Julian Wilson Rips Defensive Scheme In 48-14 Blowout Loss To The Baylor Bears

Coming into this week, no one questioned the focus and mentality of Bryce Petty as the "just ready for OU" quote nearly went viral.

As the Baylor Bears traveled to Norman, the star quarterback cashed in on the saying behind a 387 yard performance on 32-of-42 passing which lead to a 48-14 blowout win. The occasion marked the first time the Oklahoma Sooners have lost to the folks from Waco in Memorial Stadium.

Able to force a three and out on the first defensive possession, the Sooners looked to be in control of the game holding their counterpart to just three points in the first half. With an all out blitz, the linebackers kept the opposing quarterback guessing where the pressure was coming from. However, things quickly took a turn for the worst as Baylor receivers found themselves with space behind the Oklahoma secondary for a majority of the game.

The inability to cover led to a half time adjustment that pushed the cornerbacks to safety depth on the field. From there on, Petty and his receivers took what the defense gave them...6-7 yards per throw as Corey Coleman racked up a career high 224 yards on 15 receptions.

Apparently, Julian Wilson took issue with the change in the defensive scheme and let the coaching staff know it.

Following the battle on the sidelines, Wilson found himself pulled in favor of Jordan Thomas. Was the dispute the reason why the starting corner was removed from the game? Defensive Coordinator, Mike Stoops offers up this explanation: "He couldn't tackle. They throw a hitch out there and he (Wilson) missed him and the guy ran for another 20 yards. If you can't tackle you shouldn't be out there. He had a broken thumb. He had a cast on. He broke his thumb somewhere in the first half and they casted him up."

By the time the final whistle blew, the Bears scored 45 unanswered points eclipsing the 500 total yard mark.

For the first time under Bob Stoops, the Sooners have lost back to back home games not to mention it's the worst home loss during that same period. Zack Sanchez sums up the game from the defensive standpoint very well. "Every aspect of the game we got beat and it's not acceptable by any means, especially here. Something has to change and we have to fix a lot of things."

There is no blaming this loss on the uniforms!

Position Grades

Defensive Line - Oklahoma lacked the ability to consistently put pressure on Bryce Petty although members of the line came up with 1.5 sacks. On a positive note, if there really is one, the Sooners gave up a mere 2.8 yards per carry on 52 rushing attempts throughout the game to a team averaging 4.87 before today. Unfortunately, Baylor didn't need to run the ball on Saturday to take down OU in Norman. Overall Grade: C

Linebackers - Slants became common place as Oklahoma struggled defensively. Dominique Alexander recorded 18 tackles as the pass rush ability of Eric Striker was negated due to quick passing routes. However, the most glaring issue became how easily the Bears scored once reaching the redzone. Overall Grade: C-

Secondary - The group consistently missed tackles and failed to come up with big plays when they were needed the most. Ahmad Thomas recorded 14 tackles but all in all, the secondary got torched all afternoon as Baylor averaged a first down per completion. Can we blame a little of this on the scheme in the second half? Absolutely but the players need to execute regardless in a game of this caliber with conference title implications. The bright side, again if there is one, was that this group only gave up a single touchdown... Overall Grade: D-