Oct 22, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Dede Westbrook (11) rushes against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first quarter at Jones AT&T Stadium. Photo Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Two days after his team won a 66-59 shootout with Texas Tech, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops found himself on the defensive.
The defense coordinated by his brother, Mike Stoops, had struggled all season but never more than it did against the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives in the second half and racked up 854 yards of total offense as quarterback Patrick Mahomes tied an NCAA record for passing yards with 734.
“We didn’t make mistakes but we couldn’t come up with the play,” Bob Stoops said. “We were on people — as you watch all of it — but couldn’t come up with the pass breakup, in particular on third down. We put them in third down and they converted 20 of them. That’s on us to be able to complete a sack when we had them sometimes and, when we are in tight coverage, to be able to make a play.”
Luckily for Stoops and the Sooners, the next two games are against the Big 12’s worst teams — at home against Kansas on Saturday and at Iowa State on Nov. 3.
So this stretch could be a chance to work on things to get things better or could give Oklahoma’s defense a false sense of improvement.
Stoops, who was a defensive coordinator himself before he took the Oklahoma job in 1999, was asked repeatedly Monday about his brother’s status.
“That’s not true,” Stoops said when asked if Mike’s job was safer because he was Bob’s brother. “It’s the same coordinator that also we led the league in every defensive category a year ago and made it to the final four. We’re not running a new defense. He didn’t bring in something different. It’s the same defense. If it’s worked before, it’ll work again, and I’ve got confidence in it. And I’m also part of what we’re doing.”
Stoops spread the blame around even more, mentioning each of his defensive assistants by name.
“It’s all of us, too. It isn’t just my brother and I,” he said. “Didn’t complete a sack, ball caught between the two linebackers, ball caught on a secondary guy. It’s all of us together.”
Regardless of who the opponent is, safety Steven Parker wants to prove that the Sooners can be better on that side of the ball.
“This game right here, it doesn’t define our defense,” Parker said. “I feel like it’s something that we just have to go back and learn from.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–WR Dede Westbrook has had 35 catches for 776 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last four games.
–QB Baker Mayfield averages a FBS-best 11.02 yards per pass attempt. He’s completed more than 71 percent of his passes.
–RB Joe Mixon, who has taken over as the Sooners primary running back with the injury of Samaje Perine, had 377 all-purpose yards a week ago including 263 rushing yards.
–WR Nick Basquine, a walk-on, has 12 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns, becoming a solid option for Mayfield behind Westbrook.
–LG Ben Powers has been strong the past few weeks since moving into the starting lineup early in Big 12 play.
