Oklahoma's defense must resist the urge to apply pressure to 'make plays'

After the game linebacker Danny Stutsman emphasized the need for every player on defense to not make every play too big.

“It really takes everyone. It’s one of 11,” he said. “Everyone has to do their job. When it comes to tackling, we have to practice harder in training. That's what matters. Be better on those Tuesdays and Wednesdays, those physical days. Don’t let a missed tackle in training go to waste.”

But as the offense continues to falter, it's obvious that the defense is feeling the pressure to win the game on its own.

That's a dangerous path, however, because a talented and disciplined offense like Sarkisian's squad is more than equipped to punish the Sooners when a player isn't in the right position to make a game-changing play.

“I think a lot of times we try to make plays and not do our job,” OU defensive coordinator Zac Alley said. “I feel that. And I stand on the sidelines all the time and say, 'Hey, listen, just do your job and the plays will come to you.' Do your job and the plays will come to you.' Sometimes we have bad eyesight and do things that put us out of position because we're trying to make a play instead of really doing our job well.”

It's a battle the defense will have to fight all year long as the offense shows no signs of improving.

This pressure must not have an impact on poor duel behavior.

The Longhorns immediately pivoted Michael Hawkins Jr.'s In the first half, they fell short to seven points due to a series of poor tackles – something that also occurred at times in the second quarter against Auburn.

“We have to do a better job,” Alley said. “I think the main thing I see is just the physicality and the way we played. There were drives like three-and-out, three-and-out and then 10 play, 75-yard touchdown drive and we missed eight tackles. We had a chance.”

The result was a deficit that grew to the point where Oklahoma could no longer overcome it.

“We just gift-wrapped opportunities for them, like we just gave it to them,” Bowman said. “We are better as a defense, like the coach said. We take full responsibility, especially me and Danny, but in the end we gave it to them. In my opinion, shortly after that interception, they didn’t deserve what they got.”

How the Sooners can mentally handle the adversity will have a big impact on shaping the next few weeks.

If the defense can play within itself, it can keep OU in games.

But to play close to perfection, they cannot enter the field expecting to score. You simply have to trust the plan presented by Venables and Alley and execute it.

“I tell them all the time, it doesn’t matter what the situation is, what’s going on, they roll the ball wherever they see it. Our job is to recognize it,” Alley said. “Nothing else matters. So our only focus is wherever they pout the ball, our job is to score a three-pointer.

“I said today that I have never lost a game where I gave up nothing. And if we can do that, we will win games. So that’s our mindset and the way we try to attack every day.”