• OU struggled to stop UAB’s offense
What happened to Oklahoma’s defense during Saturday night’s 24-17 victory over Alabama-Birmingham may be looked at a couple of different ways.
On the one hand, future Sooner opponents may wonder what the big deal’s supposed to be. On the other, if OU’s defense really is as strong as once believed, perhaps those same opponents will be lulled into a false sense of security.
The Sooners will determine the right way to look at it as the season continues, yet Saturday night is certain to leave many scratching their heads.
Alabama-Birmingham, a three-touchdown underdog, ran for 135 yards, threw for 169 yards, picked up 14 first downs, the same number picked up by OU, and gained 5.3 yards per snap.
“Our defense has gotten a lot of attention and they weren’t nearly as good as they were billed to be,” OU coach Bob Stoops said.
The Sooners started well enough, allowing no first downs and just 24 yards in the first quarter, yet those gaudy numbers quickly gave way.
UAB picked up its first first down on its first offensive snap of the second quarter when quarterback Sam Hunt ran for 12 yards. Three plays later Hunt found Rashad Slaughter for 10 yards and the Blazers’ second first down. Two plays later Hunt found Jordan Erwin for 11 yards and the Blazers’ third first down. Nine players later, after running 7:26 off the clock, Corey White rumbled in from 5 yards and the game was tied.
Some might have figured it would take the Sooners all season to allow a 15-play, 80-yard march down the field, yet it happened in the first game.
“It was a combination of a lot of things. They had a good scheme that put us in a bad position to make tackles,” Sooner linebacker Rufus Alexander said. “But we pride ourselves on being a tackling team. If we’re in a position to put a hand on somebody, we need to bring them down.”
And OU’s troubles were not limited to one first-half drive. The Blazers big-played the Sooners in the third quarter, using plays of 32, 10, 9, 3, minus-4 and 24 yards to post their second scoring drive and take a 17-14 lead with less than 20 minutes to play in the game.
“UAB’s offense was a unique offense, and all it takes is one guy to be out of position on this play and one guy to be out of position on that play,” Sooner defensive end Larry Birdine said. “I would say it’s something we’ve got to correct, but you’ve got to give them all the credit.”
Perhaps.
OU put the clamps back on in the fourth quarter, if not quite as well as the first.
Nonetheless, what Stoops said afterward certainly appears to be true.
“We need,” he said, “to play better defensively.”
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KEVIN ELLIS
Discussion
Defensive struggles
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