Tulsa World: Lately, 'D' key to OU success

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Lately, 'D' key to OU success
Big plays Sooners remember fondly often are defensive jewels.

Texas quarterback Chris Simms (right) is hit by OU's Roy Williams in the 2001 OU-Texas game. Tim Sharp/Associated Press file

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 10/9/2008 2:09 AM
Last Modified: 10/9/2008 3:20 AM

Big plays Sooners remember fondly often are defensive jewels.

NORMAN — Travis Lewis remembers Curtis Lofton stripping Jamaal Charles to save a touchdown in 2007. Dominique Franks recalls Brandon Everage belting Cedric Benson to force a fumble in 2003. Adrian Taylor pictures Roy Williams flying into Chris Simms to clinch a victory, not to mention a modern-day legend, in 2001.

Ask current Oklahoma defenders preparing to face Texas Saturday, they're fully aware of the recent Red River Rivalry past.

"There have been a lot of plays that past great OU defenses made to give the University of Oklahoma a chance to win that game," said Franks, the Sooners' starting cornerback.

Since Bob Stoops took command, every Sooner triumph over Texas has been marked by those plays:

Rocky Calmus returned his interception of Simms 41 yards for a touchdown in 2000

Teddy Lehman finished the play Williams started with another score in '01

Lehman set up the go-ahead third-quarter TD in '02 with an interception caused by Everage's shot on intended receiver B.J. Johnson

Derrick Strait picked off Chance Mock three plays into the '03 game, signaling a 65-13 onslaught

Chijioke Onyenegecha sacked Vince Young to both stop a drive in OU territory and set up the Sooners' game-clinching series in '04

Lofton stripped Charles to halt the first drive of last year's second half and prevent a 21-14 deficit.

Say what you will about Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. Recent history shows it is defensive playmakers who make the difference down in the Cotton Bowl.

Texas turned the tide with back-to-back wins in 2005 and '06 featuring two fumble returns for touchdowns.

But since 2000, it is the Sooners who have thrived on making big defensive plays. They have forced 21 turnovers, 11 more than Texas has, in their six series wins, and have totaled 22 sacks, 12 more than the Longhorns. A case of being disciplined enough to show up at the right place at the right time? Or fiery enough to rise to the occasion?

"I definitely think both," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "Guys are just locked in a little bit more. You go through the early season, and now you recognize what's at stake, and the stage. They're just a little more focused and anxious to make those plays, and confident they can make them."

It is critical the Sooners make those plays against McCoy on Saturday. He is the nation's fourth-rated passer, quarterbacking a 47-points-per-game offense capable of scoring any time.

Perhaps OU's best defense is matching Texas' explosive capability.

"Right," said OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who recovered Charles' game-turning fumble last year. "We have to turn what they do back on them. Against a quarterback as good as Colt, we have to get him out of his comfort zone. He'll be looking for that big pass. We get him out of his comfort zone, he'll just throw it and we'll be there waiting for it."

What the Sooners want to do is what they've done against Texas offenses, by and large, since 2000. But can they?

"Oh yeah," safety Lendy Holmes said. "It ain't like this is a D-3 team. I mean, this is a great defense."

Where are the playmakers on that defense?

"The front four. The 'backers. And the secondary," Holmes said without batting an eye.

Nothing like confidence heading into the game of the year. And there are numbers to back up that swagger.

The Sooners' 17 sacks in five games equate to the third-highest average in the nation. Defensive ends Auston English and Jeremy Beal came up big in high-stakes games against Texas and Missouri, respectively, a year ago. They'll come after McCoy on Saturday.

Before beating Baylor last week, OU was trending upward in takeaways, with two against Cincinnati, three at Washington and four against TCU. Their season total of nine is decent, but it represents lost opportunities.

"We got some takeaways (against TCU), but even at that we had three balls right in our hands that we dropped," OU secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright said. "Brian Jackson had the nice interception, but then he had two others he had opportunities to catch. And then I think we had five dropped interceptions in the Cincinnati game."

The Sooners must take better advantage against McCoy. Recent history shows that if they do, they'll win.

"We're very capable of making big plays on defense," linebacker Keenan Clayton said. "Interceptions, sacks, causing fumbles. It's just a matter of getting it done. As a team, as a defense, we're going to challenge each other every play. 'Who's gonna get it done this time?' "

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com

BIG D IN BIG D

Oklahoma’s defense has turned in several big plays to help beat Texas six out of eight times since 2000. Here are the three biggest:

Oct. 6, 2001

‘Superman’ swoops in

Texas ball on its own 3-yard line, OU leading 7-3 with two minutes remaining. Roy Williams ignores the order of defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, leaves his feet on a blitz, soars over fullback Brett Robin and pops the ball out of the left hand of quarterback Chris Simms. It flutters over to Teddy Lehman, and the Sooner linebacker takes a few steps into the end zone to seal at 14-3 victory.

Oct. 9, 2004

Cornered

Texas ball on the OU 32, third-and-6, the Sooners leading 6-0 with 13 minutes remaining. Out of a Texas time out, OU co-coordinators Brent Venables and Bo Pelini call a double cornerback blitz. Corners Antonio Perkins and Chijioke Onyenegecha squeeze quarterback Vince Young, Onyenegecha gets the sack and the Longhorns punt. The Sooners take over and drive 80 yards to put away a 12-0 shutout.

Oct. 6, 2007

Strip tease

Texas ball on the OU 13, first-and-goal, game tied 14-14 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter. Jamaal Charles takes a shotgun handoff, finds a hole and appears headed to the end zone. Wide receiver Jordan Shipley even raises his arms to signal a touchdown... just as linebacker Curtis Lofton dives at Charles from behind and strips the ball with his right hand. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy falls atop the ball at the 5. The Longhorns lose their last chance to lead, as OU goes on to win 28-21.

Red River Rivalry 2008

No. 1 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) vs. No. 5 Texas (5-0, 1-0)

Cotton Bowl, Dallas

11 a.m Saturday • TV: KTUL-8

Radio: KMOD fm97.5, KTBZ am1430

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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