The defense on the Orange and White teams shows the unit’s improvement, holding sophomore running back Kendall Hunter to 69 yards Saturday. The Orange team beat the White team 9-7.
Oklahoma State players and coaches have repeatedly said throughout the spring that the defense has been the most improved unit on the team.
Their theory was validated Saturday with the Orange defeating the White 9-7 in front of 20,000 in Boone Pickens Stadium.
In keeping with the theme of the day, the game was appropriately decided by a safety.
Linebacker Seb Clements tackled Beau Johnson for a 1-yard loss and the safety with 3:46 left in the fourth quarter to solidify the defense as the victor of the spring game.
“You saw today what everyone has reiterated all spring,” quarterback Zac Robinson said. “You’ve seen it in scrimmages and you really got to see it today.”
The defense played well for both sides with the Orange coming up with the big plays at the end to earn the victory.
“Everyone played hard,” defensive coordinator Tim Beckman said. “It starts with the guys up front, and I thought the guys up front on both sides of the ball played really hard.”
The defensive line showed why it could play a prominent role in a defensive turnaround for the Cowboys entering the 2008 season. The line combined for five sacks, seven tackles for loss and one forced fumble and a pass deflection.
“Through the three scrimmages we had the (defensive ends) were probably the most productive,” Beckman said. “With depth and the way that they’re playing, I think they did a really good job.”
The defensive line was bolstered this offseason with an infusion of young talent and transfers; several of the young Cowboys showed up in a big way Saturday.
Redshirt freshman defensive end Jamie Blatnick stood out for the Orange with a dominating performance on the line. Blatnick recorded three sacks on quarterback Alex Cate for negative 27 yards.
“Jamie is probably the most improved out of everybody on the defense,” defensive end Ugo Chinasa said. “He and Richetti (Jones), same thing, they’re going to be good.”
Chinasa recorded the other sack for the Orange and junior Derek Burton had the lone sack for the White.
The offensive line on both sides struggled to keep the Cowboy pressure at bay with the White team netting 13 total rushing yards on 0.7 yards per carry.
The 16 combined points were fewer than the 19 runs the Cowboy baseball team put up on Nebraska earlier in the day.
“They’ve been in this system a year now and I see a lot of progress,” Beckman said. “I’m proud of the way they are playing and they’re buying into the system.
“It’s not just the players, the coaches are doing a great job coaching it.”
The hidden gem of the offseason may actually have been the acquisition of former Duke assistant head coach Glenn Spencer.
Spencer was named the defensive line coach at OSU on Feb. 12 and he has had a significant impact on the level of play exhibited by the defensive line this spring.
“He has demanded a lot from us,” Burton said. “I kind of have him pegged as a perfectionist. He expects the best out of us and we try to give it to him.”
The defenses for both teams played well overall, and senior cornerback Jacob Lacey said he attributes it to a new defensive attitude and mentality. They play one of the best offenses in the nation in practice every day, and know they know they can stop it.
Lacey said the defensive improvement as a unit can be traced back to the defensive line and the consistent pressure they are putting on the quarterbacks.
“Pressure is a defensive back’s best friend,” Lacey said. “When you get four or five guys up front who can really put pressure on the offense like they did today and force bad throws or quick decisions, it helps the entire defense succeed.”
One thing is certain — this spring game was won by the defense. The defense still has much to prove, but they are ready for the opportunity.
“This fall can’t get here fast enough,” Burton said.
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