OU football defense doesn't 'play to a scoreboard' — just the way Brent Venables likes it
NORMAN — Key Lawrence gave the No. 1 sign with his right hand as he sprinted off the field.
The junior safety had just secured an interception early in the fourth quarter of OU's 49-14 win at Nebraska on Saturday, and he was enjoying the moment in front of 87,161 spectators.
Lawrence's teammates were also living it up. Junior linebacker Shane Whitter gave his best Dikembe Mutombo impression by breaking out the finger wag, and redshirt senior defensive back C.J. Colden excitedly smacked the back of Lawrence's helmet to congratulate him.
One would've thought it was a game-changing play based off the group's celebration, but it was quite the opposite. The Sooners were up by 42 points at the time. OU had secured the victory long before Lawrence's interception, and yet the OU defense didn't take its foot off the gas until the final seconds drained from the game clock.
It's the ability to sustain a high level of intensity for 60 minutes that has allowed the Sooners to have one of the best defenses in the nation so far this season.
"Our expectation is we play to a standard here," OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said on Monday. "We don't play to a scoreboard. We play to a standard. We don't want guys watching the scoreboard. We want guys thinking about what they're supposed to do, how they're supposed to do it and the way they are supposed to do it."
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OU's defensive stats are nothing short of dominant through the first three weeks of the season.
It all starts at the line of scrimmage, where the Sooners are tied for the fifth-most sacks in the nation (13). Reggie Grimes leads the way with four sacks, and fellow defensive end Ethan Downs boasts 2.5 sacks.
OU also ranks first in the nation in tackles for loss (32). Grimes leads that department as well with six TFLs, although sophomore linebacker Danny Stutsman isn't too far behind with four.
"Our guys, with the level of buy-in, they’re seeing some of the fruits of their labor pay off, as far as creating negative-yardage plays," Roof said. "That’s such a big deal in football now."
OU's defensive starters weren't the only guys who contributed to the win.
Freshman linebacker Jaren Kanak came off the bench in the second quarter to replace DaShaun White, who was disqualified for targeting. Kanak erupted for 10 total tackles and recovered a fumble that he forced.
Redshirt senior defensive back Justin Harrington made the most of his playing time down the stretch. He broke up a pass and finished with five tackles.
"You've got to roll out people because this is a long season," Roof said. "There are a lot of snaps. To be able to build that when somebody does get injured — it's not a matter of if but when that does happen — that guy is not going out there for the first time and wondering what he needs to do to be successful. He's already experienced that and has a foundation, has a platform to be able to go do that."
Regardless of who was on the field for OU's defense, the group showed it's deep and dedicated to playing until the final whistle.
"(The defense) was staying fully engaged," Roof said. "That's the culture here set by Coach (Brent) Venables."
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Banking on Jovantae Barnes
But it doesn't take much for OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, or anyone, to see Jovantae Barnes' potential.
The 6-foot, 200-pound freshman is behind running backs Eric Gray and Marcus Major on the depth chart. Still, Barnes has impressed when given the chance to contribute this season. He has 26 carries for 123 yards.
"Jovantae, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out this guy is crazy talented," Lebby said. "He gets in there. He plays really fast. He’s strong-bodied, he’s fearless and he’s done a really good job."
Barnes had the best game of his young career against Nebraska. The former four-star recruit ran for 77 yards on 13 carries, and his biggest play came midway through the third quarter.
Barnes took a handoff from Davis Beville and saw a hole on the left side. He sprinted through a gap and reached Nebraska's 38-yard line before a defender tried to push him out of bounds.
The defender was successful, but not before Barnes hit him with a stiff arm that partially took his helmet off.
The 31-yard run marked career long for Barnes, who continues to build a case for more playing time moving forward.
"It’s been huge creating some depth with him," Lebby said of Barnes. "I'm excited about what he’s going to be here, for sure.”
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A win for Wanya Morris
Lebby didn't have any doubts that Wanya Morris would bounce back.
After being listed as OU's starting right tackle on the Week 1 depth chart, Morris was forced to miss the team's first two games due to what Venables described as off-the-field issues.
It was a tough break for a senior Sooner who is expected to be a leader on the offensive line, but he made a triumphant return against Nebraska.
Pro Football Focus counted 56 snaps that Morris played compared to 32 snaps for redshirt sophomore Tyler Guyton, who became a starter during Morris' absence. Morris recorded a grade of 67.2, which is his highest grade since he transferred from Tennessee in 2021.
"He’s a guy that’s gone through some stuff," Lebby said of Morris. "He’s lived it. He’s got some great experience. And so I think being an older guy, being a more mature guy gave him the ability to help us (at Nebraska).
"He handled it in a very mature way. Really the way we expected and then played hard Saturday afternoon."
Morris' return coincides with the strongest performance by OU's offensive line this season.
The group dominated the line of scrimmage against Nebraska, and it'll look to continue its upward trajectory during a home game against Kansas State at 7 p.m. Saturday.
"I think we’ve gotten better every week," Lebby said. "We’re going to continue to talk about getting better and being better, playing better. We’re all on the same page. If we want to do what we want to do, it's going to start up front."
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Brent Venables' defense doesn't 'play to a scoreboard'
