How Oklahoma S Key Lawrence's Performance Against Kansas Could Propel the OU Secondary

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s safety depth has taken a few hits in October.

Both Billy Bowman and Damond Harmon exited the game against TCU, leaving Key Lawrence, Justin Broiles and Trey Morrison as the only safeties with any real collegiate experience.

Lawrence himself had been dealing with an injury as well.

The junior missed OU’s second contest of the year, but has appeared in every other game.

Last Saturday against Kansas, Lawrence looked closer to being back to the the impact player he was last season.

He finished with six total tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups against the Jayhawks, marshaling the back end of the OU defense.

“The way he does stuff like he (did against Kansas) doesn't surprise me at all because I know who he is as a person and I know who he is as a player,” Sooner linebacker David Ugwoegbu said after the victory last Saturday. “I just saw Key Lawrence out there. I know it might've been different for everybody else, but I know what he's capable of. He did everything he's capable of today.”

While the Sooners await the return of Bowman, Lawrence can provide a jolt to a defense that has struggled to force turnovers through the first seven games.

Despite only making four stars in 2021, Lawrence forced three fumbles. Two of forced fumbles those came against Iowa State last year, with defensive lineman Jalen Redmond scooping up the football and rumbling down the field to cash in the first of those fumbles for a touchdown.

Oklahoma’s turnover margin this season is sitting at plus-one, but the Sooners will need to consistently win the takeaway battle over their final five games if the defense continues to give up yards and points in bunches as they have in Big 12 play.

A healthy Lawrence not only brings experienced leadership to the OU secondary, but the ability to flip the game in an instant with an unscheduled turnover. The strong performance against Kansas not only gave the Sooners some much-needed confidence, but it could propel Lawrence to a strong finish this season.

“I think he did some good things,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said after the Kansas win. “I think, like everybody today, had some things he could do better.

“But thought he was really solid and looking forward to seeing how he improves during the open week.”

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