Arbuckle talks offense, expectations and season prep: Key press conference takeaways

Here are some key takeaways about the state of the offense and the overall program.

Brent Venables's Philosophy and the Program's Culture

Arbuckle praised head coach Brent Venables's approach, stating that his philosophy sets the standard for the entire program. "I don't know if there's anyone in the building, probably in Norman, that questions how much coach Venables cares and he shows it with how he does everything every single day. He truly lives by the motto how you do anything is how you do everything and he he's he's always ready in every single moment, every single moment is fourth and one".

He added that Venables's intensity is infectious. "The players feel that I feel that it makes me want to compete even harder because he's running the defense on the other side and like, 'well, if he's going to bring it, I better bring it too or else my guys aren't going to bring it.'"

Arbuckle also talked about his own role in setting the tone, saying, "I think that was the biggest thing that I could bring to the table was just my level of consistency of how I was going to be every single day, whether it was the energy me at practice, how I interact with them in the building, that was the thing on that side of the ball that I thought I could bring the most value to just for them".

Running Back Rotation

When asked about the running back rotation, Arbuckle said they have to look at the personnel and the game plan. However, he also emphasized the importance of playing to a player's momentum. "If a guy's hot, I'm not going to take him out of the game, you know, if he's running well, if he has a good mindset through every every play and every drive of the game, it's going to be really hard to just take him off the field for just somebody else". He added, "There's a coach element to it, a football element to that. If a guy's rolling, you know, you don't cool him off".

Quarterback and Receiver Chemistry

Arbuckle was asked how much of the offense's success is tied to chemistry between the quarterback and receivers. He stated that chemistry is huge and "there's been a lot of talented receivers that haven't done as well as they'd want to because them and their quarterback aren't on the same page, so I don't think there's any replacement for chemistry specifically between those two positions."

He said the team has been working on it all offseason. "I like the work that our guys have put in spring, summer and fall to, you know, get on the same page, whether it's timing or specifics on how maybe John likes to throw a route or throw a receiver open in certain situations".

Praise for Specific Players

Arbuckle specifically praised running backs Jovantae Barnes and Tory Blaylock, highlighting their toughness and resilience throughout fall camp. "They're resilient, all fall camp. I mean, those guys are staples in fall camp, just in terms of they were there every single day". He also commended their willingness to be team players, noting, "If they got to pick up a putting Kobie McKinzie in the A gap, they're going to do that. And then if they need to do something out of the backfield, they're going to do that and they're gonna do it to the best of their ability".

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