Texas Football: 3 problematic Pokes for the Longhorns

1) Problematic Pokes for Texas football: Trace Ford

It’s actually not the Oklahoma State offense that Texas has to worry most about this year. Oklahoma State’s defense ranks ninth in the FBS, allowing just 12.0 points per game. The rush defense is also allowing just 3.5 yards per carry, 127.0 rushing yards per game, and 0.8 rushing scores per game.

The coordinator mathcup that all eyes should be falling on in this game is the former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich taking on his former team and former Duke Blue Devils defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. The Texas offense is not playing well at all times this fall, and the Oklahoma State defense looks really good.

There’s a lot of sources for this improvement on the defensive side of the ball for the Pokes. As far as the pass rush is concerned, a primary source of wreaking havoc in opponent’s backfields are senior linebacker Calvin Bundage and sophomore defensive end Trace Ford. The latter of those two registered eight total tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, a whopping four pass deflections, and one forced fumble, so far this season.

In Oklahoma State’s win over Iowa State alone, Ford racked up seven quarterback pressures and one sack. He was a real force and made life treacherous for Iowa State standout quarterback Brock Purdy in the pocket.

Yurcich has to worry about more than just Ford on this Oklahoma State defense. Bundage, safeties Trey Sterling and Kolby Harvell-Peel, and linebackers Malcolm Rodriguez and Amen Ogbongbemiga, can all also be problematic on this Pokes defense.