Replacing NFL expertise in Isaiah Thomas and Nik Bonitto was a tall activity for Oklahoma’s edge rushers this season.
Reggie Grimes, Ethan Downs, Jonah Laulu, Marcus Stripling and R Mason Thomas not solely needed to take care of studying a brand new protection, however all of them needed to step into greater roles within the protection for the firs time of their careers as properly.
And for 3 video games, issues appeared good.
Grimes introduced himself within the first two video games, combining for 4 sacks in opposition to UTEP and Kent State.
Brent Venables then threw a curveball in Lincoln, deploying a three-man entrance in opposition to Nebraska.
2022 OU Report Cards:
- Wednesday, Jan. 4: Defensive Ends
- Thursday, Jan. 5: Offensive Line
- Friday, Jan. 6: Defensive Tackles
- Saturday, Jan. 7: Tight Ends
- Sunday, Jan. 8: Linebackers
- Monday, Jan. 9: Wide Receivers
- Tuesday, Jan. 10: Cornerbacks
- Wednesday, Jan. 11: Running Backs
- Thursday, Jan. 12: Safeties
- Friday, Jan. 13: Quarterbacks
- Saturday, Jan. 14: Special Teams
- Sunday, Jan. 15: Coaching Staff
It labored in opposition to the Cornhuskers, as OU allowed solely factors on the primary and final drives of the sport in its 49-14 beatdown of Nebraska, however convention play introduced new challenges to the Sooners’ defensive ends.
An Oklahoma defensive finish didn’t register one other sack till OU’s journey to Morgantown, which was the Sooners’ seventh sport in Big 12 play.
And whereas the defensive position as a complete didn’t generate strain on opposing quarterbacks, the defensive ends struggled to set the sting within the working sport or correctly cage cell quarterbacks.
Kansas State ran for 275 yards on the Sooners in Norman, together with quarterback Adrian Martinez’s 21 carries for 148 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Every week later, it was TCU’s flip to gash Oklahoma’s run protection.
Kendre Miller and Max Duggan bought to the perimeter of the protection with ease because the Horned Frogs rushed for 361 yards and posted 668 complete yards en path to a 55-24 embarrassment of the Sooners.
Sophomore defensive finish Ethan Downs led his place group with 13.5 tackles for loss this 12 months, and completed tied for essentially the most sacks from defensive ends with teammate Reggie Grimes, posting 4.5 sacks every
SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
Miller averaged 10.5 yards per carry for the afternoon, and Duggan took 5 carries for 116 yards and two scores, together with a 67-yard scamper down the precise facet of the OU protection the place he was nearly untouched.
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Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof alternated between the four-man and three-man entrance in opposition to Kansas State and TCU, throwing the even entrance on the Wildcats and transferring to the odd entrance in Fort Worth, and neither had success.
Oklahoma’s defensive ends merely weren’t sufficiently big to carry their floor in opposition to the nation’s No. 20-ranked dashing assault in TCU.
Even with the additional physique alone the road in opposition to Kansas State, the defensive ends have been unable to remain disciplined of their rush lanes in opposition to the Wildcats, permitting Martinez to flee the pocket and nullify the strain Venables tried to dial up.
Things didn’t get a lot better for the unit because the season progressed.
The Sooners have been solely capable of muster one sack, coming from linebacker David Ugwoegbu, in opposition to a Kansas offensive line that ought to have been overmatched.
Then three weeks later, Baylor ran for 281 yards in Norman as all the defensive position failed to carry as much as the Bears’ dashing assault.
In complete, Oklahoma’s defensive ends accounted for 11 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in 13 video games, a significant weak spot for the Sooner protection in a 12 months of transition into Venables’ system.
Grading the defensive ends:
- Hoover: C-
- Chapman: D
- Callaway: C-
- Lovelace: B-
Defensive ends GPA: 1.775 (C on a 4.0 scale)
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