Sooner Football: Five Takeaways From Oklahoma’s Victory Over Baylor

Nov 14, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) catches a pass and scores a touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Resiliency Is the Sooners’ Calling Card

Baylor’s first drive – 80 yards in nine plays and capped by a Devin Chafin scamper into the endzone – was a perfect example of the kind of surgical offensive precision the Bears have used all too often to dismantle Oklahoma defenses. After this drive, it would not have been at all  surprising if most of Sooner Nation made peace with the fact that the Bears were destined to once again lower the boom on the Sooner defense.

But something different happened this time. Instead of folding, Oklahoma’s defense settled down and controlled the line of scrimmage on the way to a 10-point Sooner victory. Given the history of this game the last couple of years, it would have been easy for this Sooners to let up. After all, Oklahoma led Baylor 14-3 in the first quarter in last year’s game until the Bears erased that deficit and broke it wide open in the second half.

Except for the inexplicable loss to the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl in this season’s annual Red River rivalry game, this Oklahoma team has shown tremendous resiliency, notably during the Tennessee game when the offense finally woke up in the fourth quarter and overtime to come from 14 points down late in the game to put the Vols away.  This resiliency served them well in Waco. The few times Baylor either tied the game or got within a field goal, Oklahoma responded. This is refreshing to see, especially after the disastrous 2014 campaign, and bodes well for the rest of the 2015 season.

Next: Oklahoma’s Goals Are There for the Taking