<body><div>NORMAN — If Saturday night was a five-alarm fire for <a href="https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/">Oklahoma</a>, which was on the ropes at home against <a href="https://247sports.com/college/houston/">Houston</a> while clinging to a two-point lead throughout the fourth quarter, consider the Sooners' defense the Norman Fire Department.At least, that's the mentality <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/gracen-halton-46097719/">Gracen Halton</a> and the rest of Zac Alley's unit took during <a href="https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/article/instant-analysis-oklahoma-football-survives-scare-against-houston-235887103/">Oklahoma's 16-12 win at Owen Field.</a><a href="https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/article/ample-mistakes-missed-chances-at-heart-of-oklahoma-offensive-struggles-235907749/">On a night in which the Sooners' offense couldn't do much of anything</a>, it was the defense that came to the rescue and saved Oklahoma from an embarrassing and flummoxing home loss. OU's defense, which was hardly perfect against Houston, delivered late by coming up with four consecutive stops in the fourth quarter, including an interception and a safety, to help Oklahoma escape the upset."We had to be firemen and go toward the fire, and that's what we did," said Halton, who <a href="https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/article/gracen-halton-named-sec-co-defensive-lineman-of-week-2-235986915/">earned SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for his role in Oklahoma's win.</a> "We didn't get overwhelmed. Just had to stay focused."Especially on a night as frustrating as Saturday was for Oklahoma offensively. The Sooners have grown accustomed to proficient offenses that can put up big numbers on the scoreboard, but the offense under first-year offensive coordinator <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/seth-littrell-161/">Seth Littrell</a> has <a href="https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/longformarticle/statistically-speaking-oklahoma-sooners-offensive-struggles-2-games-in-235950765/">struggled to get things going through the first two games of the season, irrespective of the injuries at wide receiver and along the offensive line.</a><a href="https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/join/?promo=QUICKLINKS">***JOIN SOONERS ILLUSTRATED NOW AND GET 30% OFF AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP</a><a href="https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/join/?promo=QUICKLINKS">***</a>Saturday's effort against Houston was particularly disconcerting, as Oklahoma struggled to run the ball effectively, couldn't capitalize on its downfield shots and failed to extend drives on third downs as the unit went scoreless for the final eight possessions of the game. The Sooners' offense mustered just 249 total yards and averaged 4.1 yards per play, with two scoring drives out of 12 possessions—and only one truly quality drive, which came in the first half thanks to an eight-play, 81-yard drive that resulted in the team's second touchdown of the night.After Jake Roberts' touchdown reception with 12:28 to go in the first half, though, Oklahoma's offense went stagnant. The Sooners punted on six of their final eight possessions, with two three-and-outs, while the other two drives ended in an interception and a missed field goal. During that stretch, OU averaged just 14.9 yards gained per possession and 2.6 yards per play.It was clear Oklahoma's offense wasn't going to win the game, so it hinged on the Sooners' defense to carry the team across the finish line against Houston. Definitely a reversal of roles, in that respect, considering the program's recent history."If we're going to be the defense that we say we want to be, then we have to be ready for this moment," linebacker <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/danny-stutsman-46082030/">Danny Stutsman</a> said. "We have to have the broad shoulders to take on stuff like that. Defense wins championships, and that's what we're prepared to do."<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2gdS9U_0vQJvxYh00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2gdS9U_0vQJvxYh00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)</figcaption></figure>OU's defense was ready for the moment Saturday, particularly after a coverage bust in the third quarter allowed Houston to score a long touchdown and cut the deficit to two points with nearly a full half of football to play.After that 44-yard touchdown pass by Donovan Smith, though, Oklahoma's defense regrouped. The Cougars totaled just 77 yards of offense the remainder of the game — a total that spanned five possessions, two of which resulted in negative yardage — and averaged 2.7 yards per play during that stretch.Of those five Houston drives, two ended in punts, one resulted in a safety, another in an interception and the last one saw time expire on the upset bid by Willie Fritz's team."They won the game for us," quarterback <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/jackson-arnold-46115051/">Jackson Arnold</a> said. "Everyone will tell you that. They won the game for us tonight. Super proud of those guys. That's a defense that we had to go against in spring, so we know how it is. We know how good those guys are. I have full faith that those guys will get us the ball back, create stops and create turnovers like they did tonight."The interception, which was snagged by safety <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/robert-spears-jennings-46113154/">Robert Spears-Jennings</a> on the second play of the fourth quarter, came on a third-and-long play for Houston and set Oklahoma's offense up with prime field position to try to put the game away. However, after the Sooners took over at the Cougars 32-yard line, the offense picked up just 4 yards on the next three plays and settled for a 45-yard field-goal attempt that was off the mark.Instead of stretching the two-point lead to five (or more, if the offense could have scored another touchdown on a short field), the Sooners clung to a two-point advantage with 12:41 to play. Oklahoma's defense stepped up again on the ensuing Houston drive, forcing a punt after allowing just 24 yards over seven plays. The Sooners' offense struggled to move the ball once again, though it did manage to chew some time off the clock with an 11-play, 34-yard drive that spanned 6 minutes, 11 seconds.By the time Houston got the ball back, there was only 1:46 left on the clock, and thanks to another stellar <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/luke-elzinga-46058891/">Luke Elzinga</a> punt, the Cougars were starting at their own 5-yard line.That's when Halton came through with the play of the night and doused the flames that were fueling the Cougars' upset hopes. On Houston's first play of the drive, Halton came through the line unabated and spun down running back <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/stacy-sneed-46042940/">Stacy Sneed</a> in the end zone for a safety and a four-point OU lead with 1:42 to play."I tell them all the time: No matter what happens, we control what we can control, whether the ball's 1 second left with 1 yard to go, or it's the first play of the first quarter, our standard doesn't change, how we play, how we perform," Alley said. "You tell me we get to go win the game on defense? Good. That's what I want. That's how I want to think, that's how I want to do. When we got in the huddle, that's what they said. Good…. They never wavered, and I was proud of them for that."Of course, even what appeared to be a game-sealing safety didn't mark the end of a seemingly marathon shift for an Oklahoma defense that was on the field for just more than 35 minutes Saturday night. The unit needed to make one final stop after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on center <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/joshua-bates-46144558/">Joshua Bates</a> gifted Houston one more possession with 29 seconds left in the game.Fortunately for the Sooners, the defense was up to the task and stopped the Cougars near midfield as time ran out.All in a day's work for the Sooners' resident firemen."(It's about) overcoming adversity, having horse blinders on," Halton said. "You know, horses, when they race, they don't look side to side; they look forward. And I feel like when an adversity hits, a lot of people look side to side and try to figure out different ways to get around it. But we just died down and just focused in and locked in and finished off the game."</div></body>

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Oklahoma defense all about 'firemen' mentality after saving day against Houston

NORMAN — If Saturday night was a five-alarm fire for Oklahoma, which was on the ropes at home against Houston while clinging to a two-point lead throughout the fourth quarter, consider the Sooners' defense the Norman Fire Department. At least, that's the mentality Gracen Halton and the rest of...

Oklahoma defense all about 'firemen' mentality after saving day against Houston

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