Published: September 09, 2007 12:28 am            

Shutting down Miami

• When OU needed it most, the defense stepped up

There’s no getting away from the final score.

Oklahoma 51, Miami 13.

Even unranked and without a quality quarterback, it remains quite a little national statement OU made Saturday afternoon at Owen Field. But easily lost in that reality is another reality. Basically, for a little while, it was a close game.

So, if the Sooners beat their first quality opponent of the season, and convincingly at that, they also answered their first real challenge just as convincingly.

The Hurricanes made it close, 21-10 and then 21-13, with an 18-play, 52-yard drive to close the first half and a 45-yard field goal less than 5 minutes into the second. It was at that point the Sooner defense went from making Miami earn everything it got to shutting down the Hurricanes completely.

“It was good to change the momentum again,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “We just talked about compete, compete, compete and just keep going.”

Miami’s field goal drive, set up by a recovered fumble at the OU 44, netted only 19 yards. But the rest of the game, over the course of 17 plays from scrimmage, the Hurricanes failed to get a first down and, once penalties are counted, advanced the ball only 14 yards.

“We had a shot, but we came back out in the second half and lost field position,” Miami coach Randy Shannon said. “There were too many big plays on defense.”

The Sooners tackled the Hurricanes behind the line of scrimmage 14 times. After closing within 21-13, Miami’s longest play from scrimmage was 12 yards, a carry by Javarris James, but even it came back on a holding call against wide receiver Leonard Hankerson.

“Coming into the locker room (at halftime) there were a lot of guys getting fluids and a lot of guys with little nicks here and there and the feeling in the locker room was this is going to be a dog fight,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “It’s going to take a special focus and a resiliency and toughness to come out of this half.”

Mission accomplished.

The OU defense handled it by allowing a field goal and then just about nothing.

By quarter, Miami gained 35, 61, 20 and 23 yards. Only 139 in all.

Even though, as Venables anticipated, the Hurricanes went outside their playbook right from the start.

“Nothing earthshattering, but it really took a special focus for those guys to not panic and play sound,” Venables said. “It really takes a special level of maturity and understanding of the system to do that.”

OU’s defense handled Miami early. And then, when it got tight, the Sooners really handled the Hurricanes late.

“They were fabulous,” Stoops said. “I thought the defense was just great.”

        

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