OU Defense Striving For 'New Standard'

Alex Grinch has the OU defense energized. There's hope, after not having much in 2018. 

"We've been through the worst and that will never happen again", sophomore linebacker DaShaun White said Monday after practice. "We will never go back to that. There's no way possible. I think it's just sort of a new standard."

"The standard has already been set and you've got to meet it," said defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux. "There's no coming up short. You've got to hit the standard and if you don't hit the standard you hear about it. They know about the history, that's what makes this place special."

And when asked if OU has met the standard the past few years, Thibodeaux said "no".

"It's been crystal clear", said Thibodeaux. "We've got to be better. I think those guys have took that responsibility. It's easy to talk about it, but come Saturday we've got to produce."

Caleb Kelly has assumed a coaching role as he recovers from injury. DaShaun White called him "Coach Kelly" today after practice. White added that he had a pretty rough day, and every time he made a mistake, Kelly pulled him over and showed him how to fix the problem.

Consistency is key for Oklahoma this year, inside linebackers coach Brian Odom harped on that after Monday's practice. Kenneth Murray and DaShaun White need to be consistently good if OU is going to meet the standard they've set.