Tag: Trace Ford

How did EA Sports rate Oklahoma’s defense in ‘College Football 25?’

When “College Football 25” drops, the Oklahoma Sooners will open with one of the best defenses in the country.

EA Sports is releasing “College Football 25” on July 19, and fans are excited for the return of the college football video game series.

On Thursday, EA released its defensive ratings for the 25 best defenses in the game, and Oklahoma is just outside the top 10.

“College Football 25” has OU as the No. 12 defense ahead of the launch of the highly anticipated video game. It’s the No. 4 best defense in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. This comes following the mutual parting of ways between the program and former defensive coordinator [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] and the hiring of his replacement, [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag].

On the field, the Sooners have plenty of experienced talent returning on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary is led by [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] at safety and [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] at cornerback, but features plenty of young talent as well.

[autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] will battle for the spot opposite of Washington. [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] will see an increase in snaps this year with the departures of [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].

The defensive line sees some change but still has [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] leading the way up front. [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] are veterans who will aid in the development of younger players like [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Adepoju Adebawroe[/autotag] and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. The defensive line is in a solid place moving forward even after losing [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag] and [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag]. The Sooners also saw [autotag]Jermayne Lole[/autotag] flip his commitment from OU to Texas in the spring portal window.

The strength of the defense is the talent and depth at linebacker. At the inside spots, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] returns as the heart and soul of the unit. [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] will all see plenty of snaps alongside Stutsman. The loss of [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] at the cheetah position stings, but [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] and [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] provide Alley will plenty of options at that spot.

The Sooners open with an 88 overall defense in “College Football 25,” tied with Texas, Penn State, Utah, Florida State and Iowa.

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Trace Ford brings much-needed experience to Oklahoma’s defensive line

Trace Ford will step into a leadership role in his second season as a Sooner.

The Oklahoma Sooners return plenty of experience on the defensive side of the ball in 2024. However, most of it comes at the linebacker position and in the secondary.

Defensive line is a different story for OU entering Year 3 under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. While there is some experience in the trenches with Ethan Downs and Da’Jon Terry, a number of new faces will have to get acclimated to [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag]’ and [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag]’ way of doing things.

Oklahoma lost standout performers [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag]. The veterans were crucial to last year’s step forward up front.

Each of those players were redshirt seniors, and all but Lacey ran out of eligibility. Lacey was forced to medically retire prior to spring football.

But another redshirt senior, [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], decided to return for his second season in Norman. He’ll step into more of a leadership role as OU moves from the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Ford isn’t the most experienced player on the D-line for the Sooners (that would be Downs). He may not be a starter at his defensive end position (it’ll likely be [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] opposite Downs). But, his experience in college football will be extremely valuable for the bevy of talented true freshmen that Chavis and Bates brought in. As a former transfer, he’ll also be a resource for the younger transfer portal additions, such as [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag].

Ford played mostly in a reserve role last year on a crowded defensive line. After transferring from Oklahoma State following 8 1/2 sacks in three seasons, he had 18 tackles last year for the Sooners. He also snagged one interception against Tulsa.

Modest stats, sure, but Oklahoma is entering a conference where the trenches are the difference between winning and losing games. Teams that are strong up front and have the athletes to get the job done, typically win in the SEC. The teams that don’t get swallowed up and exposed quickly.

The offensive line remains a question mark for the Sooners, but the defensive line is an area to watch after a lot of player movement since this winter. Having a player like Ford, who provides depth and experience, can only serve to help OU the deeper they get into the season.

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Report Card: Offensive fireworks help gloss over Sooners’ defensive woes

Offense dominates the day and passes final Big 12 test en route to a 69-45 win over TCU. We graded the team’s performance in this week’s report card.

Oklahoma has rebounded from the nightmarish season from 2022. They’ll spend the rest of Thanksgiving weekend at 10-2, a sharp contrast from the 6-6 record they amassed before their bowl game last year.

Friday saw the Sooners end their final regular season as Big 12 members in true Big 12 fashion with an old-fashioned shootout. The two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense and 114 points in a 69-45 Oklahoma win.

Senior Day festivities preceded the game, with more than 20 Sooners recognized. Oklahoma’s win also solidified their 59th undefeated home record as well.

As Oklahoma waits to see how the rest of the Big 12 race plays out, we’re here to grade their performance in the win over TCU. Here’s the final report card for the regular season.

Report Card: Offense’s dysfunction dooms Sooners chance to end Bedlam on top

Grading the Oklahoma Sooners by position group in their loss to Oklahoma State.

If Saturday was the last time Bedlam is played, the Oklahoma Sooners will always regret how things went in their final game against their in-state rivals. The Sooners will walk away from this game knowing they have dominated this series. There’s no debating that the Sooners have owned the Cowboys. But on Saturday, Oklahoma had the chance to put one final bow on this lopsided series, and they didn’t get it done.

Oklahoma State came out swinging, and the Sooners responded. But the most common theme was Oklahoma’s offense stalling on four different possessions once they got to the Oklahoma State side of the field. Most notably on the Sooners’ final drive of the game.

Defensively, Oklahoma played well enough to win. After getting bullied early, the defense found its footing and locked in the remainder of the contest.

In the end, the dysfunction and mistakes on offense put Oklahoma in a near-impossible spot. When it mattered most, they couldn’t rectify their own mistakes.

Oklahoma will move on and turn their attention to West Virginia. Before that, it’s time to pass out grades for Oklahoma’s performance against Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys.

5 players that will be key to an Oklahoma Sooners win in Bedlam

For the Oklahoma Sooners to get a win on the road vs. Oklahoma State, these five players will be key.

The build-up to this final iteration of Bedlam has been an interesting one. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State seem to be trending in two different directions.

For Oklahoma, this game has big-time repercussions for the goals they want to accomplish in 2023. A win keeps them in the Big 12 title hunt. A loss creates a far more difficult path.

No one expected Oklahoma State to be a Big 12 contender. They were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll. But the Cowboys have experienced a resurgence since their bye and have won four straight.

The onus falls upon Brent Venables and his staff to right the ship.

Venables knows he and his staff have to coach better, but the Sooners need improved discipline and execution on the field as well.

As Oklahoma looks to get back on the winning side of things, here are five Sooners that will play key roles on Saturday.

Sooners captains for Bedlam have an Oklahoma flavor

The Sooners captains for the final Bedlam are all very familiar with this rivalry.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag] battle for the final time as Big 12 foes. It’s the final time for a long time in the regular season. This will be the 118th meeting between the two schools with Oklahoma holding a 91-19-7 lead in the series.

This is a big one not just for final bragging rights for both schools, but also for conference title aspirations. The losing school could basically be eliminated from the race.

In preparation for the game on Saturday, the Sooners have named their captains and all are very familiar with this rivalry. Those captains are [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] and [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag].

All five of those players were born and played their high school football in the state of Oklahoma. Downs is from Weatherford and has been the Sooners’ best pass rusher this season leading the team with 4.5 sacks.

Ford is not just from Edmond but he also played for the Cowboys before transferring to the Sooners this past offseason. He’s been a really solid contributor to this defense’s resurgence.

Freeman is from Oklahoma City and has mainly been used as a punt returner and gadget player offensively. It’ll be interesting to see if his role increases at all after a poor offensive performance last Saturday.

Stoops is from Norman and has been one of the best receivers for the Sooners. He leads Oklahoma with 40 receptions, and is fourth in yards and second in touchdowns.

Williams is from Tulsa and has been their best cover guy all season. He missed last week’s game with an injury and it showed big time. This seems to be a good sign about his availability going into this game.

Ultimately, it’s going to mean a lot to these guys who grew up around this rivalry but to walk out of Boone Pickens Stadium with a win, it needs to mean a lot to a lot more than just those five.

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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.

3 Stars of the Game: Defensive end duo plays inspired ball in Sooners win

Oklahoma escaped UCF’s upset bid on Saturday. While it wasn’t pretty these three players stood out most for their performance.

Oklahoma narrowly escaped on Saturday against UCF in a game many did not foresee as razor-tight. At no point outside of the game’s first minutes did  Oklahoma have control.

Ultimately, that remained the case for the rest of the game. However, somehow, Oklahoma found themselves walking off Owen Field still undefeated and 7-0, surpassing their 2022 win total in October of this year.

While the product was far from pretty, the result mattered, and the Sooners won. A few players from the team stood out, and we have declared them our three stars for this week.

Three Stars of the Game

No. 1 Star – Ethan Downs, DE

Ethan Downs has upped his level of play this season and has become an impact defender along the defensive line for the Sooners.

He had a lights-out performance vs. Texas and was just as disruptive against UCF.

He had a highlight play that saw him blow up two UCF players on a 3rd and 8 in the first quarter and ended up sacking Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee.

Downs also had five tackles in the run game and was credited with a tackle for loss. His ability to set the edge was vital in forcing UCF to run between the tackles, where they did not have the physical or schematical advantage against the Sooners.

No. 2 Star – Trace Ford, DL

Trace Ford had arguably his best game of the season on Saturday. He was a disruptive force on the ground and as a pass rusher.

Ford came up with two tackles for loss and knocked down two passes at the line of scrimmage. He was active and energetic.

While he did struggle to contain the edge at times, he was undoubtedly one of the more impactful defenders on Saturday.

No. 3 Star – Nic Anderson, WR

There’s no way to overstate Nic Anderson’s arrival this year, but he’s announced himself in a big way. He’s third on the team in receiving yards, first in touchdowns, and is averaging 24.8 yards per reception.

On Saturday, he scored twice, led the team in receiving yards, and further proved to be a reliable weapon in the passing game.

Anderson is showcasing route running, awareness, and explosiveness.

With Andrel Anthony out for the remainder of this season, Nic Anderson looks like he’s officially a starter for the long haul. Oklahoma will depend on him to make plays going forward. It’s up to Anderson to continue to make the most of those opportunities.

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Relive the Oklahoma Sooners thrilling win over UCF with these incredible photos

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 7-0 with their win over UCF. Relive the Sooner Magic with these incredible images.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in Big 12 play with their 31-29 win over the UCF Knights.

It wasn’t a dominating performance, but the Sooners did enough to come away with the victory.

There were encouraging performances on both sides of the ball. Dillon Gabriel had a solid game, completing 66% of his passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. It was another strong day for the Sooners’ Heisman contender.

The ground game found a bit of life in the fourth quarter as [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] helped kickstart the Sooners’ go-ahead scoring drive.

Nic Anderson caught two more touchdown passes to give him eight on the season. He also went over 100 yards receiving for the second time this season to lead the Sooners.

Defensively, [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] had a big day off the edge. So did [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag]. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] led the team in tackles again. Despite the unsportsmanlike penalty from [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], the sophomore linebacker was really good.

On a day when a lot of the top-10 teams struggled, the Sooners were able to add another one to the win column.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Sooners win over UCF.

 

15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 4 per Pro Football Focus

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

The Oklahoma Sooners are playing good football as they head into Week 5. They’re 4-0 and allowing an average of 8.5 points per game. Though the offense scored just 20 points against Cincinnati, Dillon Gabriel left a little meat on the bone with a couple of bad overthrows and a fumble inside the 10-yard line.

It could have easily been a 34-6 game.

But, the Sooners are 4-0 and looking like a contender in the Big 12. They’ll have to continue to prove it on the field, but for the most part, they’re looking like a much-improved football team.

Through four weeks, the Sooners have received some standout performances, but who has earned the best grades from Pro Football Focus through four games?

Here are the top 15 graded Sooners who have played at least 77 snaps or 25% of the possible snaps this season.