Looking Back on How Brent Venables Fared After the Bye Week as Oklahoma's Head Coach

The Sooners are 2-0 following an open week in the Brent Venables Era, and have plenty to improve on this week before taking on No. 2 Texas.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables stands on the field before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The complexion of Oklahoma’s bye week dramatically shifted as the fourth quarter unfolded at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. 

A loss that could have started a season spiral suddenly became a momentum-seizing victory as the Sooners reeled off 17-straight points to top Auburn 27-21.

Now, Brent Venables’ team has a chance to rest and heal ahead of a massive showdown with No. 2 Texas (5-0, 1-0 SEC).

Both the Longhorns and the Sooners (4-1, 1-1) have the week off, so there is no built-in advantage for either team as the programs prepare to meet for a massive edition of the Red River Shootout.

Venables is a perfect 2-0 coming off the bye as a head coach, though the circumstances have been drastically different the past two years in Norman. 

2022

Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman intercepts a pass in the fourth quarter against Iowa State in 2022. / Des Moines Register-Imagn Images

This year’s Oklahoma team has more similarities with 2022’s squad heading into the open week than the 2023 Sooners. 

The bye came a couple of weeks later in 2022, as OU was already 4-3 before getting a week to self-scout. 

Oklahoma had lost to Kansas State at home before Dillon Gabriel exited the defeat against TCU. The battle against Texas was the 49-0 disaster, but the Sooners got a big boost in the return of Gabriel right before the open week. 

Kansas visited Norman, and the Sooners handled the Jayhawks 52-42 to try and release some of the pressure on the entire team before the bye week. 

A major storyline heading into the bye week was that it was a much-needed week for the defense to rest after Venables’ unit had spent so much time on the field defending the Wildcats, the Horned Frogs and the Longhorns.

The next contest was OU’s final Big 12 trip to Ames, and it yielded a solid result. 

Oklahoma’s defense clamped a poor Iowa State offense for a majority of the game, and Jeff Lebby did a nice job attacking the Cyclone defense. The Sooners controlled most of the game and came back to Norman with a 27-13 win after running back Eric Gray clinched the game with a 4-yard touchdown run two plays after Danny Stutsman hauled down a massive interception. 

This week, OU’s defense will relish the ability to take some mental reps and spend extra time on the training table in the recovery room.

Seth Littrell will also have time to take a look back at the six quarters of offense with quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. at the helm to continue to tailor the offense toward the true freshman while the Sooners hope to get healthier along the offensive line and at wide receiver. 

2023

Oklahoma running back Gavin Sawchuk scored a touchdown to help lift the Sooners over UCF in 2023. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last year’s open week was all about managing success. 

The Sooners stunned Texas 34-30, exacting revenge on the 2022 embarrassment. 

Oklahoma beat UCF 31-29 the following week, but OU’s run defense suddenly sprung leaks as Gus Malzahn’s team pushed the Sooners from start to finish. 

Venables himself admitted that nobody, from the coaching staff down to the players, handled the success post-Texas as they should have.

This year will offer everyone in the program a chance to fix that. 

There is still plenty for Oklahoma to clean up from the victory over Auburn. 

OU’s defense allowed a season-high in total yards (482) while forcing a season-low in turnovers (one). 

The offense fell into a lull during the second and third quarters before Hawkins connected with J.J. Hester for a 60-yard chunk play in the fourth quarter.

Plenty of improvement is required on both sides of the ball for the Sooners to hang with Texas in the Cotton Bowl, but Venables proved last year he can punch back at Steve Sarkisian from the sideline in the Red River Shootout.