Brandon Chatmon, OSU Insider
OSU Insider: Defense good, can be better
New mindset: Pokes need more turnovers, fewer third-down conversions
By Brandon Chatmon
Comments 
31
Published: November 2, 2009
STILLWATER — Bill Young took over the Oklahoma State defense wanting to change the negative mindset of his players.
First-year OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young has seen progress in the Cowboy defense, but there is still a lot of work to do. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
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The Cowboys’ first-year defensive coordinator has not only changed their mindset from negative to positive, he also changed the results.
Generally thought of as the Pokes’ weak link, the
OSU defense has emerged as a strength and possibly the strongest unit on the team.
The Cowboys rank 13th in the nation in rushing defense (99 yards per game), 45th in total defense (342.5 ypg) and 47th in scoring defense (22.63 ppg). And they’ve put up those numbers with a schedule that included games against the national leader in passing offense (
Houston), total offense (Houston) and scoring offense (
Texas).
Against Texas, the Cowboys allowed just 275 total yards to the Longhorns, their second-lowest output of the season.
Nonetheless, Young feels like his unit has a long way to go. The Pokes allowed just 275 yards in a 41-14 loss to Texas, but the Longhorns only ran 56 offensive plays, averaging 4.9 yards per play.
The Cowboys struggled in two areas that have been a focus since the preseason: turnovers and opponent third-down conversions.
OSU’s stated goal is three turnovers per game, and it entered the Halloween showdown holding opponents to 32.7 third-down conversion percentage.
Against Texas,
Victor Johnson’s forced fumble on
Jordan Shipley was the Cowboys’ lone forced turnover. And the Longhorns converted five of 12 third-down conversion attempts (41.6 percent).
"We didn’t force enough turnovers, and we didn’t make enough plays,” Young said. "We had them third-and-25 or -30 and let them convert. Those are issues we have to get corrected as a defense.”
Ranking high in both categories is often an indicator of the nation’s elite teams. Texas, ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, ranks first in opponent third-down conversion (23.7).
Florida, ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, ranks second in third-down percentage (24.6).
The eight teams ranked fifth or better in turnover margin (three-way tie for fifth) are a combined 46-11 this season, including undefeated
Cincinnati,
Boise State and Texas.
So while the Cowboys’ defense has made a vast improvement over last year’s unit, it still has a way to go.
"We have nobody to blame but ourselves,” Young said. "Our goal is to outplay our opponent’s defense.”
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I actually predicted we would not beat them.
And no one, I mean no one, said anything about OSU winning a national championship.
Do you enjoy just making things up to try and bulk up that terrible argument of yours?
I do agree with Neel's first post that the offense was predictable and lacked much creativity. I know that Okung is a great player, but OSU was extremely left handed in the run game and really has been all year. It was a real disappointing game from the Pokes and it is clear that we still have a ways to go be considered legitimate contenders against UT. If we don't have a good game against the sooners, the same can be said that we have not quite gotten over that hump yet either. No doubt that UT is a better team than OU is though. The pokes need to take care of the next three opponenets and go into Norman on another winning streak and lay it all on the line against our biggest rival. No doubt that UO will be really tough at home, so we will need to be better prepared and have a better gameplan than we did against UT. Go Pokes!
Trash talk only gets you so far when your own team is 5-3, losers. Yes, I am talking to you Todd the goat humping OU graduate and Jason OKC the best OU bangwagon fan of all time.
By the way, if OSU had beat UT, OU would have still had a shot to win the Big 12 south. Not anymore.
But, don't let logic get in the way of your goat humping (Todd) and general lack of football knowledge (Jason OKC).
OU has lost to who?
BYU -- unranked.
Miami -- #17
Texas -- #2
It's got to drive Swooner fans crazy losing 3 so early AND losing to TEXAS AGAIN!!
No wonder Swooner fans are whining and crying.
Oh, yeah. Swooner fans always do that.
Poor Swooners.
The Defense is vastly improved but still has a way to go.
Texas had a distinct talent advantage, but the gap is narrowing with the great recruiting Mike Gundy is experiencing.
Swooner idiots like Gary will always crawl out of the woodwork like a roach with the lights off.
Hey, Gary, your Swooners are NOT backdooring their way into a Big 12 Championship this year.
At least we won't have to be embarrassed by another Swooner swoon on the national stage. There's already been enough embarrassing ou swoons on the season already.
How's that 3 loss season working out for you, Gary?
Sooners get Bradford back for ANOTHER chance at redeeming themselves infront of their fans. Bradford passes up $13 million.
Swooners lose Bradford and first game on national stage.
Swooners lose AGAIN to Texas and lose Bradford AGAIN.
Swooners out of Big 12 and BCS race.
Priceless.
OU 52 OSU 7
Well, they did have the Sexton strip completely ignored and taken away. It should have been OSU ball at the 20 instead of a Texas touchdown. So the Shipley fumble was not really the only turnover they caused. If the game would have been close I never would have been able to get over that horrible call. But it wasn't. 4 INT's, a fumble, 2 pick 6's. UT's offense barely had to do anything.