Tag: Isaiah Coe

‘I do not like them’: Isaiah Coe talks about final Big 12 Bedlam game

With this being the final Bedlam game, the players are hoping to go out with a bang.

This year’s [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] game isn’t just the final regular season Bedlam game for the foreseeable future, it’s also the final game for a lot of the seniors for both schools. If OU and Oklahoma State were to meet in a future bowl game, they wouldn’t get the chance for another Bedlam. One of those guys who will be playing in his final Bedlam for the Sooners is defensive tackle [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag].

Coe has put together a really solid season, registering 18 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss. He’s been a big part of the Oklahoma Sooners success against the run.

Coe spoke with reporters on Monday after practice about his final time playing the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

“I do not like them,” Coe said. “Last time we played them, obviously was at home they were quote, unquote the better team and we all know how that went. Last time we played them two years ago, we were up like eight or 12, somewhere around that range, and they came back, and we lost. Obviously, this being the last one and all of that, it’s good for the fans, but I’m trying to win this game. I don’t really like them. I’m pretty sure they don’t like us.”

Bedlam is a rivalry game that a lot of people will miss when the Sooners move to the SEC. Those players from the state of Oklahoma have a bigger stake in the game. They want to make a statement.

The Sooners are in need of a bounce-back performance after last week’s heart-breaking loss. They are a team with a ton to play for if they can right the ship. That starts this weekend in Stillwater, Okla. at 2:30 p.m. CT.

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

Report Card: Sooners sleepwalk on offense in UCF scare

Oklahoma took on UCF for the first time Saturday. UCF hung tough but the Sooners pulled it out late. Here is this week’s report card.

Saturday’s performance was an aberration for Team 129. The team we saw on Saturday was eerily reminiscent of the team that took the field 13 times last season to not-so-fun results. Yet, they knuckled up and found a way when it mattered most.

If we’re being honest, last year’s team would not have won that game. But despite the miserable team performance, it never felt like they wouldn’t make the necessary plays to win. That is a true testament to the wholesale changes in mentality, effort, talent, and coaching from last year to 2023.

Let’s get to the bottom line here with the dust settled. Oklahoma won, but it might have been the worst they looked on offense all year. It’s time to pass out grades in this week’s report card.

15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 6 per Pro Football Focus

The Oklahoma Sooners are now 6-0 on the seasons after their win over Texas. Which Sooners are the highest-graded after week 6, according to Pro Football Focus.

It takes a team effort to start the season 6-0. Oklahoma is playing well on both sides of the ball through the midpoint of the season. It leads the Big 12 in scoring offense and scoring defense. Nationally, the Sooners are No. 4 in the nation in scoring offense and No. 11 in scoring defense.

They are getting fantastic play from a number of individuals on both sides of the ball. But the biggest difference with this team compared to years past is what’s happening on defense.

It can’t be overstated how much better the defense is. The unit is a big reason Oklahoma is 6-0. Eight of its 15 highest-graded players through the first six weeks of the season are on the defensive side of the ball.

Among players accounting for at least 25% of the snaps, here are the 15 highest-graded Sooners through Week 6, according to Pro Football Focus.

Minimum Offensive Snaps: 119

Minimum Defensive Snaps: 109

15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 5 per Pro Football Focus

Five games into the season, who are the highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners according to Pro Football Focus?

Football is a team game, but it’s made up of individual performances that enhance the whole. This season, the Sooners are playing well on both sides of the ball and have a top-five scoring offense and defense.

But what’s happening in 2023 is a change of pace from years past.

Of the Sooners’ top 15 highest-graded players, according to Pro Football Focus, nine of them are on the defensive side of the ball. Oklahoma has an elite offense but looks like they have an elite defense to match for what feels like the first time in forever.

Minimum Offensive Snaps: 99

Minimum Defensive Snaps: 89

‘We’re going to keep our head down and keep working’: Key Lawrence and Sooners going to continue to work

The Oklahoma Sooners defense is much improved from a year ago and one player at the forefront of that improvement is safety Key Lawrence.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense is looking like a totally different unit after their 20-6 win over Cincinnati. It feels fairly safe to say that the defense is back.

Oklahoma took on a top-10 rushing offense and held them to less than four yards per carry. They faced a mobile quarterback, one that’s shown a propensity for beating teams with his legs and held him to less than three yards per carry.

It’s a unit that’s improved dramatically from a year ago when they were one of the 20 worst defenses in college football.

In the post-game media scrum, Brent Venables mentioned several returning players who have shown improvement from last year. Guys like [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag], and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag]. But it was in response to a question about [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag].

Lawrence looks like a player in the midst of a breakout season. He’s recorded two interceptions in as many games and forced turnovers in three straight.

His interception in the second quarter shut down a Cincinnati drive that put them in scoring range. In a game where points were at a premium, Lawrence’s play took 3-7 points off the board for the Bearcats.

According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence was the Oklahoma Sooners’ highest-graded defender in the win. And [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has seen the improvement.

“He’s made great improvement, and he’s matured a great deal,” Sooners head coach Brent Venables had to say after the win. “He’s always been an incredibly likable guy. And from a competitive standpoint and a leadership standpoint. And being inside out is where I’ve seen the most growth. His knowledge base has certainly improved. His fundamentals have improved. He’s become a really good leader and great teammate. He lets you coach him hard. And he’s really made a lot of improvement, a lot of growth.”

In a deep and talented safety group, Lawrence has stood out, fulfilling the promise he showed toward the end of the 2021 season when he was forcing fumbles and laying big hits in a win over Iowa State.

That was his first year at Oklahoma.

Not long after a fantastic performance against the Cyclones, the coaching change happened. In came Brent Venables and a new system. 2022 was Lawrence’s third straight season in a new system.

Last season was a learning experience for a lot of guys on the defense. Learning Venables defense and then learning how to win. They learned some hard lessons, but everything that happened last season is helping fuel the Sooners’ defense in 2023.

“We didn’t forget nothing,” Lawrence said in his post-game interview. “We know everything that’s coming. We know nothing’s going to be handed to us. Winning is not easy because everyone would be undefeated if that was the case. So we’ve just got to understand we’re hungry. We know what we want to do. We know what we gotta do to get there, and we’re going to keep our head down and keep working.”

Key Lawrence has been a critical piece for the Oklahoma Sooners defense in 2023. He’s recorded 14 total tackles, a tackle for loss, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. Quarterbacks are recording a 42.4 passer rating when targeting Lawrence in the passing game.

He and the Oklahoma Sooners defense are having a fantastic season through four games. But more challenges lie ahead. And in his own words, Lawrence and the Sooners know what they have to do to get where they want to go.

How are they celebrating?

“Keeping our head down and keep working.”

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Can the Oklahoma Sooners slow down Cincinnati’s top 10 rushing attack?

If the Oklahoma Sooners want to leave Ohio with a win, it all starts with slowing down the Cincinnati Bearcats top 10 rushing attack.

It can be easy to discount a team’s success early in the season because of the assumed weakness in their nonconference schedule.

That’s the knock against Oklahoma heading into Big 12 play. “They haven’t played anyone,” people say.

The Sooners get a true test when they take on the [autotag]Cincinnati Bearcats[/autotag] today at 11 a.m. CT. Yes, the Bearcats are coming off of a loss to Miami (OH). Cincinnati had opportunities to win but failed to convert in the red zone and had some costly turnovers in the game. But that shouldn’t diminish what the Bearcats do really well, namely run the football.

Cincy comes into their first Big 12 matchup with the No. 8 rushing attack in the country. They’re averaging 239 rushing yards per game, five yards per carry, and two rushing touchdowns per game. In their lone Power Five contest against Pitt, the Bearcats ran for 216 yards in their 27-21 win.

Emory Jones will sling it, but Cincinnati wants to run the football. In order to take the air out of the high-flying Oklahoma Sooners offense, Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield will want to use the running game to control the game.

For the Sooners to return from Ohio with a win, they’ll need to figure out how to slow down the Bearcats rushing attack.

Oklahoma comes into the game with the No. 16 run defense, allowing just 78 yards per game. Tulsa and SMU are currently averaging 166 rushing yards per game. The Sooners held the Mustangs to 116 yards and 3.54 yards per carry and the Golden Hurricane to just 71 yards rushing and 1.54 yards per carry.

The Sooners look like a team intent on stopping the run this season, and they’ve been very effective at it.

This offseason, they made a concerted effort to bulk up their defensive line in the weight room and in the transfer portal. After not having a defensive tackle over 300 pounds a year ago they have three players over that mark in 2023 in [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], and [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag]. [autotag]Jordan Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag] come in over 290 pounds. The Sooners have a healthy rotation of players with good size to help the OU hold up better at the point of attack this season.

The Oklahoma Sooners look like a defense trending in a fantastic direction. This game against Cincinnati will provide the Sooners a significant test for their run defense. If they can hold up and control the line of scrimmage, it will give Oklahoma a significantly better shot at winning the game.

Here are some of the best photos from Oklahoma’s last trip to Cincinnati back in 2010.

 

Stock Up, Stock Down: Passing game trending up, run game trending down as Sooners head into Big 12 opener

Taking a look at what is trending up or down as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for Big 12 play.

The warm-ups are done now. Oklahoma’s nonconference schedule was far from a gauntlet, but they did what they needed to. This team is more equipped to be players for the Big 12 title this year than at any point last year. That much feels like a near certainty.

Starting Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, we’ll dive deeper into this team and see what they are about as the competition level jumps. They’ll take on one of the Big 12’s newest members, the Cincinnati Bearcats, who will provide unique challenges for the Sooners.

As they spend the rest of the week preparing for the matchup, Oklahoma as a team is trending in the right direction. Health isn’t much of a concern yet, though they’ll be without Justin Harrington. That speaks to the depth this team has built in such short order. They are playing well in all facets of the game, but there are still some question marks to which we don’t have answers.

Below, our stock report looks at what’s trending up for Oklahoma and what’s trending down as the Big 12 season begins.

Sooners DT Gracen Halton taking advantage of every opportunity

A pleasant surprise for the Sooners this year as been the emergence of Gracen Halton. Someone taking advantage of his opportunities.

Much has been made about how well the defensive line has been playing, especially against the run. The Oklahoma Sooners currently rank No. 15 in the nation in run defense.

That in itself is a massive improvement from a season ago. One guy on that defensive line who isn’t getting talked about enough is [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag]. Halton has arguably played the best of any of them and constantly flashes when he’s in the game.

Halton told reporters after practice on Monday he has improved from a year ago.

“I won’t say that I’m there but I’ve got a lot of work to do but I’m way better than I was last year,” Halton said. “Technique-wise and everything else, so I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m definitely better than last year.”

Halton has been playing as a role player rather than a starter, but he said the starters have really helped him get to where he is today. “I’m just learning from them,” Halton said. “They’re more experienced than me so every opportunity that I get, I’m just trying to go all in. That’s what I’m trying to display and show on TV and for the people watching.”

While his stats aren’t eye-popping, he is second on the team in tackles for loss with 2.5. But it’s the plays he makes consistently that don’t show up on the stat sheet like beating his guy and forcing the runner to cut back right into another tackler.

Stuff like that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but it’s stuff that will show up on film. Which will ultimately lead to more playing time for the one they call “G Baby.”

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

Report Card: Defense flies high, offense stuck in a rut in 28-11 win over SMU

In our report card for Oklahoma’s performance against SMU, the defense leads the way with the highest marks.

The offense didn’t put its best foot forward in the Sooners 28-11 win over SMU. However, the defense kept Oklahoma in control until the Sooners were able to put together a couple of late scoring drives to seal the win.

Oklahoma knows it will have to play better as the season wears on. They’ll need to improve in all three phases to be in the mix for a Big 12 title berth in November. But for this game, it was enough.

Instead of a shootout, we got a game where neither team even scratched 40 points.

Here’s how each position group graded out in the 28-11 win over SMU.

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners first official depth chart of 2023

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners first official depth chart of the 2023 season.

If there’s one thing that signals we are genuinely back for college football, it’s the release of the official depth charts for colleges across the country. .

Earlier Tuesday morning, Oklahoma’s official football account released the depth chart, helping paint a clearer picture of how this year’s team will be deployed. Several names who played sparingly last year or didn’t play at Oklahoma are now in starting roles for the Sooners.

[lawrence-related id=89567]

All offseason, Brent Venables stressed competitive depth as one of the biggest changes from last offseason to this offseason. It clearly shows up on paper as the depth chart has 21 different “OR” situations.

In many ways, the game against Arkansas State is a tryout for many players to solidify or leap someone at their respective positions. Below, we share our five takeaways from the first official depth chart.