Possibly the worst OU defense performance I've ever seen?

[OUInformant]

I'm not sure. And the coaches don't change anything.

[JLEW1818]

The worst ever, fact

[nighttrain12]

Mike Stoops is stoopified!

[70sooner]

yep, that was pretty fuggin ugly.....but it was a win, eh?

[ouflak]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

[olevetonahill]

Show me very many teams that have gone in there and stopped WVU from scoring very many
If WVU is fired up they hard to stop in their Shack

[OUInformant]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

I was thinking the same thing as well. That still goes #1.

[BoulderSooner79]

It's nice to pair a (bad) record setting effort that with a 'W'. Doesn't happen that way very often.

[Explodo]

The game that shall not be named was pretty bad...

[instigator]

I just want some reporter to try to defend the rushing defense again. That 7 DB set is a loser. Get some LBs in there.

[jkjsooner]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

That came to my mind but I think we just got overpowered. Different situation. Also we didn't let one guy do it to us.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

The weakness to playing man to man is when your front 5/6 can't stop the run. This was the major argument that I had 2 years ago when everyone was screaming bloody murder for us to run more man. I just don't see how we can recruit the players we need to play predominantly man on the backend and stopping any running back that can make one guy miss.

Before you say "wha?" think about the fact that Texas ran this same defense against us from 99-2004. During those years, every time we got a running back out there that could make one guy miss he had a field day. Now think about the fact that Texas has had MUCH better defensive talent than we've had over the years.

[MyT Oklahoma]

I was thinking the same thing as well. That still goes #1.

Yes and no. Yes it was worse but no in that we didn't have the talent then that we have now.

This was the worse OU defensive performance with the talent that we possess except for a certain national championship game against USC. We had talent then too but you sure couldn't tell it.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

I just want some reporter to try to defend the rushing defense again. That 7 DB set is a loser. Get some LBs in there.

Every linebacker you put on the field is one less defender. Some of the refs run faster than Wort.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Yes and no. Yes it was worse but no in that we didn't have the talent then that we have now.

This was the worse OU defensive performance with the talent that we possess except for a certain national championship game against USC. We had talent then too but you sure couldn't tell it.

USC game was about turnovers namely 3 straight that put the game out of reach...

[OUInformant]

I just want some reporter to try to defend the rushing defense again. That 7 DB set is a loser. Get some LBs in there.

Yeah, I know.

[instigator]

Every linebacker you put on the field is one less defender. Some of the refs run faster than Wort.
I didn't say Wort. :).

I didn't think the others were that bad.

[MyT Oklahoma]

USC game was about turnovers namely 3 straight that put the game out of reach...

That plus our team simply quitting which is what made that game truly suck. Same thing happened against OSU last year too and that is what made it ugly.

[jkjsooner]

That plus our team simply quitting which is what made that game truly suck. Same thing happened against OSU last year too and that is what made it ugly.
Yeah we quit pretty much right after Bradley's brain fart. We did pull it together in the second half if there was anything positive to say about that game.

[kevpks]

We won. It's not the worst ever. I don't care what the stats were.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

I'm sorry, but the Iowa State "Draw" game still has to be the worst I've ever seen. That ISU team was horrid.

[Explodo]

The complete lack of holding calls on WV astounded me to a certain degree. I also think this had an impact on how our D played.

[SOONER44EVER]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate. I was there. Entire D was totally inept. Imagine if Nebraska would have passed the ball too.

[SOONER44EVER]

USC game was about turnovers namely 3 straight that put the game out of reach... Their D know everything we would do helped them a lot too.

[OkieThunderLion]

Yes. Worst I've ever seen. Maybe Blake vs NU in the 90's, But that was such a talent mismatch.

[8timechamps]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

Absolutely. Not even close.

Honestly, I don't think anyone could've stopped Austin. The only question is why the hell haven't they played him there prior to tonight?! Also, at some point, maybe we should have tried a couple of linebackers and not have 7 DBs on the field. Oh well, a win's a win.

[Judge Smails]

I was there. Entire D was totally inept. Imagine if Nebraska would have passed the ball too.


Is that the one that was like 72-0? If so, I remember it was hotter than hell that day..........

[Mazeppa]

Show me very many teams that have gone in there and stopped WVU from scoring very many
If WVU is fired up they hard to stop in their Shack

Kstate held them to 14 there.

[SoonerorLater]

There is no way to spin this as anything but a travesty defensively speaking, We gave up close to 800 yards of offense to WV. A lot of that wasn't do to the scheme. A lot of it was due to our guys whiffing on tackles.

[SOONER44EVER]

Is that the one that was like 72-0? If so, I remember it was hotter than hell that day..........
I think it was 73-21 or like 69-7. We lost to them bad 2 years in a row under Blake.

[picasso]

Kstate held them to 14 there.
And how did they do tonight?

[8timechamps]

There is no way to spin this as anything but a travesty defensively speaking, We gave up close to 800 yards of offense to WV. A lot of that wasn't do to the scheme. A lot of it was due to our guys whiffing on tackles.

You're 100% right. There is no spin that can explain away the performance. However, I put more on the scheme than the players. There were plenty of missed tackles, but in that kind of defense even one missed tackle equals HUGE gains.

[Mazeppa]

And how did they do tonight?

What do you mean?

[recemp]

That was just terrible. Wonder what Venables was doing today?

[8timechamps]

That was just terrible. Wonder what Venables was doing today?

He won too, but gave up 600 yards and 48 points himself.

[BoulderSooner79]

What do you mean?

I'll take that one. He means every week is different, and a win is a win.

[Salt City Sooner]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.
NU '96 was every bit as much the product of offensive ineptitude on the part of OU as it was the defense. NU had less than 400 yards that day, & scored 38 points off OU turnovers. They also had a KO return for a score.

[Okie35]

The complete lack of holding calls on WV astounded me to a certain degree. I also think this had an impact on how our D played.

not just those calls... the high step by Austin and when Bailey spun the ball on the ground were easily unsportmanlike conduct

[Okie35]

Kstate held them to 14 there.

WVU had a lot of banged up players. Bailey was hurt too and you see what he did against us.

[Spray]

This game was a Mike Stoops outlier. We won. Because we won it was fun. Case closed.

Recruit some DTs and LBs for the next few seasons. Really, nothing to see here other than a late season shootout.

[agoo758]

You're 100% right. There is no spin that can explain away the performance. However, I put more on the scheme than the players. There were plenty of missed tackles, but in that kind of defense even one missed tackle equals HUGE gains.


Could possibly be the scheme, but I saw our line getting, and anyone CB running up to help get pushed about 5 yards back by their guys EVERY SINGLE PLAY. Maybe our guys are just not that good.

[Okie35]

Could possibly be the scheme, but I saw our line getting, and anyone CB running up to help get pushed about 5 yards back by their guys EVERY SINGLE PLAY. Maybe our guys are just not that good.

It wasn't like that at first I think after 31-17 every one got relaxed. Mike kept calling the same damn plays too. I hated when he called the zone play when a lineman drops back. He only called it like 3 times but we got burned every time. He was leaving the middle of the field open too. So even w/ the *gag* missed tackles there was nobody around to cleanup.

[soonercastor]

Props to Holgorson for realizing our run D is **** and game planning by giving his playmaker the ball. We certainly didn't anticipate that and obviously didn't adjust.

[OUster]

Its a Win. This same effort was a loss last year. Seems like the bitching has intensified regardless of the result. Must be the same folks in the stadium that can't scream but 5 minutes in total during a home game. I'm drinking the "half full" glass on a day number 1&2 went down to teams they weren't supposed to lose to.

[EatLeadCommie]

Definitely horrible, but I have to say that I have never, ever seen a RB own another team like I saw tonight. Thank God they didn't have any timeouts when they got the ball back or they would have handed off to him for an 80 yard TD.

Our front 7 is awful. It really isn't Mike's fault. He is dealing with what he has and he has done a miracle with it until tonight. The front 7 is the absolute worst to ever suit up in the crimson and cream. Horrible. But put Gerald McCoy in there tonight and I'm not so sure it matters that much.

[cleller]

Definitely horrible, but I have to say that I have never, ever seen a RB own another team like I saw tonight. Thank God they didn't have any timeouts when they got the ball back or they would have handed off to him for an 80 yard TD.

Our front 7 is awful. It really isn't Mike's fault. He is dealing with what he has and he has done a miracle with it until tonight. The front 7 is the absolute worst to ever suit up in the crimson and cream. Horrible. But put Gerald McCoy in there tonight and I'm not so sure it matters that much.

Amen. Not saying those guys aren't trying, but the Dline and LBs have not been making big plays. No one stands out. It has been trending this way for the last few years. Don't know whose fault it is, but the talent isn't there.

[stoopified]

Mike Stoops is stoopified!NO! I am stoopified.I think it is time to trash the 67 back man to man D.

[fadada1]

Our LB play was horrible. Did Wort even play last night? You let ANY running back through the first 2 levels and the DBs are going to look like crap. You let a guy that runs a 3.5 second 40 through the first 2 levels of a D... you might as well have the corners and safety sit down and watch him run by - which is what it looked like.

[Soonerjeepman]

not just those calls... the high step by Austin and when Bailey spun the ball on the ground were easily unsportmanlike conduct

on top of the catch and fumble and interference call on us that shouldn't have been. Even the sideline interference...no coach, no player..shouldn't count. With all the people of the sidelines it's now the job of the team to make sure everyone all the way down stays out of the white.

[rock on sooner]

not just those calls... the high step by Austin and when Bailey spun the ball on the ground were easily unsportmanlike conduct

If Sooners had done that it would have been unsportsmanlike....

[ouwasp]

I'm sorry, but the Iowa State "Draw" game still has to be the worst I've ever seen. That ISU team was horrid.

Oh my gosh, that was the worst I've ever seen in person, no doubt. The entire stadium, 70k+ fans, were yelling, imploring the D to "git the #$$%^^&&* quarterback!!!".

And yet the clone qb simply did did the walk/run thing all the way down the field, draw after draw, on that last drive. :mad::mad:

[jkjsooner]

Oh my gosh, that was the worst I've ever seen in person, no doubt. The entire stadium, 70k+ fans, were yelling, imploring the D to "git the #$$%^^&&* quarterback!!!".

And yet the clone qb simply did did the walk/run thing all the way down the field, draw after draw, on that last drive. :mad::mad:

Are you guys talking about the game during the Gibbs era? That QB was running with a pretty bad limp. It just made no sense.

[SoonerOX]

Yes and no. Yes it was worse but no in that we didn't have the talent then that we have now.

This was the worse OU defensive performance with the talent that we possess except for a certain national championship game against USC. We had talent then too but you sure couldn't tell it.

This game you speak of never happened. :-/

[ouwasp]

yeah, it was during Gibbs' time......ISU would either line up in the empty set or motion to it, the Sooner D would spread itself to the 4 winds, then the clone qb would get the snap... drop back a couple steps... then stagger downfield for about 11 yds. Over and over!!!

[8timechamps]

Could possibly be the scheme, but I saw our line getting, and anyone CB running up to help get pushed about 5 yards back by their guys EVERY SINGLE PLAY. Maybe our guys are just not that good.

There is no question that we played poor defense. The players have to own their part. But, when you are playing 7 DBs in man coverage, and run everyone 20+ yards down-field, or out of the box in general, you are left with an outnumbered D-line and one guy that is responsible for Austin. Austin is clearly good enough to make one guy miss...after that, there was nothing but green in front of him. We actually played a bit better in the first half, when we had some LBs on the field.

Anyway, it's too late in the season to get worked up over that performance, we just have to hope it's enough to win three more games. I doubt we see that 4-0-7 again. Maybe here or there, but probably not for most of a game.

And, we won, so that's always good.

[MyT Oklahoma]

This game you speak of never happened. :-/

Funny I remember sitting thru the whole darn thing. I am a man.. I'm over 40 and I watched the whole darn game.

[SoonerLB]

Amen. Not saying those guys aren't trying, but the Dline and LBs have not been making big plays. No one stands out. It has been trending this way for the last few years. Don't know whose fault it is, but the talent isn't there.

I have to agree, and the same mediocrity/lack of talent describes our offensive line as well. I would hope there are some recruiters addressing this situation in a high priority type manner, we should be getting the best, not the leftovers!

And Mike Stoops should carry Landry's jock strap this week since Landry had kept MS from being the laughing stock of college football for at least a week! ;)

[Breadburner]

It was about time the O picked up for the D......

[BoulderSooner79]

It was about time the O picked up for the D......

Amen.

[HateTheWhorns]

Nebraska 1996. And it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

I will go with the WVU game (and SUC as a close 2nd). While our D was hapless in 1996, so was our O. They allowed NEB's O to be on the field all day long. At least WVU had to contend with our O marching up and down the field all day long.

[goingoneight]

There is absolutely nothing good to say about that feeling that there is 24 seconds left in the game and you just know you're going to give up a TD. We got lucky time ran out on them and they had to hail Mary.

[BoulderSooner79]

There is absolutely nothing good to say about that feeling that there is 24 seconds left in the game and you just know you're going to give up a TD. We got lucky time ran out on them and they had to hail Mary.

I wasn't worried once we kick coverage team did a good job. They were down to 21 sec and we changed to a zone defense, so all eyes were on the ball. But even then, I wasn't totally comfortable.

[Jacie]

If you think OU looked bad on defense, you should go read some comments on a WVU board, not all of which are directed at their defense. Holgerson gets a lot of blame for poor game management (they had no TO's left for that final drive), his play calling on 4th down and finally, the seeming lack of effort from their receivers on the Hail Mary pass (only Sooners went up for the ball while three yellow shirts stood and watched).

[StoopTroup]

Having to go back to 1996 to talk bad Defense is hilarious when the meltdown on this board has been "BRING MIKE BACK!".

Many of us tried to explain that the success we had the first few years with Mike here has because of us having a Co-DC situation.

I really think we would have beat WVU like a drum had Brent and Mike been on the sidelines. Of course I can't back that up as we had to just send BV packing and then help the Oklahoma Sports Rags in their attempt to create a story because a few fans feel Bob should burn Coaches on their way out the door.

This season shows that BV deserved better than being treated like a back up to a Grad Asst.

Don't get me wrong though....Mike is a good DC. I don't think he got very much time to recruit because of all the chaos. I think he's going to pull it together and fix what is wrong.

[BoulderSooner79]

If you think OU looked bad on defense, you should go read some comments on a WVU board, not all of which are directed at their defense. Holgerson gets a lot of blame for poor game management (they had no TO's left for that final drive), his play calling on 4th down and finally, the seeming lack of effort from their receivers on the Hail Mary pass (only Sooners went up for the ball while three yellow shirts stood and watched).

Their receivers were doing the right thing. The pass didn't make it to the endzone, so catching the ball would not have helped as they would have been tackled immediately. Their best hope was to hope for a deflected ball to come their way and then run it in. Our 2 guys jumping for the ball almost gave them a chance, but it didn't deflect their way.

[MyT Oklahoma]

And for those of you who didn't get enough last Saturday night, the game is on Fox Sports again as I type. LOL

[SoonerLaw09]

Someone help me out here. During one of Austin's many runs in the 2nd half, one of our guys moved into position to tackle him but then stopped...Austin slowed down to almost a walk, motioned to one of the WV players to block said OU player...and then our guy just *stood there* and waited to get knocked into next week. Austin then ran past for 11 more yards.

Which one of our guys was the traffic cone on that play?

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Hurst had a lot of "give up" going on in that game..i'm fairly sure it was him on that play..could be wrong on that one, but I saw him come to a stop several times.

[BoulderSooner79]

It's also easy to see why a player would freeze. Austin was getting guys to commit one way, then running by them the other way in one easy move. I've seen defenses neutralize a guy like that by having the head on guy stop like that while help rallys to the ball. There was no help coming on Saturday - at least not in time to be of use.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

seen it a lot...but I saw Hurst on more than one occasion stop and then not pursue..

[stoops the eternal pimp]

It was like in a fast break and you don't want the guy dunking to teabag you, so you kind of move to the side and go on.

[SoonerLaw09]

It was like in a fast break and you don't want the guy dunking to teabag you, so you kind of move to the side and go on.

Heh :) You said teabag. :) Yeah, I get that. A lot of people tend to get out of KD's way, too.

[ashley]

Absolutely. Not even close.

Honestly, I don't think anyone could've stopped Austin. The only question is why the hell haven't they played him there prior to tonight?! Also, at some point, maybe we should have tried a couple of linebackers and not have 7 DBs on the field. Oh well, a win's a win.

You hit on it and you are the only one. It was scheme that caused this crap. We played 5 wides wirh a tailback as if it was no back so we put in 7 DB's. You cannot play a formation like that. I guess thats why some of our D coaches kept argueing with our DC during the game. We did"t change till late in the game. Damnest thing I ever saw.

[BoulderSooner79]

Addressing the original question: No, it's not the worst OU D performance ever. The worst ones cost us games, so this one doesn't qualify. What's amazing about it is that we could very easily won this game going away in spite of giving up all those yards. If the refs don't blow that fumble call or Colvin hangs onto that INT in the endzone, we could have won by 2 TDs while giving up 700+ yds. Incredible.

[PLaw]

The worst ever, fact

I dunno - I recall nebbish hanging 70 on us. That was the worst in my fandom going on 40+ years.


Bummer