The Oklahoma Sooners will take on the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] this Saturday in Norman at 11:00 a.m. CT. The Knights started the season off strong, going 3-0 but have since lost three straight games.
The offense has not been a problem. They rank No. 4 in total offense, but defensively they rank No. 79 and No. 119 in rush defense. They’ve allowed 43.7 points per game in their last three after allowing 12 ppg in their first three.
Orlando Sentinel’s Matt Murschel joined my podcast, Eat. Sleep. Bedlam., and talked about some changes that could be coming on the defensive side of the ball this weekend. “They’ve taken a lot of heat over the last three or four weeks but have tried to do anything they can,” Murschel said. “I know Gus (Malzahn) talked about they are going to change up some personnel, change up some schemes on the defensive front.”
More big news for the Knights is their star quarterback, [autotag]John Rhys Plumlee[/autotag], seems to be full-go this week. He was injured in Week 2 and tried to play vs. the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] in their previous game but left the game due to lingering issues with his knee.
Having him back in the lineup only helps a Malzahn-led offense, as he loves to start things with running the football. “They like to start out with the rushing game,” Murschel said. “That’s something that Gus Malzahn has really put a focus on is running the football. They have two solid running backs in R.J. Harvey and Johnny Richardson, and they kind of set the table.”
Murschel also mentioned how the Knights like to play fast, although he mentioned it’s not as fast as they used to be under [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]. The Sooners defense will have its work cut out for them.
If they slack off even a little bit, this game could end up being a shootout. The Sooners defense has been able to control the run so far this season, and they need another strong performance come Saturday.
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