Film Room: How will OU's Offense Attack Baylor?

Baylor looks to break a two game skid against Oklahoma in their first trip to Norman since Bryce Petty let anyone who would listen know that he was ready for OU.  The big challenge awaiting the Bears when they play Bob Stoops led Sooners is the OU offense which has been the toughest unit in the Big 12 to stop.

STATISTICS

Oklahoma's offense averages 45 yards per drive against power 5 teams this season.  That is roughly 33% more than those defenses give up to their other power 5 competition which is among the best relative marks you could want to have.  The stats keep jumping out at you with 7.69 per play, 6 per non-sack carry, 9.8 yards per pass play, 70% completions, a low 4.2% sack rate, and 3.67 points per drive.  The Sooner offense went from unreliable in 2014 to scary in 2016 under Lincoln Riley.

SCHEME

Oklahoma hired former Texas Tech and East Carolina assistant coach Lincoln Riley to revamp their offense prior to 2015 and he played a huge role in their making the playoff last season. 


He's an Air Raid coach that covers many of the typical air raid staples you typically see but also balances things by leaning on a very strong run game.  Oklahoma will run a fair amount of zone, power, and draw with the typical additions of quarterback runs, and blocking back adjustments as well.  The Sooners also have an effective outside run game.

Look at the NSU offense preview to see some Air Raid concepts broken down.

Oklahoma uses a fair amount of Run/Pass option plays.  One example of this is the play in the video below.  OU typically will run a good portion of their zone runs with a blocking back or tight end kicking out the backside defender across the formation.  This run/pass option preys on a defender that is used to seeing that play again and again.  If he crashes too hard against the run it's an easy way to get the ball into a talented back's hands in space.

PERSONNEL

One of the best Quarterbacks in the country heads up the Sooner offense.  #6 Baker Mayfield (6-1, 212, RJr.) started his career as a true freshman phenom at Texas Tech, transferred to Oklahoma, and started the last two years. He's completing 71% of his passes with 31 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.  He's a very capable runner with good change of direction ability for a quarterback.  He's Oklahoma's leader on offense.

OU has two elite running backs.  #32 Samaje Perine (5-10, 235, Jr.) has over 3,000 rushing yards in his career and is very elusive for someone as physical as he is.  He has been All-Big 12 each of the last two seasons.

Most teams don't get the benefit of TWO tailbacks of that caliber but Oklahoma does as they also have #25 Joe Mixon (6-1, 226, RSo.) lining up for them.  He's physical at 226 pounds but he has very good agility and can make big plays out of busted plays like this run against Oklahoma State last fall.



Oklahoma will use fullback #36 Dimitri Flowers (6-2, 239, Jr.) as a blocking back a good percentage of the time but also lines both Perine and Mixon up together in the backfield blocking for each other.  Flowers has improved as a blocker over the last year but also stepped in when both of their star tailbacks were out against Iowa State.  He carried the load against the Cyclones with 22 carries for 115 rushing yards.  He's also a capable receiver with 344 career receiving yards and ripped off a 75 yard reception against ISU.  This isn't the slow fullback mold, this kid can move and gives OU some flexibility at the position.

Oklahoma's Air Raid has several good receivers and their best is former JC transfer #11 Dede Westbrook (6-1, 176, RSr.) who has over 1,100 yards this season and over 18 yards per reception.  He's skinny, but thats about the only drawback he's got.  He runs good routes, can go over the top, and has good hands.  He starts at the Z position which typically is the outside receiver to the offense's right.



Their primary outside receiver at the X position opposite Westbrook is usually #13 A.D. Miller (6-3, 195, So.) but #2 Dahu Green (6-4, 198, So.) and #15 Jeffery Mead (6-5, 195, Jr.) have started at that spot this year.

The Sooners feature #5 Geno Lewis (6-1, 205, RSr.), #1 Jarvis Baxter (5-11, 173, Sr.), and #83 Nick Basquine (5-11, 191, RSo.) at their inside receiver spot.

One of the biggest matchups the Sooners have is dynamic tight end #81 Mark Andrews (6-5, 250, RSo.) who runs like a receiver and is a serviceable blocker.  He can line up in the slot, on the line, or as a blocking back.  He's very fast with a touchdown of over 60 yards and over 15 yards per reception.

On the Offensive Line the Sooners struggled early but have settled into the season recently.  Left Tackle #78 Orlando Brown (6-8, 340, RSo.) is really good but the big step forward for OU came after the Sooners replaced a couple starters inside and settled in with #72 Ben Powers (6-4, 315, So.) and #75 Dru Samia (6-4, 300, So.) at Guard with #58 Erick Wren (6-2, 310, RJr.) at Center.

OFFENSIVE QUESTIONS

Can BU stop them?

I think Oklahoma is good enough on offense that it's difficult for anyone to completely stop them right now.  Ohio State and Houston got them before they reshuffled the line and OU still averaged a more than respectable 35 yards per drive in those games.  The Sooners started the year with high hopes but took a while to get going.  Baylor is catching them as things have started rolling.  I don't put much stock in what happened in Ames as any struggle by OU.  They didn't have either elite tailback and averaged 42 yards per drive while trying to heavily burn clock to get out of there with a win.  So yes they only scored 34 points but that was on only ten drives.  Baylor playing at their best can slow this offense down but Baylor showed nothing close to their best last week.

OU struggled to score against Houston.  What happened there?

Houston has been solid on defense but the Sooners left a lot of points on the field through sloppy play that they have cleaned up significantly in recent months.  Below is an example when the pulling guard runs right by who he is supposed to block which allows a stop on a 2nd and 1 play that easily should have earned a first down.  This is the type of play Oklahoma is making now with the reshuffled line.

What led to the bad game against TCU defensively for Baylor?

There was some sloppy tackling but I also think that the relatively conservative tactics Bennett used were poorly suited to the opponent in light of how Texas Tech crowded the line against their running game.  Kenny Hill had time to throw, TCU had favorable numbers to run against, and it seemed to be a really disinterested effort for all involved.

Why not press Westbrook as he is fairly thin and possibly could be pushed around?

It might lend itself to some good results but he's a good receiver who can burn you doing that as well.  I am not against the idea as playing off has not worked for most teams they faced.

Also OU is good at using motion and formations to give him favorable matchups like this bomb against TCU where they motioned the running back out to leave him one on one with the nickel.  TCU wasn't pressing their corner but even if they had it may not have left them with the matchup they wanted.

Will Bennett go with a three or four man line?

I can see arguments for both.  Mayfield's mobility and the needs in coverage could benefit from three down but the four down alignment could have better odds against the run.  For me it comes down to if you think that your ends can hold up in the B gap with the three man line.  If so I think the coverage needs and better odds of disruption plays win out.