Defensive obstacles invoke coaching adjustment

Personnel changes were made to the Oklahoma defense after one of its worst performances under head coach Bob Stoops.

The Sooners surrendered more points per game in 2014 than they have since 1997 when OU was 4-8 under former OU head coach John Blake. 

While OU’s 8-5 season can’t be totally pinned on defensive struggles, Stoops made the call to promote defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to co-defensive coordinator. 

Montgomery joins Mike Stoops at the helm of a defense that was picked apart by the Big 12’s array of talented quarterbacks. However, OU’s run defense has shined since Montgomery took his job in Norman.

The Sooners, though, can’t expect to win too many games in 2015 with a one-dimensional defense. The retirement of cornerbacks coach Bobby Jack Wright should give Stoops a chance to address the ailing secondary head on, but if that unit doesn't improve 2015 will be another long season for the Sooners.

Credit other Big 12 schools for quality game planning, but OU’s secondary has to make better in-game adjustments. The Baylor Bears had a field day with OU’s cornerbacks sitting 10 yards off the line of scrimmage en route to a 48-14 victory for the Big 12 co-champions.

While the Sooners may not have the athletes to keep up with some of the speedy receivers in the Big 12, they need to improve schematically, and that’s where more collaboration between Montgomery and Mike Stoops may occur.

OU returns all of its starting linebackers and a good portion of its secondary. Plus, the Sooners have collected a handful of commitments from a few of the top defensive back and defensive line prospects in the 2015 class.

Bob Stoops said Jerry Montgomery has been a big aid in coaching the defense, and it should be interesting to see how Montgomery and Mike Stoops’ clashing styles will translate to the football field.