Jayden Jackson Thinks Oklahoma Just Needs to 'Do Their Job' on Defense

NORMAN — Oklahoma has a defensive issue. A unit that has surrendered 17 total points in two games — with seven of those points coming from a John Mateer interception returned inside the 5-yard line — can't escape criticism.

The culprit? In two games, OU has missed 36 tackles per Pro Football Focus, with 21 (seven from Owen Heinecke, four players tied for second with two each) of those coming in the 17-10 loss to Michigan.

Brent Venables, when he’s not running on adrenaline fumes immediately following a game, has offered more nuanced reasoning, noting Tuesday that the Sooners are “still learning to play together” after losing five players to the NFL following last season.

Jayden Jackson, who has lived in the trenches of Venables' defenses over the previous two seasons, thinks the Sooners are struggling in the margins.

"We could have definitely played better," Jackson said Monday. "We all know that, that goes up and down the whole entire defense. Just the little things, fundamentals, just doing too much at the end of the day. We should just stick to the basics."

Jackson was the second-highest-graded Sooner behind Taylor Wein against Michigan. While a lack of fundamentals or this bunch not playing a lot of games together may be the cause, Jackson thinks the remedy is within reach.

"We’ve seen it, just doing our job," Jackson said. "Just keep saying the little things because that is what we lacked at the end of the day. We got to be better and we’ve all seen it.”

Of course, the Wolverines had something to say about OU not performing in the "little things" department. They have talent, too, and after a week of the world burying Michigan following their controversial win over Western Michigan, they responded emphatically.

Finding themselves in a similar spot of national ridicule, can the Sooners respond in a similar way with a solid New Mexico team coming to Norman, followed by dates with the current No. 3 and No. 1 teams in the country away from home?

"We got to move on to the next team, New Mexico," Jackson said. "They're not feeling sorry for us. We got to come back in, have the same mentality. Flip the next page.

"We keep moving our head high. A loss is a loss at the end of the day, but we got to move on to the next opponent. We know we're about to face hard teams coming up, but it's a faceless, nameless opponent. It's the same opponent every single week. Playing for a championship every single week,” he added.

Time will tell — but the Sooners have run out of any margin for error. Considering the offense and its struggles, the defense cannot become a liability in tackling.

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