Brent Venables shares message to players after Red River Rivalry loss

Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners entered the Red River Rivalry with a ton of confidence and momentum. They were undefeated heading into the matchup with archrival Texas, and the return of starting quarterback John Mateer gave them some added of optimism.

However, despite everything seemingly going their way, the Sooners fell short against the Longhorns, suffering their first loss of the 2025 season. Now, Oklahoma faces a defining stretch in the second half of their schedule, where their College Football Playoff hopes hinge on how well it can respond.

Venables understands that one loss doesn’t define their season — but how his team reacts to adversity will. After the game, he shared his heartfelt message to the locker room with the media, where he drove home what the mission statement will be for Oklahoma moving forward.

“We’ve got to remind them that we’ve still got a heck of a team,” Venables told reporters. “We’ve had a heck of a team, and we’ve done a good job of improving as the season has gone on — through all the different challenges that come with it. Through defeat, you learn a lot about yourself. You get better from it.

“Again, I believe in these guys. I hurt for them — I know how much they hurt and how much they’ve invested into this moment. But you’ve got to be able to carry that weight — the weight that comes with it when you walk into that locker room. You’ve got to take the bad with the good in some of these toughest moments and challenges.

“If we are who I know and believe we are, then these guys will respond the right way. They’ll learn from some of the mistakes we made today. And again, you’ve got to learn it through a loss, which is tough — but these guys are very invested. I know how they’ll respond.

“We’ve got incredibly strong leadership in the locker room, and we’ve got a great group of leaders and coaches. This is a team that still believes. This is a team that’s still together — without question. I know these are guys that are ready to respond.”

Alas, Venables’ words serve as reassurance for the team and fans alike. The Sooners’ championship hopes certainly remain intact, but they’ll need to prove their resilience over the coming weeks.

For Oklahoma, the mission is simple — regroup, refocus, and show the nation that one stumble won’t derail their season. They’re back in action against South Carolina this coming weekend.