Oklahoma Sooners Defensive Players to Watch vs. Red Raiders
Head Coach Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders will close out the regular season on Saturday, and they'll do it on their home turf, where they've had quite a bit of success this year. Tech has gone 5-1 at Jones AT&T Stadium in 2022 and will be looking to continue its winning ways to finish the year above .500 overall.
If the Red Raiders want to beat Oklahoma and secure that 7-5 regular season record, they'll have to put up some points. The Sooners have the 22nd best offense in the country, so this could end up being a pretty high scoring affair. Luckily for Tech, Oklahoma's defense ranks 112th nationwide, so points may be a bit easier to come by for the Red Raiders.
These are the Sooners' defensive players to watch against Texas Tech on Saturday.
LB Danny Stutsman
2022 Stats: 100 tkls/ 2 sacks/ 4 passes deflected/ 2 INTs
Stutsman's just a sophomore but he leads this Sooner defense like a seasoned veteran. He's first on the team in tackles, having hit the century mark in 2022, and has two sacks to his name as well. He's fairly decent in coverage, using his large wingspan to bat down passes, and has come up with two picks this season.
Playing from the middle, Stutsman 's one of the better tacklers in the conference. He's got 33 tackles in Oklahoma's last three games and notched nine takedowns with a pass breakup in the Sooners' win over Oklahoma State last week. Texas Tech needs to establish its run game to be effective on offense, so they're going to have to find a way to block Stutsman.
LB DaShaun White
2022 Stats: 76 tkls/ 2 sacks/ 5 passes deflected/ 2 INTs
Arguably the Sooners' most talented player on this side of the ball, White has been a playmaking machine at the linebacker position. The senior has an incredibly high football IQ and is a magnet when finding the ball carrier. He'll be one player that Tech will need to manage throughout the game.
In Oklahoma's last outing, a win over rival Oklahoma State, White was the best defensive player on the field. He recorded eight tackles, a sack, and a crucial interception to propel the Sooners to victory. White is an impact player, and can change the fate of a game as much as any quarterback or running back.
S Billy Bowman
2022 Stats: 50 tkls/ 5 passes deflected/ 2 INTs/ 1 FF
One of the reasons Oklahoma's defense ranks so poorly is because it starts so many young players. Bowman, another sophomore, has proven to be a ballhawk at safety this year, breaking up five passes and picking off two more. He's also added fifty tackles and a forced fumble to his stat line for 2022.
Like White, Bowman also secured an interception in Oklahoma's last game. He and the rest of this Sooners defense are playing their best football of the season right now, so Tech won't see many easy scores in this one. If they can keep Bowman away from the ball, though, it will certainly help their cause.
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