The biggest thing Oklahoma’s defense has to solve at Mississippi State might not be the run game or the pass rush. According to former Sooners standout Gabe Ikard, it starts much simpler than that: keep the Bulldogs from hitting the explosive shot.
“If I were to list (the most important things) for OU's defense, I feel like No. 1 on that list is do not get cooked by the deep ball,” Ikard said on the 'Oklahoma Breakdown with Ikard and Lehman.'" Typically, we talk about, 'Hey, you've got to stop the run, put them in second-and-long, third-and-medium or long situations, and then go get the quarterback.'
That's usually how we talk about the game on here. I kind of think you try your best to take away the deep ball and then limit everything else with this team."
That advice comes with real weight because this matchup shapes up as a strength-on-strength battle. Oklahoma enters at 3-3 and Mississippi State at 4-2, and the Sooners are bringing one of the nation’s best defenses into Starkville.
The numbers back that up. Oklahoma is No. 5 nationally in total defense, No. 6 in passing yards allowed and No. 30 in scoring defense.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, sits at No. 22 in total offense and No. 22 in passing offense, with a No. 48 ranking in scoring. That scoring figure is affected by the fact that star quarterback Kamario Taylor missed the Bulldogs’ last game, when they were shut out.
For Oklahoma, the challenge is clear: keep the Bulldogs from turning one play into a momentum swing. Mississippi State has shown it can move the ball through the air, and if the Sooners allow receivers to get behind them, a defense that has been sturdy all season could suddenly be put under stress. Disciplined coverage and clean tackling underneath will matter just as much as the pressure up front.
The Sooners and Bulldogs will meet for the first time ever, and if Ikard is right, Oklahoma’s first order of business is straightforward: erase the deep ball and make everything else harder.
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Oklahoma's Defense Gets A Serious Warning Before Mississippi State
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The tempo and pace also raise the pressure on the Sooners to communicate cleanly and line up correctly before the ball is snapped. If Oklahoma can stay connected and execute consistently, it can force Mississippi State to work longer drives and avoid the kind of explosive plays that make this offense so difficult to contain. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Arbuckle May Have Found What Oklahoma's Offense Needed
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John Mateer did his part by completing 76% of his passes without a turnover, and the backs helped carry the load on the ground. Just as important for Oklahoma, the offense kept the clean sheet it needed by avoiding sacks and giveaways, a combination that gave the Sooners a steadier rhythm than they've had at times this fall and hints at a formula worth building on. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Finally Got The Formula Right But One Problem Wont Go Away
For one Saturday in Starkville, Oklahoma looked a lot more like the team it expected to be when it entered SEC play. The Sooners beat Mississippi State 23-15 at Davis Wade Stadium, moved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the league, and finally put together the kind of clean offensive and defensive showing that has been too rare this fall. John Mateer set the tone with 283 passing yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, and Oklahomas defense did enough to keep Mississippi State under control for most of the afternoon.
Still, the win did not come without another familiar concern hanging over it. The Sooners left points on the field with missed field goals by Sandell, a reminder that even when the broader formula works, the margins remain too tight for comfort. Oklahoma got the result it needed and some much-needed traction in conference play, but the lingering issue is whether it can keep that balance intact when the pressure rises again. [Read more 🡒]