Making Every Last One Count

Oklahoma team captain Jordan Evans is now down to three, possibly four, football games remaining in his collegiate career and the senior inside linebacker said he's making sure every one of them counts.

As well as Evans played Saturday, his performance in the Sooners' 45-24 victory over Baylor should have counted double.

Two interceptions. Two sacks. Two pass breakups. Nine tackles. All team highs.

In the history of OU football, no player had ever registered two interceptions and two sacks in the same game. Evans' own father, three-time All-Big Eight defensive tackle Scott Evans (1987-90), is a significant part of that storied history.

Sooners linebacker Emmanuel Beal described Evans' performance as "Perfect. It was everything we practiced and he put on the field. He played each down the way he practiced and that's what happens. I could tell before the game he was locked in. He always sits there, focuses and zones in. I can tell when he is usually nervous, but today was different. Very zoned in and focused."

When you try to defend Baylor's balanced, high-octane attack, you'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays simply from a sheer numbers standpoint. You'll also have plenty of chances to get burned.

Before a sellout crowd of 86,249 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Baylor ran 91 plays and gained 504 total yards ? 292 passing and 212 rushing. The Bears had 24 first downs, converted 10 of 22 third downs and were 4-for-6 on fourth down, all with a time of possession of just 24:12. Baylor amassed these numbers, yet managed a modest sum of 24 points.

The reason was two-fold: 1. Self-destruction from the Bears with three turnovers (resulting in 14 points) and untimely penalties that stalled drives; 2. Clutch timing by OU defenders, particularly from the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Evans.

"He does a lot. We put a lot on his plate. I'm glad to see him make some plays now and start to gain some confidence and get some rhythm in his game."
? Def. Coordinator Mike Stoops

Evans' first interception came late in the first quarter with the Bears at the OU 2-yard line. Evans caught the ball at the goal line and returned it to the 9, where the Sooners promptly went 91 yards in 11 plays to take a 21-0 lead.

Evans' second pick came in the third quarter at the Baylor 24-yard line. He returned the ball 23 yards before being tackled just shy of the goal line by Bears quarterback Seth Russell, a result that disappointed the playful Evans. "I thought I was going to jump over him (Russell)," Evans said with a smile, "but he ended up being real strong and took me down so I didn't get in. But it was all good."

The second interception was deflected at the line of scrimmage by redshirt freshman defensive tackle Neville Gallimore. "Neville gets the assist for that," Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. "That's a big part of when you play these guys is trying to get deflections. We finally got some deflections to go to us today. Again, Jordan has to play well in the middle of our defense for us to be successful, and he knows that."

Speaking of deflections, Evans deflected credit to his coaches and teammates. "Coaches called some great calls and we had great preparation all week, so the stuff they were doing we were familiar with and then it's just muscle memory," Evans said. "I got blessed with some of the stuff that came my way today."

Evans entered the game with 1.5 career sacks and now has four career interceptions. He is the first OU linebacker since Travis Lewis in 2008 against Kansas State to have two picks in a game, and became the ninth linebacker in school history to have multiple interceptions in the same game.

It's been an inconsistent final season for Evans while leading a defense decimated by injuries.

Following OU's 66-59 survival at Texas Tech three weeks ago while surrendering 854 total yards and 42 first downs, Evans was his own harshest critic. Asked about the team's defensive effort against the Red Raiders, Evans candidly replied, "I can speak for myself, it was terrible," Evans said. "That's not what a captain should do. That's not what a football player should do. ... It's not fun when you're not making plays."

Redemption for Evans has steadily climbed ever since.

"I'm just proud of him for accepting accountability," Mike Stoops said of Evans. "That, to me, is a sign of growth. He's been a better player than that, and we rely on him to be a consistent player inside. He does a lot. We put a lot on his plate. He kind of organizes the whole defense and he's a very smart player. I'm glad to see him make some plays now and start to gain some confidence and get some rhythm in his game. It comes at a good time. He's an important part of what we're doing."

Meanwhile, Sooners head coach Bob Stoops pretty much shrugged off what Evans did against the Bears. "He didn't do anything different than he has," Stoops said. "He made some nice plays, and every day is different. You play a different team every week. Different quarterback, different receivers, different schemes. He's an excellent athlete ? hands and rangy. He can play in space, and he did a really good job there today."