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Bulls face a rampaging Sooners 'D'

Bob Stoops coaches his Oklahoma defense to swarm, and it embraces the concept.

By PETE YOUNG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 25, 2002

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops probably could give a lecture on his complicated defensive schemes and how he trains his linebackers to read keys.

He also could ruminate on the strategic defensive packages he helps install each week or the insight he has gleaned from studying offensive tendencies.

He could, but it's not his style. Stoops, like his defense, comes right at you.

"We want to stop people immediately," he said. "We're not big on 'bend but don't break.' We want three-and-outs. We want turnovers. We want big plays."

Yes sir, coming right up.

At No. 2 Oklahoma (3-0), which hosts South Florida (2-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday, the defense dictates the action, not the other way around.

Stoops developed his We-Must-Be-The-Aggressor philosophy while co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State in 1992-95 and defensive coordinator at Florida in 1996-98. It has revitalized a stagnant Oklahoma.

The Sooners, 17-27-1 with no bowl appearances in four seasons before his arrival in 1999, are 34-7 since with a national title in 2000.

While former quarterback Josh Heupel and the spread offense were a significant part of OU's success in Stoops' first two years, it's a dominating defense that has the Sooners in the national title chase for a third consecutive year.

Since the start of the 2000 season, OU has held 23 of its 29 opponents to 17 points or fewer. And the Sooners have allowed fewer yards per game in each of Stoops' seasons, yielding 247 in 2001 and 240 through three games this season, which ranks ninth nationally.

It's a defense that makes offenses bend and break.

Co-defensive coordinators Mike Stoops, Bob's brother, and Brent Venables, who played for Stoops at Kansas State, handle most of the X's and O's, but the head coach's disdain for anything but maximum performance sets the tempo from the top.

"A lot of times it's been average," Stoops said of the defense.

Average? Oklahoma has shutouts in two of its three games, over Tulsa and UTEP, and it beat Alabama 37-27. Lest it seem the Crimson Tide found some weaknesses, its special teams contributed significantly to the scoring. The Tide offense averaged 3.6 yards a play.

Oklahoma's defense is a combination of aggression and discipline. The defensive linemen surge at the snap, the linebackers sprint toward the ball, the safeties make tackles all over the field and the cornerbacks play aggressive, rugged man-to-man coverage.

Usually. USF coach Jim Leavitt, who was co-defensive coordinator with Stoops at Kansas State, said Stoops has tweaked some things through the years.

"He evolved at Florida and changed things a little," Leavitt said. "He's using more zone and mostly blitzing from the zone package."

Success requires talent, of course, and Oklahoma has it in abundance despite the graduation of stars Rocky Calmus and Roy Williams from last year's exceptional unit.

"They have great players who are well coached and play with confidence," Leavitt said. "They have great speed, they know what they're doing. Their scheme is not that flashy.

"They're very sound, they're not going to make mistakes, and that's why they're rated as possibly the best defense in the country."

The Sooner D was hyped to the maximum in the preseason. Sophomore defensive tackle Tommie Harris appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated's college football preview issue, and Sporting News rated the Sooners defensive line No. 2, their linebackers No. 9 and their secondary No. 5.

Five Sooners defenders are nominated for national awards: Harris, end Jimmy Wilkerson, linebacker Teddy Lehman and cornerbacks Andre Woolfolk and Derrick Strait.

There's more. Linebacker Lance Mitchell, a junior college transfer, had 13 tackles in the opener against Tulsa, junior safety Brandon Everage forced three fumbles last season, and tackle Kory Klein, who tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries last season, is the strongest defender.

Oklahoma's defense poses an exceptional challenge for the Bulls, who were inept two weeks ago against Arkansas' multiple schemes and blitzing. Oklahoma is more likely to try to overwhelm with talent and aggression.

"Their front four is pretty active, their linebackers are very good, but their strength is probably in their secondary," Leavitt said. "They really don't have any weaknesses that I can see."

Neither can anyone else.

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