Tackle this...

[PtLavacaSooner]

During the first quarter of the first three games, OU faced 58 plays.

36 passes, 29 rushes, 2 punts, and 1 field goal...

To start the season, they had 2 missed tackles on the first play. Another missed tackle on the second play. The third play was an incomplete pass, then the fourth play... Another missed tackle. So in the first quarter of these first three games, OU had 23 missed tackles on 13 different plays.

There were good tackles made, 17 of them that I counted. 3 great tackles. 5 cases of bad coverage. Numerous bad tackles. And just terrible defense on 4 different ocassions. One non play of good coverage that was called pass interference, leading to the lone field goal.

So, the big question... Why can't OU tackle? Senior returning starters are among them, so don't tell me inexperience is the issue. IT'S NOT.

 

[Oklabama]

OU hasn't tackled well for years. Why? They don't wrap up the way it was taught for 80 years. Today's Sooners depend upon "knocking" runners down. Especially defensive backs. I can't understand why that is acceptable, but evidently it is because I've never noticed Bob or any of his coaches jump a guy for running into a back or receiver to tackle or attempt to tackle a guy. I've read all the stuff about the DBs being so small, but I don't by that excuse.

 

[PtLavacaSooner]

OU hasn't tackled well for years. Why? They don't wrap up the way it was taught for 80 years. Today's Sooners depend upon "knocking" runners down. Especially defensive backs. I can't understand why that is acceptable, but evidently it is because I've never noticed Bob or any of his coaches jump a guy for running into a back or receiver to tackle or attempt to tackle a guy. I've read all the stuff about the DBs being so small, but I don't by that excuse.

More of them were from DL or LB, but not by much... it was spread pretty evenly

 

[CTOkie]

OU hasn't tackled well for years. Why? They don't wrap up the way it was taught for 80 years. Today's Sooners depend upon "knocking" runners down. Especially defensive backs. I can't understand why that is acceptable, but evidently it is because I've never noticed Bob or any of his coaches jump a guy for running into a back or receiver to tackle or attempt to tackle a guy. I've read all the stuff about the DBs being so small, but I don't by that excuse.

OU defenders seem to want to bump the ball carrier rather than wrap him up and this crap has been prevalent for several years now. The Sooners tackle like women too often.

 

[Oklabama]

More of them were from DL or LB, but not by much... it was spread pretty evenly

It really eats at me, especially when a LB does it.

 

[humblesooner]

I've posted this before. Not sure if it was on this board or not.
My theory relates back to the saying "You will play like you practice".
This typically meant if you practice lazy, you will play lazy.
I believe it has to do with Bob's fear of practice injuries, so the players, in practice, just bump the opponent and the whistle blows.
They aren't allowed to tackle in practice, so they play the same way in games.
If they aren't allowed to tackle, then they certainly aren't being coached how to tackle.
I would much rather see a starter get hurt in practice and the backup know how to tackle, than see a healthy starter who doesn't know how to tackle.

 

[Oklabama]

I've posted this before. Not sure if it was on this board or not.
My theory relates back to the saying "You will play like you practice".
This typically meant if you practice lazy, you will play lazy.
I believe it has to do with Bob's fear of practice injuries, so the players, in practice, just bump the opponent and the whistle blows.
They aren't allowed to tackle in practice, so they play the same way in games.
If they aren't allowed to tackle, then they certainly aren't being coached how to tackle.
I would much rather see a starter get hurt in practice and the backup know how to tackle, than see a healthy starter who doesn't know how to tackle.

EXCELLENT!

 

[KCtornado]

The terrible tackling and giving up first downs are the scourge of the defense this year. These are very much connected. I have not seen so many 3rd downs turn into move the chains time as far as I can remember. Missed tackles will have to be addressed as we head down the stretch. Otherwise, our string of luck may come to an end.

 

[BawlzDeep]

OU hasn't tackled well for years. Why? They don't wrap up the way it was taught for 80 years. Today's Sooners depend upon "knocking" runners down. Especially defensive backs. I can't understand why that is acceptable, but evidently it is because I've never noticed Bob or any of his coaches jump a guy for running into a back or receiver to tackle or attempt to tackle a guy. I've read all the stuff about the DBs being so small, but I don't by that excuse.

The players don't wrap up because they're afraid of contact. For anyone who's played the game of football you know you can look back and remember guys who were or weren't afraid to go smash someone. Football is not a game for the timid. Either you enjoy going full tilt and trying to be a destroyer of men or you play like some of the current OU players.

Example, Marshall, Lehman, Williams, Strait, Everage - Can you remember a time they didn't attempt to put a hat on someone? They were physical at the point of attack.

 

[Oklabama]

The players don't wrap up because they're afraid of contact. For anyone who's played the game of football you know you can look back and remember guys who were or weren't afraid to go smash someone. Football is not a game for the timid. Either you enjoy going full tilt and trying to be a destroyer of men or you play like some of the current OU players.

Example, Marshall, Lehman, Williams, Strait, Everage - Can you remember a time they didn't attempt to put a hat on someone? They were physical at the point of attack.

I agree. Why do you think that is? It appears to be fairly universal in college football if you look around. There are players that still tackle well, but for the most part today's players don't. Seems to me if Bob Stoops insisted upon his entire defense to tackle and hit the way he himself did at Iowa, OU may become known for its defense again. If you go back and look at the Switzer teams, you see a lot better tackles and several players in on the tackle. I see Bob's players go half speed when they see another OU player in position to make the tackle, which means if the first guy misses the next guy isn't there to finish the runner off way too many times. Jordan Evans is really bad at that, but he isn't the only one. It's pretty widespread in today's game.

 

[CTOkie]

Makes me wonder how Deon Sanders, who, as a defensive back, did not like contact, yet received so much fame....and even more fortune.

 

[Oklabama]

Makes me wonder how Deon Sanders, who, as a defensive back, did not like contact, yet received so much fame....and even more fortune.

Sanders was a great cover guy, but a terrible tackler. I always wondered what all the fuss was about.

 

[runningback43]

A lot of the poor tackling goes back to not being able to have the same amount of full contact practices as football teams in the past had. I see it in high school football. Players do not tackle like they did 15 or 20 years ago. In Nebraska at the high school level we can have one full contact practice per week. Kids can't have full contact on back to back days. We have a lot of thud practices, and thud is hitting the ball carrier, wrapping him up and not taking him to the ground. These new rules in Nebraska has hurt tackling. It has helped with concussions and injuries during practice though. Dartmouth has some remote control pop up dummies. In order to improve tackling, teams are going to have to start buying these dummies. With the way the rules are, tackling is going to continue to get worse.

 

[BawlzDeep]

A lot of the poor tackling goes back to not being able to have the same amount of full contact practices as football teams in the past had. I see it in high school football. Players do not tackle like they did 15 or 20 years ago. In Nebraska at the high school level we can have one full contact practice per week. Kids can't have full contact on back to back days. We have a lot of thud practices, and thud is hitting the ball carrier, wrapping him up and not taking him to the ground. These new rules in Nebraska has hurt tackling. It has helped with concussions and injuries during practice though. Dartmouth has some remote control pop up dummies. In order to improve tackling, teams are going to have to start buying these dummies. With the way the rules are, tackling is going to continue to get worse.

I would start and end practice with hitting the tackling dummy. It still takes the mindset and effort to be good at it. Granted, if you are were a big hitter, it stings the tackler too. In my day, we gave out a BIG STICK AWARD EACH WEEK. I wanted that award because it exemplified I was willing to do what was necessary to inflict pain on my opponent.

 

[Oklabama]

I would start and end practice with hitting the tackling dummy. It still takes the mindset and effort to be good at it. Granted, if you are were a big hitter, it stings the tackler too. In my day, we gave out a BIG STICK AWARD EACH WEEK. I wanted that award because it exemplified I was willing to do what was necessary to inflict pain on my opponent.

Why is it that in the 60's when I was playing there were no concussions and we were taught to put our face in a running backs chest and wrap our arms around him while lifting him up to bring him down. But today concussions are plentiful while players just attempt to knock the crap out of a runner with their shoulders. I understand that today's players are stronger and faster than we were but their equipment is also much better than what I ever had.

 

[PtLavacaSooner]

Why is it that in the 60's when I was playing there were no concussions and we were taught to put our face in a running backs chest and wrap our arms around him while lifting him up to bring him down. But today concussions are plentiful while players just attempt to knock the crap out of a runner with their shoulders. I understand that today's players are stronger and faster than we were but their equipment is also much better than what I ever had.

http://deadspin.com/a-timeline-of-concussion-science-and-nfl-denial-1222395754

 

[Oklabama]

http://deadspin.com/a-timeline-of-concussion-science-and-nfl-denial-1222395754

The first football player that I can recall bring to light the concussion issue was Roger the Dodger. It was the primary cause of him retiring. I know there had to be more because the helmets weren't even close to what they are today. I remember seeing Jimbo Elrod talking with a recent OU player and showing him the helmet he wore as a Sooner. The guy he was talking with said "I would never play in that thing". Still I believe proper tackling technique would greatly reduce the cucussion rate.

 

[runningback43]

I played high school football in the 80's. You were only diagnosed with a concussion if you were knocked out. If you weren't knocked out, you better get your butt back on the field.

 

[BawlzDeep]

Why is it that in the 60's when I was playing there were no concussions and we were taught to put our face in a running backs chest and wrap our arms around him while lifting him up to bring him down. But today concussions are plentiful while players just attempt to knock the crap out of a runner with their shoulders. I understand that today's players are stronger and faster than we were but their equipment is also much better than what I ever had.

I think back then it was called getting your bell rung. You went to the sideline,,had a few sips of water, rubbed dirt on it, and went back in. It's possible you've had a few mild concussions, but no one was looking for a reason to pull a good player out of a game.