Oklahoma football: Sooner defense's next test is toughest

After the Baylor game, coach Bob Stoops said he expected the Bears to have success on the ground because of his team's commitment to stopping the pass, demonstrated in a frequently used scheme that included seven defensive backs and no linebackers.

Despite the struggles against Baylor, though, OU tried the same stuff — with even worse results — against West Virginia.

Tavon Austin, usually a receiver, became a running back and embarrassed the Sooner defense with his 344 yards and two touchdowns.

The odd defensive package isn't likely to make a third appearance against Oklahoma State.

“It's about making adjustments,” said defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. “West Virginia made a great adjustment to get their best player in space. I feel bad for our players that we didn't have a better answer than we did the other night.

“There's a lot of similarities to what we saw a week ago in what we're gonna see this week. They're almost identical in their approach. Their game plans are structured very similar. There's a lot of carry-over, but we're going to have to do some things a little different.”