A couple things from the defensive side of the ball (Re: UTEP)

[8timechamps]

Some of this is from coach (Mike) Stoops, some from players. Here ya go:

* RJ Washington said he was "nervous" at the start of the game since it was his first time starting as a Sooner. Admitted to having a couple of technuque errors, but said everything (wrong with his performance Saturday) is "correctable".

Quote: “I got a couple pressures,” he said. “But I got caught upfield (on some of Jeffery’s runs). I wasn’t reading the mesh fast enough.”


* Mike Stoops said they went into the UTEP game with a very limited package. No elaborate zones or anything like that, just "vanilla" defense. Mike was also very happy with the way the defense played overall, and said the two long runs were coaching errors that led to a player being out of position in both instances. Says all the mistakes are correctable. Really heaped the praise on the back seven.

Quote: “That’s the great thing — we could have dominated the game, we went in there with a very limited package and we played well. We can get those things fixed.”

* Tom Wort received the highest grade he's ever had as a Sooner by the coaches (after reviewing game film).

Quote: “I’ve heard people saying I can’t get off blocks, but when you’re playing gap, you’re responsible for that gap.”




What struck me most was the quote from Mike about being able to dominate the game. I don't know if that's coach-speak, or just the truth...but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

[IronHorseSooner]

Like I said, VANILLA!!!!

[Widescreen]

Shows you what I know. I thought Wort was a complete non-factor

[Keller Sooner]

Shows you what I know. I thought Wort was a complete non-factor

I was right there with you bro. I kept thinking where the heck are the linebackers.

[OU_Sooners75]

Well it was vanilla.


But as I said in a thread I started a week or two ago..."the 2012 defense: what will we see..."

The defense is assignment defense. The front four will be the ones to do most of the pressuring. The mlb will be dropping into a middle zone when in passing downs. The dl and lbs are playing gap assignments, no longer trying to read the play.

That is what we sawvs UTEP and I thought the defense did really well. Their biggest issue wasn't assignments, though some were blown. It was the fact that the defense wasn't tackling very well for most of the game.

On a hand full of rushes, if the first tackler at least holds on until help arrives, their RB doesn't gain 100 yards, let alone 177.

[AzianSooner]

I witness 1 thing from the defense:

They played calm, professionally, and have no mental or tendency of giving up the play or that game.

They seem.... mature.

[hawaii 5-0]

I want Wort in the gap the ball carrier's running thru.

5-0

[cccasooner2]

I want Wort in the gap the ball carrier's running thru.

5-0

Good one. :)

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Shows you what I know. I thought Wort was a complete non-factor

Mike is pretty good at freeing up his best players to make plays. If you are in a situation where you occupy blockers, you don't fall into that category. All you have to do is watch our linebackers on those runs. If they key run, they ran straight into the blocker in front of them ANDDDD that is where they stayed. To me, it looks like Mike is conceeding they suck and can't get off blocks so he's using them to stuff the running lanes in the middle and let someone else make plays.

[SoonerBBall]

Mike is pretty good at freeing up his best players to make plays. If you are in a situation where you occupy blockers, you don't fall into that category. All you have to do is watch our linebackers on those runs. If they key run, they ran straight into the blocker in front of them ANDDDD that is where they stayed. To me, it looks like Mike is conceeding they suck and can't get off blocks so he's using them to stuff the running lanes in the middle and let someone else make plays.

Is this why we saw Tony Jefferson making so many tackles on running plays?

[ouwasp]

Well, I hope Mike has a plan to help out with depth on the DL...

[Soonermagik]

Mike is pretty good at freeing up his best players to make plays. If you are in a situation where you occupy blockers, you don't fall into that category. All you have to do is watch our linebackers on those runs. If they key run, they ran straight into the blocker in front of them ANDDDD that is where they stayed. To me, it looks like Mike is conceeding they suck and can't get off blocks so he's using them to stuff the running lanes in the middle and let someone else make plays.

Think what you will, but the defense gave up 0 points. How many times over the past few years have we all yearned for a defense that would bend, but not break? I know it was UTEP, but they were also without Walker and McGee in the first game of the season and it just happened to be a road game. Given the circumstances, I was pretty happy with the performance of the defense.

[Boomer.....]

"I don't think people understand what gap defense is," Wort continued. "If you have a gap, you have to maintain that gap. If you leave your gap and they run it in there, it's your fault. This whole game is about playing your gap and being right. The grades show me and Corey did the right thing. We hit our gaps inside."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/sportspost.aspx?/Wort_heard_his_critics._Its_only_fair_his_critics_ hear_him./12-16766

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Think what you will, but the defense gave up 0 points. How many times over the past few years have we all yearned for a defense that would bend, but not break? I know it was UTEP, but they were also without Walker and McGee in the first game of the season and it just happened to be a road game. Given the circumstances, I was pretty happy with the performance of the defense.

I think you are misreading my post here. I have no doubt that venables would have continued to focus on the linebackers instead of the outer shell. My only concern at this point is dealing with edge deception (particularly from teams who run the sprint draw).

[8timechamps]

I think you are misreading my post here. I have no doubt that venables would have continued to focus on the linebackers instead of the outer shell. My only concern at this point is dealing with edge deception (particularly from teams who run the sprint draw).

That is a concern I have too. There were several times against UTEP, if Lamison would have had any running ability, that he could have kept it on the read option and we would have been caught on the edges. I'm hoping that Mike made calls based on the fact that Lamison can't run, and not because we are weak.