In Iowa State, Oklahoma's Offense Faces a Stout Defense That Was 'Invented There'
NORMAN — Things get real for the Oklahoma offense this week.
The Sooners are back from their open date following an important victory over Kansas, but Jeff Lebby and the Sooner offense face likely their stiffest challenge of the year at Iowa State.
The Cyclones (3-4 overall, 0-4 Big 12) are limited offensively, but lead the Big 12 in rush defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense.
“Really, defensively, it’s given them a chance to win every single game they’ve played,” Lebby said Tuesday during his weekly press conference.
Iowa State ranks 10th nationally overall at 289 yards allowed per game (just 4.89 yards per play), 15th against the run at 105.3 yards per game (3.3 yards per carry), 16th against the pass at 184.4 yards per game (6.7 yards per throw) and eighth in points allowed at 16.1 (just 13 total TDs allowed, tied for eighth nationally).
The Cyclones under head coach Matt Campbell and defensive coordinator Jon Heacock feature a unique deployment of three down linemen that can comfortably adjust to four. They routinely drop eight players into coverage, creating less space to throw the football and less space for receivers to run.
The front features senior All-America candidate Will McDonald at end, senior defensive tackle Isaiah Lee inside on the other edge and sophomore J.R. Singleton in the middle, although there are constant shifts, slides and situational subs.
Linebacker O’Rien Vance is a senior, as is free safety Anthony Johnson. That strength and experience makes a huge difference for Heacock to utilize his system.
“It’s really been invented there,” Lebby said, “and those guys have done a great job continuing to find ways to get better at it.
“Inside the building, again, there's great belief, there's great energy about how they play and the way they play. And I think that's what jumps off the tape as much as anything.”
Under Campbell, Iowa State has developed the Big 12’s most consistent defense — special plays from special players, to be sure, but a defense that’s rooted in fundamentals. The Cyclones typically have fewer busts, fewer missed assignments and fewer missed tackles than their opponent.
“Part of it is those guys have been doing it for a long time,” Lebby said. “You know, been in the same building, hearing the same thing, hearing the same coaching points. So again, they've been able to add to the system and have taken advantage of that.
“And they've got incredible buy-in in the room. They got a staff that's been there for a long time.”
It's a scheme that Brent Venables picked up and installed at Clemson when he visited Ames a few years back, and still runs principles of it in Norman. It's a scheme that even Lincoln Riley struggled to solve during his time in Norman,
“They’ve found something that works for them,” Riley said in 2020, “and they’ve got a unique scheme that they coach very well.”
That part hasn’t changed. Sooners defensive coordinator Ted Roof affirmed Tuesday there’s definitely something different about what the Cyclone defense does.
“Unique?” Roof echoed. “I mean, they play hard, they play tough, they're physical, they're efficient. They move around — a lot. And you know, it's a tremendous challenge for us.”
OU opened the week as a 3.5-point favorite, but the line has moved to OU by 2, according to VegasInsider.com.
“If you look at their football team, they're sitting there at a record of 3-4,” Roof said, “But we could be playing a team just as easily that’s 7-0. When you look at … all their losses are one-possession losses. That's one play.”
The Sooners (4-3 overall, 1-3 Big 12) are coming off their most complete offensive performance of the season, a 52-42 victory over KU in which OU got Dillon Gabriel back from concussion and put up 701 yards total offense and 36 first downs. Gabriel threw for 403 yards.
Lebby said the open date last week “was all about refreshing,” although they did spend time prepping for Iowa State.
“They've played really, really well,” Lbby said. “Really, defensively, they’ve given them a chance to win every single game they've played. So, just a ton of respect for how they play, the way they play, how well they're coached.
“It’ll be a great challenge for us on the road this weekend.”
