Oklahoma's Linebackers Will be Tested Over the Next Three Weeks
The Oklahoma defense has played well through their first three contests, but defensive coordinator Alex Grinch wants even more.
While the defensive line has lived up to their preseason hype, Grinch said he needs to see more out of his inside linebackers, specifically when they’re going up against the play-action passing game.
“If we’re dropping seven that means we’re rushing four,” Grinch said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “We need all seven guys to playable in the under coverage and the deep zones. The conflict happens and offenses do that.
“Are they going to fit the run or are they gonna sit back and play pass. You have decide what you want to be defensively. Are you gonna commit to the run? We’ve had success because of that. However, when run turns into pass, it’s the exact opposite. We have to take advantage of those indicators they give use when we know it’s pass.”
At times this season, the linebackers have been slow to discern whether the play is a run or a pass, and it cost the Sooners on a few third downs in the first half on Saturday against Nebraska.
Linebacker Brian Asamoah said he also thinks the linebackers as a whole need to play better entering Big 12 Conference play, but he’s confident his unit will take the necessary strides forward.
“One thing we've been harping on is trying to go to make plays,” Asamoah said during a Zoom press conference on Wednesday. “And you know obviously in the run game trying to get as many TFLs… That's a huge emphasis on playing linebacker the University of Oklahoma is playing fast and playing downhill.”
Brian Asamoah logged six tackles against Nebraska, the third most on the team
Kevin Jairaj / USA TODAY Sports
Asamoah also said the linebackers have to be better in zone coverage, but that the key to being disciplined when the offense throws play-action at a defense is play recognition.
“The biggest thing is obviously being able to just see all the things on that you need to see,” Asamoah said. “There's only three things you can get out of a certain formation, run, pass and RPO. So if you just diagnose the formation and see everything that you need to see, you kind of understand the tendencies or what they have to do.
“We've got to have great vision on everything that we need to see, man. So that's something that Coach Odom always preaches.”
The West Virginia Mountaineers will provide a great test to the linebackers, as the Mountaineers try and confuse the defense before the snap, Asamoah said.
“They do a lot of things that any offense does — motions, trying to get you to have bad eyes,” said Asamoah. “We’ve gotta hone in to our responsibilities, see what we see and just play where we play.”
Oklahoma also doesn’t have the luxury of falling back on the experience of how they attacked the WVU offense last year, as the Mountaineers were the only conference foe OU didn’t play last year due to the contest being canceled.
“It's a team that we didn't play a year ago but prepared at length for,” Grinch said, “which is just unique when you turn back on the film because there's no opponent that you've never played or you haven't played in two years that you've seen so much film on.
“You talk about quarterback play, an experienced offensive line, skill positions—quality across the board. Some size at receiver, the speed, the use again of that jet sweep series, you see that on film, the run game is quality, so have to take advantage of it when you get a pass rush, then one of the premier running backs in the country to hang the ball off to. In 2021, you don't get any weeks off defensively. We know that in this conference as much as anything else.”
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier for the Sooners.
After West Virginia, OU hits the road for the first time to face the Kansas State Wildcats. Chris Klieman’s team has had Oklahoma’s number, specifically in attacking the OU defense, as the Wildcats have averaged 43 points per game in their first two meetings with the Grinch-led defense.
Then Oklahoma heads to Dallas to square off with the Texas Longhorns, where even though they’ve struggled early, Steve Sarkisian’s offense also employs a lot of pre-snap motion to try and confuse opposing defenses.
While the offense takes gradual steps forward to improve their play, the OU defense will have to raise their level of play as well to help keep the Sooners undefeated.
“I'm excited for this home opener against West Virginia,” Asamoah said. “An opportunity for us to just display what we've been working on throughout the summer and throughout these four weeks. You should see a huge difference in linebackers getting hands on balls and also taking them the other way.
“They’re gonna bring everything they’ve got and we’re also gonna bring everything we’ve got. So it’s gonna be a great contest for sure on Saturday.”
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