Oklahoma benched starting quarterback Jackson Arnold late in the first half of its 25-15 loss to No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night, turning instead to freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. The surprising move came after Arnold committed three turnovers, which handicapped the No. 15 Sooners in their first conference game as a member of the SEC.
When OU pulled Arnold, he was 7 of 16 passing for 54 yards with an interception. He also fumbled on a first-and-goal at the Tennessee 5-yard line, squandering a golden scoring opportunity early in the second quarter. Later in the second quarter, Arnold threw a swing pass that was ruled a lateral and recovered by the Volunteers.
Arnold made brief cameo late in the fourth quarter as Hawkins logged the most substantive action of his young career. The former three-star prospect completed 11 of 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown while also netting 22 yards on the ground, which made him the Sooners leading rusher…