The concept seems simple enough.
"Stop the quarterback before he gets to the pitch," says Oklahoma linebacker Rocky Calmus. "Contain him and slow him up where everybody can rally and stop him."
The problem is the quarterback is Nebraska's Eric Crouch and he hasn't exactly been stopped this season, or even slowed. In fact, Crouch is leads the team in total offense with 193 yards per game and has led the Huskers to points on 36 of the 73 drives he's started.
But Crouch hasn't faced Calmus and fellow linebacker Torrance Marshall who comprise, perhaps, the most dynamic duo in the country. They lead the team with 51 and 47 tackles respectively, including 14 apiece against Rice.
"They're athletic. They're big. They're strong. They're fast, and they're smart. Uh, they work real hard, and they're tough. So, that's an awfully good combination," says linebackers coach Brent Venables.
|  | | Rocky Calmus leads Oklahoma in tackles this season. |
Perhaps their biggest impact has come on third down. In the last two games (against Texas and Kansas State) the Sooners allowed just six out of 30 third-down conversions. Still, Crouch himself has converted on 24 of 65 third downs -- a stat Marshall and Calmus plan to alter dramatically.
"We pride ourselves on third down play," Marshall says. "But it's going to be tough against Nebraska."
The two linebackers are a contrast of styles -- "Torrance probably has more raw natural ability and Rocky more the instinctual part of the linebacker," says co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops -- but not in attitude, at least on the field.
"You have to like to hit be very physical, do things most guys on the team don't like to do," Calmus says. "You've got two 300 pound guys coming at you. A lot of guys don't want to hit them, but that's our job and that's what we like to do."
"I believe you have to hit and be physical," Marshall chimes in, "But you've got to be sort of intelligent, you have to know the plays, communicate."
Calmus was born and raised in Jenks, Okla., and grew up dreaming of leading Oklahoma over Nebraska and to a national championship.
"That's the reason I came here," he says. "I wanted to help bring back that game, that tradition and I'm just fortunate that it came around before my time was up "
Marshall was raised in Miami and found Oklahoma via Kemper Military School. He learned quickly to dream of leading OU past the Huskers.
"You find out very quick it's a rivalry," he says. "Last year we weren't able to play them, this year when everybody found out they were on the schedule, they talked about it. Rivalries are rivalries. Everybody gets up for them. I'm glad to bring back the excitement and atmosphere."
Both were thrilled when former Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth made an unannounced visit to their locker room before the Rice game and greeted each of them by name.
"He came up, actually said, "Hey Torrance, Hey Rocky" and that was kind of flattering that he'd come to see us," Calmus says
"Rocky's eyes got real big," Marshall says. "It meant a lot that a guy with all the hardware would take an interest in us."
The two say they communicate like brothers off the field and on it, but it wasn't always that way. When Marshall arrived on campus two years ago, he sought out Calmus and announced that he was going to take his job.
"I just wanted him to know that I was for real," Marshall says. "I wanted to come in and get playing time right away, and I wasn't afraid to let anyone know it."
Calmus stepped up to the challenge.
"It's good to have a guy come in confident and want to step in and play," he says.
Coaches realized that to win, they needed both guys on the field at the same time and shifted Calmus to the weak side and Marshall to the middle.
"Fortunately it worked out," says Calmus, who is a finalist for the Dick Butkus award. "I knew he was a great player and the coaches are smart. They know what it takes and we're doing the right things."
Still, they know taking on Crouch and Co., could be the biggest test they'll face this season.
"Our safeties have got to come up, if they don't come up, that's a 40-yard gain," Calmus says. "So we've got to read the quarterback. He is the key guy so we do have to we feel if we are going to be successful, we have to stop the him."
"It's not just us," Marshall says. "It's all 11 guys. If one guy's out of position against the option, they're going to be successful. Every man has to be in the right place."
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