Oklahoma DC Ted Roof Laments Mistakes, but Says Players Are Human and Will Make Them
NORMAN — Oklahoma’s defense may have posted a season-high for missed tackles in Saturday’s loss to Baylor. The Sooners gave up 38 points at home, yielded three fourth-down conversions and allowed 281 rushing yards.
But OU didn’t play bad across the board.
For instance, the Bears’ average distance to go on their third downs was 8.2 yards. And they only converted 4-of-13 of those third downs.
Defensive coordinator Ted Roof said Monday he would take those numbers most days.
But the OU defense also allowed Baylor to convert 3-for-6 on third-and-short (4 yards or more), which was compounded by the 3-for-3 on fourth downs.
“It tells us that, third-and-8, yeah, we'll take that every day all day,” Roof said. “ … Any time you're more successful in first and second down, obviously the odds go in your favor on third down than when you're not. You don't win many games living in third-and-2 and third-and-3 and third-and-1.”
- Baylor went for a third-and-2 and scored a touchdown,
- a third-and-3 and fumbled,
- a third-and-1 and was stuffed, but then converted on fourth-and-1,
- a third-and-3 and converted with an 8-yard run,
- a third-and-4 and ran for 3 yards, then converted on fourth-and-1,
- and a third-and-3 and converted with a 43-yard run.
Three of the six were converted, two others were converted on fourth down, and Baylor fumbled the other one. Essentially, the Bears were not stopped in short-yardage situations.
And it wasn’t just third or fourth downs. On a first-and-goal at the OU 2, Richard Reese took a handoff and walked into the end zone after both linebackers surged into a gap on the right side of the defensive front. Cornerback Woodi Washington followed the player in motion and both defensive linemen were easily blocked out of the play.
So what are Roof’s priorities in short-yardage situations?
“Well, there's a lot of things that go into that,” Roof said. “I know which play you're referring to. And there's a lot of things that go into that on the backside of that, what did or didn't happen.
“So anytime there's an insert (player in motion), it creates a new gap. So you have to have an outside B and an inside B, or an outside A and an inside A, or an outside C and an inside C. So there's new gaps created as people are inserted in the offensive line. So I know which play it was, and again, there were some things happened on the back side that they weren't good either.
“So there was there was a mistake made.”
Are Roof and Brent Venables and the rest of the OU coaching staff surprised or disappointed that the defense is still making those types of mistakes now three-quarters of the way through the season?
“It is a problem, OK?” Roof said. “And here's how it happens: They're human, and they make mistakes, just like all of us make mistakes. And we got to continue to work to eliminate those mistakes. And that's what we're doing. Are we happy with where we are? Absolutely not. But again, to go back to work and to fix it, and that's the only way I know how to do it.
“Is it surprising? I certainly wish it weren't that way. And at the same time, you know, I'm not making excuses for anybody, including myself because I don't do that. But there's all kinds of variations from offense to offense in this league. There's all kinds of different things. So there's new challenges and new opportunities each and every week, to your point. So to be able to understand those and get comfortable with those and and continue to work at it.”
