2013 Sooner Defense

[8timechamps]

What do you expect out of this year's defense?

We all know that there are going to be a lot of new faces on the defense this year, but I think that's going to be a good thing. It's not like we were dominating teams with the unit we had last year. I think we'll miss some of the experience, but I think the injection of new blood (in both players and coaches) will make this year's unit better than last year's.

At this point, is anyone going to be surprised if we play a 3-2-5? I wouldn't even be surprised to see a 3-4 with the type of players on the roster.

I doubt we see anything crazy until WVU, so we may not know for the first couple of weeks. Whatever scheme they play, I only hope it works better against the high octane teams we struggled with last year.

[Soonerus]

Defense is the key to this season...

[Blue]

I hate to say it, but I won't believe we have a good defense until I see it. We've been so bad, it's hard to think they are going to be good.

Definitely hope I'm wrong.

[Soonerus]

I hate to say it, but I won't believe we have a good defense until I see it. We've been so bad, it's hard to think they are going to be good.

Definitely hope I'm wrong.

I agree...

[Curly Bill]

I think we're likely to get run all over. We've not been bringing in topflight DT's or LB'rs for a while now. The good news is we play in a conference that mostly throws the ball and I think we'll be good to really good in the secondary, though there again I don't know that we have anyone up front to put heat on the other team's QB, so our secondary may be made to look worse than it actually is.

[Curly Bill]

I hate to say it, but I won't believe we have a good defense until I see it. We've been so bad, it's hard to think they are going to be good.

Definitely hope I'm wrong.

Kinda where I'm at.

[EatLeadCommie]

we will suck again but think we are improved based on the fact that a lot of the offensive teams that burned our *** (like WVU) don't return their studs.

[vtsooner21]

What worries me is that other teams are reloading their offenses...Are the Sooners getting better defensively to answer? As an earlier post states, until recruiting focuses on DT's & LB's, no changes will be realized.

Boomer

[5noubus]

I'm hoping that since we are planning on having a more mobile qb on the offense- that our defense will be more equipped to handle the quick ,scrambling offensives we have struggled with.
I wish I knew more about who is playing safety

[stoopified]

What do you expect out of this year's defense?

We all know that there are going to be a lot of new faces on the defense this year, but I think that's going to be a good thing. It's not like we were dominating teams with the unit we had last year. I think we'll miss some of the experience, but I think the injection of new blood (in both players and coaches) will make this year's unit better than last year's.

At this point, is anyone going to be surprised if we play a 3-2-5? I wouldn't even be surprised to see a 3-4 with the type of players on the roster.

I doubt we see anything crazy until WVU, so we may not know for the first couple of weeks. Whatever scheme they play, I only hope it works better against the high octane teams we struggled with last year.I'm not quite sure what to expect from this D BUT the one thing I expect is that we will always play 11 players so Ithink OUr 4-3 defense wil becomplemented with 4-3 and 3-3-5 as opposed to a 3-2-5.Maybe that was the problem last year,we used too much 3-2-5. :)

On a serious note I do agree that having so many new players would be a bad thing IF OUr D last year was good,it WAS NOT.This year's D wqill be young and hungry in addition,you know Mike Stoops wants to redeem himself for last year's poor showing.I am hoping that OUr D can play D like we did the first half of the season.In other words,not great but not horrid either.IF we can do that and OUr O is as good as we think it will be,we will be a TOP 10 caliber team. Admittedly,that is a big IF.

[JLEW1818]

... Will be worse than last years

[Ruf/Nek7]

Strengths: D-ends. I do not include them on the D-line only because i think our Ends will be our best position. As for the DTs, we have talent but are super thin therefore, that is an area of concern.

Secondary: Young, athletic and sounds like they will lay the wood. I like the prospects of how physical they could be however, too many new or unproven names so i say average there. Linebackers: too soon to tell seeing how last year, they became non-existent in the defensive schemes.

Overall: i say we will be average at defense. I have no reason to believe we will be better. I do, however, like where this team is headed. I may be alone on that one.

[Soonerjeepman]

I'm going with Blue..until I see improvement in a game it's just coach-spek coming out of the mouths. I do hope we are better. I also agree new blood might be better.

[En_Fuego]

... Will be worse than last years

Lmao

[En_Fuego]

I hope for a slight improvement .... Lol

[FirstandGoal]

Maybe I'm wearing my crimson glasses, but I honestly think we will be at least as "good" as we were last year.

From what I can gather, I don't see where we have all that much a difference in overall talent level, but of course it's pretty hard to say without having played a single game yet.

As long as the injury bug stays the hell away from our defense we will be thin, but it should be do-able. I realize it is a cliche, but I honestly subscribe to the theory that the best defense is a good offense. If our offense runs more like I think they're going to, our D will be on the field less which should lead to improved performance on their part.

RIght now I would predict that we will at least see the same level of performance with a chance that it will be marginally improved.

[SoonerKnight]

The defense will be better this year. Got a feeling they going to flush QB's out and cause turnovers. More aggressive this year.

[SoCalBigRed]

I'm betting we'll see a return to nastiness and head-hunters of the early Stoops' years on both sides of the ball.

There's been a shift in Norman. Interesting how someone over a thousand miles away can see it and people in and around the program, don't. Its blatant to people on the outside looking in.

[Sabanball]

I'm betting we'll see a return to nastiness and head-hunters of the early Stoops' years on both sides of the ball.

There's been a shift in Norman. Interesting how someone over a thousand miles away can see it and people in and around the program, don't. Its blatant to people on the outside looking in.

I'm on the outside too and as much as I would like to agree with you, I don't see it. What are you basing that on?

[SoCalBigRed]

I'm on the outside too and as much as I would like to agree with you, I don't see it. What are you basing that on?

Why would you like you agree with me?

Why would you care, what my perception is?

I see a change in attitude, I see change in some philosophies, just in the fact he fired/hired more than he ever has. There's been a different demeanor around him. Its not really something that you can put into words. Anyone that has ever followed any sports franchise, amateur and/or professional also, knows luck plays probably the biggest role in it all. You make your own luck sometimes.

Back when Coach Stoops originally arrived at Oklahoma, oh... I remember. People now, will talk as if... "they knew it all along", Bob was destined to win a NC, he'd be competing for overall wins at OU. Horse@#$%... most people were completely thrown by the hire. Bringing in an ASSISTANT coach to coach OU? I remember the names, I remember the rumors... I remember Bob Stoops, came from left field and the only person that had expectations, was him.

I have plenty of reasons. I rarely go by what someone else tells me to. Its a gut feeling.

[SoonerorLater]

I expect something similar to last year. They will have their moments and look like they may be turning the corner then it's likely the bottom drops out from game to game. Until we are again dominant on the inside it will always be a struggle. I would love to be proven wrong but I don't see the influx of talent to make it happen. Do we even have a player who would be a prototype inside LB?

[sendbaht]

This I believe is all "Mike's" guys....we are going to kick butt and ask questions later......what a team this will be....from game one to the last....teams will run into a brick wall.....Mike has them ready...

[stoopified]

One reason I believe our D qwill be better is because I think our running game will be better.IF and as I often say,it is a big if,we run more and better,OUR offense will be more able to control clock and TOP.The other team will do less damage to OUr D if it's offense spends more time on the sideline.For the recordI do NOT have crimson glasses.Instead I have the genetic gift of crimson lenses. :)

[8timechamps]

I'm not quite sure what to expect from this D BUT the one thing I expect is that we will always play 11 players so Ithink OUr 4-3 defense wil becomplemented with 3-3 and 3-3- as opposed to a 3-2-5.Maybe that was the problem last year,we used too much 3-2-5. :)

On a serious note I do agree that having so many new players would be a bad thing IF OUr D last year had been good.This year's D wqill be young and hungry in addition,you know Mike Stoops wants to redeem himself for last year's poor showing.I am hoping that OUr D can play D like we did the first half of the season.In other words,not great but not horrid either.IF we can do that and OUr O is as good as we think it will be,we will be a TOP 10 caliber team. Admittedly,that is a big IF.

HAHAHA!

Nice catch.

I had the 3-3-5 on my mind, but meant 3-2-6.

[8timechamps]

Why would you like you agree with me?

Why would you care, what my perception is?

I see a change in attitude, I see change in some philosophies, just in the fact he fired/hired more than he ever has. There's been a different demeanor around him. Its not really something that you can put into words. Anyone that has ever followed any sports franchise, amateur and/or professional also, knows luck plays probably the biggest role in it all. You make your own luck sometimes.

Back when Coach Stoops originally arrived at Oklahoma, oh... I remember. People now, will talk as if... "they knew it all along", Bob was destined to win a NC, he'd be competing for overall wins at OU. Horse@#$%... most people were completely thrown by the hire. Bringing in an ASSISTANT coach to coach OU? I remember the names, I remember the rumors... I remember Bob Stoops, came from left field and the only person that had expectations, was him.

I have plenty of reasons. I rarely go by what someone else tells me to. Its a gut feeling.

I completely agree. I'll also add that some of the kids that have been brought in this year seem more like a "fit" to the knew philosophy/attitude. Namely Hatari Byrd, Ahmad Thomas and Quincy Russell.

[SoonerForLife92]

One reason I believe our D qwill be better is because I think our running game will be better.IF and as I often say,it is a big if,we run more and better,OUR offense will be more able to control clock and TOP.The other team will do less damage to OUr D if it's offense spends more time on the sideline.For the recordI do NOT have crimson glasses.Instead I have the genetic gift of crimson lenses. :)

Fully agree. Keep the D on the sidelines making more adjustments.

[OU_Sooners75]

I'm expecting improvement and a 3-3-5 or a 3-4 base to our defense.

I am not expecting our defense to be a top 15 defense.

That said I am looking to see an aggressive DL, not a read and react DL like that of the past several years.

[Curly Bill]

I expect something similar to last year. They will have their moments and look like they may be turning the corner then it's likely the bottom drops out from game to game. Until we are again dominant on the inside it will always be a struggle. I would love to be proven wrong but I don't see the influx of talent to make it happen. Do we even have a player who would be a prototype inside LB?

Nope!

[LA.SoonerFan]

[QUOTE=OU_Sooners75;3814997]

I am not expecting our defense to be a top 15 defense.




I'll be happy with #16

[ashley]

D tackles are not very good. They did not look good in the spring and haven't looked good in preseason.

[Widescreen]

D tackles are not very good. They did not look good in the spring and haven't looked good in preseason.
You obviously haven't heard about Quincy Russell. He's apparently the love child of Gerald McCoy and Mean Joe Greene.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

D tackles are not very good. They did not look good in the spring and haven't looked good in preseason.

So you've been at the practices and scrimmages in fall drills?

[KantoSooner]

You obviously haven't heard about Quincy Russell. He's apparently the love child of Gerald McCoy and Mean Joe Greene.

That image will haunt me for days.

Damn you.

[FaninAma]

I don't know if it is a physical talent issue or poor football aptitude of the players but there has been a big gap in what the coaches want to do on the field and the actual on the field performance of the players.

[KantoSooner]

What's bugged me is that several of our 'terrible' players from last year. RJ Washington for one. David King for another. Have looked pretty good in NFL preseason. Makes one wonder what happened in the last four months that hadn't happened in the last four years.

[Widescreen]

Maybe the $$$ has made them work harder. They probably don't want to have to go work a regular lower paying job.

[PalmBeachSooner]

The offenses in the Big XII aren't what they were last year, including OU. I don't see any 51-49 shootouts so on paper it might look like the defense is better but it's all relative to the offenses we face.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

The offenses in the Big XII aren't what they were last year, including OU. I don't see any 51-49 shootouts so on paper it might look like the defense is better but it's all relative to the offenses we face.

It will be very easy to tell if the defense is better or not regardless of that, especially after the debacle last season.

[fadada1]

my $.02...

we can go with all the cliches regarding play (i.e., assignment football, bend don't break, fill the gaps, keep everyone in front of you, etc....), but i like the mentality mike stoops had last year - get back to basics. we've had an entire year now with mike back leading the D, if he can continue to teach basic tackling, filling easy gaps to fill, wrapping up, getting hands in the air at the line... i think we'll see improvement in overall numbers.

i'm hoping not to see ridiculous defensive schemes that 1- take too long to set up (especially against up-tempo teams), and 2 - confuse your own men. at least not this year again. until we learn to clone roy williams instinct, tommy harris' size, teddy lehman's speed (i hear he ran a 3.7 40 while at OU), and joe bowden's nastiness... we're going to have to play basic, assignment driven, fundamental football.

[OU_Sooners75]

D tackles are not very good. They did not look good in the spring and haven't looked good in preseason.

Spoken like a novice fan!

Trevor knight looked average at best in the spring. And yet here he sits as the starter for the opening game.

Out DL looked bad in the spring game because of a few reasons:

1. They were facing a very good OL.
2. They were learning a new style from a new coach.
3. They are still very young.

Now add in Quincy Russell and I think the DL will be pretty salty. Especially if they are an aggressive unit instead of the old read and react DL.

[OU_Sooners75]

D tackles are not very good. They did not look good in the spring and haven't looked good in preseason.

BTW you attending practices ad closed scrimmages? If not how the hell do you know how they have looked in fall camp?

Uneducated guess at best!

[OU_Sooners75]

What's bugged me is that several of our 'terrible' players from last year. RJ Washington for one. David King for another. Have looked pretty good in NFL preseason. Makes one wonder what happened in the last four months that hadn't happened in the last four years.

Jackie Shipp happened

[KantoSooner]

That's kind of what I was thinking...but then how did Bob not fire the guy earlier? And how was Mike not able to light a fire under him? Shipp's not a bad guy and he certainly knows what a good line looks like and plays like.

20 years from now, I'll be very interested to hear the story of why.

[OU_Sooners75]

That's kind of what I was thinking...but then how did Bob not fire the guy earlier? And how was Mike not able to light a fire under him? Shipp's not a bad guy and he certainly knows what a good line looks like and plays like.

20 years from now, I'll be very interested to hear the story of why.

Because up until the last couple of years we had some very good DLmen.

The lack of coaching catches up when start to fail at recruiting.

[ashley]

BTW you attending practices ad closed scrimmages? If not how the hell do you know how they have looked in fall camp?

Uneducated guess at best!
Nope, I just know who to talk to.. Just like I posted last spring who would be the starting QB.

[SoCalBigRed]

Nope, I just know who to talk to.. Just like I posted last spring who would be the starting QB.

Who didn't know who the starting QB was going to be, last spring?

You've repeatedly ignored the responses/answer to your comment. Deflect, Dismiss, Belittle, Ignore all you like, but your follow-up doesn't hold any more credibility/truth than your original statement.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

NEWSFLASH


OU will wear crimson jerseys and white pants at home.

BOOK IT

[8timechamps]

Nope, I just know who to talk to.. Just like I posted last spring who would be the starting QB.

I know who to talk too, and I'm getting a very different response.

So far, I've heard that Russell is everything he was billed to be, Jordan Phillips has improved since last year, and Chuka Ndulue looks better at DT than he did at DE.

In addition, I heard:

This year's defense is going to surprise a lot of people.

This information was passed on to me from someone very close to the program. Not my opinion, or something I read online. This source has been extremely reliable in the past, and there is no reason to think otherwise now.

If you had a source that told you Knight was going to start last spring, then your source is just guessing, because until last Thursday, the coaches hadn't made a decision. I'm not calling you out, just questioning what your source knows.

I don't think we'll have a defense like we did in 2000, but I do expect it to be improved over last year.

[8timechamps]

NEWSFLASH


OU will wear crimson jerseys and white pants at home.

BOOK IT

Your source sucks too. They didn't even mention the helmet.

[cleller]

If any of you listen to Al Jerkens, Pat Jones on the Animal, you've heard Al say he hears the D could be average, or it could be very bad.

I cling to the hope that Mike can get his magic back, but have one big worry: the absence of any names that conjure images of reliability. No Torrance, Rocky, Ontei, Thatcher, Cody, Roy W, Strait, etc.

Apparently Bob had good things to say about Tapper today, People seem to think Russell will be good. Hope so. Hope I'm surprised, but so far no one has shown up much.

[8timechamps]

If any of you listen to Al Jerkens, Pat Jones on the Animal, you've heard Al say he hears the D could be average, or it could be very bad.

I cling to the hope that Mike can get his magic back, but have one big worry: the absence of any names that conjure images of reliability. No Torrance, Rocky, Ontei, Thatcher, Cody, Roy W, Strait, etc.

Apparently Bob had good things to say about Tapper today, People seem to think Russell will be good. Hope so. Hope I'm surprised, but so far no one has shown up much.

The bottom line is that we won't know until we see them play. Even with what I'm hearing, I'm still in the "I'll believe it when I see it" camp. We'll have a little better idea this time next week.

[ashley]

I know who to talk too, and I'm getting a very different response.

So far, I've heard that Russell is everything he was billed to be, Jordan Phillips has improved since last year, and Chuka Ndulue looks better at DT than he did at DE.

In addition, I heard:

This year's defense is going to surprise a lot of people.

This information was passed on to me from someone very close to the program. Not my opinion, or something I read online. This source has been extremely reliable in the past, and there is no reason to think otherwise now.

If you had a source that told you Knight was going to start last spring, then your source is just guessing, because until last Thursday, the coaches hadn't made a decision. I'm not calling you out, just questioning what your source knows.

I don't think we'll have a defense like we did in 2000, but I do expect it to be improved over last year.

No you don't.

[8timechamps]

No you don't.

Whatever you say. Like I said, if your "source" told you the QB had been decided in the spring, either you or your source is full of ****.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Spoken like a novice fan!

Out DL looked bad in the spring game because of a few reasons:

1. They were facing a very good OL.
2. They were learning a new style from a new coach.
3. They are still very young.


7-8 years ago, all we heard was that the defense had an advantage in these games because they knew all the plays. You can't say that one unit is "great" until the Texas game. What is a better assumption is that the OL is good and the DL is bad. Honestly, what I saw in the spring game looked like a #1 OL rampaging over a #100 Front 7 between the 20s. They then bowed up inside the red zone and held (which oddly enough is more reminiscent of a BV defense than a MS one).

As to how good they will be, that depends on the linebackers and Corey Nelson in particular. If he has an amazing year, they could be a top 30 D. If he plays like normal but someone else steps up, I'm thinking 40-55. If they play like last year, I'm thinking 60+.

[ashley]

Whatever you say. Like I said, if your "source" told you the QB had been decided in the spring, either you or your source is full of ****.

It wasn't decided but the staff had all the clues in the world. They had many clues from watching Knight run the scout team in the fall.

[8timechamps]

It wasn't decided but the staff had all the clues in the world. They had many clues from watching Knight run the scout team in the fall.

Having "all the clues" and knowing Knight is going to start are two entirely different things.

[ashley]

Having "all the clues" and knowing Knight is going to start are two entirely different things.

Don't you get it? It was clear to them.

[8timechamps]

Don't you get it? It was clear to them.


This is what I "get", you posted this:


Nope, I just know who to talk to.. Just like I posted last spring who would be the starting QB.

Followed by this:


It wasn't decided by the coaches...

I am aware of how the QB took shape. My comment about "all the clues" being different than "knowing who will start" was directed at you "source". It sounds like you knew TK was going to start back in the Spring. I questioned that because nobody knew who was going to start back in the spring. It wasn't clear to the coaches who was going to start, what was clear was that TK had the talent to be in the race, and could be a starter by the start of the season.

But, you're the only person that knows anyone close to the program, so feel free to dismiss my opinion...

[ashley]

OK

[Ruf/Nek7]

Russell finally showing up is huge but IMO, we are just one dumb injury away from being worn thin on the DL

[OU_Sooners75]

BTW you attending practices ad closed scrimmages? If not how the hell do you know how they have looked in fall camp?

Uneducated guess at best!
Nope, I just know who to talk to.. Just like I posted last spring who would be the starting QB.

Trust me. I won't take your word for it.

[OU_Sooners75]

Don't you get it? It was clear to them.


This is what I "get", you posted this:


Nope, I just know who to talk to.. Just like I posted last spring who would be the starting QB.

Followed by this:


It wasn't decided by the coaches...

I am aware of how the QB took shape. My comment about "all the clues" being different than "knowing who will start" was directed at you "source". It sounds like you knew TK was going to start back in the Spring. I questioned that because nobody knew who was going to start back in the spring. It wasn't clear to the coaches who was going to start, what was clear was that TK had the talent to be in the race, and could be a starter by the start of the season.

But, you're the only person that knows anyone close to the program, so feel free to dismiss my opinion...

Let's not forget to remind Ashley that Knight was #3 until the first day or two of fall camp.

I'm not saying anything bad about Knight because stoops just doesn't start a player he wants, bit one that has earned it.

But what I am saying is it was obvious to the coaches heading into the fall camp that Knight wasn't being considered a starter from the first fall practice. In fact he had to work extremely hard to earn the right to start.

And it wasn't until last Tuesday that he finally got more reps with the %1s than Bell did.

Ashley...your source was grasping straws at best.

That is if you indeed have a source.

[stoopified]

On exam 1 igive an A,proably about a 92

[cleller]

I'd been thinking for a couple years that the D was missing some impact players, and leadership.

After seeing Tapper, Phillips, Striker, and others, I'm hoping the "impact" is emerging.

As for leadership, we all know Bob likes Corey Nelson very much. Reading Nelson's comments in the paper this morning, he seems to be taking some leadership:
“We're not satisfied at all,” the Sooners linebacker said. “I will make sure that the defense won't be satisfied with this win that we got, especially a shutout. We have to continue to stay hungry and stay humble.”

http://newsok.com/sooner-defense-shines-in-season-opening-win/article/3878388

Oh yeah, not a stupid shark fin in sight with these guys.

[boomersooner28]

Us running the ball and long-drawn out drives, helps our defense. Keeps them off the field. When we go 3 and out, or run down the field in the hurry up offense, our D gets no rest and they get wore out. If we can sustain a running game, it will all work together nicely and our D won't be gassed all the time.

[dwarthog]

^^^^ This.

Giving the boys some time to catch their breath and a rest cycle will go a long way. Hopefully there are enough quality backups in the mix to help out when we aren't necessarily dominating an opponent like they did last night.

[SoonerorLater]

And we still managed to run 83 plays last night.

[Therealsouthsider]

"If any of you listen to Al Jerkens, Pat Jones on the Animal, you've heard Al say he hears the D could be average, or it could be very bad."

...anyone who gives any creedence to anything Al Jerkins says is already lost, and Pat "62-60-3" Jones is only slightly better

ss

[hawaii 5-0]

So happy to hear the Sooners pitched a shutout. A real confidence builder.

Loved it that the D-line got after the QB. Disruption is our Friend.

5-0