Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold has a big task to restore his reputation after a nearly disastrous season in Norman. With a fresh team backing him up, Friday would be the perfect chance for Arnold to shut all his doubters by proving himself in Auburn's season-opener against the Baylor Bears.
The QB has been doing his homework for the showdown as well. Dave Aranda's formidable simulated pressure zones are something most QBs dread. But Arnold has instead been specifically practicing to face it, and possibly zip past the defense.
“Yeah, they're a big simulated zone pressure team, and being able to study that in the field and study what parts of the field that we can attack and take advantage of it's been big for us,” Arnold said in a recent interview. “In our film study. We come out here in the practice field, going out and executing our calls and making sure we’re running the right routes and the right depths and get in the windows.”
Those are big words coming from Arnold, especially coming off a turnover-prone season. Knowingly or unknowingly, the QB himself set his bar higher than it was for him this season.
When asked about the Tigers' pass-attack strategy, Arnold candidly replied, "It's nice being able to actually see the looks that you've seen on film and see them in practice... It's better than going to start defense and seeing all these different types of looks that Coach (DJ Durkin) throws at us".
Arnold can easily expect Aranda's defense to have a few different tricks up its sleeves than DJ Durkin.
How Arnold deals with those will set the tone for Auburn's must-win season.