NORMAN — After falling to 0-3 in Big 12 Conference play for the first time in 24 years, Oklahoma is driving a two-game profitable streak.
Keeping that optimistic momentum happening Saturday in opposition to Baylor is paramount to the Sooners having fun with a reasonably profitable season in Brent Venables’ rookie yr. It additionally might be important to a number of recruits who shall be at this week’s recreation and/or the residence finale in opposition to Oklahoma State.
Here are three keys that can assist the Sooners come away with a victory over the Bears and preserve the optimistic momentum going:
Run the Football
In three video games in opposition to Baylor head coach Dave Aranda — the first one when he was nonetheless LSU’s defensive coordinator — the Sooners have failed to common greater than 3.5 yards per rush.
That’ll be large this week as properly, as Baylor’s protection leads the Big 12 in dashing protection, yielding simply 113 yards per recreation on the floor.
Siaki Ika and Jaxson Player are large run stoppers in the center of the Baylor protection, however Aranda’s model of soccer — punishing, bodily, swarming — permeates to nearly each place.
Brent Venables stated the Sooners will want to play their most bodily recreation of the season, and he wasn’t even barely exaggerating. Baylor’s protection brings the combat on each play.
OU’s offensive line wants to be exact and aggressive, the receivers and backs want to be robust each blocking and with the soccer, and QB Dillon Gabriel, who has thrown only one interception this yr, wants to proceed valuing the ball.
Eric Gray was banged up final week, Marcus Major was coming off an harm, and Jovantae Barnes missed the Iowa State recreation completely.
On the season, the Sooners rank third in the Big 12 in dashing offense at 217.5 yards per recreation.
Regardless of who’s wholesome, OU wants to discover a approach to run the ball in opposition to one in every of school soccer’s finest run defenses — and that might imply extra wildcat motion.
Stop the Run
It virtually sounds cliche, however Oklahoma can win the recreation by proudly owning the line of scrimmage on each side of the ball.
Scroll to Continue
Baylor comes into Saturday fourth in the convention in dashing offense at 201.5 yards per recreation. Half of that comes from freshman Richard Reese, who has been wonderful this season and leads the Big 12 with 12 dashing touchdowns.
The truth is, in each run offense and run protection, the Sooners appear to be at a drawback on this recreation.
Can the Oklahoma defensive position have by far its finest recreation of the season and push an skilled Baylor offensive line? Can the OU linebackers learn their keys and keep of their run suits all afternoon? Can the Sooner secondary give you constant run help?
If the reply is sure to these, OU can beat Baylor. If not, the Sooner protection shall be in for a protracted day.
Special Delivery
Once once more, Oklahoma appears to have a determined benefit on particular groups.
Knowing the Sooners could also be behind the curve each offensively and defensively, they’ll want to exploit that benefit to the fullest like they did final week at Iowa State.
Baylor ranks third in the Big 12 in punt returns, however OU ranks second.
Baylor is final in the convention in kickoff returns at simply 16.7 yards per runback. OU is seventh at 19.2.
Baylor is next-to-last in the league with simply 5 made area targets (5-of-6), whereas Oklahoma ranks barely higher with eight (8-of-9).
Zach Schmit hasn’t missed an additional level but (34-of-34), whereas Baylor leads the league with three missed PATs (38-of-41).
Michael Turk places OU on high of the Big 12’s internet punting chart (42.1 yards per punt), whereas Baylor ranks sixth (38.3).
And Baylor has allowed 323 yards on kickoff returns this season, in contrast to Oklahoma’s Big 12 main 168.
Brent Venables calls it “hidden yardage,” however OU’s edge throughout the board on particular groups wants to be out in the open if the Sooners can’t win the matchups on offense or protection.
put up credit score to Source link