Nebraska and West Virginia offered different approaches to dealing with OU’s disruptive defensive front.

Once a laughingstock, the Oklahoma Sooners now have a defense that probably qualifies as, at minimum, good.

Through four games in 2021, OU is allowing 16 points per contest. Even if the unit’s performance drops the rest of the season, the Sooners will probably cut their average points per game down from the 2020 mark of 21.7. If you want to get more esoteric, OU ranks 25th nationally in Defensive SP+, an opponent-adjusted measure of efficiency. Keep in mind the Sooners ranked 84th in 2018, the season before Alex Grinch took over as defensive coordinator.

The Sooners owe much of that overall improvement to a defensive line that has become one of the nation’s best. OU is tied for 13th overall in tackles for loss per game at eight. The DL accounts for 19 of those 32 TFLs – 23 of 32 if you count OU’s RUSH outside linebackers as part of the defensive front.

OU’s last two games have illustrated how teams are building their game plans around neutralizing that havoc-wreaking defensive front.

Nebraska

The Sooners have undergone a significant shift in the types of players they recruit on the defensive line and how they develop them in their strength and conditioning program. Pre-Grinch, OU wanted big, beefy linemen who could plug two gaps in the trenches. The media guide for 2018, for instance, lists several DLs weighing in the range of 300 to 330 pounds.

Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

The Sooners now keep their front on the lighter side to help maintain their athleticism and generate disruption. The heaviest DLs on the team in 2021, nose tackles Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Coe, come in at 292 pounds.

Nebraska coach Scott Frost apparently looked at OU’s scrawny front and thought his team’s best hope was pounding them. The Cornhuskers ran the ball 38 times in week three versus OU and threw it 25 times. NU featured bigger personnel packages against the Sooners, including a look with two massive tight ends in No. 11 Austin Allen (6-9, 255 pounds) and No. 83 Travis Vokolek (6-6, 260):

NU’s rushing attack didn’t produce much, however. In raw terms, the Huskers ran for 95 yards on 38 attempts, or 2.5 yards per rush. It looks a little better when you take away five sacks for 28 yards, which works out to 3.7 yards per attempt.

West Virginia

The West Virginia Mountaineers took a different approach last week. Rather than try to push the OU defensive linemen around, WVU coach Neal Brown did his best to avoid challenging them more than necessary.

Unlike NU, the Eers skewed heavier to the pass (29 runs to 34 passes). Running back Leddie Brown and wildcat quarterback Garrett Greene combined for 71 yards on 20 carries for an average of 3.6 yards per attempt. WVU enjoyed most of its success on slant routes to Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who caught eight passes for 93 yards.

In fact, WVU used the same concept repeatedly. Three receivers lined up to the field side of the formation, while Ford-Wheaton lined up to the boundary (image above). On the snap, the WVU RB would run towards the boundary flat, clearing out the WILL inside linebacker. WVU QB Jarret Doege could then fire the ball out immediately to Ford-Wheaton in the vacated space, allowing the burly wideout (6-3, 220) to use his size to get off the line of scrimmage and shield OU’s cornerback from the ball. (OU radio analyst Teddy Lehman gave a superb explanation of this concept on his podcast this week.)

By using plays that called for short drops and quick throws, Brown essentially removed the OU DL from the equation.

Conclusions

Although NU and WVU went about it differently, the approaches to minimizing the damage caused by OU’s DL helped produce games that played out in similar ways. For starters, both teams limited the exposure of their QBs to pressure that can lead to turnovers, an area in which the Sooners are starting to excel under Grinch’s philosophy.

They also moved the ball incrementally with multiple drives that lasted at least nine plays. That had the additional benefit of draining the clock and keeping the OU offense on the sidelines. The Sooners got just nine possessions in each game, four fewer than their per-game average in 2020.

As a result, the double-digit underdogs both played OU down to the wire. That means the Sooners may see more teams rolling with similar game plans the rest of the way. In fact, keep an eye out for it in OU’s game this weekend. The opponent, Kansas State, took a Nebraska-like approach to upsetting the Sooners in 2019.

OU prepares to play on the road for the first time this season.

It was far from pretty, but the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners survived yet another late-game scare — this time against West Virginia — in the form of a 16-13 victory to open Big 12 play. With an unblemished record of 4-0 (1-0), OU now embarks on its first road trip of the season, and there are plenty of questions to be answered as the team sets its sights on Chris Klieman and his well-coached Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 0-1) squad.

Speaking of Klieman, since taking over the job in Manhattan in 2019, K-State is 2-0 against Oklahoma. Both losses were sizable upsets, and once again, the Sooners find themselves in a similar position of being double-digit favorites this time around. With so many other issues needing to be addressed, this could either be the perfect opportunity for OU to finally put it all together, or it could be the stone that finally sends this program tumbling out of contention.

Nevertheless, the Crimson & Cream will need all hands on deck this week, and that starts on Tuesday with Lincoln Riley’s Week Five Press Conference (full presser link here).

Presser highlights

Riley on the fans’ negative reaction on Saturday

As the night wore on, the fans’ patience grew thin with the offense’s continued struggles to sustain drives and score points against WVU. Much of that displeasure was directed at Spencer Rattler, who was booed multiple times throughout the game. Additionally, there were a number of moments when a portion of the crowd was heard chanting ‘We want Caleb’, meaning they were asking for Rattler to be benched in favor of backup true freshman Caleb Williams.

Riley was asked about his thoughts on the booing and chanting from the fans on Saturday night.

“We have a passionate fan base, and I think it’s always important for us to remember that, for all of us, ninety percent of the people in there are die-hard Sooners, and they’re just like us. They’re going to fight and kind of be with us no matter what’s happening. I don’t think any fan wants us, if something’s not going well, to just quit or stop, so we would hope the fans would take the same attitude.”

Riley on how he counsels Spencer Rattler amid his play

On the season, Spencer Rattler has totaled 1,017 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns to three interceptions on 100-135 (74.1%) attempts. He’s also added 71 yards and another pair of TDs on the ground.

Without context, those numbers aren’t particularly bad by any measure, but for those who have watched the product on the field, and it’s clear that Rattler has left a lot to be desired. He’s also been rather fortunate to not have more turnovers up to this point with some questionable decision making. Of course, the O-line in front of him and the skill players around him haven’t exactly been perfect, either, and Riley himself should shoulder a portion of the blame with his play calling.

On Tuesday, Riley was asked about how he would counsel his starting QB through the mounting negative outside response as well as his inconsistent play through four games.

“The same way I would counsel somebody about going and playing on the road or playing at home when they cheer or playing at home when they boo or playing on the road when they boo. I mean, we don’t pay attention to that stuff. It’s kind of like how we were after the Tulane game. If we’re going to worry about all these things outside that have nothing to do with football, then we’re not listening to our message here. Our message is our expectations. We are the only expectations and opinions that counts. Absolutely we appreciate fans being in the stands and cheering. I’m definitely not saying that, but as far as playing the game, we answer to one standard, and that’s our own.

So whatever’s said in the heat of the game, that’s irrelevant. And then I would say this regarding the quarterback position. If I’ve got guys in there that have thin skin or can’t handle that, then I’ve got the wrong guys in the room, and I have the right guys in the room.”

Riley on what he can do to improve the offense

There is a lot of blame going around when it comes to the offense’s woes, and Lincoln Riley has tasked himself with doing a better job of preparing and managing the side of the ball that he has famously led in Norman for the past seven seasons. On Tuesday, he was asked about what he can do to improve the offensive production.

“I think there’s some things overall with the group, schematically, that I can do better. I think our mentality as a group is growing, but it’s going to need to continue to grow. […] We’ve had a couple of unique games in a row; we’re closer than what people think. Whether people on the outside believe it or not, that’s up to them, but we watch the tape, and I know what we have in that room, and we all have to do better, myself included.”

Riley on his assessment of the defense

On the season, Oklahoma’s defense ranks first in the Big 12 in sacks (14), second in points allowed per game (16), and third in total yards allowed per game (301.3). Although the group has adopted a bit of a bend-don’t-break mentality, it’s been enough to get the job done despite the offense’s struggles to pull away from teams.

Riley was asked about how he would assess the defense’s play through four games.

“I would say the thing I’ve been the most impressed with our defense has been our ability to… we’ve probably bended a little bit more than we want to, but we haven’t broken. We haven’t had an extreme number of three-and-outs, not as many as we would expect or strive to have, but have done a tremendous job when people get a drive going of being able to put a lid on it. And that is a lot about the mindset. Again, I think our front, having the ability to wear on people as games and drives go on, especially with how we’re able to rotate guys and keep guys fresh. […] In large part, we have played well, but I still feel very similar with the whole football team that there’s a lot more in the tank there.”

Follow Crimson & Cream Machine on Twitter!

Also, OU and Texas will kick off at 11 a.m. once again.

Happy Monday, friends and fans!

On Sunday, both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray led their respective pro teams to a couple of dominant wins. The pair of Oklahoma Sooners Heisman Trophy winners now have their teams surging three weeks into the 2021 NFL season.

For the 2-1 Cleveland Browns, Mayfield led his team to a 26-6 demolition over the Chicago Bears. On the day, he finished with 246 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions on 19 of 31 passing while also adding 31 rushing yards on four carries.

For the 3-0 Arizona Cardinals, Murray completed 28 of 34 passes for 316 yards and one INT in a 31-19 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. On the ground, K1 added 19 yards and this one-yard TD in the first quarter.

It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of Mayfield and Murray’s respective seasons play out over time. Up next for the Browns is a road test against the 1-2 Minnesota Vikings next Sunday. For the Cardinals, a trip to the 3-0 Los Angeles Rams in a battle of unbeatens.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! OU-Texas set for a morning kick, AR12 inks a sweet rookie deal with LA, the baseball Cards keep streaking and more!

OU Links

• I know you’ll all be shocked for this one, but it’s official — Oklahoma and Texas will kick-off the Red River Showdown at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 9. Television wise, ABC will carry the annual rivalry game. Regardless of how these past four weeks have played out, *Borat voice* I am very excite!

• The Lou Groza Award committee named OU placekicker Gabe Brkic one of four Stars of the Week. On Saturday night, he booted the Sooners to a 16-13 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers with his last second 30-yard field goal. On the season, the redshirt junior has successfully converted eight of 10 FGs, including four of five makes from beyond 50 yards.

• 247 Sports national college football analyst Brandon Marcello says Oklahoma has a quarterback problem with Spencer Rattler.
• Following OU’s win over WVU, Sooners Wire’s John Williams has the updated game-by-game win probability figures from ESPN’s Football Power Index rating.
• On Monday, former OU hoops star Austin Reaves signed a two-year, guaranteed deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after shining during the NBA Summer League. Boomer!

Around the Sports World

• The St. Louis Cardinals have extended their franchise’s longest winning streak to 16 games after rallying to defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4-2 on Sunday.
• Oft-suspended, former All-Pro WR Josh Gordon is reportedly set to join the Kansas City Chiefs upon being reinstated by the NFL.
• Clemson Tigers star DT Bryan Bresee has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the college football season after suffering a torn ACL in a loss to NC State last Saturday. Starting RB Will Shipley is also expected to miss some time with a leg injury.
• The Denver Nuggets have reportedly signed forward Michael Porter Jr. to a five-year, $172 million max contract extension worth up to $207 million, contingent on where he places on the All-NBA teams at the end of the 2021-22 season.
• After being dismissed from the team over the weekend, ex-Ohio State LB K’Vaughan Pope has reportedly entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Follow Crimson & Cream Machine on Twitter!

Oklahoma continues to look unimpressive offensively.

After squeaking out another victory over a big underdog, the Oklahoma Sooners have fallen two spots in this week’s AP Poll. This poll, of course, does not matter, but it serves as a placeholder for national perception until the College Football Playoff rankings begin to drop.

1. Alabama (58)

2. Georgia (4)

3. Oregon

4. Penn State

5. Iowa

6. Oklahoma

7. Cincinnati

8. Arkansas

9. Notre Dame

10. Florida

11. Ohio State

12. Ole Miss

13. BYU

14. Michigan

15. Texas A&M

16. Coastal Carolina

17. Michigan State

18. Fresno State

19. Oklahoma State

20. UCLA

21. Baylor

22. Auburn

23. North Carolina State

24. Wake Forest

25. Clemson

A few quick notes:

• OU fell two spots, with Penn State and Iowa surpassing them. I don’t think anyone has an issue with the Sooners falling a couple of spots, but Iowa has been sleepwalking these past two weeks with ho-hum performances against Kent State and Colorado State. There are probably some more deserving candidates for that spot.
• If anything, OU should have been surpassed by Arkansas, which is a team that appears to be up for any challenge it faces and has been playing with its hair on fire. I’m not sure how anyone could dislike Sam Pittman. The Grove, Okla. native is an American treasure.
• Two in, two out for the Big 12. Iowa State is gone after a loss to Baylor (WOOF, did you see that two-point attempt?), and the Bears are in at No. 21. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State makes its first appearance at No. 19 after taking out then-No. 25 Kansas State. Texas is currently No. 26 and will likely end up being OU’s first top-25 opponent of the season. After that, OU probably won’t face another ranked team until mid-to-late November.
• The ACC is TERRRRRRIBLE! Honestly, it’s been hot garbage for a while, but Clemson’s accomplishments have kind of masked the conference’s overall ineptitude up until now. Wake Forest probably has the best team in 2021, which should never be the case.
• Alabama and Georgia look great. As for pretty much everybody else, it appears to be a mystery. Oregon has a great win on its resume but struggled with Arizona for much of the evening. OU has a bad offensive line (for now, at least). Notre Dame had a big fourth quarter against Wisconsin but has looked very ‘meh’ otherwise. Penn State should have lost to Wisconsin, and its win over Auburn doesn’t look as impressive after the Tigers barely beat Georgia State yesterday. It seems like everyone is just trying to find their footing at this point, which makes me feel slightly better about the Sooners.

OU gets strong performance from defense to overcome struggles moving the ball versus the Mountaineers.

A walk-off field goal from 30 yards out by kicker Gabe Brkic helped the Oklahoma Sooners pull out a 16-13 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers Saturday night at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. The thrilling finish in OU’s first Big 12 game of 2021 won’t brush away the mounting concerns over the team’s underwhelming start, however.

The OU defense played a spectacular game, limiting WVU to 3.9 yards per offensive play. The Eers went with the fashionable game plan against OU of milking the clock when they had possession. They ran 63 plays in 33:00, which works out to an average of more than 30 seconds per play. WVU’s opening drive of the game, which gave the visitors their only touchdown, covered 75 yards in 18 plays and drained more than nine minutes off the clock.

The Sooners needed every single stop they could get as their offense continued to move in quicksand. They gained 313 yards on 64 plays for an average of 4.9 yards per play. Of utmost concern for head coach and offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, OU ran the ball 28 times for 57 yards. After putting up 23 points versus Nebraska a week ago, it’s impossible to deny OU’s offense needs a jumpstart.

Riley may want to start with figuring out what is going on with OU’s offensive line. Riley and OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh will have to give significant thought to what the five players up front should look like the rest of the way – the current starting five generated little push in the ground game against WVU. Quarterback Spencer Rattler’s pocket presence also suggests he has doubts about the big uglies’ ability to protect in the passing game.

Speaking of which, the OU QB shook off a damaging interception in the second quarter to put together a solid overall effort. Rattler completed 26-of-36 passes for 256 yards, one touchdown and an INT. On the game-winning drive, he hit on all six of his throws for 54 yards.

Rattler’s favorite target on the evening: Mike Woods. The Arkansas transfer hauled in eight balls for 86 yards, including crucial grabs late in the game. Running back Eric Gray finished second for the game with 52 yards on three receptions.

Brkic also made field goals of 28 and 35 yards in the second half prior to floating his final attempt through the uprights with no time left on the clock in the fourth quarter.

Now sitting at 4-0, the Sooners head on the road for the first time this year in their next game against the Kansas State Wildcats on Oct. 2. The date with the 3-1 Wildcats will have OU looking for revenge after suffering consecutive losses to KSU in 2019 and 2020. Getting out of town also might help the Sooners loosen up after surviving three nerve-wracking finishes in Norman in their first four games.

Head on down to the comments section to give us your thoughts on the game and everything else throughout the day!

Head on down to the comments section to give us your thoughts on the game and everything else throughout the day!

After a pair of less-than-stellar performances against Tulane and Nebraska, the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to make a statement as the face a solid West Virginia Mountaineers team.

Take it way, Toby.

Time & TV: Saturday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC

Commentary: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe

Streaming: WatchESPN

Line: Oklahoma -17.5 (as of Saturday at 1 p.m. CT)

O/U: 56.5

OU-West Virginia Game Primer

BreakingT offers officially licensed gear depicting D.J. Graham’s INT seen ‘round the world

C&C Machine Podcast – Kamiar & Stephen recap win over Nebraska then preview WVU

Allen Kenney scouts the Mountaineers’ offense & defense

Week Four Gambling Picks from Allen & the Skinny

OU vs. WVU Q&A with The Smoking Musket: QB play, conference realignment and more!

2021 Game Day Polices & Procedures

Nike drops the new Pegasus 38 Oklahoma shoe collection

Prediction

Oklahoma 31, West Virginia 17

Now head on down to the comments to give us your own predictions!