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Why Oklahoma's Defensive Line is Focused on Stopping the Run Against Cincinnati

The Sooners head to Cincinnati in week three to square off against a Bearcats team that leans heavily on the ground game.
Randall Sweet|
Why Oklahoma's Defensive Line is Focused on Stopping the Run Against Cincinnati
Why Oklahoma's Defensive Line is Focused on Stopping the Run Against Cincinnati

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Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — In 2022, Oklahoma had one of the worst run defenses in all of college football.

The Sooners allowed 187.5 rushing yards per game last season, making OU the 104th-ranked run defense in the nation. Connecticut, Bowling Green and Rice all ranked higher than Oklahoma a year ago.

After a lackluster performance, the Sooners were determined to improve their defense and brought in handful of transfers over the offseason. The unit that saw the biggest upgrade was OU’s defensive line, which added Rondell Bothroyd, Da’Jon Terry, Jacob Lacey, Davon Sears, Phillip Paea and Trace Ford.

So far this season, the newcomers in Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis’ groups have made a big impact. Oklahoma’s defense is allowing only 80 rushing yards and just over nine points per game.

This is a huge improvement from last season, and while the Sooners’ have yet to start conference play, OU’s defense in 2023 seems like it has fixed some of its issues from Brent Venables first year at the helm.

“It definitely feels good stopping the run,” redshirt senior defensive lineman Jonah Laulu said after practice on Tuesday. “Making teams have to pass the ball, make them more predictable. It's just a good feeling. But you know, we're not satisfied. We're still coming to work every day because every week a team's seeing what we're doing, we put it on tape and they're coming up with a game plan to attack what we've been doing. So, we can't become complacent. We’ve got to keep coming to work every day and getting better, continue stopping the run, putting teams in predictable situations so that we can come out on top.”

In addition to the transfers that Oklahoma brought in, true freshman edge rusher PJ Adebawore, sophomore interior lineman Gracen Halton and veteran players like Isaiah Coe, Ethan Downs, Jordan Kelley and Laulu have all played well this season.

On Saturday, the Sooners’ will meet a versatile, explosive rushing attack when the team travels to Cincinnati to kick off Big 12 play. 

Led by former Florida and Arizona State quarterback Emory Jones and former LSU running back Corey Kiner, the Bearcats are averaging over 239 yards rushing yards per game, good enough for eighth in the nation.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, Kiner has already racked up 289 yards and two touchdowns this season while averaging over six yards per carry.

While Jones’ rushing stats aren’t as eye-popping as Kiner’s, the Bearcats’ quarterback is a dangerous runner as a scrambler or on designed QB run plays.

“The quarterback can definitely move,” Laulu said of Jones. "Got to watch out for that, game plan for that. Making them predictable and just making sure we cage that quarterback because he's dual threat, can light it up passing it and then as well run with his own two feet.”

Between Kiner, Jones and backup running back Ryan Montgomery, the Bearcats have three players who have already eclipsed 100 yards on the ground this season. WIth three dangerous ball-carriers in the backfield, OU will have to stay disciplined in the run game and keep contain on the edges.

“You're going into every week trying to stop the run,” Laulu said. “That’s the mentality of our d-line and our defense. It’s always to stop the run. We don't ever say, play the run. We're always say stop. It's exciting to take on a challenge because I love challenges. You know, I'm excited to play this team because I know they like to run the ball and everything. Like we say every week, stop the run, put the team in uncomfortable positions and make them predictable. That's how you come out on top every week.”

If Laulu and company are able to slow down Jones and Kiner, the Sooners’ defense should have another solid outing. After recording 15 tackles-for-loss against Tulsa, OU’s defense has momentum heading into its first game outside of the Sooner State.

Oklahoma and Cincinnati will meet at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 23 in James Gamble Nippert Stadium the Bearcats' first-ever Big 12 contest and the third meeting between the two programs.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. 

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