Back to the Oklahoma State Cowboys Newsfeed

Mike Gundy Expects Jim Knowles, Defense to Improve in Year 2

Oklahoma State’s defense wasn’t good enough in 2018 and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.

Jim Knowles’ inaugural campaign as defensive coordinator had its highs and lows, but the overall result was less than satisfactory for a team with hopes to compete for a Big 12 title.

Its highs included a Big 12-leading 39 sacks (12th nationally) and finishing at the top of the league in red zone defense. OSU came in ninth in the country, allowing scores on just 73.6 percent of red zone attempts. Better yet, their 4.4 points per red zone attempt is the lowest since 2013 (3.