Oklahoma's 'Aggressive' Mindset Has Produced an Uptick in Forced Fumbles

After recovering just six fumbles all year in 2023, the Sooners dislodged the football four times in the 2024 opener against Temple.

Oklahoma linebacker Jaren Kanak (7) scoops up a fumbled punt return and runs the ball for a touchdown and is celebrated by his teammates in the second half of an NCAA football game between Oklahoma (OU) and Temple at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — Simply put, Oklahoma’s defense looked like men playing against boys last Friday. 

The No. 15-ranked Sooners dismantled Temple, torching the Owls 51-3 on Owen Field to open the 2024 season. 

Not only did OU hold Temple to 197 yards of total offense, but Brent Venables’ defense forced six turnovers. 

The Sooners ripped out four fumbles in their first contest, nearly matching the mark of six fumbles that OU recovered all of last year. 

And while recovering fumbles can be random at times depending on the bounce of the ball, new defensive coordinator Zac Alley put an emphasis on his unit getting more aggressive to rip the ball out in 2024. 

“I think it’s just a mindset, a philosophy,” OU linebacker Danny Stutsman said this week during his weekly appearance on 107.7 The Franchise. “Every single day at practice we’re being told to punch through that ball. We get graded and if they see on film that you don’t take a shot at the ball you actually lose points on the production sheet. And if we didn’t get three fumbles we’d have to run, and so very quickly guys started to realize we’ve got to start getting the ball out. That definitely helps when you kind of threaten conditioning to players.”

ICYMI — @FbStutsman recapped the #Sooners 51-3 win over Temple with @Eddie_Rado and @_RyanChapman on this week's Stutsman Spotlight presented by @RiverwindCasino:https://t.co/TzbQ0BDkQY pic.twitter.com/kEG3RoWs0T

— The Franchise Sports (@FranchiseOK) September 3, 2024

Last year, Alley’s defense at Jacksonville State forced 15 fumbles and recovered the ball nine times. That helped the Gamecocks force 25 total turnovers on the year. 

Meanwhile, the Sooners were one of the best units in the country at picking off opposing quarterbacks, as OU finished the year with 20 interceptions. That ranked No. 2 in FBS. 

Pairing those two could be the key to success for Oklahoma in 2024, as the Sooners were perfect in contests where they won the turnover margin in 2023. 

For Venables, forcing more fumbles is a natural progression for a defense entering its third season in the same scheme. 

“When you have returning experience, they are going to play more aggressive, more sound, more sure of themselves,” Venables said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “They're going to have better angles to the ball. It's just year three in the system, very few new players. Guys that are forcing fumbles are guys that are in their third or fourth years of playing college football. I think, again, their positioning is really good and their effort is really good.”

Defensive end Ethan Downs was one of those older guys who popped a ball out, but safety Robert Spears-Jennings, linebacker Lewis Carter and defensive tackle Gracen Halton all dislodged the football as well despite having less game experience than Downs. 

Safety Billy Bowman said that difference was down to technique and the intention to rip the ball away from opponents. 

“That’s just something we want to be known about,” Bowman said after practice on Monday. “… Punching at the rock instead of going to catch it. So yeah, that was good.”

There are plenty of much stiffer tests left on Oklahoma’s schedule than Temple, so the Sooners aren’t satisfied with the opener despite forcing six turnovers. 

Venables and Alley expect the defense to produce again on Saturday when the Houston Cougars roll into Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. 

But Friday was a great start for a defense that hopes to take its play to another level in 2024.

“The guys are playing really hard and aggressive,” Venables said. “…  Guys are taking a lot of pride in their opportunity. Good things happen when you play with great effort and your physical.”