Stoops knows ‘D’ must get better
NORMAN — Mike Gundy switched defensive coordinators during the offseason. Fired Glenn Spencer. Hired Jim Knowles.
“We needed a change,” Gundy said. “That’s what we need. Glenn’s a good coach and a good man and a smart guy. We just needed a change. He needed a change. I think he probably had a little bit of breath of fresh air, like, man, I’m tired of dealing with all that.”
Sooner Nation never has felt such a kinship with the OSU icon.
OU fans long for the day when their head coach says and does something similar. They long for the day Lincoln Riley replaces his defensive coordinator. They believe the Sooner defense should be better than it’s been.
Guess what? Mike Stoops believes that, too.
“We can be, we should be, we better be, a whole lot better,” Stoops said the other day after an OU practice.
The Sooner spring game arrives Saturday at Owen Field, and it’s one of those interesting OU springs when there’s no incumbent quarterback. There also are no offensive mysteries. The Sooners will score. Will score big. Of that, there is no doubt.
But will the Sooners stop the procession of Big 12 offenses that short-circuit scoreboards and light up defenses? They haven’t recently.
The 2015 OU defense was the Big 12’s best. The last two years, the Sooners have sunk in the conference to fifth (2016) and sixth (2017) in the metric that matters most, defensive efficiency. How often does a defense keep the opponent from scoring?
The Sooners in 2016 averaged giving up a touchdown on about a third of opponents’ possessions, then were a little worse last season. OSU, which fired its coordinator in January? Fourth in the Big 12 each of the last two years. Better than the Sooners.
In his 10 months on the job, Riley has stood by his man, consistently saying the right guy is in place to run the OU defense. But Stoops knows it’s time to repay that loyalty.
“I like where we’re starting,” Stoops said of his defense. “I think we got a chance to be a whole lot better. I think we’re going to be able to get 11 really good players.”
There are pitfalls. The Sooners have only three seniors on defense who figure to play — linebacker Curtis Bolton, tackle Q Overton and safety Khalil Haughton, and perhaps only Haughton will start.
OU football has suffered from a talent shortage in recent years. In the last five years, only three Sooner defenders were taken in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft (Zack Sanchez, Jordan Phillips, Geneo Grissom). None in the first round. And Phillips and Grissom were in the 2015 draft.
“We need more playmakers,” Stoops said. “We don’t have enough on the field. If you don’t get more, then it’s going to be tough. You gotta have guys that can get in position to cover the field and make plays.”
Of course, that responsibility falls on Stoops and his colleagues. Recruiting is the name of the game. Recruiting, then developing. Get good prospects.
Then make them good players.
“Calls are overrated,” Stoops said. “I’ve never made a great call. Players make the plays. It’s amazing when you play well, they think you make great calls. It’s really how you teach it and how you coach it and how the kids play. Gotta get players, gotta teach ‘em how to do it right.”
Stoops seems to like his defense.
Likes his cornerback depth with Parnell Motley, Tre Norwood, Tre Brown and Jordan Parker. Likes his line depth with Neville Gallimore, Dillon Faamatau, Kenneth Mann and Amani Bledsoe. Likes his early entry freshmen with Ronnie Perkins, Brendan Radley-Hiles and Jalen Redmond.
Even greater news, OU is not the only Big 12 school breaking in a new quarterback.
Mason Rudolph, Kenny Hill and Nic Shimonek have joined Baker Mayfield as Big 12 alums.
All signs point to the Oklahoma defense being improved. Mike Stoops knows it better be.