Oklahoma football: 3 overreactions to thrilling comeback win at Baylor
By John Scimeca
2. OU defense sealed big win, redeemed Alex Grinch
Who would have thought that we’d be singing the praises of Alex Grinch’s outfit after the past two games? In the 48-41 loss to Kansas State and the 42-41 win against Iowa State, the OU defense gave up 90 combined points and 903 total yards.
That script was flipped on Saturday night against the Bears, especially with the Sooners trailing and mounting a second-half comeback. Baylor finished the game with just 307 yards (compared to OU’s 525 yards) and 18:49 time of possession (compared to OU’s 41:11).
Baylor’s five possessions after halftime netted only 103 total yards and ended in a fumble, three punts, and an interception.
Kenneth Perkins (eight tackles, including two for loss) and Ronnie Perkins (three sacks) led the way for OU’s defense, which pressured Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer and locked down in the second half.
First-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch had come under criticism in recent weeks for how OU’s defense appeared to regress after a decent start to the season. Although the Week 12 win was not against a particularly elite, high-powered offense, OU’s defense showed against Baylor that it can make plays when the season is on the line.