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Oklahoma Working to Shore Up Handful of Defensive 'Mistakes' Ahead of Kansas Clash

The No. 6-ranked Sooners gave up 140 yards on two plays in their 31-29 win over UCF, which they'll have to correct ahead of this weekend's Big Noon tilt in Lawrence.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma Working to Shore Up Handful of Defensive 'Mistakes' Ahead of Kansas Clash
Oklahoma Working to Shore Up Handful of Defensive 'Mistakes' Ahead of Kansas Clash

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Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — Oklahoma nearly put on another excellent defensive display against UCF.

At least Brent Venables thought so.

“I thought this was — it wasn’t — but it had all the makings of a dominant performance on defense,” the OU head coach said after the Sooners’ 31-29 win over the Knights. “It wasn’t. So we got punished for making some mistakes, and it doesn’t take much to be on the right side of it though, too.”

UCF (3-4, 0-4 Big 12) entered as the country’s fourth-best offense, averaging 516.7 yards per game and putting 34.7 points on the scoreboard each contest.

OU (7-0, 4-0) held the Knights to 29 points and 397 total yards, both below UCF’s average.

What will stick with the defense is how things could have been much better.

Oklahoma finished the game with 13 tackles for loss and three sacks, but gave up a 54-yard scamper to running back RJ Harvey and a 86-yard catch-and-run to Javon Baker.

Entering the week, Venables warned both his team and the media that Gus Malzahn utilizes plenty of motion and deception to try and trick opposing defenses.

Veteran defensive back Woodi Washington was certainly fooled on the long pass play, but the Sooners were prepared for Harvey’s long run.

“We gave up a 54 yarder on that sprint draw,” Venables said. “We worked on that play a lot and it didn't show, and they punched it through there on that play, did exactly what we can’t do on it and they made us pay for it.”

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The work in the film room initially translated, as Oklahoma was even prepared for the play pre-snap.

“On that one long run, we knew exactly what the play was,” linebacker Danny Stutsman said. “Me and Jaren (Kanak) were calling it out.

“But the edge just got a little too heavy, a little too aggressive. He needs to stay and hold that edge. Just little things like that, just a few plays here or there that we need to clean up.”

Even after giving up the run, OU’s defense almost responded.

The Sooners stuffed UCF on three straight plays from the 1-yard line, and it appeared the fans at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium were going to be treated to an encore of the goal line stand in the Red River Rivalry.

But after getting the third down stop, Kanak was flagged for a taunting penalty.

“I mean… we can’t do that,” OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said after the game. “Our policy on that is when something good happens, you go find your teammates and go celebrate with your teammates. Nothing bad is going to happen with that, because usually it’s a combination of a lot of people. It’s not one person.

“It’s a combination when you go into stuffing a run like that, and we’ve got to celebrate with our teammates. Jaren will learn from that. We’ll all learn from it.”

The pair of big plays accounted for 140 of UCF’s 397 yards, and they’re both plays the OU defense can correct.

And the Sooners will have to.

This week, Oklahoma will put its undefeated record on the line in Lawrence against another high-octane rushing attack.

The Kansas Jayhawks sit 12th in rushing, averaging 212.0 yards per game with the talented running back duo of Devon Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr.

Regardless of if Jalon Daniels or Jason Bean plays quarterback, Lance Leipold’s offense also specializes in confusing opposing defenses just like UCF.

“(The Knights) major in exactly all that stuff,” Venables said. “They might do it more than anybody. We're getting ready to play KU, and you're going to get the same stuff. They challenge you. That's part of their success is manipulation, getting guys to have disciplined eyes, disciplined alignments, disciplined adjustments and playing in many ways like a spread option offense.”

There was plenty to be happy about against UCF. 

Washington and Billy Bowman stayed home on the crucial two-point conversion play at the end of the game, allowing Kendel Dolby to come up with the huge stop. 

Still, OU's defense is far from a finished product. 

Identifying the mental errors in film on Sunday and Monday will be crucial to turning the page and ensuring the defense isn’t in a similar position in Lawrence at 11 a.m. on Saturday with Big Noon Kickoff shining a spotlight on the Big 12 bout.

“You’ve just got to learn from your mistakes you made and can’t make the same mistake twice,” Stutsman said. “Obviously Kansas is coming off a bye week, they’re going to have a lot of plays that we haven’t seen before, kind of how UCF did.

“We just have to be ready, stick to our rules, stick to our keys and trust our eyes and trust what we’re doing out there.”

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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