'It Resembles Recess': Oklahoma's Defense is Having Fun and Dominating in 2025

The Sooners are off to their best start in years, and while they know they can be better, they're enjoying the process three weeks into the season.

Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone leads a group of Sooners in a tackle for loss against Temple. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Oklahoma’s defense has crushed all challengers three games into its 2025 campaign. 

The Temple Owls became the latest victims of Brent Venables’ unit, totaling just 105 yards of total offense in OU’s 42-3 romp on Saturday. 

Temple coach K.C. Keeler labeled the No. 11 Sooners’ defense as “savages” after the defeat.

Venables has transformed the defense from an embarrassment to the bedrock of his program, and he’s done it in a manner that allows his players to flash some of their personality in the process. 

“This is a very hungry, driven, humble, tough, high-standard group of young men,” Venables said on Saturday. “They like to be pushed, like to be challenged, they like to practice. And when they go play together, it does, it kind of looks — it resembles recess. I say that respectfully. 

“They have fun. When you’re passionate about something, you have a chance to be great. If you don’t love it, you have no chance to be great. So this is a group that loves it and loves each other.”

Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone was the first of four Sooners to charge into the backfield on a third-and-1 against Temple. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Sure, two of Oklahoma’s first three opponents have been Illinois State and Temple. There are bigger tests to come, but the defense has been dominant. 

OU held No. 21 Michigan, who just rushed for eight touchdowns in a 63-3 win over Central Michigan, to one touchdown. 

The Sooners rank second in passing yards allowed per game and fourth in third down defense, passing efficiency defense and total defense. 

Oklahoma is tied for fifth in first downs allowed. Of the teams in front of Venables’ defense there, only Indiana has played three games. The Hoosiers’ opponents have been Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State. 

The Sooners are also tied for eighth in red zone scores allowed and are 34th against the run. 

And nobody is satisfied with the body of work, either. 

“Each week we're just making strides, getting better and better each week,” linebacker Sammy Omosigho said on Saturday. “Making sure we're the best defense we can possibly be.”

Oklahoma linebacker Sammy Omosigho breaks up a pass with a physical play against Temple. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

One of those areas for improvement will be in the turnover department. 

The Sooners have yet to force a turnover in 2025, which, oddly, may speak to the strength of the unit. OU has frustrated all its opponents despite not forcing actual turnovers. 

“How disgusting is that? I know. We start every practice with turnover circuit. They’ll come,” Venables said. “If we’re getting our brains beat in, and we had no turnovers, I wouldn’t like any of it. 

“… We’ve been really, the last three years, a really efficient defense when it comes to creating turnovers, and we need to just continue to hang in there.  They’ll come. Because we’re playing fast, we’re playing sure of ourselves, we’re being physical, we’re doing all the right things when it comes to drill work and finishing on the football. Just hasn’t gone our way right now.’

Instead, Oklahoma has forced 15 three-and-outs on 35 possessions faced (42.9 percent) that haven’t come at the end of a half.

The opposing offenses ahead will provide a much greater threat, but OU knows that. 

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“The little things. The smallest things,” linebacker Kobie McKinzie said on his weekly interview on The Franchise Morning Show on 107.7 FM The Franchise. “When you go back to the Michigan game, other than the big play, we gave up dumb plays like boots and sprintouts and coming to get the quarterback when your dude is like literally right in front of you. 

“And when we’ve been just doing our job and doing it really good… There is so much room to grow and be better. It’s making me smile right now because I know how much better we can be.”

Auburn’s receiving corps will test the secondary in new ways when the No. 22-ranked Tigers matchup against the Sooners on Saturday.

Oklahoma hasn’t finished in the top 40 in passing defense since 2015, the top 20 since 2009 or the top five since 2003.

But as long as the Sooners continue to iron out the small blips and have fun, the defense believes the sky is the limit for what they can achieve in 2025.

“This is something that we love to do,” defensive back Kendel Dolby said. “We’ve been doing this since we were kids. Don’t go over there and overcomplicate a lot; we’re just having fun. In our eyes, it should be like playing backyard football, and that means sprinting to the ball, running around, having fun. 

“That’s what recess means. If you love the game, you shouldn’t play any other way, so we tend to play the game like that.”