BV and LineBacker corp.

[AzianSooner]

After watching the practice 14 video clips, I think BV is an excellent LB coach BUT he is not a very good defensive coord coach yet. He can call defensive play very well against Big 12 teams. Otherwise, I think his defensive game plan and play call are just a little above average.

I think OUr LB guys are too nice. I think BV needs to recruit some guys with big ugly faces, means like a gangsters (see Torrance Marshall for example) to scare the hell of the opponent QB. I truly believe Chris Weinke (FSU-2000)can't even stare directly to Torrance Marshal until he called him out.

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

Interesting...

I'm sure you would walk up to Mike Reed, Curtis Lofton, Ryan Reynolds, Lamont Robinson, Lewis Baker, Brandon Crow, Austin Box, Travis Lewis and tell them that they are too nice or good looking and shouldn't be playing football at OU.

I am willing to bet that most of the team would make me soil myself if there was a confrontation with one of them.

[CrimsonFaithful]

I kinda agree with azian........

[MojoRisen]

as long as BV or stoops never goes into a prevent again I will be satisfied. If they go prevent and we get burned again ie Oregon or Bosie some one should be on the hot seat.

[CatfishSooner]

lewis baker = pretty boy

[snp]

After watching the practice 14 video clips, I think BV is an excellent LB coach BUT he is not a very good defensive coord coach yet. He can call defensive play very well against Big 12 teams. Otherwise, I think his defensive game plan and play call are just a little above average.

What does that mean? Because they're in the Big 12, they all play the same? or are you saying that the Big 12 sucks? I realize that the Big 12 was down last year, but still weren't that awful.

Texas A&M - Very strong running team - 16 points
Missouri - Good short route passing team - 10 points
oklahoma State - Explosive and strong on both passing and rushing - 21 points
Nebraska - Great overall offense - 7 points
Texas - Above average offense, good balance - 21 points

I think we all know that at the beginning of the year, the defense just was playing crappy - like they forgot how to tackle. If you want to refer to the Boise State game and try to blame that on Venerables, that's ridiculous.

1st TD - Blown coverage
2nd TD - Redzone turnover by PT
3rd TD - awful tackle right before halftime
4th TD - Interception return
5th TD - That awful prevent defense had Boise at 4th and 19 with 7 seconds left. Lewis Baker blew his outside contain and charged at the ball carrier, and a great play was executed.


So he did all that with one of the younger defenses in the nation. It's like now that Chuck Long is gone, some people have to pick on whoever isn't Stoops, unless you're Nick.

[MojoRisen]

Prevent killed us against Oregon/Killed us, Bosie hey a blitze would have been nice on 4-19 but hey.

Other than that no real coplaints-

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Thank you.

Thank you for a logical knock to the head for all the doubters.

For those of you thinking Stoops, BV and Company can't coach defense, I beg, I plead, and I pray for you to take a look NOT at stats, as my good man SNP has already provided, but at scheme. At what they did with a weak interior defensive front. Youth in the secondary. Sloppy fundamentals in the early season.

Look at that defense from day one to the Fiesta Bowl.

Tell me that Brent Venables can't coach defense and I'll call you a blind, uneducated fool. Through scheme and a return to fundamentals that Stoops himself proclaimed, that defense played ABOVE their heads and started putting stops on the obvious gaps that the early schedule was taking advantage of. Through scheme and a return to fundamentals, they attacked the football. Played to cover weakness and take advantage of strengths. The proof is in Rufus Alexander and Nic Harris.

Instead of eating blocks and getting gutshot for 180 plus on the ground, linebackers were clear in space and magically, almost as if the run defense fairy stopped by for a visit, the zone read went from a near guaranteed 6 yard average to seeing nothing but crimson. Which in turn put offenses back honest, which in turn, played right to our speed.

C'mon, man. Don't be a goof. While I ain't askin' for rose colored glasses, be honest with the boys and the work they did. If you are, you'll realize what a balls out fantastic job the defensive coaching staff did last year from spring to the bowl game, forcing offenses to address strengths, removing weaknesses through scheme, and all in all, turning an angry Sooner fan in Sand Springs, Oklahoma into one that is almost amazed with the finished product.

[snp]

Prevent killed us against Oregon/Killed us, Bosie hey a blitze would have been nice on 4-19 but hey.

Other than that no real coplaints-


A fan wants more blitzing? Shocking :D

I don't really remember the Oregon game. I remember the refs blowing a tipped PI call and Nic Harris getting beat in man coverage at the end. I was really liquored up at the end.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

remember at the end of the first half of the 2005 rrs, we got burned b/c we were NOT in a prevent. just sayin...

[goingoneight]

I've been critical of BV before... but I actually did some research, and trust me AzianSooner... the guy knows darn well what everyone's beef with him is. He's said it many times before that he's only human, and when an opponent's offense executes correctly, even Oklahoma's defense can look ugly. He's admitted several times to what he calls "bonehead blitzes" and he knows exactly why people are frustrated with the tackling problems we've had. You have to look at his defense versus his opponents' D though year in and out. His defenses pile up great stats, usually have a solid game plan, unless someone is just all around better than us (see Orange Bowl 2005, Fiesta Bowl 2006) on the night we play them.

BV is actually just as smart and witty as Bob Stoops is, and I truly believe he's got a tremendous future ahead of him. So long as he isn't a whorn or Domer coach in the future, he'll always have my vote of confidence whenever he plays someone as a HC someday. A lot of people think, like I used to, that when the defense has a shoddy game, or looks sloppy for several games that you should automatically fire who's in charge. I really don't see anybody else in the country who could have corrected that mess of a defense we had early on last year other than who we have. The guys know what they're doing, and are excellent teachers.

You could have a guy like BV or BJW who teach hands on, or a guy like John Blake who draws up plays in an air-conditioned room... I'll take who we've got, still against anyone in the country. Believe me, you don't want to lose BV's know-how and recruiting...

Yeah, we've had "more sharp" looking defenses before... but there's a reason why OUr more dominant defenses rank so highly in the history of college football defense. Roy Williams, Derek Strait, Tommie Harris, Rocky Calmus... those guys didn't make the NFL without reason. They all also had three of four seasons to gel with eachother, graduation and early leaving has killed BV's defenses before they can ever truly "dominate form day one."

[AzianSooner]

What does that mean? Because they're in the Big 12, they all play the same? or are you saying that the Big 12 sucks? I realize that the Big 12 was down last year, but still weren't that awful.
.

I think BV called defensive plays very well against Big 12 teams due to his experience against them. I am curious to see how OUr defense play again ISU this year due to the coaches change.

[snp]

Could you provide some evidence for this or you relying on your gut, as opposed to trusting Stoops to provide the best possible DC. Are you impling that the Sooner Football department in their infinite resources couldn't get footage of the ooc teams?

But since you're lacking evidence, I'll oblige.

Oklahoma State - Gundy's second year with the team
Texas A&M - Second time we've dealt with their option game
Missouri - First time we've dealt with a QB capable of handling Pinkel's offense.
Texas - Switched their offense and no one really foresaw how successful McCoy would turn out.
Nebraska - Finally saw what a Callahan's offense is capable of
Texas Tech - I didn't even mention them in my op, but they were shut down as well 17 points (another red zone turnover that led to a TD) They are the only offense we faced that is the same year in, year out.

This was the third year we've played oregon in 3 years. Although their offense has changed as well. With your thinking, we should be the most familiar with them along with Texas Tech.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

I think BV called defensive plays very well against Big 12 teams due to his experience against them. I am curious to see how OUr defense play again ISU this year due to the coaches change.

Dammit. This is ridiculous.

Do you know anything about football?

[MojoRisen]

I think the mizzou game is where I saw BV and company start too click last year. I think we have more speed at Linebacker and more talent who will be playing on the Dfront. Hopefully they are ready for Miami and gain the confidence to be agressive early.

BV can coach - definitely recruit - I would also say that a great offense makes a great defense. There were several games last year that a late couple of 3 and outs put our D under tremendous pressure and they responded.

All in all I think we were ranked around 16th nationally last year in D? I would like to be top 10 this year.

[The_Red_Patriot]

Uhh, BV is great.

You cant blame execution on him.

[Widescreen]

My biggest problem with last season was how slow our guys came out of the gate. We were so out of position in so many places that I questioned what we were doing in Spring and Summer practice. Obviously they improved dramatically during the season and that was great to see but I'm still concerned about what we're going to see in the 1st game.

[MiccoMacey]

C'mon, man. Don't be a goof. While I ain't askin' for rose colored glasses, be honest with the boys and the work they did. If you are, you'll realize what a balls out fantastic job the defensive coaching staff did last year from spring to the bowl game, forcing offenses to address strengths, removing weaknesses through scheme, and all in all, turning an angry Sooner fan in Sand Springs, Oklahoma into one that is almost amazed with the finished product.

TF,

I agree with most of what you're saying, but my only question is whether BV was at the helm in taking charge of the overhaul of the defense last year.

Stoops himself was rumored to be working much more closely with the defense to shape them up. How much was Brent's doing, and how much was Stoops'?

Plus, how does he let our defense start out as sadly as he did if he's in charge? Don't throw the players under the bus...if everyone of them is having tackling issues, it's not just their fault. Someone in charge should have seen that they were mising tackles in practice, or spotted these issues before they ever saw the field on game day.

I like BV...I'm glad we have BV...and I think he's a good DC. But to not let him have some share of blame for our defensive woes at the beginning of the season (maybe even the lion's share) but give him credit for the turn around is a bit misleading.

BTW, did you make that three-alarm today at 51st and Yale? We got in on the second alarm. Either three or four buildings caught on fire in the complex...strange things were afoot.

[NormanPride]

If I remember correctly, the coaches were saying the players performed well during practice but poorly in the game. The solution was to create more game-type situations so that the players got used to playing and thinking full speed.

So, in that situation, BV wouldn't have known that his guys couldn't tackle until the first game or two. Then, the damage is already done, and you've got to work a couple weeks to re-create that headhunting culture that we like in the defense.

[MojoRisen]

Not for nothin, and I trust BV but I would start too wonder if these guys over think sometimes as apposed to being really aggressive.

The 6 inches here and 6 inches there is BS.... Sorry but it is - Hell we used to stunt and do other things moving around etc etc. 6 inches does not make a difference if you have the right instincts...

Just had to throw it in there since that is all I hear from the Linebacking crew when they get interviewed.

[goingoneight]

I don't think it helps your defens eto put blue shirts on your tailback and your quarterback, and then blow a whistle everytime you two-touch a receiver. I think there was only two things wrong with OU's defense in 2006; those were tckling and coverage. I know, I know... duh. But if OUr DB's could cover early-on, we'd have eliminated the final TD against Oregon, we'd have eliminated the two wide-open TD passes against :texan:. Simple tackling drills would have helped us against UAB and Washington. Stoops said it himself that the defense knew the game plan, it was execution of the playcalling that hurt them on both sides of the ball. Once they brushed up on fundamentals, we won a conference championship, and damn near beat a fluke mid-major in the Fiasco Bowl.

[insuranceman_22]

All that missed tackling talk really makes me miss Rocky Calmus.....maybe BV should have him come in and work on tackling?????

[Ash]

I don't think it helps your defens eto put blue shirts on your tailback and your quarterback, and then blow a whistle everytime you two-touch a receiver. I think there was only two things wrong with OU's defense in 2006; those were tckling and coverage. I know, I know... duh. But if OUr DB's could cover early-on, we'd have eliminated the final TD against Oregon, we'd have eliminated the two wide-open TD passes against :texan:. Simple tackling drills would have helped us against UAB and Washington. Stoops said it himself that the defense knew the game plan, it was execution of the playcalling that hurt them on both sides of the ball. Once they brushed up on fundamentals, we won a conference championship, and damn near beat a fluke mid-major in the Fiasco Bowl.

In an interview last year, BV said he wasn't doing anything different than had been done in years past.