Oklahoma football: How OU’s defense matches up against Baylor’s run game
By Connor Pasby
One matchup that will have huge say in the outcome of the Oklahoma football game at Baylor on Saturday is the Sooner defensive front vs. the strong Baylor rushing attack.
The Sooners look to slow down a Baylor running attack that’s averaging 230.9 yards per game. In the last three games, Oklahoma has held their opponents to 151 rushing yards per game.
Oklahoma is traveling to Waco to take on an 18th-ranked Baylor team that features two running threats. Running back Abram Smith is the Bears’ leading rusher with 1,055 yards through nine games along with 11 touchdowns. The powerful senior running back has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last three games and has eclipsed the century mark six times this season.
Baylor also leans on running back Trestan Ebner. Ebner has 601 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown this season. The Bears rank seventh in the FBS in rushing with 2,078 yards on the ground. It’s safe to say it’s a running back by committee for the Bears, who could cause fits for the Sooners’ defensive unit.
The positive news for Sooner fans is that Oklahoma has held its opponents mostly in check this season against the run. The Sooners are ranked 17th in the FBS in rushing defense, holding their opponents to a superb 110.9 rushing yards per game.
Oklahoma has only allowed two 100 yard rushers this season, Bijan Robinson of Texas, who is second in the Big 12 in rushing, and Kansas’ Devin Neal.
It’s no argument that this will be the first true test for the Sooners front seven, who have been preeminent through the first 10 weeks of the season. We have seen the defense show signs of superiority in games, but it hasn’t been on a weekly basis. Against a Baylor team that’s been on a rushing tear, the Sooners defense will be seriously challenged.
The Sooners got Jalen Redmond back from a knee injury. Redmond’s participation provides a big lift to the defensive front and the Sooners’ ability to get pressure and be disruptive. He played a significant number of snaps against Texas Tech. It was the first time in weeks the Sooners had their front seven healthy.
If there’s one spot the Sooners are strongest defensively it’s the defensive line. We all know the inconsistency the Sooners have shown on defense in general this season, but the defensive line play has been excellent and will definitely need to be that way against Baylor if the Sooners are going to win.
An important part of a defensive unit is having your starters stay healthy. That has been an issue for Oklahoma this season, particularly in the secondary. Lincoln Riley is still hesitant about the status of cornerback cornerback Woodi Washington , who has missed a significant amount of time with an undisclosed injury. This is what Lincoln Riley had to say this week about Washington’s status:
Lincoln Riley says they are “cautiously optimistic” about CB Woodi Washington
— Josh Callaway (@JoshMCallaway) November 11, 2021
Said he’s had a good week of practice but games are a big step up from practice
“I do think he’s close to being able to turn it loose.”
Said they’d love to have him but want to be smart #Sooners
The College Football Playoff selection committee has informed the public that the main reason Oklahoma is at No. 8 in the CFP rankings is because of the Sooners’ inconsistency on defense.
The Sooners have a chance to send a strong rebuttal message of their own by getting a big road win at Baylor this weekend. Another reason the CFP committee and a number of college football experts have expressed doubts about OU is the number of close games the Sooners have played against not-very-good teams. That all changes over the next three weeks.