Why a poor third quarter doomed Oklahoma's defense against No. 18 Mississippi

OXFORD, MS – For most of October, Oklahoma's defense was largely left out of the conversations surrounding the program.

There wasn't much in the putrid offensive performances against Texas and South Carolina Brent Venables' The defense could turn the tide.

In Mississippi, however, the defense suffered a leak.

Lane Kiffins The Rebels' No. 18 pick sliced ​​Venables and the defensive coordinator Zac Alleys Unit fell apart in the third quarter.

Ole Miss outscored OU for five passes of 20 yards or more in the third quarter alone and scored 13 points to ensure the Rebels would leave Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday with a 26-14 victory over the Sooners.

“Ultimately we beat ourselves on defense with some explosive attacks,” Venables said after the loss. “…The explosive plays were killer.”

Ole Miss scored on a 16-yard completion on the game's very first drive and a 35-yard completion that ended in a touchdown.

Then 14-10, Kiffin and quarterback Jaxson Dart went to work in the third quarter.

Dart completed two 20-yard passes on the first offensive drives of the third quarter to give the Rebels a 16-14 lead.

After stopping OU, Dart worked his own little magic to sink OU.

As the Oklahoma defensive line closed in, Dart escaped the pocket to the right and turned the ball over Jordan Watkinswho, after turning up the sideline, got behind cornerback Kani Walker for 26 yards to move the chains.

Two plays later, Walker executed a double move and Dart hit Watkins again for a 34-yard completion that moved the ball to the 1-yard line.

“He ended up being the guy over there when they were shooting,” Alley said of Walker’s poor drive. “He could probably be a little better in terms of his technique or his eyes. I don't know. I haven’t seen it up close and studied it yet, but we’ll go back and take a look.”

On the next possession, Walker was replaced by Dez Malone, who allowed a 34-yard completion on the second play of the series.

That drive ended in a field goal, and after the flurry of points on consecutive possessions, the Rebels led 23-14 and the Ole Miss defense was allowed to become increasingly aggressive in attacking the OU quarterback Jackson Arnold.

The third quarter was harrowing after Oklahoma managed to hold Mississippi to 162 total yards in the first half. Kiffin's team gained 201 yards in the third quarter alone.

“You have to do your job all the time. It takes technique, it takes discipline,” Alley said. “You have to make sure that … every single play is the most important play of the game because that could be the big play that changes everything.

“And we had a couple of opportunities in the first series to go off the field third but just didn't execute properly and we talked about some things we need to be better at. I need to put them in a better position to be successful.”

In all four quarters the defense failed to put enough pressure on Dart.

Oklahoma finished the game with a sack and three quarterback hurries, not enough to faze the talented Ole Miss signal-caller.

The Rebels gained an average of 6.7 yards per play on first down, keeping the offense out of many obvious passing situations.

The Sooners have struggled to generate consistent pressure on those pitches this season.

“We have to get out,” Alley said. “Of course we work on our technique and do what we have to do. We are really close to many of them. We hit the quarterback and the ball comes out.

“A little bit of that is in the backend too. You have to be in coverage lanes so they can't throw the ball in time. So it all comes together, especially on mixed downs, to create chaos in the backfield.”

Dart completed 22 of 30 passes for 311 yards and a score against the Sooners on Saturday.

Coverage breakdowns and miscommunications continued on the back end of the defense, something OU must eliminate in its last three conference contests to have a chance of qualifying for a bowl game.

“As players, we have to be able to take that on ourselves and line up,” the safety said Billy Bowman said. “We knew they would leave quickly. At the end of the day, we have to get the call, we have to get in line, we have to communicate. Even if they work quickly, that’s no excuse for not knowing your job.”

Ole Miss' only turnover of the day came when the Sooners were on offense JJ Hester deleted Taylor Tatum Fumble by knocking the ball out under your own power in a bizarre sequence.

All of those factors — the lack of turnovers, the coverage breaks, the mistakes even when the defensive backs were in the right position — combined to cause the Sooners to sink in the third quarter, something that never leads to victory against one of the best offenses in the world becomes the country.

“Everything begins and ends with discipline. We have to play with it,” Venables said. “You have to take the things you do in training with you to game day. This is attitude under pressure.

“Teams are too good. This is too good a team. They have a really good system. If you make mistakes, they will punish you… Defense is all about keeping your eyes where they belong. This is as basic and fundamental as it gets.

“…That’s how you lose.”