Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma Football: Sooners Show Adaptability in Outlasting Cyclones

By Sixto Ortiz

Oct 15, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners finish warmups prior to action against the Kansas State Wildcats at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners finish warmups prior to action against the Kansas State Wildcats at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners assistant head coach Mike Stoops on the sidelines during the game against the Texas Longhorns during the Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners assistant head coach Mike Stoops on the sidelines during the game against the Texas Longhorns during the Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

The Defense Holds Serve

At first glance, giving up 24 points to a now 1-8 Iowa State team may seem like yet another lapse for Mike Stoops’ much-maligned defense. But a closer look at the stats indicates the Sooner defense played relatively well against Iowa State.

Overall, the Sooner defensive corps held the Cyclones to 290 total yards (160 passing and 130 rushing). And seven of the Cyclones’ 24 points came on the heels of a Baker Mayfield interception that occurred when a Cyclone defender hit Mayfield’s arm while throwing.

Still, the Sooner defense gave up a couple of big plays, notably a 31-yard pass from Jacob Park to Allen Lazard, and a 41-yard run by alternating quarterback Joel Lanning that momentarily gave the Cyclones a 17-14 advantage and had the raucous home crowd sensing an upset.

Perhaps more disconcerting is the fact that the Sooner defense put little pressure on the Iowa State passers (just one sack for six yards) and once again did not create any turnovers.

This is definitely a concern moving forward; the high-octane offenses the Sooners have yet to face are quite capable of frequent big plays.

So, while the Sooner defense didn’t give up hundreds of yards to Iowa State, the injury-depleted unit is still a work in progress and remains a potential liability as Oklahoma moves into the last part of the Big 12 schedule.

Mike Stoops must forget about his defense’s past lapses and focus on getting Sooner defenders ready for the final gauntlet. Getting some of the injured personnel back would help tremendously.

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