Oklahoma Defense Not Panicking, Stressing Discipline to Turn Things Around
After a rock solid start to the 2022 season with three largely successful defensive performances, Oklahoma has seen its campaign go sideways the last two weekends.
After allowing just 30 total points and 938 total yards in their first three games against UTEP, Kent State and Nebraska, the Sooners have allowed an obscene 96 total points and 1,177 total yards in back-to-back losses to Kansas State and TCU.
But, despite the sudden drop off in defensive success, Oklahoma is refusing to panic heading into the Red River Showdown in Dallas this weekend.
“Panic? No,” defensive back Justin Harrington said this week. “If you watch the game and as we watched film, it’s the little things. It’s attention to detail. I don’t think there’s too much panic. We’re definitely trying to fix those little things and carry on with the game plan as well.”
Against the Horned Frogs, massive coverage busts, resulting in TCU wide receivers streaking down the field wide open, plagued the Sooners throughout the game.
On the afternoon, the Frogs scored touchdowns from 73 yards, 67 yards, 62 yards and 69 yards out en route to the blowout win.
So, how do the Sooners fix such massive defensive breakdowns in one week? They believe it begins with an emphasis on discipline.
“If you see the other teams, the two losses that we have, the other teams played with tremendous discipline,” Harrington said. “They went with their bread and butter. They know what they’re comfortable with and they executed. Execution goes with discipline.”
TCU quarterback Max Duggan runs away from the Oklahoma defense.
Kevin Jairaj / USA TODAY Sports
“Knowing what you have to do. Knowing in practice to not do it until you get it right, but do it until you don’t get it wrong. Those little things, we have a lot of guys stepping up as well. It’s just knowing what you’re doing to the point where you can’t get it wrong.”
A key element to that also stems from a better line of communication between the coaches and the players when the heat of battle starts — another area Oklahoma acknowledges simply has to improve.
“We definitely have to communicate more and we’ve been emphasizing that every day with the two losses,” Harrington said. “There’s never enough communication. If there’s extra to get the call out or get the call to the boundary corner, so be it. We have to make it happen. There’s never enough communication.”
It doesn’t get any easier for the Sooners defensively, either, as lying in wait on Saturday is a Texas Longhorns bunch that brings as much talent at the skill positions as any team in the Big 12 — headlined by running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
This provides the perfect opportunity for Oklahoma — to either turn things around or slip further away from where they want to be as a defense.
The Red River Showdown has proven to be a spark-plug game for the winner over time, with the Sooners seeing Saturday as a golden chance to rewrite the narrative on their season.
“It’s definitely a great game to prove ourselves,” Harrington said. “Two back-to-back losses, it’s a great chance. You can see the last couple years, you can see the pattern. It’s definitely determined the season. We’re looking forward. We’re not going about this game any different, as if it was any other opponent. We definitely understand that. We’ve emphasized that in team meetings.”
Oklahoma will meet Texas on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
