OU defense does its job in loss to Nebraska
BY DAVID UBBEN
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Published: November 8, 2009
LINCOLN, Neb. — In losses to Brigham Young and Miami, Oklahoma’s defense returned home wishing it made one more stop. On Saturday against Nebraska, they got that final stop — and plenty of others — and it still didn’t matter.
OU’s Gerald McCoy, left, and Frank Alexander go after a Nebraska fumble in the first half Saturday in Lincoln, Neb. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
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Despite allowing just seven first downs and 180 yards of total offense, the defense couldn’t overcome five
Landry Jones interceptions and three missed field goals in a 10-3 loss, dropping the
Sooners to 5-4.
"It’s frustrating,” said senior linebacker
Ryan Reynolds. "But sometimes we need to come up with a play and we don’t, and sometimes they need to come up with a play and they don’t. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.”
Oklahoma’s defense hasn’t disappointed much this season. Twice, it has kept an opponent under 20 points — and lost.
It forced 11 punts against Nebraska, but never got the game-changing turnover the Huskers did in the second quarter, when they returned one of Jones’ interceptions to the 1-yard line.
"It’d be hard for our defense to play a whole lot better,” said coach
Bob Stoops.
Nebraska converted just one of 14 third downs, and the defense made up for its lone hiccup — a 63-yard run by
Roy Helu Jr. to the Oklahoma 11 with just under nine minutes to play in the second quarter.
Two plays later, the defense forced its only turnover of the day when junior defensive tackle
Gerald McCoy recovered a botched option pitch at the Sooners’ 21.
"You feel you have a good chance to win the game,” Stoops said. "Defensively, we really did play well.”
With a struggling offense, the Sooner defense has been unable to adjust to its much smaller margin of error. Despite allowing just 14, 21, 16 and 10 points in four losses, the defense will return home once again, this time wishing it made a big play.
"We’re going to keep fighting, we’re not going to let anything come between us,” Reynolds said. "We know what’s going to be said, and we’re a family and we’re going to keep fighting. We’ve got three games left.”
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I hate losing as much as the next guy, as evidenced by my many posts, but COME ON, Bob! Give up the crusade to be Snyder loyal to your assistants. Your job is to make this team the best they can be. Know what? They aren't even close.
Defense was lights out tonight. We somehow, much like the Kansas City Chiefs, managed to lose to a team with a total of SEVEN first downs!!!