• Sooners’ passing struggles go deeper than quarterback

The old adage says statistics don’t lie. Oklahoma knows it as well as anybody.

Anyone looking to pin down where the Sooners’ offensive struggles have come from doesn’t need to look any further than passing yardage.

They have thrown for just 644 yards through five games and are last in the Big 12 Conference and 112th out of 117 NCAA Division I teams in the category.

Simply put, throwing the football has been anything but easy for OU. Finding out why is much tougher.

While some try to pin it on the youthful struggles of quarterback Rhett Bomar, OU coach Bob Stoops sees plenty of blame to go around.

Receivers not getting open and Bomar not having time to throw the ball have played major parts in the Sooners’ woes.

“We’ll adjust our plays and schemes every week, but it’s execution,” Stoops said. “A lot of times it doesn’t matter how open the guy is if you don’t have the time or you throw the ball off target. We just have to execute better.

“You’ve got to throw the ball at his chest and give him an opportunity to catch it. You’ve got to be able to protect the quarterback long enough to get the ball out. You’ve got to be able to run the proper route, get some separation and have some room.”

It’s a trio of deficiencies that have all come crashing down on the Sooners and Bomar’s statistics reflect just that.

His pass efficiency rating (94.6) is last in the Big 12 and yardage-per-game total (107.0) trails only Oklahoma State’s Bobby Reid.

It’s a tough time for Bomar and OU’s offense. It may get tougher when the Sooners (2-3 overall, 1-1 Big 12) face Kansas (3-2, 0-2) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

The Jayhawks certainly haven’t been world-beaters but they have the best rushing defense in the Big 12. OU can’t expect to pound away with the running game and escape with a win.

“We’ve got to be more productive, to me more than anything, passing the football,” Stoops said.

It’s been easier said than done this season. Bomar seemed to progress every week until last Saturday’s loss to Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. He completed just 12-of-33 passes for 94 yards in the game.