AMES — Brent Venables had yelled at Danny Stutsman in practice “1,000 times” to position himself on the weak side hashmark while defending the hook route.
On Saturday, with Oklahoma clinging to a one-possession fourth quarter lead over Iowa State, Stutsman saw Cyclones receiver Sean Shaw Jr. “bending in” toward the middle of the field and reacted exactly how his head coach taught.
ISU quarterback Hunter Dekkers looked toward Shaw Jr., fired, and sure enough, Stutsman was in the perfect spot for the interception. His pick was the third and most crucial from a fast and physical Sooners defense that played rejuvenated in OU’s 27-13 win over the Cyclones.
DANNY STUTSMAN. 😤😤😤#OUDNA | #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/IbABk0NkKR
— 𝕆𝕂𝕃𝔸ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔸-𝕍𝕊-𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 (@soonergridiron) October 29, 2022
Despite giving up 40-plus points in its past four games, including ugly losses to TCU and Texas, Oklahoma’s defense remained devoted to the foundation and techniques Venables has instilled in his first season as head coach.
“The process doesn’t change,” is a phrase Stutsman and defensive coordinator Ted Roof both repeated after the win. The Sooners believed that despite their shortcomings early in Big 12 play and saw their hard work and commitment finally rewarded against Iowa State.
“Guys have had the right mindset,” Venables said. “We’re getting better, that’s what I would say. And you get better, you grow confidence and you have a little bit of edge and swag through the work that you’re doing, by doing the hard over and over and over again.
“It’s always about the little things, so through all this, where some people might say, ‘whatever you’re doing isn’t working,’ that’s one way to look at it. Or you’re faithful to your processes and how you are successful at anything. … That’s what our guys have done, and so the improvement comes from how we’ve been practicing and being more and more sure of ourselves, just guys getting better.”
Oklahoma’s defensive vindication started with redshirt junior cornerback Woodi Washington’s interception of Dekkers on Iowa State’s second offensive play. The ball appeared to fall incomplete, but the referees didn’t review the play and OU took over near midfield.
Woodi Washington. 😤 pic.twitter.com/ILsThCgtd3
— 𝕆𝕂𝕃𝔸ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔸-𝕍𝕊-𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 (@soonergridiron) October 29, 2022
The Sooners failed to capitalize on the first pick after running back Eric Gray fumbled inside ISU’s 20-yard line, but the turnover’s impact was still felt.
“The first drive of the game, to go up and make a play on the football, that’s something that Coach (Jay) Valai, Coach (Brandon) Hall work every, attacking the football,” Roof said. (Woodi) did, (and) it was a big, big play in the game for us, starting off with the momentum.”
Iowa State’s second possession ended with a turnover on downs, thanks to redshirt senior safety Justin Broiles and senior linebacker David Ugwoegbu, who stepped up to stuff running back Cartevious Norton on a 4th-and-1 carry.
Fourth. Down. Stop. 💪 pic.twitter.com/e1j7eQcn3c
— 𝕆𝕂𝕃𝔸ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔸-𝕍𝕊-𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 (@soonergridiron) October 29, 2022
Imperfect but sufficient complementary football followed, as the Sooners scored on their next three drives via two field goals and a fake field goal touchdown pitch from punter Michael Turk to kicker Zach Schmit.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones accrued only nine rushing yards in the first half and were limited to 66 total as OU’s defense continued to bear down. The Sooners allowed just seven conversions on 20 Iowa State third down tries. Across the second and third quarters, ISU was held to one field goal and punted on five of six drives.
“I think that we just kind of knew (we’d play well),” said fifth-year senior linebacker DaShaun White, who finished with a career- and team-high 14 tackles. “Coach Venables has kind of been saying it as well, (that) we worked hard even during those losses, like we were putting in a lot of work, and so it's one of those things that you just keep stacking, and stacking, and stacking and one day, it’ll catch up.”
Oklahoma’s lone defensive blemish was a 12-play, 53-yard touchdown drive allowed to open the fourth quarter. The Sooners had ISU backed up to 4th-and-12 in the red zone, but Dekkers still found Jaylin Noel over the middle for the score and cut the deficit to a touchdown.
The OU defense was dealt more adversity after the offense went three-and-out, but Broiles rose to the occasion again with an interception in Sooners territory. He was mobbed by teammates as he sprinted to the sideline after what seemed a likely momentum changer. However, quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the offense went three-and-out again, forcing the defense to come up with a final answer.
Justin Broiles dives for the interception. 🔥#OUDNA | #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/ZmueGb9m6r
— 𝕆𝕂𝕃𝔸ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔸-𝕍𝕊-𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 (@soonergridiron) October 29, 2022
Adhering to his approach, Stutsman delivered and returned his interception 37 yards to the Iowa State two-yard line. Two plays later, Gray dove into the end zone, and with a little more complementary football, the Sooners sucked the wind out of the Cyclones.
“It was a breakthrough for ‘em, and hopefully it continues to lend credibility to what you’ve been asking them to do,” Venables said. “The work that it takes just to play good — not even to play great — to play good. And so, it’s not what you do occasionally that allows you to be successful. It’s what you do consistently.
“And our guys, through all of it, have consistently come in, put the work in that it takes. … Instead of worrying about success happening or winning happening, they’ve just been so busy working that it inevitably happens on its own.”
Iowa State’s poor offense entered play ranked last in the Big 12 in yards and points per game. That certainly played in Oklahoma’s favor as they limited the Cyclones to 378 yards while registering seven tackles for loss and one sack.
But OU also outplayed the Cyclones’ conference-best defense in the contest, providing more validation to its work in practice. It also got some much needed reinforcements in sophomore safeties Billy Bowman and Damond Harmon, who returned from injuries Saturday.
Ahead of a Nov. 5 home matchup with Baylor, the victory can be a springboard for future defensive success, players and coaches said. Although, the Sooners’ main focus is continuing to trust and execute the techniques that’ve been drilled into their heads 1,000 times.
“Just another step in the road,” Stutsman said. “We're gonna keep using this, get at it tomorrow and just get better and learn from our mistakes and just get better, better every single day. The process doesn’t change. Even in those losses, it doesn’t change.”
