NORMAN — Around the midpoint of the third quarter, Ryan Fodje was hurt.
Clearly in pain, the second-year Oklahoma offensive lineman limped off the field. Already down three linemen, the training staff re-taped Fodje’s right leg on the sideline and he was back in the game shortly afterward.
But Fodje wasn’t himself
The Sooners’ offensive line, which held its own for most of Saturday night, unraveled late. Fodje, who struggled to move, allowed two sacks on a critical drive early in the fourth quarter.
OU’s offensive line injuries and lack of depth was its fatal flaw in a 21-13 loss to No. 17 Kentucky in which the Sooners outplayed the Wildcats for almost three quarters. With the loss, OU fell to 3-3.
TAKEAWAYS: OU football offensive line collapses late in loss vs Kentucky. Can Sooners get healthy?
The Sooners outgained Kentucky 346-230 but their offense failed to move the ball with any efficiency late due to a decimated offensive line and overall inconsistent decisions.
“They made the plays when they needed to, and we weren't able to get it done as a staff or as a team,” said Sooners coach Brent Venables, who is now 58 games into his tenure, in which offensive dilemmas are a common theme.
"We had plenty of opportunities there late into the third quarter to knock them out. We just weren't able to get it done.”
OU finally pulled Fodje late, placing Peyton Joseph at left tackle. But then Joseph went down.
With Michael Fasusi, Heath Ozaeta and Eddy Pierre-Louis out due to injury, Fodje was already playing out of position on a line filled with backups. Now, he was in clear pain.
Venables was asked postgame about the decision to continue playing Fodje even though he was clearly not 100%.
“I just listen to the trainers and him, what he’s telling them,” Venables said. “Some guys try to battle through that because they’re able to. He did all he could. If the trainers come over and say somebody’s out or somebody’s up, it goes according to what they say.”
The alarming number of injuries on the offensive line and the lack of development under position coach Bill Bedenbaugh in recent years are not new talking points.
REPORT CARD: OU football offensive line fails to protect John Mateer in loss to Kentucky
But the issues all seemed to culminate in front of 83,218 fans on Owen Field a week after a momentous win over Texas.
“I'll have to go back and watch the tape,” Venables said when asked if the offensive line fell apart in the fourth quarter. “To say falling apart, that's — I don't think I would use that word at all.”
Venables was asked again later to assess the offensive line’s play. During the week leading up to the Red River Rivalry, Venables was blatantly honest about the unit’s struggles.
He called it “inconsistent and “embarassing.” He wasn’t as critical Saturday.
“There is plenty that was good,” Venables said, “that you’re going to be able to build on and get better from. I have great appreciation for the fight. We threw, for the most part, from good, clean pockets. We did have some success running the ball at times, and I thought they did some really good things.
“There’s some times we have to get rid of the ball and not take the sacks as well. Sometimes that’s not on them; we’re holding it too long. I need to go back and watch the tape to be able to get a really good assessment, but I thought there were some good things.”
As for quarterback John Mateer, who completed 24 of his 40 passes for 270 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions, he played well for most of the game. His first half against Kentucky — 15 of 21 for 167 yards, a touchdown and no turnovers — might’ve been his best half of football as a Sooner.
And then came the offensive line struggles and the turnovers that plagued Mateer earlier this season. He had another catastrophic one — a pick-6 with 1:17 remaining on OU’s end of the field.
“I felt good (in the first half),” Mateer said. “I go into every week confident, and I'll find a way to go in the next week confident. It's a game and every week is a season of its own. I know who I am, but I felt good. I did, and the guys were rolling, and I'm proud of them.
“Just got to finish. Got to finish in the end zone in the first half. Then got to finish the game in the second half.”
RECAP: OU football picked apart late by Kentucky as Wildcats rally past Sooners
The decision on the pick-6 was a poor one. Mateer has now turned the ball over nine times this season.
But he was consistently running for his life or rushing things behind an embattled offensive line.
“That's just football,” offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said of the offensive line. “We had opportunities there at the end of the game to go win the football game, and I got to be better in those moments and those situations, putting those guys in a position to be successful, regardless of who's out there.
“We had those opportunities, and we have to be able to capitalize on those and go win the football game.”
Whether it’s through injuries or lack of depth, the Sooners clearly have an offensive line problem. The offense as a whole has been largely inconsistent behind Mateer’s turnovers, playcalling or overall inefficiencies.
Venables knows OU hasn’t been nearly good enough on that side of the ball. And with a road trip to Mississippi State ahead and injury statuses unknown, it isn’t getting any easier for the Sooners.
Arbuckle puts it on his shoulders.
“Whatever 11 we have out there, it is my sole responsibility to put those kids in position to go be successful,” Arbuckle said. “Move the ball down the field, capitalize in those situations, those opportunities, regardless of who was out there. I have to be really good about putting those guys in position to go make the plays, to win the football game.
“If there's any frustration, it's with myself that I didn't get the job done.”
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football's fatal flaw haunts Sooners again in collapse vs Kentucky