Venables Vibes: Oklahoma Building on Positives From Ole Miss Loss for Home Stretch

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables closed the book on OU's loss to No. 18 Mississippi and turned the page to Maine on Tuesday.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables watches from the sideline during the first half against Ole Miss. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Brent Venables was in rare form on Tuesday. 

As Oklahoma (4-4, 1-4 SEC) prepares to step out of conference play and host the Maine Black Bears, Venables spoke for over an hour at his weekly press conference. 

He answered questions on everything from OU athletic director Joe Castiglione’s message to him amid a three-game losing streak to Jackson Arnold’s headspace, and he even had time to clarify some differences in SEC officiating from the Big 12. 

Though Maine hails from the FCS, it’s still a big game in Norman. Oklahoma has to take care of business at 11 a.m. on Saturday to stand a chance of picking off one of the team’s three remaining SEC games in November to get to a bowl game. 

Words of Encouragement 

Joe Castiglione walks the sidelines in the second half of Oklahoma's season-opener against Temple. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

To say the 2024 season has been tough in Norman is an understatement. 

The Sooners have fallen on their face in their grand SEC debut, and there have already been staff changes on offense. 

But Venables said he’s still getting the full backing of Castiglione behind the scenes in the routine meetings between the two power players in OU’s athletic department. 

“We meet weekly and a lot of times I talk to him a number of times during the course of the week, just normal protocol,” Venables said. “He's the best in the business, he's been around a lot, both good and bad, just difficult situations that being in this profession, the coaching profession, tough collegiate athletics. He's got a lot of wisdom that he can guide a lot of us coaches here at this university.”

The last nine weeks have been challenging for Venables. 

He’s only been on a coaching staff for one losing season throughout his three-decade career — OU’s 2022 season — and he’s not accustomed to the results on Saturday failing to match the effort on the practice field throughout each week. 

Castiglione has been a fanatic resource, Venables said, to lean on throughout the year. 

“He's got good perspective,” Venables said. “He knows things where there's great alignment from a perspective standpoint of what we're dealing with. So that's the extent of conversations. He's kind of living and dying in the moment of the season, like a coach would and he's being a great vessel of support.”

Patching the Leaks

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Jordan Watkins reaches for a catch as Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Kani Walker defends during the second half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Just as he did on his Coaches Show on Monday night, Venables said his team got “dominated” in the third quarter against Ole Miss. 

OU’s halftime lead quickly dissipated as the Rebels scored on their first three possessions of the second half in Oxford. Most of the damage came through the air, as the Sooners allowed five passing plays of 20 yards or more in the third quarter alone. 

Erasing the big plays will be the focus for Venables and the defensive staff throughout the final four games of the regular season, especially as the defense is forcing fewer turnovers as of late.

"We're way too inconsistent. And some of it's really good, but you're only as good as your last snap,” Venables said. “… You give up an explosive play on the scramble, you give up an explosive play on the double move. And another time, we've got a a good coverage called and the corner on one side plays really well. The corner on the backside busts his coverage and they throw it for, whatever, 28 yards over our head. 

“And we got to get our guys not to bust coverages. The experienced player needs — he needs to know the call and be in the right call. And that's football. Sometimes you don't get exposed. Sometimes you bust a coverage and they don't take advantage. And good people are going to find you. And they did. And, but at the end of the day, we've got to be better.”

Part of the equation on the back end will be getting the cornerback room closer to full health. 

Venables highlighted how consistent true freshman Eli Bowen has been, but Kani Walker has been forced into a larger role with Gentry Williams lost for the season, Dez Malone missing time in practice for an injury, Makari Vickers working back to full health and Jacobe Johnson splitting time between offense and defense. 

Maine should serve as an opportunity to get back on track and build confidence before the Sooners battle a talented group of Missouri wide receivers next week. 

Running Forward

Oklahoma Sooners running back Jovantae Barnes finished Saturday's contest against Ole Miss with 67 rushing yards. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Oklahoma’s rushing attack was a pleasant surprise against the Rebels. 

Mississippi entered the week allowing opponents 66.6 rushing yards per game on average, and the Sooners rushed for 207 yards before the sack yardage was subtracted out of the total. 

Though the offensive line surrendered 10 sacks, there were running lanes for Jovantae Barnes, who made Ole Miss defenders miss and fought through contact for extra yardage last Saturday. 

After the loss, Venables shrugged off the notion of a moral victory — those don’t exist at Oklahoma. 

But the performance can be the foundation for an improved ground game in the final four games.

“It's only affirmation… if we get out of our own way, if we don't beat Oklahoma, if we do the things that winning requires, even though we have XYZ down with injuries,” Venables said, “… if we do that, we can play with anybody, we can beat anybody that we play against.”

Everything has to work together. 

If quarterback Jackson Arnold can get enough protection up front to make things happen downfield in the passing game, the holes will get even bigger for Barnes. 

“Man, I'm proud of our guys for the fight and the physical toughness that they showed,” Venables said. “Our tight ends blocked better and chipped better, that was more noticeable. We put helmets under chin straps, and we knocked people backwards, and the pile went in the right direction, not always, but better. But not good enough to win. And so there's there's more to be had."