Sooners Defense Punishes Baylor in 44-34 Win

On a day when the offenses were supposed to shine and points were to come in bunches, the Sooners defense was up to the task. Baylor finished with 159 yards rushing, but it took the Bears 44 carries to reach that total. They held the Baylor Bears to 416 yards (250 below their season average) and created 3 turnovers. True freshman Jarrett Stidham never felt completely comfortable, even though he flashed some moments of greatness. The Sooners defense never really allowed him to get going, as he ended up only completing 50.8% of his passes and was intercepted twice.

The Sooners defensive play on the night was highlighted by several great individual performances. Here are several players that stood out on the night.

Jordan Thomas

Thomas was asked to do a ton tonight as he drew the assignment of covering Corey Coleman for nearly the entire night. Coleman finished with ONLY 3 catches and 51 yards. His play tonight almost assuredly vaulted him into the conversation for the Thorpe Award in 2016. I don't know if we have seen a performance this dominant since Derrick Strait.

Charles Tapper

Tapper has saved his best play for last. The senior defensive end came to play tonight and his WWE-esque suplex sack cemented his performance on the night.

Charles Walker

Walker was near unblockable on the night. He constantly was beating his man off the line, knifing through blocks and creating all sorts of havoc in the backfield.

Zack Sanchez

Whether you love him or hate him, Sanchez just makes plays. His interception in the 3rd quarter was another huge play by a guy who clearly wasn't playing at 100%