Fisher Files: Was OU's Pass Defense Exposed Against Tulsa?

The OU-Tulsa game was weird, interesting, and great for several reasons. A record-breaking performance by Baker Mayfield (572 yards of total offense). Tulsa actually making it a game, losing by just 14 points. Also, a couple fumbles in or near the redzone by OU, and onside kick recovery and Hail Mary by Tulsa right before halftime. Mayfiled also surprised everyone by showing he can be a real threat as a runner.

But, the most interesting thing in my opinion?  

The panic over OU's defense, especially vs. the pass. TU's Dane Evans threw for 427 yards and 4 touchdowns. Two receivers (both Big 12 caliber) had more than 100 receiving yards. Keyarris Garrett caught 14 balls for 189 yards. Joshua Atkinson had 10 catches for 104 yards. Keevan Lucas (also Big 12 caliber) caught five for 84 yards and two TD's. So, there's reason to panic.

A lot of people are talking about how Tulsa runs the same offense as Baylor, so the Sooners better watch out when they travel to Waco. But that's eight weeks away. Nevermind that. OU better watch out in two week's when Dana Holgorsen's West Virginia squad comes to town in two weeks. The Mountaineers run a different version of the Air Raid than Tulsa or Baylor, but OU has real problems vs. the pass. I haven't watched WVU yet, but I'm just going to assume they have better overall talent than Tulsa.

OU has two weeks to prepare, and Bob Stoops is excellent after a bye week, so I think the Sooners will be ready.  It seems like people are assuming it's a cake walk, and OU will be undefeated when they play at Baylor on November 14.  It's possible, but with the way the pass defense looked vs. TU, I wouldn't be marking down any game as an easy win (well, except for Kansas, of course).  Texas Tech throws it pretty well, too, and OU hosts the Red Raiders on October 24.

Sooners SHOULD beat both WVU and Texas Tech, but you never know what can happen when you're shaky in an area that's another teams' specialty.