For a Change, Oklahoma's Defense Was Fearsome and Unyielding in Bedlam

The Sooners collected four interceptions and six sacks and shut down Oklahoma State's ground game in a dominating 28-13 victory over the Cowboys.

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s defense had had enough.

Enough criticism. Enough doubt. Enough noise. Enough subtle and not-so-subtle shots. And certainly enough comparisons to the “worst” defenses in school history.

Saturday’s Bedlam beatdown didn’t erase the previous 10 games of uneven defensive football this season, nor all the futility and defensive coordinators over the last five years.

But for one week, OU’s dominating defensive performance in a 28-13 victory over Oklahoma State soothes the otherwise unrelenting rancor from fans, media, coaches — and maybe even the OU players themselves.

“There’s a bunch of guys that have been scarred up,” coach Brent Venables said. “That’s not an easy thing to heal those wounds.”

OSU, which at one point this season boasted the most prolific offense in major college football, ran 102 plays against the Sooners, but managed 103 rushing yards and 484 total yards to go with one touchdown and two field goals.

The Sooner defense gave up three scores and had four takeaways.

“Played with passion and a focused intensity it takes to play at that level,” Venables said.

OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders, the Big 12’s leader in total offense who was coming off a sore shoulder, threw four interceptions and was sacked six times in what will go down as OU’s best defensive performance of the season. The Sooners had a season-high 12 QB pressures.

The OU offense converted just one of the Sanders’ four interceptions into points. Still, the takeaways made a massive difference just by sending the OSU offense to the sideline.

Strong defense became more important than ever as the Oklahoma offense went down the drain.

Eighteen of OU’s 19 possessions lasted 91 seconds or less. Punter Michael Turk, who just got engaged (to All-American softball shortstop Grace Lyons), had the busiest day of his Sooner career with 11 punts. Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s offense frequently snapped the football with more than 20 seconds left on the play clock throughout the fourth quarter as Oklahoma nursed a lead that grew slimmer and slimmer.

Venables said he wasn’t particularly happy with the offense’s late-game management.

“No, actually I wasn’t. We gotta be better there,” he said.

“Played 102 plays on defense and for the most part — they got a couple drives there — but we were dominating them. To continue to put the defense in that position is not what you want to do.”

Without a lightning-fast start that produced a 28-0 Sooner lead in the first quarter, and a defense that refused to yield an inch, Oklahoma would be staring at their sixth loss of the season — and their second in a row to the Cowboys — as well as the strong prospect of no bowl game.

With some 40 high-profile recruits watching from the seats — many of whom are defensive stars — Venables now can point directly to the kind of defensive culture he wants to establish as the Sooners prepare for next week’s season finale at Texas Tech.

“Got our sixth win, but no one’s beating their chest as we build this the right way,” Venables said.

“Everybody just playing together, improving, playing with confidence in preparation. You play confidently through your preparation. Just that edge.

“I think our guys executed.”