Tulsa World: Defense showing improvement

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Defense showing improvement

By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
Published: 11/2/2008 4:15 AM
Last Modified: 11/2/2008 4:18 AM

NORMAN — Thanks, Nebraska. It's nice to have your football team back where it belongs right here on Owen Field.

The Cornhuskers' return to Oklahoma's home field Saturday night helped put the Sooners back where their fans think they always belong within striking distance of winning at least a share of a record third straight Big 12 South Division title.

No. 4 OU's 62-28 win over Nebraska, coupled with No. 6 Texas Tech's stunning 39-33 last-second upset of No. 1 Texas, left the Sooners and Longhorns tied for second in the South Division with No. 9 Oklahoma State at 4-1, a game behind 5-0 Tech.

With Tech and OSU two of the three games left on 8-1 OU's schedule, the Sooners now control their own destiny in the South Division. They still need to have Texas (8-1) lose one more in order for the Sooners to advance to a third consecutive Big 12 Championship game. But if OU wins out, including a 2:30 p.m. date this Saturday at improving Texas A&M (4-5, 2-3), it's guaranteed of a share of the division title.

The prospects of the Sooners sweeping the Aggies, Red Raiders and Cowboys improved significantly because of a dominating performance against the Cornhuskers (5-4, 2-3) on both sides of the ball.

That's why OU's players, coaches and the Sooner supporters among the 85,212 spectators at Memorial Stadium couldn't have been more delighted to welcome OU's longtime rival back for the first time since 2004.

A replay of the 1971 Game of the Century it wasn't. But on a night when OU honored players from both teams from that epic contest, this game was one of redemption for a key component of the Sooners' current team.

That's why nobody connected with the OU program was more grateful to see their old friends return than the beleaguered Sooners defense.

Bewitched, bothered and bewildered the past three games, OU's defense was the linchpin in the Sooners' dazzling first-quarter show on both sides of the ball. It was a quarter that resulted in a 35-0 lead and ignited a historic halftime margin en route to the 34-point win over the dazed Cornhuskers.

The Sooner defenders, who produced four turnovers, were not perfect the entire contest.

That was evident by the 28 points Nebraska put on the scoreboard once it overcame the Sooners' first-quarter scoring outburst. But, hey, OU was able to avoid giving up 30 points or more in four straight games, which would have been an unwanted school record.

Further proof that OU's defense hasn't totally rebounded was some interesting exchanges on the Sooner sideline. Head coach Bob Stoops spent a good portion of the first half in heated debates with safety Nic Harris and some other defensive players.

By the end of the 84th meeting between the two schools, Stoops and his staff had good reason to offer words of congratulations instead of criticism.

After all, OU had given up a combined 111 points and 1,479 yards in the last three games. So the defense came out of a game feeling good about itself for the first time since a 49-17 win at Baylor on Oct. 4.

It was the defense's play that embarrassed Nebraska so much that first-year Husker coach Bo Pelini refused to let any of his players or assistant coaches speak after the game.

When the Sooners took a 49-14 lead into halftime, it marked the most points a Nebraska defense had allowed in the first half in the history of the tradition-rich program. The 49 points also tied the most a Nebraska team had surrendered in either half, matching the 49 Texas Tech hung on the Huskers in 2004.

The 49 points fell short of the 55 OU rung up the first half a week earlier against Kansas State. But no one was complaining, because this output was more encouraging after the defense's role.

OU's fired-up defense forced three turnovers on Nebraska's first five plays from scrimmage. Cornerback Dominique Franks set the tone on Nebraska's first offensive play, when he intercepted quarterback Joe Ganz's pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown.

Franks' play pinpointed the defense's struggles before last night. It was the first TD scored by the defense this season. On Nebraska's next two possessions, the Sooners recovered a fumble and intercepted Ganz for a second time. The offense jumped on those opportunities as the Sooners rolled to a 28-0 lead in the first six minutes.

Stoops got hot when the defense reverted to its old ways during the entire second quarter, parts of the third period and on the final Husker drive of the game, when the Sooner reserves allowed Nebraska to score with 21 seconds left in the contest.

"The long pass," Stoops said of a 57-yard Husker completion in the second quarter, "we're in as basic a coverage as you can be in, just fundamental and easy. A play that we were expecting and practiced all week."

Nebraska scored its four TDs because OU fell back into the rut of giving up the big plays that had bothered the defensive unit ever since middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds was lost in the third quarter of the 45-35 loss to Texas in Dallas on Oct. 11.

"I can live with it all," Stoops said of NU's touchdowns. "But the last one we had a bunch of guys in there who are still learning to play and missed a tackle and couldn't take the run.

"So we just have to be there in better position."

Thanks to a gracious and giving visitor, and a defense that is finding itself at the right time, OU's position is a whole lot better than it was before Nebraska came to town.

BIG RED IN THE BIG 12

Oklahoma-Nebraska results since the formation of the Big 12 Conference:

1996: Nebraska 73, OU 21
1997: Nebraska 69, OU 7
2000: OU 31, Nebraska 14
2001: Nebraska 20, OU 10
2004: OU 30, Nebraska 3
2005: OU 31, Nebraska 24
2006: OU 21, Nebraska 7*
2008: OU 62, Nebraska 28

* Big 12 championship game

By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist

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