ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Oklahoma’s defense did enough to keep Saturday’s game in reach, but not enough to match the standard Brent Venables has built in Norman.
In a 17-10 loss to Michigan, the Sooners surrendered just 263 total offensive yards and limited the Wolverines to 3.7 yards per carry. Even so, the unit came away with plenty to fix, especially after Michigan’s only second-half touchdown followed John Mateer’s interception, which handed the Wolverines the ball at Oklahoma’s six-yard line.
Venables didn’t sugarcoat it.
“They made us pay,” Venables said. “There's a lot of stuff to clean up and a lot of stuff to learn from. And obviously everyone's gonna be disappointed we left stuff on the table.”
The tackling was a major issue. Pro Football Focus credited Oklahoma with 21 missed tackles, a number that stood out even in a game where the defense otherwise limited Michigan’s overall production.
Linebacker Owen Heinecke led the Sooners with 10 tackles, but he also missed seven, the most on the team. Defensive backs Reggie Powers III, Courtland Guillory and Peyton Bowen, along with defensive tackle Danny Saili, each missed two.
Several of Oklahoma’s top defenders also came away with rough grades from PFF. Heinecke, Guillory and defensive tackle David Stone all finished below 60 on the defensive side.
That lack of sharpness showed up in the key moments. Heinecke said Michigan’s offense created problems with space.
“(Michigan) did a good job of creating gaps,” Heinecke said. “We didn't do a good job of getting off the field on third downs.”
Bowen pointed to the details that fed into the missed tackles.
“We just have to keep our leverage, and that will ultimately lead us to better positioning on tackling,” Bowen said.
The biggest headache for Oklahoma was Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood. The sophomore threw for only 111 yards, but his legs changed the game. Underwood ran for 87 yards on 4.8 yards per carry, and his longest run - a 38-yard touchdown in the first quarter - gave Michigan an early spark.
He’s still developing as a passer, but the athleticism is already a problem, and Oklahoma will see more quarterbacks in that mold down the road. The Sooners are set to face Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed later in the year, making containment a priority well before those games arrive.
“He's actually exactly who we thought he was - really talented guy,” Venables said. “He's hard to get down one on one.”
The schedule ahead does Oklahoma no favors. Five of the Sooners’ final 10 opponents are currently ranked, which only raises the pressure to tighten things up now.
For all the criticism, the defense wasn’t solely responsible for the loss. But after a game that left room on the table in too many places, the margin for error is getting smaller.
“We don't have any other choice but to bounce back,” linebacker Cole Sullivan said. “We're a tough team.
We're going to all have a sense of ownership for this game, for this loss. We all have to get better.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma Suddenly Has A Huge Test At Its Most Important Line Spot
Oklahomas offensive line is already under the microscope heading into the Michigan matchup, and the latest injury news only sharpens the focus on the left side. The Sooners are expected to be without starting left tackle Michael Fasusi, while center Jake Maikkula is back and Ryan Fodje is also returning to the mix, giving the staff at least some flexibility as it sorts out the front five.
Fodje is the name to watch because he is projected to slide over to left tackle in Fasusis absence. He has played multiple spots along the offensive line and came to Oklahoma as a highly regarded tackle recruit, but this is still a major assignment in a game where edge protection will matter from the opening series. For a team trying to settle its line before a marquee nonconference test, the timing could hardly be tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Suddenly Has A Season Long Question It Can't Ignore
Oklahomas loss to Michigan landed on a Saturday that felt unkind to a few heavyweights, with Ohio State and Oregon also taking defeats that will linger. But the Sooners setback was the one that pushed a familiar worry back into focus, because the offense never found much rhythm and the night exposed how much pressure can build when a team expected to contend is suddenly asked harder questions than it can answer.
For Oklahoma, the concern is not just the result but the way it happened. The passing game never really threatened to take off, leaving the Sooners looking stuck whenever they needed a spark through the air, and that kind of struggle tends to follow a team until it is corrected. With the loss already on the board, the bigger issue now is whether this is a one-game malfunction or the start of something more difficult to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Win Over Oklahoma Came With One Ugly Flashpoint
Saturdays Week 2 trip to Michigan Stadium had the kind of edge that can linger well beyond the final whistle, with Oklahoma and Michigan getting into a scuffle early in the third quarter. The moment briefly overshadowed a game that had already taken on real meaning for the Sooners, who were trying to measure themselves against a program they had seen get the better of them before.
Rocky Beers was in the middle of that flashpoint, and the tight end still managed to be one of Oklahomas most productive targets on the day. Michigans 17-10 win carried its own weight, too, since it was the Wolverines first victory over Oklahoma after previous losses in the 1976 Orange Bowl and last September in Norman, leaving the Sooners with another painful chapter in a matchup that has suddenly turned chippy. [Read more 🡒]