Venables Vibes: Oklahoma Working With Plenty of New Offensive Pieces After Tennessee Loss

It's clear from Brent Venables' press conference that there will be more than just a quarterback change to get OU's offense on track against Auburn.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tulane Green Wave at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Nobody had to read too far between the lines when Brent Venables met with the media on Tuesday. 

On the heels of No. 21 Oklahoma’s 25-15 defeat to Tennessee, the OU head coach is frustrated with the offense. 

Venables opened his press conference previewing the Sooners’ (3-1, 0-1 SEC) upcoming trip to Auburn (2-2, 0-1) with a nearly 19-minute opening statement spanning everything from his decision to go with Michael Hawkins Jr. at quarterback, the need for the offensive coaches to make life easier on a struggling unit, the Tigers’ season so far and Jacobe Johnson’s position change from defensive back to wide receiver. 

Thankfully, OU’s defense looks the part of a unit that can steady the waters while the offense tries to find any kind of rhythm. 

But that’s easier said than done as Hawkins is positioned to become the first true freshman Oklahoma quarterback to make his first career start on the road since Troy Aikman stepped in against Kansas in 1984.

Avoiding a Split

Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (2) celebrates beside defensive back Kendel Dolby (15) during 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

When one side of the ball vastly outperforms the other, frustrations inside a locker room can arise. 

At no point this year has Oklahoma’s offense looked dangerous against legitimate competition, leaving the team to lean on Venables and Zac Alley’s defense. 

But the OU coaches aren’t going to let those frustrations boil over into the locker room. 

“You got to work at it every single day like you do your own family,” Venables said. “… You work through problems no matter what. Sometimes you don't like each other but you always love each other. And it starts with that.”

The Sooner defense did just about everything that could be asked on Saturday. 

They bottled up Tennessee’s explosive rushing attack. They forced a pair of turnovers — one at midfield and one at the Vols’ 5-yard line. They kept OU in the game. 

Facing a raucous crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the defense will likely have to paper over more mistakes from the offense. But that’s life in college football. 

“That's one of the funnest parts of coaching is when you you nurture the brotherhood,” Venables said. You know, the mutual respect, the mutual appreciation. … You're helping each other, you've got each other's back no matter what, good or bad. You always got them, It's like a non-negotiable.”

For years, Oklahoma’s offense pulled the weight. Now it’ll be the defense’s turn to show they can selflessly propel the Sooners through the SEC. 

Lacking Physicality 

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables stands on the sideline as Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) walks off he field after a fumble during 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

Seth Littrell’s offense has been littered with mistakes. 

Miscommunication has run rampant. The game plans haven’t revealed any strengths for Oklahoma. 

But his group is also getting blown into the backfield. 

At times, Venables liked what his offense brought to the table early abasing Tennessee. 

“You've got to play physical. You've got to move people,” Venables said. “I thought early in the game, first quarter in particular, we played in a really good physical way offensively. So there's some encouraging things there.”

The offensive line was unable to take the fight to the Volunteers for four quarters, something they’ll have to improve. 

Everybody knows Oklahoma is banged up, but the younger pieces on the offense will have to grow up quick to play as physical as Venables needs for entire conference contests. 

“The No. 1 ingredient, to me, is the confidence and experience and the depth of knowledge the players have so they can execute the plan,” Venables said. “… Young guys a lot of times will get overwhelmed, same thing. I think the line of scrimmage is the hardest positions to play because everything happens so fast. There is not the margin for error. 

“If you’re a linebacker, you’re off the line of scrimmage five yards. You can false step and still try to regain leverage. Maybe I guessed it was run, but it was pass. I have time to recover. When you’re at the line of scrimmage and step wrong and guess wrong and you say the wrong thing, everything is on top of you right now. It’s the experience, availability, how long you’ve been practicing, all of that adds up.”

For the first time all season, OU was able to deploy the same offensive line from start to finish against Tennessee, and that group will have to learn from the experience and continue to improve to give the rest of the offense a shot against the Tigers. 

Johnson’s Shift

Oklahoma defensive back Jacobe Johnson is shifting to wide receiver. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Welcome to the offense, Jacobe. 

The former two-sport star has featured in Oklahoma’s cornerback rotation, but Venables announced he’s shifting over to play wide receiver during his Coaches Show on Monday night. 

Emmett Jones’ position group is going through it right now. 

Jayden Gibson was lost for the year during fall camp. 

Jalil Farooq injured his foot on the second play of the season. 

Andrel Anthony still hasn’t truly returned from his ACL injury.

Oklahoma lacks size at receiver right now, and Venables hopes Johnson will be able to contribute at some point this year. 

“Jacobe is a natural receiver,” Venables said on Tuesday. “He played a lot more receiver growing up than he did defensive back.”

The Sooners aren’t heaping tons of expectations on Johnson to set Auburn’s secondary on fire, however. 

“Will he be an impact for us this week? I don't know. That's kind of a reach. That wasn't the mindset,” Venables said. “The mindset was how can we get better this season. … He's a fantastic corner and has a chance to get to play this game a long time at that position. But he's a natural and he looked like a natural (at receiver) in some ways yesterday.”

Not only is Venables optimistic that Johnson will be able to help in the passing game, but that he’ll be a positive addition to OU’s attempts to block on the outside. 

“He’s 6-2, he's 210 pounds, he runs every bit of 4'4, if not faster. And he's been playing that way,” Venables said. “… He's a physical guy, a block, he knows how to use his hands.”

Johnson hasn’t been working with the offense until now, but Venables is confident his football IQ that was on display in the defensive meetings will translate to the other side of the ball. 

“Jacobe's aggressive and he's physical, and he knows what an offense is trying to do,” Venables said. “… He just using all of his defensive acumen. We study offenses more than we study defense. We talk offense more than we study defense in the defensive room. What they're thinking, what the weakness of the defense is, the way we should anticipate them attack us this way. If we take that away, it's a wrap. So he'll have that mindset.”

The Sooners will get a chance to bounce-back off the loss to Tennessee at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the contest with Auburn will be broadcast on ABC.