Why Oklahoma's D-Line Feels 'There's Not a Lot of People in America Better Than Us'

NORMAN – There’s a lot of talk about how Oklahoma looks different at 3-0 this college football season than it did at 3-0 in 2022.

One of the areas of stark improvement is tackling. Last year’s team missed 46 tackles through the first three games. After more than doubling this year’s total with 12 on Saturday at Tulsa, this year’s squad has only missed 23 tackles.

That’s better.

Third down defense is vastly better this year. The Sooners are getting off the field almost 70 percent of the time, giving opponents a conversion rate of 30.4. That’s No. 21 nationally. Last year the number through three games was 35.4 percent, which ranked No. 64 nationally but really portended dark days ahead.

So that’s better.

One area that’s a little less quantifiable is the level of play across the defensive line.

There’s an overarching perception that the Sooners’ front four is playing better this season than it did during the first quarter of last season. That really showed on Saturday at Tulsa as OU played 13 different players across the defensive line, and nine of them posted a winning grade according to Pro Football Focus.

Defensive end Trace Ford (90.3), defensive tackle Gracen Halton (82.0), defensive tackle Isaiah Coe (81.1) and defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry (81.1) all posted championship grades, while defensive tackle Jacob Lacey (75.1), defensive tackle Jordan Kelley (74.7), defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (74.5), defensive end P.J. Adebawore (73.9), and defensive ends Reggie Grimes (71.0) and Marcus Stripling (70.6) and defensive end Kelvin Gilliam (70.0) all posted PFF grades of 70 or better.

“We were more disruptive,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said Monday during his weekly news conference. “I thought our guys inside were more disruptive and certainly that’s a wonderful thing.”

“I mean, we’ve got a rotation,” Ford said. “No guys should be really tired. You saw Marcus Stripling with the sack, PJ played a lot. The interior guys, Jacob Lacey, a lot of guys you don’t see often out there getting reps. So no guys should get tired and the defensive line should be a big factor of that defense every game.”

Ford made a leaping interception and nearly scored. Halton blew up several plays in the backfield. Laulu chased down a couple of runners. Terry made a one-handed tackle for no gain while being blocked. Coe tossed Golden Hurricanes like golden rings. Adebawore may have caused some opponents to rethink their lives.

“It was nothing new,” Ford said. “He’s so good, he’s so gifted, it’s only a matter of time before he explodes on that football field in front of everybody else. I was super pumped for him. He had like three tackles for losses. He’s a freak athlete so it’s just super fun to watch him play.”

“Reacting now and not thinking as much,” Roof said of Adebawore. “Just reacting. And when that happens, your athleticism kicks in a little bit more as opposed to thinking. He’s done a good job, young guy like him. He’s got a lot of ability and a very bright future. He’s just going to continue to get better and better because he works really hard at the game, too.”

If the OU secondary looks better this year (they do have six interceptions, which is twice what they had through three games last year), one big reason is the defensive line is causing chaos. There haven’t been many sacks, but opponents have been leaving extra blockers in to protect the quarterback, which means fewer receivers – which means a better pass defense.

“It makes our jobs a lot easier,” said safety Peyton Bowen. “We don’t have to cover dudes for 5-6 seconds. Like, we’d rather get coverage sacks. That’s what looks good to us. … Coach (Todd) Bates and Coach (Miguel) Chavis have gotten their dudes ready – pushing quarterbacks off their spot, getting them flustered in the pocket. Like, it showed at Tulsa. We had a lot of sacks and hurries, and that translated to five interceptions. Definitely, I love seeing them put in that work and doing great.”

Coe is playing his final season and looks bigger, leaner and stronger than ever. He was made a captain for Saturday’s game at Cincinnati, and he can’t wait to open Big 12 Conference play in a hostile setting and put everyone’s talents on display.

“I take a lot of pride in myself and my group,” Coe said. “ … People say they’re the best, but people go by numbers and all that kind of other stuff. But if you actually watch football ,they can understand that when we do our job, there’s not a lot of people in America better than us. So, I take full pride in that.”

Similarly, Gracen Halton indicated that no one was pounding their chests about beating up on Arkansas State, SMU and Tulsa – OU had 15 tackles for loss last week, and 8.5 came from the d-line – but everyone was eager to prove their mettle against better competition.

“We just gotta see when the games come how good we really are,” Halton said. “So we just have to keep on working.”

“Yeah I think it’s been a steady progression,” Roof said. “I think Coach Bates does a great job with those guys. That’s a point of emphasis and he understands that and beats that into their head, too. I think that’s where we’ve made some strides. Still got some room for improvement, especially against the type of opponent that we’re playing this week.”