Stoops: Defense Is Not Consistent Enough

News9.com

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- It's easy to say the Sooners' 41-38 home loss to Texas Tech was a shock. After giving up 17 unanswered points to the Red Raiders in the second quarter, questions arose about the Sooners' defense being unprepared for the matchup.

"Just because we're not up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter or 35-7 at halftime, something is wrong?" head coach Bob Stoops said at his weekly press conference. "We're not going to have it all go our way all of the time. And just because it doesn't, doesn't mean you weren't ready to play."

Despite kicker Michael Hunnicutt missing two field goals in the three-point loss, defensively the Sooners had one of their worst games in recent history. The 572 yards allowed against Tech is the most OU has given up at home in Stoops' 13-year career at OU. Additionally for the third time this season, the Sooners' defense went without forcing a turnover.

The poor performance defensively has Stoops asking tough questions about the defensive players and the defense as a whole.

"Probably fair to say, [the defense] is not consistent enough," Stoops said. "That or maybe they're a little overrated."

The Sooners are in for another defensive test Saturday in Manhattan, taking on Kansas State and quarterback Collin Klein, who leads the conference in scoring.