Game Grades: Baylor Bears 48, Oklahoma Sooners 14

The Defense and Special Teams

DEFENSIVE LINE: B

The defensive line was actually able to get pressure on Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty, but the Bears had a good offensive game plan that called for quick passes. The Bears were also held to 148 yards rushing with much of that coming after the game was already out of hand and the Sooners were looking for the stadium exits.

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LINEBACKERS: C

Has anyone seen Charles Tapper? The Sooners big defensive end was expected to team up with Eric Striker as possibly the best combination of defensive ends in the country this season. While Striker has held up his end of the deal, Tapper has seen his name mentioned rarely this year.

For the linebackers the first quarter was like a clinic on how to disrupt the high powered Baylor offense. For whatever reason all that changed later in the second quarter. They lost some swagger, attitude and their grasp on the game. Perhaps it was coaching or perhaps it was just a whippin’ from Baylor.

SECONDARY: F

For the first time in all my years of watching Oklahoma football I witnessed a single unit get booed by the crowd because of the performance of a single possession. Baylor opened the third quarter by throwing one short pass after another until they inched their way into the end zone for a dagger of a touchdown. The Sooners secondary sat at least seven yards off their receivers the entire drive. After an onslaught of short passes the secondary never moved up closer and it almost seemed as if they refused to adjust.

Baylor ended up with 396 yards passing. If they had chosen to, the Bears could have thrown for 596 yards. The Baylor receivers had their way with the Sooners. Especially cornerback Julian Wilson, who after that opening third quarter drive appeared to get into a shouting match with the Stoops brothers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D

It was only a few weeks ago that the most dependable unit on this team was the special teams and the most dependable player on special teams was kicker Michael Hunnicutt. For the second time and three weeks, Hunnicutt missed a key field goal. This time it was a 31-yarder that used to be automatic for him and would have tied the game in the second quarter at 17.

Alex Ross did have a nice 35-yard kickoff return, but the biggest mistake of the day came on a roughing the punter call on Matt Dimon that gave the ball back to Baylor and would lead to a devastating touchdown by the Bears.

Once again the punt return game for the Sooners was nonexistent, but when you can’t force the other team into punting you won’t end up with many return yards.

COACHING: F

I never thought I would see the day that Mike Stoops would deserve an F in his defensive game plan, but on Saturday it seemed nothing he did was right.