Oklahoma's Defense Must Conquer Cheez-It Bowl Inconsistencies Headed Into 2023

Much like the regular season, the OU defense struggled to string together four quarters of football against Florida State, and now it must replace key pieces to improve in 2023.

ORLANDO, FL — Last week’s Cheez-It Bowl served as a sendoff for a defense in transition.

Linebacker DaShaun White and defensive backs CJ Coldon, Justin Broiles and Trey Morrison all played their last collegiate games in the 35-32 loss to the No. 13-ranked Florida State Seminoles at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Decisions are still to be announced for defensive lineman Jordan Kelley and linebacker David Ugwoegbu, who both are able to return to Norman next season and utilize their final year of eligibility.

But in the final performance of 2022, Brent Venables’ defense showed the same inconsistency it has played with since Big 12 play opened.

Oklahoma held a talented Florida State offense to just 11 points in the first half.

The Seminoles moved up and down the field, out-gaining the OU offense 264 yards to 225 yards, but the Sooners held FSU to a combined 1-of-8 on third and fourth downs.

Linebacker Danny Stutsman helped lead the charge for the defense, as the true sophomore appeared to be reading the game with ease and he seemed to be around the football at all times.

Playing in his hometown, Stutsman finished third on the team with seven total tackles, and he also added a sack, a pass breakup and another quarterback hurry on the night.

“I always try to have the same motor on that field,” Stutsman said after the game. “But… I was real excited to play Florida State — at home. It had a little something more to me. But at the end of the day, I left it all out there.”

The Cheez-It Bowl followed the same script as Oklahoma’s contests agains Baylor, West Virginia and Texas Tech, however, as the dam broke in the second half.

Mike Norvell’s Seminole offense found success attacking Oklahoma’s safeties downfield, and as a result Jordan Travis put up 24 points and 323 yards over the final 30 minutes.

“It was a game of explosive plays,” OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “They have some explosive playmakers. They had too many explosive plays in the second half. That was the story in the ballgame.”

No play was more backbreaking than Johnny Wilson’s 58-yard one-handed catch down the Oklahoma sideline over Broiles’ head.

The veteran safety was in good position, but the 6-foot-7 Wilson was unbothered by his presence, allowing Florida State to milk the clock and kick the game-winning field goal.

Florida State finished with 418 yards through the air, illustrating one of the big question marks the Sooners will have to answer next year.

Woodi Washington announced he will be back for 2023, but cornerbacks coach Jay Valai will have to work out who will pay opposite of him in the absence of Coldon.

Jaden Davis and Kani Walker both got limited runs at corner in the Cheez-It Bowl, but OU had to revert back to Coldon and Washington as the game wore on.

On the back end, it didn’t seem to matter if Key Lawrence was at safety alongside Billy Bowman, or if Morrison and Broiles were on the field. The Seminoles had success regardless.

Oklahoma signed seven defensive backs in its 2023 class, but it’s unclear how quickly those pieces will be brought along.

This year, Venables and his staff appeared to be fairly conservative with how quickly the likes of Robert Spears-Jennings and Gentry Williams were handed playing time on the back end of the defense.

A tenacious pass rush could help cover up holes in the secondary while the lineup gets sorted early in 2023, but the Sooners were unable to get to the quarterback at any point during conference play this year.

Oklahoma finished the season with a pair of sacks against Florida State, but there will be more unknowns along the defensive line headed into spring practice.

Jalen Redmond, Jeffery Johnson and Josh Ellison are all departing, and Oklahoma lost a trio of freshman to the transfer portal as well who represented some of the depth along the line.

The Sooners have already landed Notre Dame defensive lineman Jacob Lacey and Oklahoma State pass rusher Trace Ford out of the portal, but there will be questions with both players.

Lacey has been a career rotational piece for the Irish, and he’ll have to step into a larger role at the heart of the OU line next year.

Ford has flashed NFL-potential, but injuries have taken their tole on the Edmond native.

Oklahoma’s defensive line class is headlined by 5-star edge rusher PJ Adebawore, and the playing time R Mason Thomas won off the edge in 2022 gives optimism that Adebawore will play early in 2023.

Stutsman’s linebacker corps will thankfully have more depth next year.

After Stutsman, White and Ugwoegbu played seemingly every snap this season for the Sooners, the freshman linebacker class of Jaren Kanak, Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie appears primed to contribute in the rotation next season.

There’s plenty of work to do for the 2023 defense to gel.

It showed again the potential to play good football in the first half against Florida State, but the inability to sustain those levels of play through all four quarters cost the Sooners again — something that cannot continue into 2023.

“It’s tough, you know,” Bowman said after the game. “We fought. We played a solid game, especially the young guys who haven’t got to play much before. They came in and did a good job. We fell short. It’s just one of those games where we lost by seven or less points.”

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