Berry Tramel

Bedlam: Defenses strength of both OU, OSU

Posted November 29, 2009 by Berry Tramel Comment on this article Leave a comment

I ran into Kevin Wilson on Sunday night at the Thunder game. I asked him if he saw coming the Bedlam beatdown that resulted, 27-0 Sooners.

Wilson said his only concern was if OU’s offense could score enough. He figured the Sooners would shut down OSU’s offense. But he said something very interesting.

OSU's Zac Robinson (11) is taken down by Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton (22) and Jeremy Beal (44) during the first half of the Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at the Gaylord Family -- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, in Norman, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman ORG XMIT: KOD
OSU's Zac Robinson (11) is taken down by Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton (22) and Jeremy Beal (44) during the first half of the Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at the Gaylord Family -- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, in Norman, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman ORG XMIT: KOD

The strength of OSU’s team is its defense. Mike Gundy is the face of Cowboy football, and Gundy runs the OSU offense, and offense has carried the Cowboys for many years now. But in 2009, OSU’s defense is its best attribute.

Wilson said Bill Young has done a good job as OSU’s new defensive coordinator but offered another reason why the Cowboys have blossomed defensively: talented seniors. Andre Sexton, Patrick Lavine, Donald Booker, Perrish Cox, Terrance Anderson, Lucien Antione, Derek Burton, Swanson Miller and Jermiah Price. That’s nine solid seniors on the Cowboy defense. No real superstars, with the possible exception of Cox, but really good Big 12 players.

And indeed the OSU defense played well against Oklahoma. Not good enough. Especially with the OSU offense completely stuffed. Young’s crew needed an heroic performance to win Bedlam, needed to take the ball away from Landry Jones and Co. several times. OSU’s defense dominated the first quarter, but thereafter didn’t exert its well. The Cowboys needed more.

Same with the Texas game. OSU’s defense played a solid game against the Longhorns but got very little help from the offense and eventually ran out of gas.

Disappointing, but overall a solid trend for OSU, which had battled for defensive respectability for most of two decades. Of course, now the problem is replacing all those seniors that so impressed Wilson.

3 Show / Hide Archive Comments