Tag: DaShaun White

Best Pro Football Focus Grades from Oklahoma’s win over Texas Tech

How did Pro Football Focus grade the Oklahoma Sooners in their 52-21 win over Texas Tech?

With their win on Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners moved to 9-0 on the season and are well situated to make their annual “Championship November” run to the Big 12 championship.

With their toughest games on the schedule still to be played, Oklahoma will need to come out of the bye ready to play their best football of the season. If their performance vs. Texas Tech was any indication, they might be on the verge of streaking into December, a trip to Arlington, and hopefully a chance at the national title in the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners played a complete game in their 52-21 win over the Red Raiders and received standout performances from several players on both sides of the football.

Like we do each week, let’s take a look at how Pro Football Focus graded the Oklahoma Sooners in the win.

Report Card: Grading the Sooners following their 52-31 win over TCU

The Sooners dispatched TCU relatively comfortably. Let’s take a look at how each position group graded out in the 52-31 win.

For a while, it may have seemed like an afterthought to grade out the offense with A’s and B’s across the board. However, that time has arrived.  The offense was a bright spot, and the defense wasn’t as bad as maybe it appeared.

As we do each week, let’s look at how each position group graded in the Sooners 52-31 thrashing of the TCU Horned Frogs.

Quarterbacks: A

No need to beat around the bush here: Caleb Williams was phenomenal in his first start since usurping Spencer Rattler in Oklahoma’s thrilling come-from-behind win against Texas.

He dazzled the sold-out crowd in Norman and had national media in an uproar. Williams was 18 of 23 for 295 yards passing and four touchdowns, three of which made their way to Jadon Haselwood. He added 66 yards rushing, including the electric 41-yard TD run in the third quarter you can see below.

After that performance, there’s no need to speculate about who will be the quarterback as Oklahoma heads to the state of Kansas again for their second true road game against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The next step for Williams is to continue to mature and grow within the offense.

Up Next: Backs and Pass Catchers

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Who earned a game ball in the Sooners 52-31 win over TCU?

Who earned a game ball for their performance in the Oklahoma Sooners 52-31 win over the TCU Horned Frogs?

The Oklahoma Sooners finally had a comfortable win against an FBS opponent. It only took them a month and a half but it’s here. The win came at TCU’s expense but you can be sure head coach Lincoln Riley won’t complain one bit.

After a week of closed media availability, Riley unveiled his new starting quarterback with what looked like a completely brand new offense. The Sooners rolled the Horned Frogs 52-31 behind a prolific offensive performance led by Caleb Williams.

John Williams of Sooners Wire shared The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Saturday’s win, but let’s hand out some game balls from the Sooners three-touchdown victory over the Horned Frogs.

Caleb Williams, QB

After receiving a game ball last week, the kid dubbed as “Superman,” walked out of the booth in full costume. Caleb Williams’ stats speak for themselves.

Williams ended the night going 18-of-23 for 295 yards and four touchdowns. He added another 66 yards rushing, including an absurd 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that looked like something Jalen Hurts or Kyler Murray did in their time with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Williams looked like he had been starting in this offense for three years. Instead, he had just half a game under his belt and proceeded to cut through Gary Patterson’s 4-2-5 defense like he was cutting through the most tender of meats.

His poise, awareness, and athletic ability are truly one of a kind for a player so young. With that said, one should feel comfortable believing that there will be no discussion about who is starting when Oklahoma takes the field against Kansas next Saturday.

Up Next: Breakout Performances

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4 defensive players to watch as Oklahoma takes on TCU

Oklahoma is in need of a bounce back defensive performance and to get it, these four Sooners are vital against TCU.

While the offense continues to find itself and find its quarterback, the Oklahoma Sooners defense will have to continue to show up. After a very poor performance in the first half of the Sooners win against the Texas Longhorns, Speed D found its footing and was absolutely lights out in the second half to hold up their end of the bargain in the team’s improbable comeback effort.

Timely stops, better coverage, and better tackling all led to better results in the second half of the Sooners’ win.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch will be hoping they can carry that second-half finish with them as they return home.

They now turn their attention to TCU, who’s offense has been pretty good in 2021.

They are led by Max Duggan and lining up in the backfield with him is former five-star running back Zach Evans and another solid running back in Kendre Miller. Out wide Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis, and Taye Barber are their main threats.

Who are the key Oklahoma defenders in this match-up? Here are four Sooners that are vital to Oklahoma’s chances of slowing down the Horned Frogs offense on Saturday night.

Up Next: It all Starts Upfront

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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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Best Grades from Pro Football Focus in OU’s win over WVU

Taking a look at the best grades from Pro Football Focus for the Oklahoma Sooners in their win over West Virginia.

The Oklahoma Sooners have started to find a way to win defensive battles in 2021. It’s a far cry from what the Sooners looked like just a couple of years ago when they had to score 40-50 points per game to win. The defense in those early years of Lincoln Riley’s tenure as offensive coordinator and then head coach were some of the worst years of defense this program’s ever seen.

The script has flipped for the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners. The offense has been inconsistent. They haven’t been able to run the ball as effectively as they’d like and the Sooners defense is carrying the day.

For the second straight week the Sooners were unable to reach 30 points while the defense held their opponent to fewer than 16 points. While we’d certainly like to see more points scored, the Sooners are going to win a lot of games if they can continue to keep their opponent to fewer than 20 points a game.

There will be challenges in the coming weeks with Kansas State, Texas, and TCU on the docket, but the Sooners defense looks more up to the challenge than at any other point in the last five years.

Let’s take another look at Saturday’s win over West Virginia through the lens of Pro Football Focus (Subscription required) and take a look at which Sooners graded in the top five of various categories.

3 Players to watch on defense for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. WCU

As you get ready for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. WCU, here are three players to watch on defense for the Sooners.

OU opens up their home slate against Western Carolina on Saturday evening. On paper, OU is favored in every way. However, that meant nothing to the Green Wave of Tulane, who brought it nonstop for 4 quarters to a talented but unfocused and inconsistent OU defense that just wasn’t completely dialed in.

Expect that to change this week as they ready for a Western Carolina team that just lost a tough game against Eastern Kentucky at home. Let’s take a look at three guys that are players to watch as they look to turn in a more dominant performance.

Perrion Winfrey

Perrion Winfrey is the proverbial BIG DOG inside for this OU defense. He was considered a top 100 pick in almost every mock draft or preseason draft rankings list. Todd McShay, a leading draft analyst even placed him in his top 30 draft prospects. He hasn’t racked up the sacks in his time here at Oklahoma but that’s fine because his value is much more than just sacks. He’s disruptive at the point of attack for teams forcing teams to change whole game plans mid-game. OU struggled to keep the heat on Tulane QB Michael Pratt at times. and he subsequently lit them up for 296 yards and three touchdown passes as they pushed Oklahoma deep into the fourth quarter.

Winfrey has to be dominant and blow up the interior. WCU QB Rogan Wells is nowhere near as mobile as Pratt but he’s a senior and has played a lot of college football. Getting him flushed out of the pocket and forcing him to throw off platform and on the run could lead to mistakes the Sooners can capitalize on. Look for him to cause havoc while in the game.

NEXT: A linebacker and defensive back set to make plays.

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3 Defensive Keys for the Sooners when they play Western Carolina University

What does the Sooners’ defense need to do to rebound from a disappointing week 1 performance vs. Tulane? Here are 3 keys for their matchup with WCU.

Earlier this week, we had a look at the big keys on the offensive side of the ball for the Oklahoma Sooners as they get set to take on the Catamounts of Western Carolina University. We’ll flip to the defensive side of the ball for Oklahoma and take a look at things they can do to secure a much more comfortable and less divisive win.

In their matchup with the Tulane Green Wave, the Sooners had moments of brilliance, moments of decent play and unfortunately some really bad play. However, seasons aren’t defined by games in September. The Sooners have another opportunity to clean it up and fine tune their defensive machine before the competition becomes a bit tougher.

They’ll be taking on a team in WCU that is lead by an offensive centric head coach in Kerwin Bell. He was a former quarterback at the University of Florida after all.

With that, let’s take a look at the defensive keys to the game.

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Top 21 players for the Oklahoma Sooners entering 2021

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to continue their reign atop the Big 12 and contend for a national title, here are the top 21 players for 2021.

Heading into the 2021 season, the Oklahoma Sooners have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the country. On both sides of the ball, the Sooners have great players throughout the lineup that will make big impacts on Saturdays this fall.

On offense, the Sooners are led by Heisman Trophy front-runner Spencer Rattler and a high-powered passing attack. On defense, the Sooners have four guys that can create havoc in both the running game and rushing the passer.

This is a team that should be one of the more exciting teams to watch with their blend of big-play offense and suffocating defense. With just 15 days until kickoff, let’s take a look at the top 21 Oklahoma Sooners heading into 2021.

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.