Why Zac Alley's OU football debut vs Temple everything Sooners hoped it would be

NORMAN — Zac Alley didn’t really want to do it.

He didn’t have a choice.

After OU coach Brent Venables presented the new Sooners ’ defensive coordinator with a game ball after a 51-3 win over Temple , Alley took a ride.

OU players hoisted him in the air and Alley thought for sure he was about to take a header.

“I thought I was going to flip on my head about halfway through,” Alley said after his Sooners’ debut . “They were trying to lower me down, I was vertical backwards for a minute, but I think Bauer Sharp caught me, lowered me back to the ground.

“So it was good. It was fun.”

More: Inside OU football WR Deion Burks' record-setting, 3-TD Sooners debut vs. Temple

OU’s defense was supposed to be its strength this season, with depth like the Sooners haven’t seen in quite some time.

But it would’ve been hard to imagine a better debut for Alley.

If it wasn’t for Robert Spears-Jennings’ third-quarter personal foul penalty, OU might’ve secured the shutout.

They allowed just 197 total yards, the fewest surrendered by the Sooners since holding Western Carolina to 178 in 2021. It was the fewest yards surrendered by OU against an FBS team since 2017.

“I feel like we played a game where, man, no matter who it was that got in had an opportunity and they played hard,” Alley said. “They tried to play disciplines, and we did a really good job attacking the ball.”

The Sooners forced six turnovers, their most in more than 20 years.

Four of those came on fumble recoveries. OU recovered six fumbles all of last season.

They had six sacks, 1.5 by Gracen Halton.

More: Jackson Arnold passes test as OU football goes 'vanilla' in rout of Temple | Mussatto

The Sooners used 41 different players on defense — 27 of them playing 10 or more plays according to Pro Football Focus.

“Things went like we hoped it would go,” Venables said. “I loved the aggressiveness. We forced a lot of turnovers, excellent positioning and depth of guys that knew what to do. All the coaches did a nice job of getting guys ready. It was great for Zac. Those guys had confidence going into the game and certainly will take confidence out. Now we have to start over and learn the DNA of a new opponent.”

Many players have compared Alley’s energy with Venables’.

“We feed off him,” Kendel Dolby said.

But while Venables has long been known for relating well to players, Alley — barely 30 — can relate on a different level.

“I grew up in the social media era,” Alley said. “I had online classes, so similar to how they experience things throughout their college career. I’ve been a part of that more recently than a lot of guys have. So it just creates a natural bond and understanding, kind of, of what they’re going through and what it looks like.”

Halton sensed a change in the Sooners’ defense way back in January, shortly after Alley’s arrival.

More: OU football report card vs Temple: How Sooners graded out against Owls in season opener

That was solidified early in preseason camp.

“No pads on and guys were already wanting to take heads off,” Halton said. “I was like, ‘Whoa. These are some guys you gotta hold back.’ That’s BV. You gotta hold him back.”

Temple coach Stan Drayton was plenty familiar with the Sooners’ defense under the previous coaching staff.

Drayton coached running backs at Texas from 2017-21.

“They’re not making a lot of mistakes out there,” Drayton said of the Sooners’ defense under Brent Venables. “He’s moving them around a lot. There’s twist game that’s happening every play, he’s getting into different fronts, he’s pretty multiple with his calls.. … I think he’s doing what he has to do to fit his skillset. It definitely worked tonight.”

Things will get progressively more difficult for the defense.

Turnovers won’t always come in tidal waves. Pressure will be harder to come by. The offensive lines on the other side will be bigger and stronger. Mistakes that weren’t taken advantage of Friday will be magnified once SEC play begins.

“There’s a lot stiffer challenges in the immediate future and I think everybody in that locker room understands that,” Venables said. “But at the same time, we’re not apologizing for playing well tonight.”

More: Brent Venables 'loved the aggressiveness' from Zac Alley's defense in OU football debut

OU vs. Houston

KICKOFF: 6:45 p.m. Saturday at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman (SEC Network)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why Zac Alley's OU football debut vs Temple everything Sooners hoped it would be