Fight to the end: Harper, defense, instrumental in OSU's win
- Sam Hutchens, Staff Reporter, @Sam_Hutchens01
- Nov 28, 2021 Updated 11 hrs ag
“All I could think about was the long days we put in in the summer,” Harper, a senior linebacker, said. “Remembering Coach Knowles always telling us to fight to the end.”
At that moment, with 1:20 remaining in the game and thoughts of tough training camps popped into Harper’s mind, the end was near. Of the play, the game, and maybe OSU’s College Football playoff hopes.
Harper followed Knowles’ advice. Fight until the end.
Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma 37-33. A reason the score held was the aforementioned play Harper made on the Sooner’s potential game-tying drive.
Williams took the snap from OSU territory, the ball reached him in the shotgun at 1:29. Nine seconds later, the shifty quarterback was still dancing around looking for an open receiver to complete the fourth-and-10 he was faced with.
Instead of an open receiver, Williams was met with open grass. He took off, but so did Harper. The OSU linebacker dove, entangling his arms with William’s churning legs.
Thirteen seconds after he started his scramble, Williams stumbled and fell short of the line-to-gain.
“This is his year,” coach Mike Gundy said. “And he came back he has worked hard. He has never complained. And he has really grown into his own and had a good year. He can run.”
No. 7 OSU (11-1) sacked No. 10 OU (10-2) six times in the game that determined the Sooners' postseason fate.
There were other plays like Harper's that added up to what was a bombardment of Cowboy defensive linemen muddying up the pocket that white-clad Sooner offensive linemen tried to form for Williams.
The Cowboys pressure did not always show on the stat sheet. Williams, after all, dealt with the firestorm of pressure admirably.
“We may have had six sacks but we may have missed another six,” Knowles said. “Their quarterback was really tough to bring down. He had a major impact on the game.”
The most pertinent of example of Williams’ escaping prowess came with 0:48 remaining. After a drop back, he sidestepped an oncoming Cowboy in the pocket and bolted.
Instead of taking a sack that would cripple any chance of a comeback, Williams scampered down the sideline testing the ankles of OSU defensive backs and gaining 56 yards.
“I said this in in there to the team, he is a slippery good player,” Gundy said.
Knowles said it was in his nature to send more rushers at Williams to help get him to the ground. Instead, with OU’s receiving corps plaguing the secondary, Knowles relied on his front to step up.
“I wanted to add more pressure but I felt the right play was to not put our DB’s in one on one situations,” Knowles said.
Even without extra men, the pressure applied by the constantly rotating cast of defensive lineman and veteran linebackers remained a constant that could not be dodged forever.
Freshman defensive end Colin Oliver got the final of OSU’s six sacks, and it came on a four-man rush.
Oliver beat sophomore Sooner left tackle Anton Harrison around the edge with a speed move. Oliver was pushed to the ground but crawled like an army cadet through a barbed wire-topped mud pit toward Williams.
“(Oliver) did great,” senior linebacker Malcom Rodriguez said. “He had sacks, making plays. To be a freshman coming in and making plays like that, it’s huge.”
Oliver pulled Williams down by his ankles, ending the game and pulling the conference crown away from an Oklahoma team that had won six straight Big 12 championships.
“We just kept coming after him,” Rodriguez said. “Kept dialing up blitzes and things like that. Coach Knowles did a good job.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
