Oklahoma defense won’t alter gameplan because of Deshaun Watson

A Heisman Trophy finalist and the winner of this year’s Davey O’Brien Award, Clemson sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson has picked apart most defenses he has faced over the course of the Tigers’ 13-0 season, forcing many opponents to adjust their gameplans in hopes of limiting the dual-threat’s ability to throw and run the ball.

Going into Thursday’s College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl, Oklahoma thinks it can change that.

“On our defense, we got a lot of athletes, especially at our position of linebacker … We have enough guys on our defense that we can just do what we do,” Oklahoma junior linebacker Dominique Alexander said. “We necessarily don’t have to have one guy on him the whole time.”

Clemson redshirt senior left guard Eric Mac Lain, having studied the Sooners defense on film, said he did not expect them to deviate from their fundamentals.

“They’re going to really try to do what they do,” Mac Lain said. “I don’t really see them changing their game plan just because they’re playing Clemson.”

Many opposing defenses have assigned a player to spy Watson in hopes of keeping the athletic quarterback from getting open running lanes. Oklahoma senior defensive end Charles Tapper, however, said the Sooners will play Watson “the exact same” as they play other quarterbacks.

“We use the front seven to stop him,” Tapper said. “We’ve been stopping the run almost every game, so if he ever tries to run the ball, we’re going to definitely apply the pressure to him and get after him a little bit, make him reconsider running that ball.”

The Sooners have the credentials to suggest that their confidence is earned. Despite playing in a conference known for explosive offenses and questionable defenses, Oklahoma ranks 31st the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards allowed per game (350.7) and 20th in points allowed per game (20.8), marks that are both best in the Big 12.

“In the Big 12, we see those kind of offenses with those kind of quarterbacks all the time,” Tapper said. “We don’t really need to change anything, make any special things because we see those type of mobile quarterbacks.”

That’s not to say that the Sooners don’t respect Watson. Alexander described Watson as “definitely one of the top quarterbacks in the country.”

“He wouldn’t have won the Heisman if he wasn’t,” Alexander said.

Senior defensive end Charles Tapper said Watson, in comparison to other quarterbacks, is “in his own lane.”

“He’s like a running back playing quarterback who can throw the ball,” Tapper said.

Redshirt junior cornerback Zack Sanchez made headlines Sunday when he said Watson is “not as swift on his feet” as TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, a comment perceived by some as a slight to the Clemson quarterback. But while Sanchez believes Boykin is “a different animal” athletically, the cornerback also offered praise of Watson’s passing ability.

“He throws a really good deep ball and puts it up to where all of his receivers can make plays,” Sanchez said. “We got to be able to run the receivers out of their lines and make them uncomfortable.”

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said Watson’s “ability to get the ball down the field accurately and give his receivers opportunities to make plays is really what makes him an outstanding player.”

“He’s dynamic running the ball, but he’s a thrower first and foremost,” Mike Stoops said.

Mike Stoops added that he has not seen many sophomore quarterbacks other than Watson who are “able to do the things he can do with the football.”

“He manages the game, understands what they’re trying to do and we’ll know more as we try to tweak our defense to see how quickly he’s able to see what we’re trying to do,” Mike Stoops said.

Key to keeping Watson in check Thursday, Sanchez said, will be trying to force him to go through progressions and make quick decisions.

“What he sees first is what he usually wants to hit,” Sanchez said. “We got to be eliminate his first option and make him stay on the field, put pressure on him to make him feel uncomfortable.”

Alexander said the Sooners need to keep Watson contained in the pocket.

“Everybody has to do their job,” Alexander said. “He’s going to make his plays but we got to make more plays on him than he does on us.”

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 3:19 PM.