 "Photo: Megan Foster/O’Collegian")
For OSU’s defense, it seems the best way to speed up is by slowing down.
At the halfway point of the regular season, the Oklahoma State defense is only three sacks shy of equaling its sack total from a season ago.
In 2008, the defense managed a mere 15 sacks on the year, which ranked last in the Big 12 and 107th nationally. Through six games this season, the defense has sacked the quarterback 12 times and has gotten good pressure on many other passing downs.
The Cowboys are averaging two sacks per game, ranking them No. 49 nationally in sacks. Through six games last season, the Cowboys had recorded only six sacks and ranked No. 100 nationally.
When Bill Young was hired as OSU’s defensive coordinator, he said he was going to simplify the defensive scheme to help the defensive line get more pressure.
Linebacker Andre Sexton said he thinks the scheme is working because the defense doesn’t have to use linebackers and safeties to get pressure on the quarterback as much as it did last season.
“It’s seems like we’re not blitzing as much as we did last year,” Sexton said. “Our defensive line is doing a great job. Things were simplified for them so they could just get after the quarterback.”
Linebacker Patrick Lavine said not having to blitz as much has helped the defense in pass prevention.
“We don’t have to bring as many guys,” Lavine said. “That means you got more guys in coverage. The quarterback’s gonna hold the ball longer, giving the defensive line an opportunity to get to him.”
The defensive line has accounted for 7.5 of the 12 sacks this season, whereas a season ago, the defensive line sacked the quarterback nine out of the 15 times. Sexton praised the line for its efforts this season.
“Everybody plays a different role on the defensive line,” Sexton said. “We’ve got different speed guys that come off, when Richetti (Jones) and Nigel (Nicholas) come in. They’re doing a great job of getting pressure back there.
“Basically, Swanson (Miller), Jamie Blatnick, Derek Burton and Ugo Chinasa get after it all the time in our regular base defense, so they’re doing a great job, as well.”
On the flip side, the offense hardly allows any sacks. Traditionally, the offense has been good about protecting the quarterback the past few years.
Last season, the Cowboys were sacked 16 times, which ranked the Cowboys fourth in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in sacks allowed. This season, the Cowboys have only given up two sacks through six games, ranking them first nationally and first in the Big 12.
Quarterback Zac Robinson complimented the offensive linemen on how well they have done this year in pass protection.
“I think they’ve done a great job and they continue to get better,” Robinson said. “We’ve seen some things, and I’ve been able to get away from a lot of them, but the offensive line has played great.
“They’ve really blocked well, picked up things well and they just continue to get better.”
Left tackle Russell Okung, who shut down the Big 12’s leading sack man, Von Miller, at Texas A&M two weeks ago, said the offensive line should not be satisfied until the unit doesn’t allow Robinson to get hit at all.
“We have a lot of work left we have to get taken care of,” Okung said. “I think (Robinson) hadn’t got hit but about three times, but our goal is none.
“If you’re not having a perfect game, you’ve got a lot to work towards.”
Lavine credited part of the defensive improvements getting after the quarterback to going up against the offense in practice every day.
“We’ve always had good players on our offensive line, so practicing against them every day has made us better,” Lavine said. “We’ve taken advantage of the situation. It’s gotten us better and it’s shown in the games.”
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