Tag: Danny Stutsman

What can the Oklahoma Sooners do to defend Texas running back Bijan Robinson?

Slowing Texas running back Bijan Robinson is priority No. 1 for the Oklahoma Sooners. What will it take from the Sooners defense to limit his impact?

Oklahoma entered last week trying to solve a Deuce Vaughn problem. It emerged victorious, but it would be a stretch to stay the Sooners solved the Kansas State running back. If they thought that was hard, they’re going to hate what they have to do this weekend when they travel to Dallas, Texas, to take on the Texas Longhorns.

The Red River Rivalry has featured some amazing talents and this next iteration proves no different. The Longhorns no longer are dependent on quarterback Sam Ehlinger to throw and run them to wins. Instead, they have an offense centered around Bijan Robinson, a sophomore running back from Tucson, Arizona.

Robinson, a former five-star recruit, is quite the player. He can lower his pads and get the tough yards between the tackles. He can run the outside zone and stretch plays and beat you to the corner. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, too. Simply put, he can do it all.

He’s north of six feet and more than 200 pounds. A stark difference to Deuce Vaughn, who stood at 5 feet, 6 inches and less than 185 pounds. Robinson offers a different challenge.

Oklahoma’s efforts to stop Robinson will start with the interior defensive line. Without the versatile Jalen Redmond, the Sooners will have to rely upon Isaiah Coe, Josh Ellison and LaRon Stokes. All three have played quite a bit of football and have been a part of this game multiple times.

Challenging them will be a Texas offensive line that has struggled with protections and had to shuffle some new players in after losing Denzel Okafor to a season-ending lower leg injury. Oklahoma’s veteran front will have to impose its will. Expect the rotation of bodies to continue as Alex Grinch’s “Speed D” relies on max effort on every play. Pass protection and consistency sustaining run blocks have been issues as Texas has shuffled its offensive line in the absence of Okafor.

Texas will double Perrion Winfrey and hope it’s enough to spring Robinson into the second level. Awaiting him will be linebackers Brian Asamoah, DaShaun White, David Ugwoegbu, Shane Whitter and maybe Danny Stutsman. These linebackers have looked much better playing downhill and filling gaps in the run game than in pass coverage. However, filling the gaps is one thing. Tackling is another. Robinson will not go down via arm tackling or getting caught flat-footed as they did against Vaughn in space. Contact, wrap up and finish. A team effort. Robinson led the NCAA in missed tackles forced in Week 5 and leads all of the Football Bowl Subdivision this season in missed tackles forced.

DaShaun White or Shane Whitter on tape looks like Oklahoma’s better coverage linebackers. In man coverage, they’ll likely be tasked to follow Robinson on outs, wheels, or the “Texas” route.

Robinson will get his touches whether Texas is winning or losing. He’s their best offensive player. Making Robinson accept tough yards and not giving the chunk plays is where Oklahoma should focus their efforts. If the Sooners cannot contain Robinson, there’s a real chance that Texas walks out the victors.

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Lincoln Riley updates injury situation on several Sooners ahead of Kansas State matchup

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to play the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Lincoln Riley provided an injury update on several Sooners.

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The Oklahoma Sooners made it through their win against West Virginia relatively unscathed. Delarrin Turner-Yell was a major loss from the game after his leg was landed on inadvertently by a West Virginia player. Key Lawrence would come in and provided a solid performance in this stead, but facing recent nemesis Kansas State, the Sooners could use their veteran safety.

Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Lincoln Riley said that Turner-Yell should be back for their trip to Manhattan this Saturday. The Sooners’ safety had an impressive interception against West Virginia that helped set the tone for the Sooners’ defense after giving up a touchdown on the Mountaineers’ first drive of the game.

Riley also said that linebacker Danny Stutsman is a game-time decision for their matchup with Kansas State. Stutsman injured his elbow in the blowout of Western Carolina but otherwise had been playing really good football in his first couple of games with the Sooners. Though the linebacker unit is playing well for Oklahoma, Stutsman’s energy and speed off the bench could prove useful to slowing down Kansas State’s read-option game and running back Deuce Vaughn.

Cody Jackson, who has been a real bright spot in the passing game as a depth option in the wide receiver rotation won’t play against Kansas State due to an undisclosed “medical issue.”

Woodi Washington is still out of action as is Jalen Redmond. As of last week, both were expected to miss significant time.

The Sooners’ depth across the board continues to be a real strength for them as they’ve had to rely upon it this season with several players forced to miss time in a game or games altogether. They’ll need their depth to continue to perform well with a tough matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats on the horizon.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Lincoln Riley provides injury updates ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Nebraska

The Oklahoma Sooners may be without a couple of key starters on defense heading into week three against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Heading into the 50th anniversary of the “Game of the Century,” the Oklahoma Sooners are riding high after a 76-0 throttling of Western Carolina, where everything was going their way. Unfortunately, they’ll also be riding without wide receiver Brian Darby who has already been ruled out for this week’s game with Nebraska and could be without starting cornerback Woodi Washington, who Lincoln Riley listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game.

Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman were the other notable injuries from Saturday’s win, but no specific update was given on those players. Lincoln Riley did mention several other players were questionable but didn’t mention anyone by name.

Latrell McCutchin, who made his first start last week against Western Carolina, looks to be in line for another start this week against Nebraska. At slot corner, more of Jeremiah Criddell should be expected if Billy Bowman is unable to play.

Brian Darby wasn’t high on the wide receiver depth chart, but he’s figured into each of the first two wins for the Sooners and has totaled four receptions for 42 yards through two games.

Stutsman was one of the standout defensive players from the shutout win in week two and figured to earn more opportunities, but if he’s unable to play, look for Shane Whitter to get some opportunities in his stead.

Cody Jackson worked with the starters in the second quarter, turned three receptions into 31 yards receiving, and helped set up one of the Sooners’ scores late in the second quarter.

In week three, the Oklahoma Sooners’ depth will be tested if they’re forced to play without Woodi Washington or Billy Bowman against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. But every team has to deal with injuries, and it will be interesting to see if the Sooners experience any drop-off without arguably their best cornerback in Woodi Washington.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the Sooners 76-0 win over WCU

The Oklahoma Sooners dominated the Western Carolina Catamounts in week two and here’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from the 76-0 win.

The Oklahoma Sooners did exactly what they were supposed to against a vastly inferior opponent in Western Carolina. They got out to a huge lead and dominated the Catamounts from start to finish.

The Sooners got a chance to play a lot of their younger players and get them valuable in-game repetitions. Those players rewarded the coaching staff with a dominant effort from start to finish.

Let’s take a look back at The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the Sooners 76-0 week two win over the Catamounts.

The Good: Scoring Touchdowns

After settling for five field goals in their narrow win over Tulane in week one, the Oklahoma Sooners only kicked two field goals in their 76-0 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts.

They were 9 for 9 in the red zone during the game and Spencer Rattler led them on seven touchdown drives in the first half and each ended with a red zone touchdown.

While last week, the Sooners struggled to finish drives and finish the game, albeit against a much better Tulane team, OU accomplished both of those feats throughout this week two matchup. Excluding the kneel down at the end of the first half, the Sooners scored touchdowns on 10 of their 13 drives. They kicked just two field goals and punted once.

Against Tulane, they scored touchdowns on just four of their 11 drives, again, excluding the final drive before halftime and the drive where they were simply trying to run out the clock at the end of the game.

As the competition steps up with Nebraska coming to Norman followed by the start of Big 12 conference play, the Sooners can’t afford to settle for five field goals like they did against Tulane. If they can be as efficient at scoring touchdowns as they were on Saturday, they’ll have a great shot at going undefeated.

Next: The Bad.

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Passing Out Grades: Report Card for Oklahoma after win vs WCU

How did the Sooners grade out in their 76-0 win over Western Carolina? Check out this week’s positional report card.

After a week of re-evaluation and reflection, the Oklahoma Sooners came out and showed the world that they did not put their best foot forward in game one against Tulane. Tulane played hard for the entirety of the game. However, OU flexed at once and was up 37-14 and eventually took their foot off the gas and allowed the door to be left open for Tulane to come back.

Oklahoma let out some frustration and then some against the Catamounts en route to posting a 76-0 final score. They would narrowly escape, and head coach Lincoln Riley made it known things would be different during their game against Western Carolina. The man did not lie.

There were several aspects of the team that had decent but not spectacular moments in the previous game. After the game in our previous report card, we broke down the grades for those units.

NEXT: How did the Quarterbacks and Running Backs Grade Out?

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5 takeaways from the Sooners 76-0 win over Western Carolina

There was a lot to like from the Sooners dominant performance over WCU. Both the offense and defense did what they wanted in the 76-0 win.

There was a lot to like in the Oklahoma Sooners 76-0 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday. The offense had their way with the WCU defense and the the OU defense kept the Catamounts from mounting any serious offensives.

There were touchdowns for everyone and the defense forced three turnovers and recorded four sacks.

Most importantly, after building a huge halftime lead, the Sooners didn’t let up. The backups were relentless in the second half of the game, flying around the football and making plays.

It was encouraging to see both the offense and defense put it on Western Carolina after the second half let down they endured last week.

With that, here are five takeaways from last night’s game.

DaShaun White on Sooners linebacker depth: Can’t ask for a better setting

The Oklahoma Sooners linebacker group has a ton of experience and talent and is ready to help the Sooners defense take the next step.

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After allowing 40 points per game in the Oklahoma Sooners’ first three Big 12 contests in 2020, the Oklahoma Sooners allowed just 17 points per game the rest of the way. Over the season’s final seven games, including the Big 12 Championship game and the Cotton Bowl, the Sooners defense burst onto the scene and announced this isn’t the same defense that the nation’s come to expect.

In the second half of 2020, the Sooners defense started trending toward why OU was winning games. For several seasons, the Sooners were winning games despite the defense. Heading into 2021, they’re looking to build off of that stellar finish and be part of the reason the Sooners contend for a national championship in 2021.

With a lot of attention paid to the defensive front and the defensive back group, the linebacker depth has quietly become one of the best units on the team. One would be hard-pressed to find a group with the level of experience and depth at a position that the Sooners have entering 2021.

DaShaun White, Brian Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu, Caleb Kelly, Shane Whitter, Jamal Morris, Bryan Mead, and Danny Stutsman make up an ultra-talented group of players. With White, Asamoah, Ugwoegbu, and Kelly, the Sooners have four guys who have played a lot of snaps for the program and will lead the defense into 2021.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, White discussed the depth the linebacker group brings to the table and the work they’ve put in to get to where they are.

It’s definitely motivating. Just be in a situation where there’s always competition. As a player, you can’t ask for a better setting. Just an opportunity to surround yourself with something like that. Around the country there’s not a lot of place where you get into the three-deep group and it’s still a really, really solid group.  That’s really a just testament to our group and how hard we work. I think the linebackers work extremely hard. We do a lot of extra together.

During his appearance, White was asked how the linebackers performed during the scrimmage. He mentioned that the linebackers “had a great day” and were “getting into the backfield… running relentlessly after the ball carrier” He later went on to joke that he “felt bad for the ball carriers.”

With the Sooners’ talent upfront in Isaiah Thomas, Nik Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey, Jalen Redmond, and La’Ron Stokes, the Sooners’ linebacker corp is poised for a fantastic season. Though they might be the most underrated group on the roster, that doesn’t mean they won’t be as impactful as any position on the team. This is a group that’s ready to compete and wreak havoc on opposing offense.

Oklahoma gains commitment from Florida linebacker Danny Stutsman

For the first time in over a month, Oklahoma has gained a commitment on the recruiting trail. Florida native Danny Stutsman has committed.

For the first time in over a month, Oklahoma has gained a commitment on the recruiting trail.

The Sooners last landed a recruit on March 31 when in-state safety Jordan Mukes pulled the trigger after recently earning an offer from Oklahoma.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is back at it again, as three-star, class of 2021 linebacker Danny Stutsman has announced his commitment to Oklahoma.

Stutsman hails from the Orlando, Florida, area in Winter Garden. The Foundation Academy prospect chose Oklahoma over a final list of Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

For the fifth-straight year, the Sooners have landed a recruit from the state of Florida. Stutsman will join Kendal Dennis (2020), Jaden Davis (2019) and Nik Bonitto (2018) amongst others from the Sunshine State on Oklahoma’s roster.

In the 2021 recruiting class, Oklahoma now holds five commitments. Stutsman is the third defender so far in the upcoming recruiting class, joining state of Oklahoma prospects Mukes and defensive end Ethan Downs.

Oklahoma LB target Danny Stutsman says he will announce commitment next week

Is the first week of May finally the start of OU’s recruiting momentum? Linebacker target Danny Stutsman to announce commitment next week.

Is the first week of May finally the start of Oklahoma football’s recruiting momentum?

The Sooners were able to land rangy defensive back Jordan Mukes from the 2021 recruiting class in early April. They haven’t had a commitment since despite a lot of teasing by Oklahoma coaches and recruits on Twitter over the last month.

That could be changing as three-star linebacker Danny Stutsman will be announcing his commitment next week, he posted on Twitter on Thursday.

Stutsman, a Winter Garden, Florida, native, was offered by Oklahoma on March 2. He is listed as a three-star on Rivals and 247 Sports, but has garnered attention from the likes of Utah, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech since the start of his junior season in 2019.

The 6-foot-3, 215 pound linebacker released a top-6 on April 21 of Minnesota, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Oklahoma.

The Sooners currently have four commitments in the 2021 recruiting class. Two reside on the defensive side of the ball and the other two on offense. Another major target, wide receiver Christian Leary, has a commitment date coming in June.

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