Jacobe Johnson Turned in a 'Clinic Play' at Just the Right Moment to Help Lift Oklahoma

Late in the third quarter Saturday, Oklahoma cornerback Jacobe Johnson shuffled back some, turned and saw Missouri receiver Kevin Coleman streaking and it was go time.

Johnson raced over to help teammate Peyton Bowen in coverage on Coleman and came up with perhaps the signature play of the Sooners’ 17-6 win over the No. 22 Tigers at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Johnson’s interception didn’t end the game — the Sooners still had to sweat through four more Missouri possessions — but it went a long way toward keeping the momentum on the side of the crimson and cream.

“It was a clinic play and a huge play,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “You talk about a momentum killer. Everything today was gonna be hard.”

Johnson’s playing time hasn’t been steady this season.

Going into Saturday, he’d played more than 20 plays just twice this season — at Temple and at South Carolina.

After playing 18 snaps against Tennessee, he played just nine last week at Alabama.

But despite not having a consistent role, Johnson found himself on the field in a critical moment Saturday.

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On the play before, teammate Reggie Powers III had been ejected for targeting on an apparent third-down stop by the Sooners’ defense.

The Tigers saw a chance to seize the momentum with a downfield shot to Coleman.

But Oklahoma was ready for it.

When Marquis Johnson motioned across before the snap, Johnson was left without a coverage responsibility.

He dropped back a couple steps, read and flew toward Coleman.

“I was in a Cover 3 call and didn’t have any work so basically I was just looking to the other side of the field and see somebody coming in hot,” Johnson said.

The ball went up and Johnson — who spent time with the Sooners’ wide receivers last season — turned from the pursuer into the aggressor.

“I seen the trajectory of the ball, turned my head and then turned into a receiver,” he said. “(That’s) something I’ve always been familiar with and got to catch the flash. It ended up working out pretty well.”

Johnson said he just had to keep putting in the work and he knew his time would come.

It definitely arrived Saturday.

“We had worked that exact route,” Venables said. “But he just played his fundamentals and his technique within the scheme.”

Oklahoma’s defense is full of examples to the testament of sticking through hard moments.

Taylor Wein didn’t play much his first two seasons but has turned into a star in his third.

Owen Heinecke emerged from Ohio State’s lacrosse team to walk on at Oklahoma and become a key cog in the Sooners’ linebacker group.

Kendal Daniels struggled at Oklahoma State last season but has found new calling as a cheetah in Venables’ defensive scheme.

Johnson is yet another example.

“For me, that just showed this great maturity and his development,” Venables said, “and had big vision.”

Johnson figured if he worked hard, his time would come, even after playing just two plays against Texas and nine last week.

“Just make the best of it,” Johnson said.

Eli Bowen has seen the progression building in Johnson.

“A lot more confidence,” Bowen said. “Instead of confident, we say convicted over here. A lot more trusting himself and his technique and what he sees and just knowing what to do every time.”