Oklahoma Defense Shows Championship Mettle in Surviving Tough Big 12 Road Test

In the Big 12 opener against West Virginia, Oklahoma's defense took a jab for the first time this season. Then it took a hook. And then it took a hard right uppercut to the face.

It never quite tumbled to the mat, but it was punch-drunk, fading fast.

With a shootout starting to feel inevitable, however, the Sooners' strongest unit took the reins, holding a skilled and well-coached West Virginia offense to three points in the first 28 minutes of the second half (pre-garbage time), leading Oklahoma to a 45-33 win and keeping Bob Stoops' team in the thick of the national title discussion.

West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett started the game hot, throwing for more than 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns in roughly a quarter-and-a-half. He looked comfortable inside and outside the pocket, a rare feat against a defense so predicated on breeding discomfort.

Cornerback Zack Sanchez—considered one of the best defensive backs in the Big 12—was burned by Kevin White for a 68-yard touchdown in the first quarter. It was a rare moment where a crack in his armor was exposed, and he didn't recover well in the play's immediate aftermath.

But then, as he's want to do, Sanchez came down with a game-changing interception, ending West Virginia's streak of three consecutive scoring drives (and four touchdowns in five possessions) by picking off Trickett at the end of the first half.

And from there, everything changed:

	Plays	Yards	Result
	4	80	TOUCHDOWN
	6	24	Punt
	6	18	FIELD GOAL
	6	75	TOUCHDOWN
	5	55	TOUCHDOWN

	Plays	Yards	Result
	7	33	Punt
	7	41	FIELD GOAL
	2	-1	Interception
	4	23	Fumble
	12	51	Downs

Oklahoma's defensive uptick helped pave the way for Saturday's offensive hero, freshman running back Samaje Perine.

Perine will be the story Sunday morning—and throughout the subsequent week—after rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries. And rightfully so. He more than aptly filled Keith Ford's shoes in the backfield, plowing downhill with his trademark head of steam and finishing runs. He's not as agile as Ford, whose quick feet added a useful dimension to this offense, but he looks like a definite keeper.

As good as Perine was, though, he certainly benefitted from a tired West Virginia defense in the second half. The Mountaineers looked sluggish and defeated trying to keep up with Perine's physicality, in no small part because their offense kept forcing them back on the field.

A particular defining moment came with just about 5:00 left in the third quarter. OU was up by four points (31-27), but Trevor Knight threw behind his intended receiver and was intercepted near midfield. The never-quiet Morgantown crowd became particularly not quiet, sensing a potential turning point. It had the ball on the outskirts of scoring position with the chance to drive down and take the lead.

Two plays later, it didn't.

Trickett lofted a bad interception to safety Quinton Hayes, who followed up a career-best performance against Tennessee (three tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and fumble recovery) with perhaps an even better all-around showing. He is quickly becoming one of the best playmaking safeties in America.

Hayes' emergence—or, rather, ascent—is a scary addition to a defense whose strength lies along the front seven. West Virginia's underrated (and very good) offensive line played as well as it could, especially in the first half, but was ultimately overwhelmed by the forces of Jordan Phillips, Geneo Grissom and Co. in the trenches.

Chuka Ndulue, for example, flattened Trickett on a 4th-and-5 with less than 10 minutes to play—the last time West Virginia seriously threatened to get back into the game.

Good luck trying to throw with this in your face:

Bob and Mike Stoops took a huge risk last year, shifting from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4/3-3-5. The move came after a poor defensive season, leading to speculation that it was made out of desperation.

But Bob denied that to Matt Hinton of Grantland earlier this week, maintaining that "the reasons (for the move) were personnel-related." He tailored his scheme to his players, a group that can dominate the trenches with only three down linemen and benefits from having more speed in the middle third.

We knew before Saturday that this defense was good, but we didn't know for sure if it was resilient. We knew that it could throw a punch, but not if it could necessarily take one.

Those unknowns both became knowns in Week 4.