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October 26, 2008

OU winning without usual stingy defense

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Blame it on the high-powered offenses of the Big 12. Blame it on the absence of injured middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds. Even blame it on No. 4 Oklahoma’s own no-huddle offense for taking less time off the clock.

Whatever the reason, the same Sooners (7-1, 3-1) that Bob Stoops rebuilt with a reputation as one of the stingiest defenses in the country are now relying heavily on their offense to win in shootout fashion.

The formula worked for the second straight week in Oklahoma’s 58-35 victory against Kansas State, but it’s quite a departure from the one that’s helped the Sooners win five of the last nine Big 12 titles.

The Sooners currently rank 54th in the nation in total defense and 50th in scoring defense, which would both be their lowest positions in this decade if they finish the season that way.

On Saturday, quarterback Sam Bradford and the offense watched a 28-7 lead evaporate before scoring 27 consecutive points to regain control — and all by halftime.

“We always talk about on the offensive side of the ball that we can’t worry about what happens on the defensive side. We’ve got to take care of our business,” Bradford said.

“We want to score every time we touch the ball, so that’s the mind-set we went out with.”

It’s the way they’ve had to think over the past three weeks, as the defense has given up a new season-high in total offense each time out.

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