DALLAS, Texas — Bob Stoops knows there’s a tradeoff that comes with running an uptempo offense, because sometimes the defense you hurt is your own.
Like most schools in the Big 12, Oklahoma has transitioned to a no-huddle, spread system that can pile up points and yards when it’s clicking. When it’s not working, however, the defense barely has time to take a seat before it wheezes back onto the field. Witness the Sooners’ 41-13 loss to Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl
“If you’re going to be doing it, you need to stay on the field and score,” he said. “In the second half of the Cotton Bowl we had four straight possessions, three-and-out and a turnover. We did nothing and handed them right back the football back in good field position.”
Mack Brown decided last spring to shift the Texas offense to uptempo—a move made partly to allow his defenders to acclimate to the speed game during practice.
“We were laughing last night, if you’re three-and-out with uptempo, it gets your defense gets back on the field real fast,” Brown said. “So you have to be good at it to make third and fourth downs and keep the ball moving.”
Watch the video above to hear more from Stoops and Brown on Tuesday.